Cotija’s Mexican Grill

The soda fountain had ants coming out when you got a drink. They gave our money back but never put an out of order sign on it. Made me feel funny about eating the food after this.

I had the shrimp burrito here and it was tasty. The only problem was that it was very small and after I dropped $ 8 I was expecting more. I was still hungry when I left so if you get the shrimp burrito you better get two or three of them. From now on I will just go to cotixan audios Cotija

This place has stayed fairly consistent over the past 8 years I have been coming here. Despite the turnover, the food stays on even goodness. As with a lot of places the prices have gone up quite a bit, but still affordable. Getting close to sitdown price level and when it hits that threshold I will find new spot. But the chimis are good and the asada burritos are pretty darn good as well. Carne asada fries just jumped up in price again so haven’t tasted lately, but they were good before. Service could be friendlier, but not bad by any means. Overall a good eats

The bean and cheese is the best thing on the menu, wouldn’t try anything else. last time we tried the other burritos and they were just ehhh.

Just had a California Burrito here yesterday and it was delicious.
I wasn’t too hungry and was planning on eating half of it but I just kept eating more until it was gone. I guess that’s a sign that it was pretty good.
Did takeout and the burrito was made quickly. I will be back for more and have my eye on the Shrimp Burrito. I work up the street so this place is convenient for me.

This is the closest taco shop to home, so that counts. I won’t say it’s consistent, but their carrots are always amazing and their salsas are very fresh and homemade. I generally only order 5 things from here and I like them all. Carnitas burrito, shrimp diablo burrito, carne chips, rolled tacos or bean and cheese. Is it someone aimed towards Gringos? Yes! Congrats… you’ve recognized it is in RB. DUH. If you want really authentic Mexican food, go to Escondido and stop being a hater. For RB this place is a saving grace.
The wait time is reasonable, I always order ahead. If it was ready too fast I would be worried. At least I know they are beginning to cook it after I order it. Service is always friendly and I wouldn’t eat off the floor, but I like my Mexican food spots a bit gritty. Salsa bar is always clean and tables (although few) are always bussed and clean.
Unless I’m served a hair in my burrito here or they put a better taco shop much closer, this is my spot.

Gringo.
I’d love to leave my review at just that but let’s go ahead and elaborate.
First off, their most prominently advertised items on the window are fish tacos and then bean and cheese/​rice burritos. That tipped me off straight off the bat that it would be gringo. So I didn’t have my hopes up.
Saw someone’s photo of the shrimp burrito. So still decided to go in. Asked the cashier which she’d recommend either the shrimp burrito or the adobada fries. My mistake on taking her advice. She’s Latina and I’m ordering at a Gringo restaurant. I should be asking a non-​Latino this question! But out of starvation, I listened to her and had the fries.
Looked promising with a full to-​go box from corner to corner. But tasted more like refried bean fries. With a hint of adobada. Very disappointing.
Oh well. Lesson learned. Remember to think it through even if you’re starving. It’ll make all the difference. So, this place: order Gringo-​like and you’ll be good to go. If you don’t want Gringo, then skip out on this place and go somewhere else. You’re welcome.
Parking is plentiful but with a lot of small slots. To avoid dings. Try finding the bigger slots.
Remember: food adventures are out there. But sometimes it’s more about the adventures than the food?! (Smiles) If at first you don’t succeed, then on to the next! Happy Unilocaling!

The nachos here are damn near heavenly. I would gladly come here every day for the rest of my life and be super content. The guac and cheese both taste like nothing I have ever had. I love the great salsa and the great meats as well. The customer service is on par, and I very much love the décor.

I’ll be honest with my fellow Unilocalers and tell you that Cotija’s is visit worthy if you have a craving for Mexican food and you’re in the Rancho Bernardo area. The food was okay and after we consumed what we ordered, it solidified why I’ll make the extra 10 minute drive to eat at Yesenia’s off of Carmel Mountain. For cravings, Cotija’s will do, but for a great and fulfilling meal, Yesenias is the standard bearer.
Similar to Yesenia’s, the décor is Mexican fast food chic, which means no ambience or decorative flair at all. The cheap, wooden booths aren’t inviting. It’s considered a fast food restaurant because you grab your food and hurry up and get out of there. My family’s cravings occurred about 15 minutes before Cotija’s closed, so it was readily apparent that the staff had done some preliminary closing activities. I didn’t get a chance to look at what their salsa bar looks like because everything was put away except for some metallic containers that held their red and green sauces. Don’t get me wrong, I get it. Get everything cleared out, so that workers can leave right away. Except, you’re a business, so you should always keep your customers in mind. I had to ask for carrots and jalapenos, which the employee got from the kitchen. I was a little bummed that the employees were already preparing to go home, but as I said, I get it.
The family and I had cravings for a late Mexican food snack. When we visit Yesenia’s, we always order carne asada chips and beef rolled tacos. The food was okay, no one in my family raved about it, and we were disappointed with the portions of what we ordered. Cotija’s charges $ 8+ for their carne asada chips, but it wasn’t $ 8 worthy. When I order carne asada chips at Yesenias, I really feel I get my money’s worth because there is a heaping amount of carne asada, plenty of fresh vegetables, and heaping amounts of toppings. Cotija’s version paled in comparison. The rolled tacos were the same when it comes to value for your money. The rolled tacos at Yesenia’s are just more hearty and tasty. The reason for the average 2 stars is because the food was okay and their free carrots were cut in large sizes.
If I don’t want to drive to satisfy our cravings, I might give Cotija’s another try. But, I’d rather take the time to eat quality, delicious, and value for your money food at Yesenia’s any day. Yesenia’s, sorry I cheated on you. It won’t happen again.

I finally decided to write a review about our local Cotijas Mexican Grille here in Rancho Bernardo. I delayed this for months because we keep giving this place a chance, mainly due to the Cotijas chain (for the most part they rarely disappoint). The exception being the RB location, this place has been so inconsistent with its service and quality of food. We stopped ordering our favorite California Burrito because it was just inferior in every level. We switched to the Carne Asada Fries and this has been hit and miss. However, the last two times plus one correction order has ultimately forced me to write this unfortunate review. The food is inferior to any other Cotijas we have visited, the quality they are serving is terrible, and the service from the employees is awful.
Overall, greasy soggy food, poor portion distribution, employees are unfriendly, and look like they need some hygiene maintenance. Management is only available during a short period of time during the day and not much help when you can get a hold of them. The employees do what they want and care very little about the service they provide.

This review is based on an inconsistency in service. I went once before and ordered a #14 which has two chicken Flautas, rice and beans for $ 8.79. I don’t like the beans and asked the cashier if I could have chips instead. She did and I left happy because the meal was really good.
Well I came back today expecting the same thing and the girl behind the counter, who has her cell phone just below the register to constantly text with, tells me that I can’t substitute chips for the beans. I told her that the other cashier did it for me before. She then asked her manager in Spanish without providing the fact that I had it substituted before, to which she said no. She said the only way to get chips is to buy this huge bag. I decided not to go with the meal and instead I ordered 1 chicken Flauta, order of rice and a big bag of chips. The total came out to $ 9.24 without tax…
I will not be coming back here again.

Food is good but service is really bad. The girls that answer the phone when I order take out always seems to be annoyed and doesn’t seem too happy. The few times I have dined in at this place has been ok. Even when you’re at the register to order the girls just seem like it’s whatever and it’s definitely turns me off. If you don’t like the job then find another one! But like I said the food is good. There’s a condiment station to the side where you can load up on all the sauces they provide but they don’t let you take home the jalapeños or carrots. Those have to be consumed at the restaurant

It has been three months too long, since the departure of the local Taco Bell, blessed be its name, in the year of our Lord, two thousand and fifteen. For three months I have endured many restless nights in my bed, tossing and turning like a madman in mourning. I thought that nothing would fill the hopeless void Taco Bell left in my heart, and more so that nothing would quell the tumultuous winds of a looming existential crisis that begun to fill the emptiness.
But then I decided to move on. I stepped foot cautiously into Cotijas, intrigued by the «3 dollar bean, cheese, and rice burrito» and spoke to the cashier. «Hello» I murmured, my eyes bloodshot and puffy from the hours of crying and lamenting the death of Taco Bell earlier that morning. «Could I get the bean, cheese, and rice burrito?»
«Certainly» the cashier replied, as she began to ring up my order. This must be what it feels like to search for love once more after having it seized from you, much like the English crown by William, Duke of Normandy. I felt as though Taco Bell was watching me from the Heavens, cursing my name, at such blatant betrayal of its ever enduring love.
My order soon came and I carried my burrito sacrificially to the salsa bar. My wet eyes scanned the options. No sauce packets with silly jokes on them. How would I ever grow accustomed to such change? From the corner of my eye, my vision caught a white sparkle emerging from one of the tubs. I peered in pensively and found onions delicately peeled and marinated with lemon and a tinge of jalapeño.
There are some things in my life that I have deeply regretted. Many things that I wish I had acted upon sooner. Cotija’s Taco Shop fits the latter, ever so perfectly. Overwhelmed by cathartic pleasure I bit deeper into my burrito, each time. I felt as though all these years I had been a victim of Stockholm Syndrome through dining at Taco Bell. But nay, my abusive relationship with Taco Bell had finally come to an end. Cotija’s has filled the void in my heart with divine pleasures unbeknownst to carnal and earthly longings of our generation.
I am happy I ate today at Cotija’s. After all, «of all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these: it could have been.»

Good, cheap, fast and convenient. I had the fish taco, rice and beans and my husband had the shrimp taco. It was good. Next time we will try the California burrito. We heard a lot of other customers order that.

Meh.
Decent Mexican food, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here. There are other better options in the surrounding area. However, I wouldn’t refuse to eat here, but would rather go to another taco shop for food instead. Their service here is good and their salsa bar has been good and clean every time I’ve gone. Their food here is decent, but nothing special. The quality is so-​so. For the price you’re paying there are better options available nearby.

This is a decent Mexican place with good service plenty of places to sit and good service. You can count of Cotijas to completely fill your belly without completely emptying your wallet.

I live nearby and I keep forgetting why I’m not a regular. So I try it again and am reminded why. The food is just blah. I don’t expect much, as it’s a counter order shop, but the food they put out is kinda boring. Thankfully they make some spicy salsas, which help in jazzing up whatever is otherwise being dull in your hand.
And today, it took them 20 minutes to make a burrito. Then again, this nabe is ground zero for Gringos, so I can’t really blame the place for catering to the market. If you want some Mexican with a bit more emotion, head up the road a bit more to Escondido.

Carne asada burrito ordered wet was flavorful and delicious. Steak was well flavored «hard to find».
Today ordered shredded beef burrito excellent although a little fatty in parts otherwise it would have been 5 stars.

There’s a Cotijas in Murrieta and I’m not sure if they’re different franchises but I stopped at this location today to get a quick bite to eat with a co-​worker.
Walked in around 3:30 and the inside felt a little stuffy… they either need some fans or to turn on their air?
I ordered 5 chicken rolled tacos and my partner ordered a carne asada quesadilla. My tacos came out fresh and the quesadilla was basically like two burritos! We both enjoyed what we got, and their salsa bar had good options.
The only negative was that there was so many fruit flies around their drink area and one ended up landing in my co-worker’s cup… booo!

Best Mexican food in RB! Always come here! Sopes, cali burritos, rolled tacos, burritos, fish tacos and carne asada fries. Very Good prices and good service. And good green sauce, and limes.
Outdoor seating area is great on a hot day, but tables are bolted down.