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Welcome to Casa Gabriela! - Casa Gabriela, La Mesa, CA

Casa Gabriela

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Visa Dining Collection

4.6
4.6
837 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican
8384 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942-9218

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 26 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Good for special occasions
Chef Gabriela Lopez brings her elevated Mexican cuisine to Downtown La Mesa. Using her grandmother's recipes from Guadalajara crossed with her cosmopolitan upbringing in Tijuana, Chef Gabriela's menu features authentic hand-crafted dishes and imaginative takes on classic dishes. All of Baja California is represented along with influences from other regions in Mexico.

The spacious outdoor garden, cozy loft, and private dining areas are the perfect places to enjoy tequila and mezcal based cocktails, family celebrations, or brunch with friends.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Breakfast, Latin American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sun 3:30 pm–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Gabriela Lopez
  • Catering
    Chef Gaby's cuisine is perfect for your next party!
  • Private party facilities
    The outdoor garden features two gorgeous private dining areas in addition to our cozy, indoor loft.
  • Neighbourhood
    La Mesa
  • Cross Street
    La Mesa Blvd at Allison Ave
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    2 blocks away from the La Mesa Blvd Trolley stop.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer Garden, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access

What 837 people are saying

Casa Gabriela reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • East County

    Best Overall

  • East County

    Best Food

  • East County

    Best Service

  • East County

    Best Ambience

  • East County

    Best Value

  • East County

    Great for brunch

  • East County

    Child-friendly

  • East County

    Good for groups

  • East County

    Healthy

  • East County

    Neighbourhood gem

  • East County

    Romantic

  • East County

    Lively

  • East County

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Casa Gabriela in La Mesa offers a delightful dining experience with "outstanding food", a "warm and inviting" atmosphere, and attentive service. The restaurant's ambiance beautifully reflects Chef Gabby's love for Mexican culture, offering both indoor and outdoor seating options. Patrons rave about unique dishes like jalapeño-cilantro tempura cauliflower and "creative menu with delicious choices". Despite occasional slow service, the "exceptional customer service" makes it a favorite for locals and visitors alike.

837 Reviews
  1. Tyrone VIP

    Houston102 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always great food and great drinks. Some of the best Mexican food you will find anywhere.

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  2. Kris VIP

    San Diego6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, Chef Gabby delivers delicious food with style & grace! Thank you for sharing your gift with us all!

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  3. Jackie VIP

    San Diego7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing dinner and atmosphere. The wait staff was welcoming and anticipated our every need.

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  4. Marianne

    San Diego6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter was delightful and helpful. We loved the outdoor ambiance. Thanks for a fun happy hour!

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  5. Wendy

    Sacramento1 review

    2.0

    Dined on April 7, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We had never been there before and took our daughter for her birthday. Service was not good and had to keep flagging down our server. Food was ok. Definitely not worth the cost.

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  6. Tracy

    San Diego9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 6, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was excellent as was the service. Only drawback was having to wait 30 minutes for our table even though we had reservations. But it was a sunday afternoon and they were very busy.

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  7. Cheryl

    San Diego3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice atmosphere and good food. Would have liked better if they offered chips and salsa

    Is this helpful?

  8. Diana

    San Diego2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was my second time, and it was perfect. Flavorful and delicious.

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  9. Cris VIP

    San Diego17 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 3, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    This is a lovely place in La Mesa and i love this town. Love the ambiance and decor most of all. Food is good and happy hour prices was good. It ends too early though. and the service was slow. Happy hour is ending and i have to keep asking for a server. When the server came she was not nice. Do not want me to order two cocktails which I usually do during happy hours. If that was a management rule then you need to change it. But I think it's just Alma's coz first time I took friends there last year, the server allowed us to order 2 cocktails before happy hour ends. This server also refused to split our check. Which i know is so easy to do with the handheld coz i do happy hour a lot. It took us a long time to complete our pay. All she had to do is go around with the handheld and let us pay our own bill. No she refused. Too much work for Alma. she did not deserve any tip but she's lucky we are decent people. Slow in bringing requests like for hot water, more napkin and our orders. Not friendly either. Maybe she won't be there next year and we'll come back.

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  10. Diane

    San Diego8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a beautiful restaurant. It’s clear that the owner put a lot of thought in the decor and I love it all! We sat on the patio. When it got a bit chilly, they brought me a blanket! I asked them to light the fire pits and they did. The customer service was top notch! Everyone so happy, attentive to the customers, thoughtful. The sun was in my friends eyes and without even asking, a staff member noticed it and dragged over a big umbrella, placing it just right to block the sun. Happy hour menu is terrific and there were very big portions. We will be back!

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FAQs

Casa Gabriela offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 337-3445.

Casa Gabriela is rated 4.6 stars by 837 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Diego
  4. East County
  5. La Mesa

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 26 times today
Google Map for Casa Gabriela

8384 La Mesa Blvd, La Mesa, CA 91942-9218

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    La Mesa Blvd at Allison Ave
  • Neighbourhood
    La Mesa
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Sun 3:30 pm–9:00 pm Sat, Sun 10:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Breakfast, Latin American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    2 blocks away from the La Mesa Blvd Trolley stop.
  • Executive Chef
    Gabriela Lopez
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer Garden, Dog Friendly, Gender Neutral Restroom, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Outdoor Firepit, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Chef Gaby's cuisine is perfect for your next party!
  • Private party facilities
    The outdoor garden features two gorgeous private dining areas in addition to our cozy, indoor loft.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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