The green chili burrito is definitely 5 Star... Rachel is a great waitress... love this place. Â This was our first visit and we will definitely drive back out to Pauma to visit here again. Â Charming atmosphere... Beautiful patio dining... great service... but the best part.... really great Mexican Food!
Review Source:We've been here many times.but not enough times to be considered a regular and get  seated right away.They we're understaffed for a friday night, so we waited by the way there it's no waiting area. We waited....a while.once we got seated we waited for menus.....we got them ourselves and waited......then one of the guys maybe one of the owners noticed us and took our order.
The drinks were good he even brought us another round on the house because did I forget to mention we had to wait a while for our food ; ) . The portions have gotten smaller since the last time I was there but still plenty of food for me, I'm not a big eater.
My shrimp was a little over cooked but tasty the rice and beans were yknow rice and beans.
I know we'll come back again.
Understaffing makes the difference of 3 stars rather than 4 or 5 stars.
We got take away from El Rey and took it back to our hotel room at the Lazy H up the way. El Rey is one of the only restaurant options in Pauma Valley aside from the casinos. Lazy H also has a restaurant that's good but we ate there the night before so decided to drop in here instead. I got flautas, kids got quesadillas and burritos and the baby had chicken tortilla soup. All were good. Nothing to write home about and I wouldn't drive way out of my way to get there. It's more of a local flavor sort of place to go and has a cute little patio to drink margaritas on if you dine in. Also a great stop after Palomar Mountain!
Review Source:What a friendly place! The staff and patrons were super nice, even getting a good-bye from the servers and patrons in the bar area when we arrived and left. The food service was quick. The food was hot, but it wasn't the best Mexican food out there--probably spoiled from other places. Definitely better than El Toritos and On the Border, though. If I'm in the area looking for something cheap and friendly, I'll check it out again.
Review Source:Guacamole - meh
Chips & Salsa - B+
Cadillac Margarita - A+ (if there were something above an "A" rating I'd be giving it that!)
Enchilada Suizas - B
This is the kind of place that is heavily supported by "locals", friends of ours among said locals, which has been the reason for both of our visits so far.
I'd come back just for the Cadillac Margaritas, they're that good & THAT strong! Â Just two had me snoring in the passenger seat on the ride home, and it wasn't much past 9pm on a Friday night! Â I'm more of a rum cocktail drinker, but Mexican restaurants always call for sticking with the Margarita.
El Rey fulfills it's niche in the Pauma Valley area.
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Information on my approach to Gluten-free (GF) eating in my reviews, for those for whom it matters:
Here's some background on me that should not only help those that are Celiac and must eat GF, but should give a little insight into my overall approach to reviews: although not officially medically diagnosed by an M.D. with Celiac Disease (for which the only cure is to not eat wheat, barley, rye or oats, or anything that contains those ingredients), I live my life as a Celiac. Â I have attended numerous support group meetings for those with Celiac, including the Food Fair for the Celiac Disease Foundation in Los Angeles. Â So, I think I know a thing or two about Celiac Disease.
True Celiacs should not ingest any Gluten. Ever. No, really...EVER! If you want to learn more or why, I suggest you visit the Celiac Disease Foundation's website, as it is a Disease and NOT an "allergy" as many believe.
With that said, since I have not had the Biopsy of my small intestine or the DNA test, I am not "officially" a Celiac. I've had the initial blood test, but was eating GF at the time, so it came back negative. So, although my reviews address eating from a Gluten-free perspective, it is up to you as an individual to make sure that what might be ok for me is ok for you if you have the Disease.
LOVE this place! Have been coming here for more than 10 years every week if not more. Great staff, generous bar (especially if Cheri is pouring if Raelyn is pouring bring a designated driver), very family, very fun, awesome outdoor patio.
Great food, great pricing, relaxed, casual. This is a family place, have fun and enjoy!
Had to go back to El Rey because I really wanted to like it. Â And, yes, I DO like it! Â Place was nice, clean and decorated great. Had the Fiesta platter and it was pretty good. I guess I didn't read the menu too well as I didn't realize the burrito would be ground beef instead of shredded beef. But everything was good, including the chips and salsa. Wanted to sit on the patio but it was pretty hot, so was glad they had A/C in the restaurant.
Would I go back? Â In an instant! Â My favorite place is still Fidel's in Solana Beach, but El Rey is now second in my book.
I was so hopeful for this little gem in the valley on the way to Harrah's, but soon disappointed. Â
Mexican cuisine is my favorite and like any So Cal native, I have tried many different mexican food places. So trying a new place is always something special, but not today.
Let me start with the chips y salsa.  The chips are not made fresh and I would venture to guess that they came in a bag.  The salsa is forgetable.  In fact, if it wasn't for the tiny kick of heat, I would have had to ask myself  "did i put salsa on that chip?"  A flavorless salsa.
The BF had carnitas plate. Â The plate looked appealing and smelled tempting but.... Rice and beans were typical. Carnitas were not tender and the flour tortillas were not soft...over cooked and crisp, making it difficult to fold in the meat. Â The guacamole was not impressive either, had better from Whole Foods.
The service was fair. Â Not overly friendly but they didn't ignore us. Â I can't forget to mention the two inches of dust on the ceiling fan blades right over our food and table. Â Don't think we will be visiting the El Rey again, even if its the only restaurant in the valley.
Oh, my plate???....a grilled cheese sandwich! Â Very good with fries. Â But the restaurant still only gets two stars because I am rating them on their mexican cuisine afterall it is a mexican food restaurant.
Authentic Mexican food that I grew up to! This place is a jewel in an unexpected area. How do I test good authentic Mexican food? The rice and beans say it all.
It's an intimate setting with people who have been working there a long time. Also, lots of regular locals have been going to this place for over 30 years. Now ownership changed throughout history, but the quality of the food is fantastic. Everything I have tried here is worth eating, so EAT UP!
They have an outside area that is lovely to enjoy when the weather is warm. There is a small water fountain on the outside. I remember liking their chile rellenos and burrito dishes. Honestly everything is good. The place is also very homey feeling.
Cheap bastards like me get sick and tired of wandering around all the different restaurants in a casino only to see that they all have the same prices. Â If you're stuck in this kind of dilemma, just work your way around Highway 76 and stop by El Rey for some fine Mexican food.
Owned by Servando Cueva, El Rey's deep wood finish and intimate space will remind you of the old West. Â Service is friendly, but on the slow side. Â When you get the menu, you might wonder how this cheap bastard would recommend such a place because the combos and most of the menu items are over $10.
But fear not wary traveler, just mosey on down to the a la carte page where you'll notice typical Mexican fare without the bells and whistles. Â I couldn't decide between the taco or burrito and decided to go with the burrito.
I was given two choices - shredded beef or ground beef (since I wanted beef - you can also have chicken). Â I chose ground beef. Â Don't blame me for wanting the texture, cheap crispy drive-thru tacos have!
After waiting for quite some time and eating two big bowls of free chips and salsa, my burrito finally arrived. Â It wasn't fancy - just a tortilla stuffed with ground beef on a plate with some lettuce and tomatoes. Â Sure, I could have had it wet, I could have had it with beans and rice, but no, cheap bastards do not add extras when they cost extra.
Maybe it was all the chips and salsa, but after eating this big burrito, I was stuffed. Â I was so full that I had to take it easy for a bit before I went back to the casino. Â There's nothing like food coma when you're playing poker.
So for about $6.00, I got a big burrito, two bowls of chips and salsa and a near food coma. Â When you compare that to getting ripped off at the casino's food court, you're talking about a contextual damn good deal. Â Save yourself some money and visit the local restaurants around your favorite casino. Â You just might find something good to eat.
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