Fidel's - La Costa

The fajitas are a joke—$15.50 for a few beans and only 3 or 4 pieces of chicken. The quesadilla was disgusting. It's way overpriced; I recommend trying Jackal's next door—there's no comparison. They also don't accept AMEX; I won't be coming back!

Delicious food served hot! I highly recommend the chicken burrito, which is made with all white meat chicken wrapped in a tortilla and topped with a flavorful sauce. It's absolutely fantastic! The salsa has a unique flavor that may take some getting used to, but once you do, you'll love it! The margaritas are also excellent!

Unfortunately, my decision to visit not once, but twice turned out to be a big mistake. Let me provide some context: as a San Diegan, I consider myself quite knowledgeable about Mexican food; it’s ingrained in our culture. We even have fast-food Mexican options, like Rubio’s, that far surpass any Mexican restaurant east of Bakersfield. This means we’re a discerning crowd, but even fellow San Diegans insisted that Fidel's was among the best. On my first visit, I found the chips and salsa to be very disappointing. The chips were stale and the salsa, while quite spicy, lacked flavor. It felt like they were trying to cover up a bland mix of water and vinegar by just making it extremely spicy. Overall, I was not impressed. When it came to the main dishes, they were a complete letdown. Everything was served cold and poorly prepared. The ingredients felt haphazardly thrown together, with cold items shoved to one side. The only highlight for me was the lemonade, which, ironically, was the only drink not made on-site. That night, I ended up feeling quite sick—let's just say it involved chugging Pepto-Bismol, which was a fitting end to the experience. Determined to give it another chance, I returned about three weeks later, thinking that the first experience must have been a fluke. Unfortunately, it was just as bad, with the same stale chips and disappointing salsa and the same poorly prepared meals. However, at least I didn’t get sick this time. So, perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for Fidel’s after all.