I went to El Callejon for the first time and had a great experience. I consider myself a mexican restaurant expert and was really impressed with this establishment. Super fresh chips and salsa that were unlike any I've ever had before along with a unique Quesadilla that I will definitely be going back for. They have a really big menu with all kinds of traditional mexican food. The drink / tequila menu is equally impressive and the house cadillac margaritas are just about the best I have ever had (and I've had a lot). Definitely add this restaurant to your list of places to check out. Great service, value - FOOD & DRINKS!

El Callejon's dinner menu is on the pricey side. With that being said, I've never eaten off their dinner menu. When you walk in between 3-6pm (and sit at the bar), and ask for a menu, specify you want the Happy Hour menu which has a lot of choices for under $10.

As for the service, the staff seemed to be distracted and though I didn't feel like I was being ignored, I definitely had to make the effort to ask for the menu and for the check (or, la cuenta!).

One thing I recommend is to try their house margarita as it is tasty and very cheap!

Overall, I like going here: their food is heavy and delicious - just how authentic Mexican should be!

Went to El Callejon for the first time this past friday and just loved it! Awesome chips with fresh salsa, amazing margaritas, definitely on the stronger side and my meal was awesome! I had the Camarones al Chipotle and it was super tasty! Went back to their other location on the very next day for lunch. No kidding!

<b> Overall:</b> One my top four Mexican picks for San Diego. Authentic food and atmosphere. Outside seating, and full bar. The place is large so most likely you won't have to wait too long (unless it is a Friday or Saturday night ). <br /><br /><b>Value:</b> A bit high for Mexican food but worth it for taste. <br /><br /><b>Service:</b> Not usually speedy service but not annoyingly slow either. Servers and hostess are usually accomodating<br /><br /><b>Quality:</b> Nice presentation and portion size. My favorite item is the shrimp wrapped in bacon (dinner menu). I also liked the tamales with mole. They steam them in a banana leaf.<br />

El Callejon is my preferred restaurant in North County. The meals is exceptional, the margaritas are incredible (& detrimental), the tequilla selection, chips & salsa are the greatest.