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Mama Testa

4.5 star rating
based on 99 reviews

Category: Mexican  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Hillcrest
1417A University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 298-8226
  • Price Range: $
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: No
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Good for: Lunch, Dinner
  • Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only

99 Reviews for Mama Testa

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Photo of Megan H.

 

2

6

Megan H.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/23/2008

This place is amazing. I crave their chorizo (not one bit of grease!) and salsa bar. Plus, what taco shops do you know of in SD that serve nopales?! Love, love, love.

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39

14

Robin R.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/22/2008

I know I know...I should have come here a long time ago.  But when it comes to Hillcrest there are soooooooooo many places to eat.   Then a friend suggested we meet here for lunch.  I ordered the carnitas tacos.  It came with 3 but there was so much meat on them that I made it into 6 little ones.  I was stuffed by the time I walked out of there.  I am looking forward to going back again.

Fast, friendly and fantastic!

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0

8

Amanda C.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/15/2008

Ok, I love Mamma Testa's!  I mean, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this place! I feel horrible, i don't know the name of the man who is ALWAYS there, but he is so amazing. Always tells us the best things to order and is so sweet and helpful. I crave this place! I don't think you could as for more out of a taqueria! Seriously, awesome!

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Elite '08

146

31

Erin O.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/28/2008

Potaco Heaven.

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1

14

Michele B.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/28/2008

I just love Mama Testa!  Everything I've ever had there has been awesome, from soup, to salad, to steamed tacos.  You name it, it's always tasty.   I've  also had them cater a few parties, and they did not disappoint.  In fact they were quite impressive, and made my life super easy.  

Try it you'll like it!!!!

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6

7

Carrie D.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
06/17/2008

Yays! Super-friendly service, some cool Dia de los Muertos decor, tons of salsas to choose from, surprisingly tasty rice & beans, and some off-the-hook horchata.

Boos...I was hoping that the salsa party would result in one that knocked my socks off, but sadly, none of them surpassed the "good" enough to approach "OMG AWESOME".  My potato tacos were tasty, if a bit greasy...but honestly, what subtracted a star was the fruit-fly* fiesta at the soda fountain.

*Real fruit-flies. Not the human variety - i.e. the one sassy girl hanging out with a group of fabulous mens.

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0

17

J T.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/11/2008

When I'm hung over on Sunday afternoon I love nothing more than an excellent Michelada and a plate of the best taco's in town. Service is always very attentive, fun and sometimes cheeky.
Y'all can have Baja Betty's, I'll go next door.

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6

31

Richie C.

Chula Vista, CA

5 star rating
05/27/2008

Ive been here more times than I can count with both hands.
Ive taken friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances alike here.
And in all this time, Ive never eaten anything here I did not absolutely love.

The owner is hilarious. Cracks me up everytime, just from his warm personality. He once opened up an hour early for me just so I could pick up some to-go salsa and hot sauce for a road trip.

The decor is awesome. Authentically artful without the cheese. Plenty of colors that compliment the food. The horchata is out of this world awesome. Salsa bar with damn near 10 different selections. ALL MADE IN HOUSE! Even the friggin beans and rice taste good.
I went through a 2 year vegetarian spell and somehow, still managed to eat here as often as I could have wished.

Viva!

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13

82

Allisoto P.

Escondido, CA

5 star rating
05/09/2008

I got the steamed tacos...the carnitas and cheese and pepper ones. Delish. The salsa bar is FANTASTIC. I think most of my dinner was salsa. They had quite a few that had no cilantro! The waiter was very friendly, had lots of suggestions on food and joined in our convo about great beaches in Mexico. I had a really nice time and will come back for the yummy food, good service, and happy hour :)

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3

5

T T.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
05/26/2008

Cesar rules!!!  I love the spicy salsa and the empapados (potato tacos).  They are my favorite!  Cesar takes care of the regulars and works his butt off to make sure the place is run like it should be.  When this place first opened I was hoping it would stay around!  Put a little Mexican in you and try it out!

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2

10

Julie S.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/04/2008

Caesar does rock!!! It's a guarantee that he will be in the front and that George will be in the kitchen.

I was in there all the time when I worked at Bite. The bisteca tacos were my absolute favorite, I had them at least three times a week. in fact, we all were so addicted to Mama Testas that we had them cater one of our employee going away/pool/drunken debauchery parties.

The food is always fresh and good. Everything is made-to-order and the salsa bar alone is worth the trip.

I dream about their churros on a regular basis.

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Elite '08

62

186

jenny c.

Riverside, CA

5 star rating
05/14/2008

OMG, this place is too freaking cute!  Even if their food sucked, I would just be content with their chips and salsa bar while playing with their wrestling set-up and looking at their dolls on their walls.  The three salsas I liked were the tomato and japelenos, mango, and sesame seed (sorry my memory and spanish sucks).  All were pretty unique to my taste bud and were driving them insane.  The salsa bowls or timbals as I like to call them sucks, but oh well just use your plate.

Thank goodness the food didn't sucked!  I was deciding between the Yucatecos and LaTuya Tinga (online menu help, ha).  Server said both are great and wouldn't be disappointed, so I went with the Tinga and it was soo good.  I never had a stewed taco before.  I thought my tortilla was going to be stewed too haha I'm such a newbie.  

Very good service, but kind of weird set-up.  It seems more like a fast food set-up, but I guess it's a restaurant?  You kind of don't know whether to tip or not, but at the end you know you do, but you're like really? haha I don't know it's not going to stop me from going back and getting the Yucatecos.

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Elite '08

1964

222

ruggy j.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
04/14/2008

"There's been a lot of talk about this Mexican food restaurant...maybe, too much talk." Trying to paraphrase Bono's spoken word effort in Sunday, Bloody Sunday...don't think it worked...

Anyway, Mama Testa has been quite the buzz worthy establishment as of late. Usually, when a place garners hype like this, it rarely meets my expectations. Kinda like when people tell you how funny a movie is...then you go into it, expecting the next Blazing Saddles, and it falls short. Well, I'm happy to report that after my visit to Mama T's over the weekend...I totally get the hype. This place is good!

They have a really creative menu. Lots of unique stuff, for sure. I opted for their "guaco tacos"...it's literally three tacos with guacamole and the usual fixings. It was actually pretty good! It tasted great the next day too (I took one home with me).

One of the things that really impressed me was their selection of hot sauces. They must have 15 different varieties at their salsa bar...and they were some of the best hot sauces I've tasted in recent memory. Keep in mind, I'm just a wacky gringo, but they completely blew my mind. Caliente!

The decor kinda lost me though...it's really tacky over there. I just don't dig on the colors or those dead skeletons with tuxedos. I know it's part of Mexican folklore, but I think it's lame. Sorry. The chairs were probably the most uncomfortable thing I've ever sat in as well. Felt like I was sitting at a 45 degree angle...ay, ay, ay...no es bueno! Dios no me ama! The server was really cool though, so that made up for it.

I'm sold! I'll most definitely be back...maybe even tonight! However, I've got some sabado gigante to catch up on and a small amount of tequila staring me down, so I might not leave mi casa tonight. Salud!

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1

6

Michael H.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
06/08/2008

Great food with very reasonable prices.  The spicy mango/papaya salsa is a killer.  Wish the owner can provide a bigger salsa dish so that I do not have to go back and forth to get more salsas.  I also tried the home-made carnitas.  Yummy...

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4

78

mADDY j.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
04/28/2008

Good food here and nice salsa bar. I ate here last night and I only wish the rice had been a bit fresher.  The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable.  I will certainly be back to have the Yucatan pork again.

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29

21

C K.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
03/27/2008

Mama Testas is good, not great, but good. I love the tacos mohados with the red sauce, the white version sucks butt. Tacos al pastor (they call them something else, same dif) are very good but the bistek tacos were dry and rubbery. Overall, most of the other items I have had were good. I will say that I dont care for thier rice very much.
I'm feeling generous in giving them 4 stars today as I do think its a little pricey for what you get. I will definately go back for the items I truly do like.

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2

32

Charlie B.

Chicago, IL

3 star rating
04/21/2008

I bet I could love this place after multiple visit and trying all the varieties of tacos, but after just one visit I was just sort of impressed. I read lots of wonderful things, and it didn't live up to all of that. I sort of wished I was having more fun two doors down at Baja Betty's.

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8

15

liane p.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
05/24/2008

For those of you who have seen my reviews, you might notice a slight trend: I love food. I wish I could give more stars to the places I love. Perhaps this is a sign to go back and start being more chintzy with my stars?
That said, Mama Testa's gets a confident 5 stars. The atmosphere is awesome in a colorful, luche libre type of way. The owner/manager/dude behind the bar is always super nice. I do take issue with the teeny-tiny bowls on the salsa bar. And I do wish the grilled onions/jalapenos would come out steaming hot from the kitchen. These are all minor gripes.
My usual dish is the Muchos Machos. In fact, as of this posting I can't recall another dish I've had there that I could review. But this dish is highly recommended. It always leaves just a bit of a fire smoldering in my mouth and tummy. An ice cold beer helps to keep it under control. The chips and beans are pretty pedestrian, but is there really a need to dress them up? Nah...the main course is usually enough!
No matter the season, Mama Testa's is the place to get some insanely delicious south (and even further south) o' the border goodness.

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2

5

Hope W.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
03/27/2008

I love Mama Testa!  It's a smidge pricer than other taco shops but they use GOOD meats (as in those not treated with hormones and all that jazz). The food is super delicious, I recommend the rolled tacos or the taco soup (not sure what it's officially named, but it's tacos in a broth).  I love the decor and the atmosphere.  The down side is that there's never any parking around!!! Also I liked it WAY better when you just ordered from the register (although I won't take off any stars for that, they only have "servers" at night)!!  

OH! And I forgot to mention that they have the BEST salsa bar!!! +free chips!

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6

16

Eug K.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
04/10/2008

My wife and I decided to try this place because it had 4.5 stars even after over 60 reviews, it was supposed to be cheap ($), but mostly because we couldn't stop laughing at Kenneth M.'s review below.  I have to reprint this, Kennetth M said...

 BOMB ASS FUCKIN FOOD!!!
 I took a bite of their beans and then I started punching people left and
 right...cuz the food made me crazy! CRAZY!!!
 I finished my plate, threw it on the floor, jumped over the
 counter...then assaulted the chef...cuz only an alien can make food
 this good...and I HATE ALIENS!!

Holy cow, he was right ..except for the alien part, pretty sure the chef is a naturalized citizen!  Why are the beans so freaking good?!!  My wife got mad when I actually punched her arm until she tried the beans herself and kicked me somewhere that hurt alot more than a tap on the arm.  We've gone back several times except I don't sit across from her anymore.

Its worth the extra money, the flavors are like a journey across Mexico, except the meat tastes like it was definitely bought on THIS side of the border. (Free range, organic, and all that other stuff my wife cares about.)

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Elite '08

256

391

Jay D.

Carlsbad, CA

4 star rating
04/10/2008

Excellent tacos. Very tasty.  

The luchador/condiment/napkin holder on the tables, and of course, the loteria and Day of the Dead references was a nice touch!

The salsa bar was deep as far choice was good too, though I think the salsa bowls could be a bit larger so I don't have to get up 50 times.

When I first heard about this place, I thought it was Italian. Boy was I wrong.  Though, I kinda wish the portions were a tiny bit larger, but that's ok - I just need to learn to not go there after working out. LOL

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52

Kenneth M.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
02/28/2008

BOMB ASS FUCKIN FOOD!!!

I took a bite of their beans and then I started punching people left and right...cuz the food made me crazy! CRAZY!!!

I finished my plate, threw it on the floor, jumped over the counter...then assaulted the chef...cuz only an alien can make food this good...and I HATE ALIENS!!

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2

1

Rico Z.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
04/01/2008

This isn't Taco Bell; it isn't Alberto's (or any other "hole-in-the-wall" ending in '-berto.')

Therefore, don't expect "whitified" Mexican food with globs of "authentic" sour cream or grated cheddar cheese. Don't go expecting run-of-the-mill burritos (which are Tex-Mex--NOT MEXICAN) or even enchiladas with authentic sauce from a can.

This is truly a Mexican restaurant in the most literal sense of the word. Go to any eating establishment in Guadalajara, or Guanajuato or Morelia or Puebla and you'll find food like the kind you'll find at Mama Testa.

Mexico is more than what is found in Baja and throughout the Southwestern United States--this restaurant definitely defines what those epicurean curiosities are.

Don't be afraid of trying something new and exciting here. And, sorry, but this isn't a taco shop--so don't expect taco shop prices. This is a taqueria, which is a full-fledged enterprise in GOURMET tacos, etc.

Here you'll find fine food (not greasy artery-cloggers.) Here you'll find great atmosphere (as Mexican as it comes.) And, here you'll find what Mexican food at all "Authentic Mexican Restaurants" in the US should really be like.

Parking has nothing to do with a restaurant and its food. Prices are inconsequential once you've figured your budget and actually decided to go to a restaurant that is worth more than a 99-cent fish taco.

The spices are spicy. The flavors are flavorful. The prices are reflective of the quality, service, uniqueness, and--quite frankly--the break from the ordinary-- that Mama Testa offers.

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2

5

Luis G.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
04/26/2008

Awesome! The only bad thing about this place is finding parking in Hillcrest. But once you get out of car, watch out, this place is AMAZING! You can't go wrong! Order whatever sounds good to you, it will be delicious, but you have got to try the "Mojados" - crunchy tacos swimming in chicken or beef broth.

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Elite '08

13

85

Angelica T.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
04/16/2008

Wow I almost gave 5 stars! Well now, Mama Testa didn't disappoint. I went here with my brother and his gf on a weekday afternoon. They had some happy hour specials which was pretty damn cool. You what's not cool though? Parking. Well, that goes for the whole Hillcrest area.

The food was great. I had deep-fried chicken tacos and they were soooooo moist. I didn't know white-meat chicken could be really soft and flavorful! But I think it's just this place. My brother had the rolled tacos, also with chicken. Oh and that was a happy hour special so get on it! His gf had some Bistec tacos which looked good too. Ahh and did I mention the various salsas on their salsa bar? Duuuuude (like the bud commercial).

So why didn't I give 5 stars? Well, like I said they have a bajillion salsas but only one problem: those cute salsa bowls are just too friggin small! It came to a point where we were going to the salsa bar with our plates and pouring salsa all over our food. I mean that solved the problem right? But seriously, Mama needs to get her place some bowls 10x the size of that thing.

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Elite '08

307

406

Teej T.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
02/14/2008

Stop Two of the "Teej T got into Stanford's PhD Tour with Paul P," and what a delightful stop it was.

I'd never been to MT, and I immediately regretted such life choices as I walked into the brightly lit and festive location.  I mean seriously, who the hell organizes their decor around the Mexican game "Loteria"?  It's as if someone decided to open a restaurant in Frida Kahlo's subconscious, minus the blood and unibrows.

I decided to have mashed potato tacos, which seemed crazy delicious--AND WERE, especially if you order them with guacamole, just so you know :)  The salsa bar was unique, flavourful, and muy sabroso.  Our server, a friendly out going Latino man, kept us engaged with life stories and funny anecdotes, and we all bonded over our favourite telenovela moments.  Speaking of, telenovelas, are the greatest form of entertainment ever.  There is no dsicussion allowed on this point.  GREATEST. EVER.  Any medium in which the actors make excessive eye contact and dramatic camera zoom in angles are necessary to depict emotion is the greatest thing in the history of mankind.  Dont' even argue.

So why did Mama Testa's only get four stars?  The margarita tasted a bit metallic and generic, knocking 'em away from a well-deserved EstrellaCinco.  However, I'm confident that I'll continuing enjoying MT for a long time ;)

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3

13

Jamie M.

Chula Vista, CA

2 star rating
03/19/2008

After reading soo many rave reviews on yelp, my boyfriend and I decided to try this place out. To our dismay, this place failed to meet our expectations.

Backed by years of experience of actually eating GOOD, AUTHENTIC Mexican food around San Diego County, we concluded this place is over-rated and over-priced.

My boyfriend ordered pork chorizo tacos and I ordered Mojados de Carne (which is basically rolled taco soup). Neither entree was worth the price. Though they have a wide selection of salsa's, it was not enough to convince us to go back. Leaving quite dissapointed, we also noticed that the parking up front isn't free. Another minus for Mama Testa.

OUR SUGGESTION: Go to any hole in the wall joint and your urge for mexican food will be satisfied at less than half the price!!

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Elite '08

42

100

Tania K.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
03/09/2008

I love the variation of tacos, among other items. They claim to have authentic tacos from different parts of Mexico.

A downside is they don't let you order individual tacos...they come in 3 or 4 for 8-9 bucks or so, which is nice, but personally, I like my variation! So they have this option that you can choose any 3 tacos as a combo, for $1.50 more. But along with that comes another downside, besides the extra cost: you can only do combos within sections (sections are soft tacos, crispy tacos, steamed tacos, etc.). The combo comes with beans and rice. Or you can just get "double beans" or "double rice" for no extra cost. I guess if the $1.50 is going to these side items, then fair is fair.

Instead of the usual order-at-counter routine, they said since it's a weekend I could just sit and be served. Nice! My server was really nice and helpful, and gave me a basket of tortilla chips to start. Their salsa bar is cool, lots of different options.

In terms of flavor and taste, the tacos were great! The server let me know that they marinate their pork for 24 hours, which is apparently the difference between their Al Pastor and everyone else's Adobado.

My total came out to $10.40 or something like that. It might be more than the usual, when compared to TJ tacos...but, hey. I was happy with the tacos I got. I will be back!

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11

25

Aquanetta F.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
02/21/2008

Best Mexican food in San Diego, hands down.

Mexico is a big country with lots of different cuisines, unlike most other restaurants in San Diego that either does the generic California Burrito thing or upscale fusion thing, Mama Testa explores all the different regions of Mexico.

I went there when they first opened, no one knew about the restaurant yet so it was pretty empty, but the servers were really friendly. They'd explain the different dishes and the regions where they came from, make recommendations based on your preferences.

Got a craving a couple of weeks ago, and the place was packed. On one hand, I'm glad they still around and making great food, on the other hand, I wanted it to stay the little hole in the wall that no one knows about.

The service is still good and efficient, but too busy to be friendly. I got the steamed tacos in cochicuino suadado (pork) and menos techo (poblano peppers and oxaca cheese).  Also got the Sopa de Tortiritas and churros. Everything was excellent, even down to the obligatory spanish rice. Honestly, it's the best spanish rice I've ever had. My stomach was so happy.

I'm making a LONG mental list of things I want to try next time I go back.

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1

7

Arlo D.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
05/28/2008

I love the non-traditional menu, and the fact that the sever was more than willing to help us wade through it!  We ended up ordering on his reccommendation and loved every last bite.
We also had lots of fun playing with the little wrestler action figures at our table. ;)
The decor is great, the food is great, the staff is great...what else is there?

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26

60

Miss J.

San Diego, CA

3 star rating
04/07/2008

I have had Mama Testa twice now, and it is pretty good but not my favorite. I like how authentic the food tastes, and I like the beans and the array of salsas.  The meat is pretty dry though and as for flavor, well...living here in SD...I've had better.

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2

17

Cheesebro G.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
02/07/2008

Dude.. What's with the Mama Testa frijoles haters? Obviously, these people think that Old Town refrieds qualify as "real Mexican" food. Mama Testa rules and i don't care who knows it. If you want San Diego-style taco shop food, this is not your place. For that, go to Santanas on Morena Blvd. or Lolitas in Chula Vista.

This place offers the best lunch deal on the planet (M-F) with entree, rice and beans (admittedly the rice isn't anything special) and a fountain drink for under $7. Highlights here are the oft-mentioned Mojados de Carne, Del Muneco, Tacomal and the simple Totopos (covered in black beans and queso fresco. All the salsas are incredible - I go through phases where I prefer one over another but they are all high quality.

A word about the service: Cesar, the owner, is amazing and always gives great (if sometimes sarcastic in a authentically Mexican way) service but I am not crazy about their new Table Service model. It can seem a little obtrusive and unnecessary- avoid this problem by dining at lunch during the week where you can order at the counter and be in and out in about 30 minutes.

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2

6

Alice H.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
02/20/2008

Cheap lunch specials (under $7) come with a side of rice and beans and a refillable drink (including horchata!). The meat in the yucatecos tacos is amazingly tender and juicy. The salsa bar is incredible. The place is clean, service is friendly, and they use real plates/utensils so they don't generate tons of waste. Yay!

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Finula O.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
03/26/2008

Me gusta! Mama Testa's is the best, THE BEST, Mexican food in San Diego - and that's no small boast. Their specialty is Mexico City style traditional, using only the freshest, free-range meats, and a salsa bar to brag about to your Chilango amigos. Try the chorizo tacos and you'll be back for segundos.

Instead of a sloppy plate of rice and beans, dripping with greasy cheese, Mama Testa's serves Mexican food they way it should be eaten - tasty, freshly grilled meats wrapped in just-made corn tortillas, with a variety of salsas to suit your tastes--from mild to muy chiloso. Given the quality of the ingredients as well as the beautiful presentation, Mama Testa's is a terrific value.

And, in a town filled with snotty wait-people, Mama Testa's is friendly - I mean really friendly--great service in an authentic cantina setting from people who care about food. If you can't take the TJ checkpoint wait any more - this is as good as you'll find for a casual, Mexican restaurant this side of the border.

p.s. I go about 3x a month now just for the chorizo - so damn good, you have to pace yourself.

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Jana K.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
01/16/2008

Being hispanic and growing up in LA, I've had my fare share of real, good Mexican food.  My Dad's idea of a good time on a Friday night was driving around to find a little hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant to eat at for dinner.  The dirtier, divier and dingier the better.  Usually we would walk into two or three places before he would finally choose a winner.  And more often than not, he would in fact choose a winner.

Now, fast forward to present day.... I was taken to Mama Testa's for lunch one day by a buddy who couldn't believe I hadn't been there yet.  I was sick and not too enthused about going because I couldn't smell and my taste buds were shot.  I ordered the Mojados de Carne because I wanted soup and it was spicy.  I think I also tried just about every salsa they had in the salsa bar.  I could taste it all and it was GOOD!  The Mojados de Carne was so awesome my mouth is watering now thinking about it.  It was spicy, beefy and brothy with chopped up taquitos floating in this delicious mixture.  Pure heaven!

I can't wait to go back and try everything on their menu.  More importantly, I can't wait for my parents to come down so I can take them here.

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Troy S.

San Diego, CA

2 star rating
03/13/2008

I went there for the first time after reading the great reviews on Yelp. I got the catfish tacos meal. The food came very fast which means it was probably already made and that's no surprise. What was a surprise. The price. $12.38. You've got to be joking. I paid it because I wanted to give it a chance, but there is no way I'd pay that much ever again. That's rape. Even if the food was good (the beans were actually really good, the best part, I'd say) I would still be hesitant to pay that much, even at a more upscale restaurant. I won't be there again.

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21

patty p.

Lemon Grove, CA

3 star rating
02/25/2008

I wasn't too impressed with the food.  It's very nicely presented, but the taste isn't too authenticly Mexican.  All in all, the ambiance is good, the deco of the place is fun and super-colorful, but the food is not something to crave after the fact.  Good place to stop at if your'e already around the area, nothing to go out of the way for.

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J B.

San Diego, CA

4 star rating
01/13/2008

In my humble opinion, the best taco joint in San Diego.

Ever since we moved here from San Francisco, my husband and I have tried to find a "neighborhood taco place" but have constantly been disappointed -- we've found chains, pseudo-chains, tourist-traps or the real greasy-spoon drive through.  
When Mama Testa opened up I was initially curious about their certified organic meats -- I had read it in some sort of review of the place. But I was positively surprised by the variety of tacos and their commitment to only selling it - Nada mas! Great, I love it.

The place is small, but nobody seems to linger much so there are always tables available.  The price is very reasonable. It doesn't "feel" like a restaurant, neither fast food. It's something in the middle, which makes sense , since the concept is that you are going to sit for a taco, not for a huge meal. The decor is colorful and pleasing. Parking is pretty bad, so plan on driving around a bit.

A few negatives about the place:

* They didn't use to have table service -- it was more to the point, in my opinion. Now you get to wait until the server is taking care of all the tables, since he's the only one.
* The TV on is a minus, for sure (with Mexican telenovelas or news).

* The salsa bar used to have cebollitas and I haven't found them there in awhile. Not sure why. I love cebollitas and unfortunately they don't have it in the menu as an appetizer.

Other than that, the place is definitely a keeper.

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Elite '08

136

596

Jane L.

Santa Clara, CA

5 star rating
12/27/2007

Wow.  Clean.  Seems loyal to traditional fare.  Clean.  Cute decorations.  One guy busting his ass to take orders, serve, AND bus tables.  Wow.  All white people.  Except us.  Food did not disappoint and exceeded even my 4.5 star Yelp expectation.  Wow.  

The Mividita (fried catfish taco) was crispy in creamy coleslaw.  I requested for soft taco (less messy).  The Horchata was sweet and creamy.  The salsa bar was nothing I've ever experienced - mango papaya salsa as my favorite, but many more to choose from.  Tasty, affordable, and NOT greasy.

Wow.

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Joseph Y.

Poway, CA

5 star rating
03/10/2008

First time to Moma Testas tonight. It may be my some of the best Mexican food I've had. It was recommended by Michael, James, Mari, etc. I had the Del Muneco (crunchy shredded beef tacos) as well as some Horchata. They have a full service salsa bar with 8 (?) types of salsa and warm chips. The Horchata was rich and flavorful, even with a lot of ice. The tacos were excellent the beans have a hint of lime, and the rice is fluffy. Give it a go sometime!

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