Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Café

From the Midwest and want some Mexican? Do not go to this place. The chips were burnt, the food had no flavor, and the waitress looked at me like I had two heads when I asked for «queso». My husband had tacos and he said the tacos I made the other night (from a package) tasted better. I had chicken quesadillas, the chicken had no flavor and they didn’t give me hardly any guacamole, sour cream, or pico. We picked the Mexican restaurant because of the reviews. We do not agree and will not be going back.

Saw this little gem on the corner where we are staying and then checked it out on Unilocal.All the reviews on the food, salsa are right on. Service lacked a little but I guess that is has they provide service in SD. Either I will return and their breakfast is suppose to amazing. Two thumbs up!

A main stay, for great food. Visited this week and it was evidently in severe need of a bar tender. Skip the house margaritas. Not drinkable. Call out your brand of tequila instead. Will come back for food for sure.

I really liked this place. I came here about a month ago on a Groupon and here are the pros and cons.
Pros:
1) The Food!
The food is delicious, you really get some wholesome yet unique selection of food
2) Customer Service
Staff was very friendly willing to accommodate requests (food substitution type thing) also checked on us a good amount of times.
3) Atmosphere
Restaurant has a nice vibe, very earthy.
Cons:
1) Parking,
The area might be a challenge to find parking so beware, but you should know this if you eat around here.
2) Wait time to be seated
They do tend to be busy so keep that in mind but honestly it wasn’t a terrible wait about 10 minutes for us
3) Coffee
The café de la olla was really not so great but if you ask them they are honest about it and appreciate that (no deceit)
Overall a great experience, I definitely want to return soon, I had the huevos rancheros over easy with the Jalisco Chorizo underneath, w/​black beans and potatoes, superb!

Super friendly staff and great tasting food. It was funny that our waiter hadn’t heard of a cheese crisp… the staple food of a lot of young kids dining out for Mexican food. Lol. Guess it’s an AZ quirk.
I ordered Chili Colorado which was delicious with lots of flavor.
My niece had a taco salad. It was so tiny but the right portion for a kid and some adults. Niece said it was very good. Better than others she’s had.
Daughter had chicken taco. It was good but messy. Fell apart.
Overall a pretty good experience and i would go back.

Two stars because I hate the menu set up. No combo plates and rice and beans are extra

Honestly the best Mexican food in San Diego. It throws me off that it off as the name doesn’t sound like Mexican food but so good.
Their green salsa you get with your chips is sooooooo good.
I have tried the carne asada and it was delicious. Their burritos were great as well. Tonight I had the small taco salad,
To be honest, a little over priced for what you get… Super small.
I like the service and it’s a cute little authentic place. Defiantly must try.

Chips and salsa are awesome. The food is a great value. Service was very personal and friendly. It was my first time here and we were treated like regulars.

Placed an order for take-​out. Waitress was very friendly while taking my order, but as soon as she looked down and saw no tip (it was a take-​out order) her whole attitude changed in an obvious way. The food is way over priced for the portions that they give. I will not be returning.

Their salsa is too damn spicy. Fine I guess because noone complains but me. Well, they should have a balanced alternative. They do have soy crumble for vegetarians, so that makes up for it. VERY NICE STAFF HARD WORKING PEOPLE TIP THEM WELL!

Saturday evening, only one waitress. Finally left, without even being asked if we would like anything to drink.

I’ve been wanting to check this place out for years, given it has been around for years. I finally had the opportunity to stop in for a Sunday morning breakfast and ordered the carnitas scramble with hash browns, some corn tortillas, and a cup of their Mexican coffee de la olla.
The scramble was good but I felt it would of been much better is they would of used freshly chopped jalapenos rather than the pickled pre sliced variety that come out of a can or jar. That pickled flavor does not go very well with eggs. Anyways, the carnitas in the scramble were pretty good and were tender with a good savory pork flavor.
The eggs were good too but the scramble needed at least one more because they were quite minimal in my opinion. However, they were well scrambled and seasoned and went very well with the carnitas. I have to admit, they would of been much better with fresh crisp jalapenos. The scramble was good eating with the warm tortillas which I used to make tacos with. They only gave me two corn tortillas and I am not sure if you can ask for more, like other places I have been to.
The hash browns were good and had a light to medium crispiness. They were abundant, and I would of preferred more of the scramble than the hash. If you like your hash browns extra crispy, like me, I would probably let them know. I unfortunately forgot to.
I tried the red and the green hot sauce. They were both pretty good. I preferred the red chunky one because it provided better flavor and a little bit of heat. Service was very good and so was the café de la olla or Mexican cinnamon coffee I had with my breakfast.
I say, ax those canned jalapenos and use fresh ones…

First time here!
I absolutely Love their chips and salsa!
Cadillac Margarita is a must!
Their tlaquepaque sauce is amazing!
Great Surprise! Absolutely delicious!
We had chile rellenos and their pork in tlaquepaque sauce! Yumm!

Decent happy hour deals on drinks and some food. If you order off the happy hour food menu expect to get mini sized meals. The chicken nachos I ordered was pretty small. It was slightly over $ 4. I finished the nachos in about 10 bites. It literally was mini sized. So you get what you pay for. The actual meals on the main menu looked good though from what I saw what friends ordered. You may be better off ordering off that menu if you want to get full.

Super friendly service and good food. The interior could use some serious updating but, let’s face it, you aren’t coming for the décor. The spicy carrots here are awesome! Food always comes fast and is fresh. Typical Americanized Mexican food. It won’t make my destination list but it’s a short walk from my apartment and satisfies the Mexican food cravings in a pinch.

This place has always been a staple for me in San Diego and for the area. It’s affordable, yet authentic Mexican food.
You should try the Tlaquepaque at least once, and ask how to pronounce it correctly.
They have many great options on their menu, and you should try all of them. However, I typically get one of their specials. It’s a welcome departure from typical California-​Burrito-​style food found elsewhere in the area.
Their green tomatillo salsa is also very good.
I’m not sure if they still serve the pork jalapeño poppers, but I would consider them an indulgence.

My wife’s favorite restaurant in San Diego. I wish all Mexican restaurants were this creative! What the world doesn’t need is another Burrito/​Taco/​Enchilada place serving the same old boring stuff. The recipes here are very unique and wonderful.

Jimmy Carter’s: it don’t sound Mexican by the name, and they’ve been there for years and I never knew till just a few days back that it’s a Mexican restaurant; and oh my gosh, that food is soooo good! We already dined there 2 times. Even with a full table, the bill is fair priced!!! I will return to dine again!!!

Great food! Super authentic and delicious! Everyone is very kind, we will definitely return for more food in the future!

Weird name for a Mexican spot for sure lol. I went here with my friend for his sons bday and the food was great. Delicious salsa, good chips, typical Mexican beers. I had cord quesidillas and ended up eating chicken Chile Verde which was delish. Nothing but nothing but nice to say

Wonderful seafood enchiladas — Comida del Mar with chipotle cream sauce was amazing and service by Abner was delightful. Was my first visit, and it will not be my last :-)

Just had a great lunch here with Melissa as my server.
It’s been years since I have eaten here and was craving eating somewhere near the park.
Great day, great food and delightful service. I love this place.

Jimmy Carter’s has a perfect combination tasty food, personable and attentive service, and there isn’t usually a wait. Menu prices are extremely reasonable for the amount of food you receive as well.

This is such a cute place with really colorful décor. The waitstaff are really kind and the food was served in perfect time. I was very taken by the Chicken Quesedillas. The fact that the chicken was so flavorful and tender has made this one of my new favorite places. They’re also greatly priced!

Walked in with a group of four and an infant and immediately we were greeted with stellar service, which was a foreshadow of the evening. Chips, salsa and water arrived instantly. Margaritas and beer soon followed, both tasty and ice cold. Waitress was super helpful with all questions we had regarding the specials while helping educate us about how the food is prepared. Once the entrees hit the table everyone was visually stimulated and then dug in. Silence ensued. Delicious is an understatement. We’ve moved JC’s to the top of our favorite Mexican restaurants in SD now!

By far one of the best Mexican restaurants in the city of San Diego! Fresh salsa green and red salsa, tlaquepaque sauce, and amazing staff are just some of the highlights. One thing that put this place over the top was how clean the bathroom was during lunch time. The bus boy suggested the strawberry margarita and even made it himself, amazing overall experience!

Ok, this is the deal. The menu is extensive. They offer very authentic Mexican dishes and some more tex mex style dishes too. We tried the salsa combination of 4 that you pay for and you also get the 2 different complimentary salsas that come with chips. Out of all the salsas they are all pretty darn spicy! Our 93 year old friend couldn’t tolerate them. So this in itself… to offer 6 different varieties of addictive salsas with various chilis in each qualifies as fairly authentic Mexican.
The chili relleno with pork was probably one of the best I’ve ever tried. We had it with the nortena sauce which was my favorite out of all the sauces. The taco salad was tex mexy but that’s what I wanted. The lettuce was much appreciated to cool the heat from the salsas.
The shredded beef on the taco salad was moist and flavorful but the carnitas were a little dried out. The last time we came here was 4 years ago and I think I’ll try to make it back sooner than 4 years! Service was very good.

There’s a moment in time when you walk into a place and instantly feel… «Why am I here…» This was one of those times. As soon as I entered, I noticed their specials and menu items were mainly American food, though claiming to be a Mexican Café. I tried their Carne Asada tacos. As soon as I sunk my teeth into said taco, I felt a wave of sadness and regret, as though my whole life and dreams were broken and buried never to be revived. Before entering I was a happy guy, always laughing and joking, the comedian kind of guy… Now I’m clinically depressed and will never smile or laugh again from those tacos…
I would rather eat out of the trashcan outside of King Taco, rather than head back inside Jimmy Carters Mexican Café. I feel as though I’ve been robbed of my innocence, I’ve never felt so violated after eating Mexican food before. The McDonald’s fish tacos have a more appealing flavor over their Carne Asada. If I could rate a, 0 stars I would. The menu stated «Authentic Mexican food with flavor only obtainable from across the border» this is a lie unless they mean the Canadian Border, because their food tasted like cooked garbage, and that’s a compliment. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would NEVER do again! PS… Why is the only Mexican worker in the café cleaning the floors?

I went there several months ago and was simply blown away by the flavor and the quality of the food. I ate there EVERYDAY while I was in town. This last visit, not so much. The fish tacos that they win my heart woth just a few short months ago were bland and uninspired. The service was equally as bland. Made me sad but I’ll try them again next trip just in case they were in the middle of a bad patch.

Random, but this review is solely on their «green sauce». Though we live a few blocks away, we have never made it over to this place! My parents did, however, and brought home extra «green sauce» — used this on eggs and such the next morning and it was the bomb! Avo/​cilantro/​jalapeño? It was creamy, tasty and had that kick that hits you at the end. Perfect. Maybe they sell just the sauce? ;-)

I really liked Jimmy Carter’s back in the day when it was a continental/​comfort kind of place. It was really good then. It subsequently converted to a Mexican café, and I was instantly suspicious. Just ‘cuz you can put out some yummy American comfort food doesn’t mean you can switch over to Mexican food and be a success, especially in San Diego.
Some friends of ours were staying in a nearby hotel, so we headed down for a Friday breakfast despite my suspicions. I ordered the Jimmy’s Skillet (shrimp, krab, mushrooms, chives, and grilled potatoes with hollandaise sauce. My bride ordered the homemade corned beef hash, and our friends ordered the Veggie Medley (spinach, mushrooms, tomatos, artichokes, green onions, queso fresco, sauteed with grilled potatoes.
Having sampled everything, it was all darned good, with good portion sizes for reasonable prices. The Jimmy’s Skillet was a nice combination of tastes and portion size was generous. The bride’s corned beef hash was excellent, some of the best corned beef hash I’ve ever had! I almost wish I’d ordered it, except that the portions were just OK. The Veggie Medley was good, but well, they are vegetables.
The décor is colorful and interesting, a definite upgrade from the previous décor. The one thing that detracted was the service was a bit slow, but the waitress acknowledged that they just got through a busy rush, so I’m willing to cut them some slack on that. Acknowledging and apologizing for subpar service in a sincere way goes a long way, and after all, we were there to catch up with our friends anyway and weren’t in a hurry.
I don’t think you can go wrong here, recommended!

I was in San Diego for a weekend and somehow managed to eat fifteen tacos and drink 5 margaritas at Jimmy Carter’s in that time. For a moment there, it felt as if I was trapped in time, destined to keep eating, sort of like Groundhog Tacos. Me waking up, same tacos de camarones on the plate, me eating them. Repeat.
It wasn’t as if I didn’t eat or drink anywhere else the whole time I was in San Diego, it was just that this place was so rock solid that I couldn’t walk by without stopping in. The one thing I noticed is that things weren’t consistently prepared, as if different cooks were doing things different ways, but it was all good, so I appreciated the variety. I wish it was my standby neighborhood spot.
Good job, Jimmy Carter’s.
Oh, did I mention the margaritas?

I LOVE Jimmy Carter’s! I frequent this place quite often because it’s close to my house and because the food is consistent and good. The staff are friendly and funny — they know my boyfriend and I because we frequent here so much. As for the food — pretty standard Mexican. A standout has to be the menudo. Its rich in flavor and delicious! I also recommend the carne asada. Flavored well and always tender! I’m also a fan of their delicious green salsa that is served with their chips. Piece of advice — you need to ask for chips and salsa, they do no serve unless you request it! Also random I think the flour tortillas are really good. No, they’re not homemade but they’re tasty nonetheless. My boyfriend order the chilaquiles and of course I had to try it, really good! The red sauce is rich in flavor, not too spicy…
Overall — I really love this place. Every now and then you’ll catch the owner, Jimmy in the restaurant. He’s a nice, older gentleman. Are there fancier, trendier Mexican spots? Sure. I go to Jimmy’s because I like to support my local mom and pop’s, because to food is good, and because the service if great.

This is our go-​to restaurant for Mexican. I cannot keep myself from the shredded beef tacos (crispy), black beans and rice. Does life have to be complicated? Why, no. Hitch a margarita to the taco plate and I am good to go. We always like Mike tending to our table… but the other’s are just as friendly and accommodating. Reasonably priced, too. GO !!
P. S. We headed up there last Sunday afternoon and the place was closed. (?)

Pros: No-​fuss, casual place that is great for a lunch break. Fast service, friendly staff. Very affordable. I love the salsa that comes with the chips, but both the green and red are spicy — they bring out both, not sure if they have a milder option. I had the chicken tostada which was pretty good — basic, but fresh ingredients.
Cons: Got the chicken colorado, and it was way, way, way too bitter. Had almost no flavor beyond the chile. No flavor to it at all… just chile powder. Maybe others like it because it’s listed as a House Specialty, but I would not order it again. Still, I will come back, the prices are good and I’m sure there are other things on the menu worth trying.

Wen’t there with my husband for breakfast on a Sunday around 10:30 AM because of a Groupon deal.
There was no wait, we were seated right away which is nice on a Sunday morning. We were given our menus right away and asked what to drink. The service was quick and friendly.
I got the chilaquiles which comes with two eggs, rice and beans. I gotta say these are the best chilaquiles I’ve had that weren’t cooked my my mom. Usually when I get chilaquiles from a restaurant I get disappointed, but these were really good. The beans and rice were also really good, tasted homemade.
I also got the café de la holla which was really good as well, very cinnamony!
My husband got pancakes with eggs and sausage which he said were very good as well.
I would definitely recommend this place and will come again and try their dinner food.

Sometimes things are a little spicier than I’d like. When I get chips and salsa, I’d like to have a mild option. Even ordering guac didn’t make it any better.
Carnitas is always good, I get it extra crispy. Margaritas are solid. Service is stretched at times but always satisfactory.

I love this place. Since moving to San Diego in December, it’s become my go-​to weekend breakfast/​brunch spot.
JC’s may not offer anything terribly fancy or have any eccentricities that would draw in the hipster/​tourist masses, it offers a very consistent experience and solidly tasty food. The lack of draw is really a good thing — never a wait for seating, unlike some of the less good places on the same road. (*cough* hash house *cough*)
The food is billed as «authentic mexican», but I’d frame it more as american mexican; but that’s not a bad thing. My favorite is the carne asada steak and eggs — nice lean pieces of steak, well marinated. Other winners include the syncronizadas which are meat filled quesadillas, the country scrambler and the carnitas plate.
Also check out JC’s salsa flight — it’s got their 4 signature salsas. My favorite is the tlaquepaque, a mild, creamy sause. Nortena is good too.
The only thing I’ve ever gotten there that wasn’t awesome was the jalapeño poppers. They are totally homemade, and much larger than I expected, but there was a bit too much breading on them, and it wasn’t cooked all the way through, leaving it kind of doughy.
Everything else has been a total win though. good stuff!

The food was great and usually we have good service. We’ve stopped for lunch several times.
Our last server was quite rude and we expressed that to the manager. She responded immediately and invited us to Happy Hour, but we didn’t have the chance to go back.
We travel on our motorcycles around the country, so this was just a visit to San Diego.
I recommend the shredded beef, which I had on the taco salad, which is delicious!
Sash

I’m really surprised at the bad reviews! We went for lunch and the place was slammed. All the dishes we saw coming out looked great and people were really enjoying themselves.
We started out with a nice, strong Margarita. Larger and stronger than the overpriced, overhyped ones at Don Chido. This place isn’t pretentious. It’s a bustling joint and the servers were hustling. Ours was superb! This is classic Tex Mex and they do it well. The best Chile Relleno I ever had was in Isla des Mujares. This one was a very close second… at least the best I’ve had in the US! And it was SIX DOLLARS! I split beans and rice with husband, they were seasoned well. He loved his enchiladas. I wish I would have found this place earlier in the trip, I would be back again! Yum!