Easy parking big huge Mexican restaurant set in a high-end mall. Chips and salsa come out first thought the chips were a little salty, but not bad. The menus are kind of all over the place. There's a happy hour menu, a dinner menu a Cantina menu and sort of a lunch menu. Prices to me for Mexican food are very high. Our lunch of fourth Street tacos, a tostada with no protein, a skinny margarita and a draft beer was almost $80!! OK so it's a nice restaurant. They charge a lot of money. The food was great but still that's a lot. The service was I want to say hyper/aggressive. Our server was nice but just to all over us. We've been at this restaurant before always had a nice experience. Yesterday was a nice experience and we would probably go back but knowing that it's changed in terms of price but pretty place.

Love this place the tortillas are freshly made and the serving dishes are original, different and tasty as heck.. I miss when they served crab, but all in all this is my favorite mexican sit down spot

A little late on my review! But still fresh on the mind. So this place has been becoming a frequent place we are really loving. It gets better everytime, the food, the service, the atmosphere, it's great! We called ahead to be placed on the waiting list, 30-45 min wait. So if you're driving, best to call ahead and check in when you get there. It does get busy. It's in the mall parking lot, no charging stations for electric cars booo!! But nice selection of places to shop while you wait near by. Inside seating and bar seating, it does get extremely loud and overwhelming.... this is just me. We do prefer to sit outside, it was cold out...however the heaters are amazing and don't even feel the chill. Server was kind, quick and the team was quick to serve, drinks chips and dip. You get your own salsa and chips, love this!! You can fill up fast so maintain. Drinks are superb! Be responsible and know your limits. I personally don't like blended drinks, waters down the taste too much. But again my own personal preference. Food!! The guacamole is a must, appetizers you're not gonna go wrong and the plates are enough to share. We always end up over eating! It's sooo good. We're learning to split the plates. The music is wonderful and a very nice touch to have the mariachis walk around and sing. The do except cash tips and have Venmo thank goodness because cash I feel like is becoming more and more obsolete sadly. Great family place to gather, great date night, great lunch pick up. Give this place a try!! Enjoy yelpers!

A Short History of Casa De Bandini Casa De Bandini is a well-known restaurant in San Diego that serves Mexican food and has a rich history. The story begins with Juan Bandini, an important figure in early California. I first visited Casa De Bandini as a college student from the East Coast during a trip to San Diego in the mid-1980s. The restaurant was still in Old Town at that time. I quickly loved the food and made many visits whenever I came to San Diego. Juan Bandini was born in Peru in 1800 and moved to California as a young man. He became a landowner and politician in the Mexican territory of Alta California. Bandini was famous for his hospitality and often held large parties and gatherings. The original Casa De Bandini, or House of Bandini, was built in the early 19th century as Juan Bandini's family home. This adobe building became an important part of Old Town San Diego. In 1980, restaurateur Diane Powers opened Casa De Bandini in this historic adobe, keeping its charm while offering authentic Mexican food. In 2005, Casa De Bandini moved to The Forum in Carlsbad, a coastal city near San Diego. During my recent visit, I saw that the new location still had the restaurant's colorful décor, gardens, and traditional Mexican architecture. When we arrived on this visit, the place was packed with families and groups of people enjoying themselves. Our serve, a tall gentleman whose name I do not recall, was wonderful. He answered every question patiently and made very helpful recommendations. On a side note, the extra shot of tequila you see in the picture was his recommendation, which I did not resist and enjoyed immensely! All the supporting staff were also very hospitable and supper nice and helpful. The restaurant is famous for its authentic dishes, such as enchiladas, tacos, and tamales. It uses quality ingredients and traditional recipes, making the food especially appealing. Casa De Bandini also serves as a cultural landmark, hosting events and live music. It attracts both locals and visitors. So, if you are visiting the area and craving authentic Mexican food, try Casa De Bandini and let me know what you think.

As a Mexican I struggle to find quality Mexican food at large sit down places~ if I have family that comes to visit in North County and they good Mexican food with a vibe, I'll take them here! Ambiance is great. Usually I stick to the basics and I'm not disappointed. I got beef and chicken combo fajitas and it satisfied my needs! They have a spicy habanero salsa that boosts the flavor! My family has tried the seafood enchiladas and they weren't too impressed but overall a great experience here!

4.5 .. it's def better than just a 4. Haters will always hate but this is damn good SD style Mexican in a lovely setting with plenty of parking. So glad the old town site relocated here. It feels so cozy and even though they don't take reservations, you can call in ahead to shave some time off the wait or just take your luck sitting at the bar which is also fun. We had the best server to date, Eduardo! Great suggestions for drinks and entrees. I loved the crispy shrimp tacos. The tortillas whether corn or flour are amazing and for a very reasonable price you will have enough for the next days lunch unless you are very hungry. The menu is sure to have everything for anyone who likes SD Mexican type food ..even if veg. Service is very warm and efficient, unusual for SD (unfortunately). Margs are unfortunately weak on the tequila side so be forewarned but they are very tasty. I can't fault this place. I wanted a good SD Mexi meal with decent margs and the great service and ambience made it exactly what we wanted. Again, thanks to Eduardo for his warm service!

Another amazing night out on NYE at Casa De Bandiini. Great Mexican culture ambiance and lovely lady's making homemade tortillas hot and fresh. This time we ordered the Carne Asada Tampiquena and Beef Fajitas. Everything was authentic tasting and fresh. Also saw they had an avocado salsa on another dish and requested a servicing which the had no issue with. Service was also top tier. Until next time, cheers. Happy New Year !

They don't take Reservations on a Sunday. So we drove over early , got on the list and we re seated in 15. So many Mexican choices for food. We each got a special that we couldn't make at

Hubby and I took a detour and decided to try happy hour here and it did not disappoint. Our server Valeriano H, was friendly and efficient and the food came out in a timely manner. We ordered 2 margaritas, pork & steak street tacos and crunchy beef tacos from the happy hour menu. I wish I took pictures but was distracted by the beautiful presentation. It was definitely worth what we paid for. We have been to numerous Mexican restaurants in the area (we live locally) and the prices are a bit more here, but you're talking quality. These are not skimpy tacos. Full of meat and just the right amount of cheese/veggies. We were surprised at how filling they were. The happy hour house margaritas were also delicious. Other places dilute the alcohol with a mix that tastes more like juice rather than a true margarita but the ones they serve here are well balanced and they give you a good amount and not 50-75% ice like other happy hour margaritas in other restaurants. And last but not least, we saw ladies making fresh tortillas in the cantina so we asked if we could purchase some to go and we did! They were absolutely amazing! Delicious & translucent. Overall, it was a great experience. We are definitely going back and will take pictures!

Once again, another wonderful meal at our favorite "go to" spot for quality Mexican food. The staff are always friendly, and the service is spot on! Everytime we come, we aways feel as though we're dining inside a family member's home, very welcoming. Always excited for our next time back! Happy eating till then...