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Armando's Mexican Food
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
2295 Palm AveSte C
(at Hollister St)
San Diego, CA 92154
(619) 424-3291
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
49 reviews for Armando's Mexican Food
Review Highlights
"And I have had plenty of carne asada fries."
(in 28 reviews)
"Make sure you ask for sour cream."
(in 10 reviews)
"There is many Mexican taco shops around but this is my..."
(in 3 reviews)
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49 reviews in English
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Review from jimmy c.
San Diego, CA
11/12/2011
best dam carne asada fries in all of south county and yes i realize thats a very bold statement!
the place never closes, and the staff are pretty friendly so try them out. there hot sauce or salsa which ever you like to call it, is the perfect mixture of hot and mild. It adds that perfect something to every meal there.
If your ever in the area give them a try, you wont be disappointed. -
Review from Maria L.
Riverside, CA
1/15/2012
Ehhhh....
I've only tried their carne asada fries since they're supposedly the "best" on palm - not in my book. They're okay, and that's about it. $7.25 for carne asada fries that don't have sour cream? We didn't know that it wouldn't come with sour cream 'til we were eating it and I stared at the fries knowing something was missing. How can you charge so much for carne asada fries without sour cream?! You can go to Jilberto's down the street for carne asada fries WITH sour cream for $7.00 flat! -
Review from Sarah Marie D.
San Diego, CA
Need to add another 24-hour Mexican Fast Food Restaurant to your list for good carne asada fries? Check out Armando's! Soooo good.....
I've never, EVER come to Armando's with daylight outside mostly because my husband and I have our carne asada cravings late at night. Good thing Armando's is open! A word of advice: bring cash! It's cash only and it would suck if you were so hungry and you only had plastic with you. Then again, there's a 7-11 across the way so you can grab some cash before going in :) happy eating!Listed in: Carne Asada Fries HOT SPOTS!…
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Review from Roxxy S.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2012
Been here only past 1 a.m. but thats one of the awesome things about this place. Its open 24/7!!! :D yay, Mexican food all day everyday!! Although Im vegetarian and have only a few choices from the menu, so far so good.
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Review from Peter M.
El Cajon, CA
12/23/2011
Bombdiggity Carne Asada Chips! Some of their burritos are greasy, depending on the cook, but overall good food,
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Review from Mae R.
Pacifica, CA
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Foodgasm Alert: Armando's throws down the BEST carne asada fries ever! Ay dios mio!
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Review from Juje J.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 5/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I can't believe that this is my third review of the place, but what comes up, must sometimes come down, and that was the case for Armando's Mexican Food.
On my previous visit, this place improved dramatically, both in speed, service and food quality. This of course was during the lunch hour when I last came by here and they had a different crew working.
It was 4am in the morning and there were reminance's of a tired graveyard crew that didn't care about customer service, quality of the food and a cashier being too busy flirting with some of the customers instead of taking care of business...mainly people that have to get to work early in the morning.
I also found it pretty disturbing that when my order was done, it just sat there for a good 7 minutes as the cashier was trying to figure out what was missing from a previous customers order. Don't get me wrong, because a long time ago, I worked in the food business, but when an order is ready....get it out so that the counter doesn't get so cluttered and you have a little bit better organization...just my 2 cents on that.
Also, my Veggie Burrito was very sloppily put together and not very hot...that happens when the burrito sits in a corner for a good 7 minutes and the cashier is too busy trying to figure out what to do next. Trust me...I've had their burritos before (during the day) and they've put a lot of heart into it...just not in the morning.
What I've learned about this place...It's a Hit or Miss depending on what time of the day you get here. If there is a lesson learned here, it's that I will NEVER come here during the whee hours of the morning...they are that bad.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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4/25/2011
I'll give these guys a lot of credit...for a taco shop, Armando's makes one of the better tasting… Read more »
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Review from Chad C.
San Diego, CA
WHOA BS!
That stands for BACON and SHRIMP!
Add that to your carne asada fries with sour cream and it will be the death of you! This alone gets 5 stars.
But as Warren G said "You can't be any geek off the street, gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean."
These guys don't seem to like when you add stuff that's out of the norm. They'll give you a funny look when you try adding on. But if you're a reg and they know you plus if you know a little bit of Spanish then they will hook you up.
Muchas gracias, mis amigos!
Oh and yeah.......... BACOOOOOON!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/14/2011
Carne Asada BACON Fries!
I don't care if you don't like the other stuff on the menu, or if you're a… Read more »
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Review from Francis B.
San Diego, CA
5/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
NOM NOMS! 24/7 NOM NOMS! Carne asada fries! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!
Seriously, this is the http://bomb.com. I'm not joking. -
Review from Andrea P.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
All over San Diego you can pretty much get your mexican food fix on almost any street corner..however the farther down south you go..the more variety you get..
Honestly now, you really can't go wrong with a mexican food store thats open 24 hours! I've gone here with my friend a couple times and they're pretty fulfilling. The food..it's good. Everytime I go here, I normally get a california buritto w/ sour cream OR carne asada fries. Also, their breakfast burritos are pretty good too..good sizes..and did i mention the 24 hours thing! yeahhh!!
BUT!!! remember to bring CASH!! this is a CASH only place, there's an atm there but the fee's arent worth it. -
Review from Ferris B.
San Diego, CA
10/9/2011 13 Check-ins Here
Been going here since I was a kid. Best carne asada fries and cali burrito. Fast and friendly service open 24/7 what more can I say.
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Review from Rob D.
Temecula, CA
2/15/2011 3 Check-ins Here
There is many Mexican taco shops around but this is my favorite place to go in the South Bay. I've been going to the place for about 10 years. It is open 24 hours and in a convenient location, on a corner and next to the trolley stop. It is a small place and seating may be limited during rush hour. The parking lot may also be limited at times but one can park on the side street or trolley stop. They serve the best carne asada burritos, carne asada fries, and rolled tacos. I'm never disappointed when I eat there and usually stick to those three menu items. They are normally fast at taking orders, but during rush hours, waiting for your order takes slightly longer than usual. However, the wait is worth it!
Cash only. -
Review from Jessica C.
Chula Vista, CA
OMG. SERIOUSLY THE BEST CARNE ASADA FRIES I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! And I have had plenty of carne asada fries.
CASH ONLY and open 24 hours!!! They do have an ATM inside, but try to bring cash to avoid paying the extra fee.
If this was close to my house, I would definitely be in trouble because it was THAT GOOD.
We got carne asada fries and a quesadilla to wrap it in. SO GOOD! We ordered the fries with sour cream. The fries were PERFECTLY crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. So good that it's dangerous! Generous helpings of meat, cheese, guacamole and sour cream too! I think this will be my guilty pleasure if I'm feeling fat and if I don't mind driving a good 20 min.
If you love carne asada fries, you ABSOLUTELY MUST try this place!!!!! -
Review from Mark G.
Chula Vista, CA
3/11/2011 19 Check-ins Here
BEST carne asada fries and chips in all of south san diego.
Make sure you ask for sour cream. And if you want you can add bacon and shrimp to the concoction.
Fries are crispy then soft unlike a lot of other taco shops where the fries are mega soggy.
I kind of wish it wasn't so pricey. But you get what you pay for... And what you pay here is nothing but deliciousness. On top of all that its 24 hours! -
Review from Ian F.
San Diego, CA
2/24/2011 7 Check-ins Here
This spot is CASH ONLY and open 24 hours.
The food is better prepared late night as compared to throughout the day.
Now, I come here for one thing, and one thing only and that is the
CARNE ASADA BACON FRIES WITH SHRIMP!!!
Yes, I said carne asada fries with BACON AND SHRIMP! And if they really like you, ask for a fried egg on top and a pollo asada quesadilla on the the side to wrap the whole thing up.
It's a cardiologists worse nightmare! but it is so worth the heart attack. -
Review from Richard H.
Oceanside, CA
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
ok, their rolled tacos are really good and so are their cheese enchilidas but their service kinda sucks and the parking sucks too. Also they don't accept credit or debit! Hellooo its the year 2011 other mexican food joints accept them why not them?! And their ATM that they have inside takes 10 minutes to work properly. But I still prefer Armandos over Victorias because Victorias is just flat out nasty their burritos are big but the only reason they are big is because they stuff them with lots of onion and tomatos and hardly any meat. Victorias tasted better when it was called Adalbertos. So if your in the south side and in the mood for mexican food go to Armandos or Los Compadres but if you go to Armando's just remember to have cash on you because there ATM sucks!!!
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Review from Felicia L.
Long Beach, CA
8/18/2010 1 photo
Let's just say me and my friend drove here 3am in the morning FROM RIVERSIDE to get our carne asada fries fix from here. After we got our food, we drove right back. Must I say more?
Like every 20 something year old living in Southern California, we love our carne asada fries and chips, and California burritos. This place has some of the best I've ever had. Also it's near the border... so of course it's gotta be yummy Mexican food.
Yummy food open 24 hours. The establishment is sorta shady and hole in the wall-ish. Parking kinda sucks even in the wee early hours in the morning, but the food makes it all worth it. -
Review from Carlene B.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 6/29/2011 1 photo
Last night, my boyfriend and I had too much French fries and not enough guacamole and carne in our carne asada fries. :-(
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/30/2010
I can only review about their carne asada fries because it is the only thing I have tried. I like… Read more »
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Review from Gary B.
San Diego, CA
7/14/2011
Thier California burrito never disappoints me when I go here when in the area, its right off the 5 freeway on Palm ave, convenient!! It comes with Mexican salsa, french fries, cheese, carne asada of course, so sour cream and guacamole is extra if need be. Nice and freshly cooked every time, hot off the grill, sometimes I burn my mouth because I don't want to wait to chomp it down lol.
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Review from Felipe G.
San Diego, CA
8/3/2011
This place is ok. I only come here when someone else wants to and they're driving because most of the time I'd rather go to Victorias. They're a decent place, open 24 hours, and prices have been going up a little bit so thats why they only get 2 stars. I haven't eaten here in months.The last time i went about a month ago i didn't eat but my friend got a burrito and was pissed because he said it tasted like shit but then again he only gets meat and cheese on his burritos so how can i trust someones judgement who doesn't put sour cream and guac to add flavor. Anyways if you're going after the club or whatever and you're in the area i suggest Victorias first and this place second.
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Review from Eric H.
4/25/2010
I keep "unconventional" hours so I tend to get hungry when most places are closed.
One of the few Mexican joints close by that is twenty-four hours.
Not my first choice mind you, just one of the few only choices.
Parking is always busy, it's rather small and there is a 7/11 in the same shopping mall. On the plus side, if you want to see someone getting arrested (happens on a regular basis) this is the place for you.
Decor... It's a hole in the wall Mexican joint. It's yellow, red and very dated. Not the cleanest either, but hey you don't go to these kind of places for the ambiance.
Service has consistently been the "I hate my job so I'll be a bitch to everyone that comes in" vibe. Really every single time. Look miss, I'm sorry you're stuck here on a Saturday night instead of doing whatever, just take my order and give me my change please.
I used to find it amusing how they find ways to make simple dishes horrible. Like how do you mess up a cheese quasadilla? Tortilla and cheese, warm it up. But after getting a cold quasadilla, I stopped finding it amusing.
Even their carne asada burrito is bad, bland and rubbery meat, tasteless guacamole and just leaves you with a bad aftertaste.
I had a pollo asado burrito last night, and I was HUNGRY but I couldn't even finish it it was that bad, I had to throw it out and what I kept down felt like a lump in my stomach.
I try not to go here, but at two in the morning and I'm too lazy to cook, my options are quite slim. -
Review from Marcus B.
Ramona, CA
8/12/2011
This was my favorite taco shop. A friend took me here years ago after a trip to TJ. Every weekend we would come here when someone is hungry. 5am in the morning there are only 3 choices taco shop, jack in the box, and dennys. For the price and quality of food we would always come here. I always got carnasda fries. The portion to price ratio was great. Now it is just good. I dont know if they raised the prices because of the economy or what. Being from north county san diego any time i am down south, i come here. every thing i have ordered has always been good, and i am very picky where i eat. only reason that they only get 4 stars is because they have raised the prices over the years.
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Review from Jenny B.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 4/3/2011 11 Check-ins Here
I'm adding the extra star because not only do they have the best carne asada fries I have ever tasted, but they also have the best shrimp burrito!!! It's definitely packed with shrimp and just enough of the white sauce. I could never feel guilty for eating this delicious burrito. Ahh, I'm craving another one!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/15/2011
You guys were right. Their carne asada fries are one of the best I've ever had! It even beats one of… Read more »
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Review from Melissa G.
San Diego, CA
2/20/2008
3 words: carne asada fries
nuff said. -
Review from April P.
12/11/2009
This hole-in-the-wall has been a staple in and around Palm City for years. They have your standard carne asada fries that have been consistently the same through and through. They're good but they're not great. Satisfactory if you're simply looking to fill your empty stomach.
They are open 24 hours, great for that late night carne asada craving. But the parking lot is small and can be difficult to get out of. Plus, I've never really eaten in because of the dingy tables and the seemingly unsafe neighborhood. So I usually end up taking my food to-go. And if I'm not mistaken, Armando's is CASH ONLY. -
Review from RJ L.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2008 1 photo
This was the second stop of me reclaiming San Diego on a short trip back. I revisited a handful of spots that I used to frequent in my high school days.
Armando's was the taco shop that easily brought me back to quarter-mile treks for rolled tacos, carne asada fries, and horchata and being pounds and pounds overweight...
The great thing was that it was like I'd never left, the woman who took my cash had the same expression when she serviced me as she did when I left three years ago... what a spectacle/time warp.
The sad thing was, with this recession/stagnation/gas price hell -- their portions got smaller... lame.
Flavor was lackluster as usual, you can't botch the flavor of papas fritas con carne asada... but home is an appetite that's easy to please... -
Review from Lazelle T.
Claremont, CA
5/30/2011
Food is never precooked, comes out hot and delicious. They have great deals I got the 5 Rolled tacos for $4 with gucamole & cheese. I love that they dont pinch on the spice in there salsa. Its open 24 hours, no drive through. Ill definitely return :)
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Review from Jen T.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2008
I almost missed the LAST U.S. EXIT driving down to this place from Los Angeles one day when my best friend and I were having major cravings for the best carie asada fries and carnitas tacos ever. Luckily there's one last small off ramp that kept us from driving into Mexico without our passports (and I don't think Joey would've made it back easily).
That's right kids... I'm beast enough to drive 2 hours for my Armando's, and it's always worth it.
My friend Benjo once said... it's good because it's "SOURCEY." Just across the border, Armando must have his friends throw the indgredients over the fence straight from the source - making it super authentic.Listed in: cheap eats
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Review from Florio M.
South San Francisco, CA
8/19/2007 1 Check-in Here
Memorable rating: 4 out of 5 (teen-hood memories of late night runs to eat carne asada fries will never be forgotten)
If you have only eaten mexican food up in the bay area... YOU ARE SERIOUSLY MISSING OUT !!!
Do yourself a favor and drive or fly (same price nowadays) find a taco shop...order a burrito filled only with carne asada and guacamole...pour some salsa and then starting kicking yourself in the @ss!!!
You will not believe your tastebuds....
im salivating talking about this....
As for Armando's ... the carne asada and other meats are very tasty.... and the hot sauce they give you ... is really HOT... so put LOTS!!!
you will remember this meal the next morning....
enough said... -
Review from Arnold B.
San Diego, CA
6/23/2009
I was all about Armando's carne asada chips in my younger days but once I heard that some drunk Ysidro cholos once pissed in the hot sauce bottle, I haven't gone since!
You can't really mess up mexican food and given it's Palm Ave, there are plenty of other "better" joints. I'd rather drive up a few more blocks to Tacos El Gordo. -
Review from K O.
San Diego, CA
9/25/2010
Let me start off by saying that I know my San Diego Mexican food and I know Mexican and Hispanic food in general better than the average guy. I have been to nearly every taco shoppe within 20 miles of the coast South of Camp Pendleton. Carne asada fries to me are truly a gift from Almighty God Himself. Prior to tonight I had never really had awful Mexican food from one of So Cal's taco shoppes.
I ordered the #7, two beef burritos plate with refried beans and also some carne asada fries, and some hot carrots and jalapenos. I then proceeded only blocks away to where my girlfriend and I are house sitting and within 5 minutes of walking out we are sitting down to eat.
The beans tasted like oatmeal!!! How do you mess up refried beans in a taco shoppe? How?!! Then the burritos were just plain nasty. The shredded beef tasted bland and old and the peppers and onions filling were not fresh or cooked right and it was all mostly flour tortilla too. They charge you extra for sour cream on your carne asada fries and they were definitely the worst I have ever had. The meat was chopped up into such small pieces you could mistake it for ground beef. I imagine it was some rather suspect beef if they had to cut it into such tiny pieces. So they sucked big time. Then to top it all off the hot carrots and jalapenos were horrible!!! HOW DO YOU MESS UP THE CARROTS AND JALAPENOS?!!! The carrots fell apart when you touched them as if they were wet pieces of bread and the jalapenos did the same and they were all nasty. Service sucked too and they don't take credit or debit cards. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! -
Review from Richie C.
Dublin, CA
8/13/2010
This is my ultimate go-to joint for late night hungers. After a night of drinking, I can always count on Armando's to welcome me with Carne Asada chips or fries. Or perhaps a Carnitas burrito and Adobada Taco. After a greusome 12hr shift at the hospital, I can always count on Armando's for a hearty breakfast burrito. Don't be fooled by the other millions of -berto's restaurants... Armando's is the real deal. Just check under the cook's nails!!!
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Review from Joycelyn V.
San Diego, CA
2/12/2011 28 Check-ins Here
I love how it's so close to my house and being that it's 24/7 doesn't hurt either! Everytime I have a Mexican food craving Armando's never fails! I always order their infamous carne aside fries which are great because they put more meat than fries on it. I'm only giving them a 4 stars because you have to pay extra for sour cream which I have to have when eating my carne aside fries.
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Review from Luis G.
San Diego, CA
1/24/2009
I've been a regular at this authentic Mexican food establishment for over over nine years or so. For all of that time, I have only tried a few of their offerings due to my lack of variety.
However, one of the things I can never get enough of is their carne asada burritos. Even as I type this review, my mouth clearly salivates for the taste of beef and flour tortilla! The burritos are rather big, and VERY filling. Did I mention they're amazing? Or did you not deduce that from my frequent trips there? Anyways, good service and GREAT taste. Definitely one of my favorite places to eat. -
Review from Luis F.
San Diego, CA
9/1/2009
I go to this place all the time. I've had other favorite taco shops in the past, but they have all either closed down or changed owners and their food got bad. This place just seems to stay the same..consistency is great.
They have standard carne asada fries..nothing crazy, but they are great. When I have carne asada fries some where else I always compare them to the ones in Armandos, and so far I havent found any that I like more than Armandos. The best used to be at Asadas on Palomar, but they switched owners a few years ago, and their quality went down.
As far as Breakfast Burritos go, Armandos has the best! Eggs, bacon, fries, cheese,..they arent the biggest, but they are the best. -
Review from Eileen L.
San Diego, CA
12/9/2010
This is always the spot to hit up after a night of partying!! The food is good and they are known for their Carne asada fries! The downside is they take cash only, but there is an atm inside to feed your hungry belly.
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Review from Mike R.
Chula Vista, CA
4/9/2008
I can only attest to the carne asada fries and carne asada chips but those 2 alone gives this place a 4. There is an urban legend that they invented carne asada fries. What I don't like is that they clsoe the bathroom at night. What's up with that???
Listed in: Taco Shops in my old/forever…
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Review from Patricia G.
Los Angeles, CA
6/18/2010
all i can say is that i travel from LA to this place here for carne asada fries.
'nuff said. -
Review from Joel G.
San Diego, CA
8/15/2007
pros...this place is open 24 hours a day. you can't say that about too many mexican taco shops anymore. the place is pretty average, the food is just ok. i think it was better before, or perhaps i was just really hungry really late at night? anyways, it is next to a 7-11 and a donut shop, and it is diagonally located from the trolley station on palm avenue. this place is usually busy and full of people just cause it is about the only other place to eat around the trolley.
i got the carne asada burrito with a quesadilla. it was pretty average, nothing to brag about. the filling is good, but way too much other stuff in it. you can make people cry with the smell of your onion breath. my wife got some rolled tacos, they were ok, but the shells were way too thick and hard to chew. you will get a masseter muscle workout if you ate them all the time.
cons...it is a hole in the wall, not clean, and the bathroom closes at 10pm. hope you don't have to go after that, cause they are open 24 hours. the food is not all that great, but if you are hungry it will do. the surrounding neighborhood is not the best place when it comes to personal safety. a woman was beaten up badly about a month or two ago just down the street in the emerald apartments. -
Review from javi m.
San Diego, CA
12/16/2008
I've been coming here for years now(wasted & sober) I'm a fan of the carne asada chips. Or carne asada chimichanga!!!!!
