Venga Venga Cantina and Tequila Bar

I think it’s sad that this place closed down. From what I read, there is another Venga Venga in Colorado but unfortunately, I won’t be going there anytime soon. Bummer!
Some friends and I went there four days before they closed. They had a huge selection of alcohol and the place was really nice inside. I remember that we got there a little bit after happy hour ended, however, they honored the happy hour prices which was super cool as not a lot of places do this. Then again, maybe they honored the happy hour prices because they knew the place was closing down!
My wife and I went shopping at this shopping center only a few days after they closed and were sad to see that the table we ate at with some friends had chairs stacked on top of it. If we had only eaten here sooner!

LOCATION CLOSED!!!
I will miss this place, always packed, great drinks and a good time. Hopefully the Managers of Otay Ranch Town Center can find something just as good to put in its place!

We came here one Saturday night to celebrate a friends birthday. We arrived early enough to get a spot on the patio to accommodate the entire group ranging from as little as 8 to 15 people throughout the night. We only took up half of the patio, plenty of room for other people. We came for the patio and for happy hour from 4 to close, can’t beat that on a Saturday night!
The entire party agreed the margaritas were pretty weak. We even ordered a pitcher with double alcohol and couldn’t tell the difference. We gave up and started ordering AMFs, much better.
Their tacos were really good. My only complaint was only specific types are on the happy hour menu.
The DJ came on about 10 and primarily played EDM…
Management needs to pay more attention to the ladies restroom ~ the first time I went in, only ½ stalls had TP. I let our server know. About an hour later (I broke the seal) I went back in and only ONE stall had TP. I let a different server know.
At some point, a bouncer walked up to each group on the patio to inform us we would need to go inside if we needed to order anything else because the wait staff had been reduce. I don’t understand why since the place was pretty packed.
We brought a cake and they kept it in the fridge until we were ready and even provided us with plates and utensils.

OMG! I love this place. Great food and drinks! They also have an AMAZING happy hour! I never even knew this place existed at the Eastlake mall until my friends told me about it. I would go more often if I could but I live in downtown so it’s too far from me. The atmosphere is super cool and trendy. The staff is nice and they’re eager to help you out with options on what to eat and drink. I had their Happy Hour Sampler. It was only $ 13 and came with guacamole, a cheese quesadilla, taquitos and Mexican corn. So delicious!

Nice local spot to enjoy without having to drive to downtown. The prices are reasonable and the service is friendly. Their watermelon agua fresca is absolutely delicious, and I was very satisfied with my food. I ordered the queso fundido with mushrooms and loved the tortillas and sauce that accompany the plate. I also ordered their Octopus tostada which was warm, flavorful and incredibly delicious. Their ahi tuna tostada is cleverly paired with fresh watermelon cubes on the tostada, perfect for a hot supper night.
Overall I have had great experiences at Venga Venga. I particularly like this place for a casual night out with friends, ordering lots of different things from the menu and having a few margaritas.

Great architecture. Nice in all respects. Had dinner for 4 in the bar. Horrible acoustics made it way too loud.
Food was fine. Nice portions. Desserts were both very good.
Started with house nachos. Tasty, but not really like what anyone else is serving, so basically their own take on the usual.
Plantain empanadas were very flavorful.
Milanesa torta was very tasty, but served with French fries. Black beans or plantains would have been a better choice.
The corn flan and the 3 leches cake were both very good.
Drinks were well prepared. The shot selection was nice, but overpriced.
Dinner for 4 with 6 margaritas, $ 115, plus tip. Server was Brenda, and she was very nice and very helpful.

Couldn’t decide between and 2 and a 3, which isn’t a good sign.
My wife and I visited with high hopes, place has tons of potential. Reviews are mixed, our experience was mixed.
Walked in and no one greeted us… hostess at the other entrance?!? Anyway, walked into the bar area. Mildly crowded, seemed like a good crowd and a good vibe. Chose a table in the bar area to try HH offerings. ⁴⁄₁₀
Our waitress greeted us and was friendly enough, but even after we told here it was our first visit, really wasn’t that helpful. So-​so. Worse though was that she rarely came by to check on us, even though we were in her area for 2 hours. She was pretty swamped but still not good. ³⁄₁₀
Odd that such a upscale place would have such uncomfortable bar stools and outdoor seats. ²⁄₁₀ for comfort.
Tried a lot of different foods. Sampler, torta sliders, chips, salsa. Highlight was the guac in the sampler. Lowlight were the Carnitas torta which were filled with cold dry pork. Good overall was ⁶⁄₁₀ but somewhat expensive for the size and quality.
Tried some drinks as well. Vertical tequila sampler, venga venga cocktail, pitcher of house margarita, house wine. Once again, middling. Might want to try a different set of tequila samplers next time. ⁵⁄₁₀
All is all, average, not really what you want from a high end, expensive place. Might try again — go back for some sangria, tacos and give them another chance to impress. We’ll see.
Lots of other places though nearby to hang out, have a tequila shot, some good grub and sit in comfort and get good service.
Step it up Venga Venga…

Simple and cute décor. The food was really incredible. But the real thing of note is the infused tequila margaritas! Holy moly habanero mango margarita changed the way I think about tequila forever.
Service was fantastic and our server alma was very friendly and fast.
Just be warned, the Chula Vista real housewives bring their children and allow them to run amok all over the place unchecked. Let’s get it together people, it’s called RAISING your children.

Great hospitality great time. Coming back for the regular menu soon.
Had the happy hr margarita pitcher and sangria
Also did the al pastor tacos and the chicken quesadilla. Kinda smaller but great price point so I totally get it.

I have to say, this place has a life of its own, Thursday nights are really cool, hip, and truly the place to be in Chula Vista !!!
Really clean, new menu tastes amazing ! Great music, clean people, killer atmosphere !

I recently ate here with a friend. We were at the door waiting for a long time and then decided to seat ourselves. When we were finally seen by the waitress it then took fifteen minutes to get our drinks back from our ordering when she first saw us. The meal was not very good and the chips and salsa were pretty sub-​par. I won’t be going there again. It just did not seem like it was ready to be an up and going restuarant. My understanding though is it has been around for a bit of time now and should be ready for people.

Eh… It’s not what I expected! The atmosphere was nice the food was okay! Right when we got in we sat our self, waited a couple of mins (20 mins) for service that never showed up! So we sat at the bar when it opened up, even that was a mistake! The whole time we were there the waitresses kept on complaining about each other and how there is no team work. (Jeez not my problem don’t wanna hear it) .
Okay, so the happy hour drinks were so watered down and over priced and the food wasn’t that great either! I ordered the 3 tacos and nachos that took at least 30 mins and it came out so cold!
We definitely won’t be coming back to this place again.

Last night was my second time going to this restaurant. The first time was amazing! I ordered a barbecue chicken quesadilla, white sangria and chocolate churros for desert, but unfortunately I found out last night that the sangria and churros were taken off the menu. I don’t think I’ll be going back as this was my main reason for going in the first place.

This place was pretty darn good for more reasons than their food. I came for brunch after church one day. We were the first customers and were seated immediately. The waitress was super nice and very accommodating. She explained the menu items when we had questions. The brunch menu was amazing and I would definitely wanna come back for dinner.
I originally bought a travelzoo voucher ($ 20 for $ 40 worth of food). Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use it before it expired, but they let me use it for the value I paid ($ 20). The manager was very nice about it and explained that the deal would be available on travelzoo again soon and that he would love for our family to come back for dinner. Great service and great food. The environment was really well designed as well. Huge restaurant with optional outdoor seating. Definitely coming back!

Came here recently for the first time to celebrate my sister’s birthday with our family. Since I arrived separately from the rest of my family, upon walking in, I stood behind a couple waiting just like them until I spotted my Dad walking into a separate room by the host/​hostess table. The room where we were seated at had other tables around us as well as 2 large booths on the side. Although the entire restaurant seemed rather busy, it was nice that we had an entire space to ourselves for most of the night.
After settling at our table and looking over their menu, our server came by to greet us and to ask us what we wanted to drink. My Mom pointed out that it was Happy Hour so my sister asked the server what would be the best cocktail for a «lightweight» and he suggested the Venga Venga which I was a bit surprised of because I on the other hand am not a lightweight and was looking for a strong drink and I chose the Venga Venga Margarita on the rocks. Even though my Mom can get pretty tipsy rather quickly, she still managed to finish her drink before me! Lol… We were also given chips and salsa before we ordered our meals. The salsa was okay to me as it tasted a bit bland with a slight spicy kick.
As for what we ordered… One thing I do remember that was actually pretty good was their Guacamole. The manager delivered the order to our table and mashed it right then and there which was cool. Aside from that, the tough part was helping our parents out with choosing something to eat since they don’t eat spicy foods. We ordered them a street taco mix, but my Mom had to send the plate back because it was still a bit spicy and wasn’t to her liking. As for me, I ordered their Street Mixed tacos (Braised Beef, Crunchy Shrimp and Baja Fish) which was okay. I can’t quite say they blew my mind because they were rather small and filled with lots of toppings. Our server on the other hand was pretty attentive and made sure to answer any questions about the menu. For dessert, we had their Tres Leches Cake which was good. I’d say that some of their items were either a hit or miss.
I enjoyed the time I had with my family, but wished there were more food options to choose from. It was okay for my first visit. Perhaps I’ll give them another try in the future, who knows.

This place was awesome! Definitely the happening place here in Eastlake. Happy hour specials are great. Drinks are super tasty as is the food. This is our spot from
Now on. Also shout out to the staff. They were all so nice and even brought us multiple free tequila shots so we could try their specialities!! n

Un lugar contemporáneo con muy buena comida y una exellente variedad de platillos tradicionales al igual que en tequilas
Recomiendo el MERO MERO

This review is solely based on their happy hour…
As I walked in, I was asked if I was there for happy hour or dinning area… I chose happy hour and was directed to open seating at the bar or patio area. I was given a happy hour menu only so I’m assuming they don’t offer the regular menu options at the patio… I’m not positive but since I was only looking for a few drinks and appetizers, I didn’t question that.
Sure they attract you with their daily happy hour specials but there really isn’t anything too «special» about it… It’s a great place to hang out for maybe just one or two drinks but after that, the tab will really add up quickly!
I enjoyed their complimentary salsa and chips, they were actually quite addicting! It’s just something about their grilled peppers and crispy freshly made chips that just keep you asking for more!
Ordered the sampler off the happy hour menu and everything was pretty tasty, definitely didn’t lack flavor. My favorite was the grilled corn on the cob, (beware that they do add cheese to it, so if that’s not your preference, order it without) but overall, it was all good.
The mango margarita was neither fruity nor did it have a strong tequila taste… which was disappointing! When I drink margaritas, I like to taste the tequila and not just ice so for that reason, I don’t think I’d come back…

Buen servicio y buena comida

Celebrated Veterans Day here — arrived at 6:30, service was so slow we left at 8:30.
Pros–
–The restaurant is gorgeous.
— Food was really good
–Waitress was clueless, but sweet.
Cons–
–The restaurant is called Venga Venga Cantina TEQUILA BAR — when we ordered the tequila taster… they didn’t do them that day. What?
–The waitress told us that for Veterans Day our table (with 3 proud Navy Veterans) would receive a free appetizer and 40% off. When the bill came she said she was wrong and we would have to pay for the appetizer and our discount was only 14%. No I did not hear wrong because she even gave the example that a $ 100 check would then become $ 60.The manager ended up comp’ing the appetizer.
Overall I am being PRETTY lenient on my review because the poor little waitress was sweet the entire time– even though it was frustrating that she forgot to check on us and tried to make us pay for stuff that was offered to us. The food was really good– so I’m going to give them another shot soon.
**Kindness goes a long way***
* Side note: Island Prime does not have any of these problems. And yes, if you read my other reviews that is my FAVORITE place hands down.

I was pleasantly surprised during our visit. Given the negative reviews, I was expecting crappy service. Our party of 12 sat out in the patio area during happy hour. Wow, happy hour is every night! They had a pretty decent selection of happy hour drink specials and food.
I ordered a frozen strawberry marg and the fiancé ordered the mojitos and beer. We both enjoyed our drinks! We also ordered 3 tacos, taquitos and churros. Tacos were OK, but the taquitos (chicken) were better. I think I’d defer getting the tacos at a regular –berto taco shop to be honest.
My highlight was the churros! They came out warm with lots of sugar! YUM! Also, they come with 3 sauces: Mexican chocolate, Mexican caramel, and swirl of the 2. My only complaint was that they’re stingy in the sauces. You need to ask for more. TOTAL SUGAR RUSH!!! AHHHH
Our server was really good. She provided recommendations and she was really nice. She came back several times to check up on us and to take our orders. I didn’t get her name, but excellent service.
We were here on a Saturday night and the bar gets filled pretty quickly. I swear people come here to club or something. They are dressed to the T, and for what? Eating Mexican food??? Damn, I should have worn my mini-​skirt and stilettos too! LOL
The bathrooms are by the bar so every time I walked to the bathroom from the patio, I felt like walking through the meat market. I swear every guy was checking me out! AWKWARD!!!

My sister and I came by on a Friday night with a few girlfriends to take advantage of their happy hour that lasted until 10 pm. I love me some good ol’ happy hour! Especially on a Friday night. But unfortunately, this place did not live up to my expectations.
I had the opportunity to try:
3 tacos for $ 8 (barbacoa, carnitas and al pastor)
mole fries for $ 9
spicy orange margarita for $ 6
regular margarita for $ 5
Tacos were NOT good. The barbacoa had a real heavy smokey flavor to it. It tasted like it was smoked in liquid smoke and then topped with more liquid smoke. Gross. The al pastor had huge chunks of fat on it. The taco was more fat than al pastor but there was a nice mango salsa to cover up all that fat. The carnitas tacos was the best out of all 3 but that wasn’t that great either. The carnitas was deep fried too long and it came out super dry. That taco too had big chunks of fat Save your $ and go to Lolita’s.
The mole fries were a complete waste of $ 9. For some reason, my sister thought it would have some kind of meat on there but the large fries came to our table looking like someone’s side dish. That was NOT a large and all it was were fries with mole sauce. I had 2 bites and so did my sister and we ended up just wasting it. Do not get these either.
The saving grace were the free chips and salsa. Can’t go wrong w/​those because they came out perfect. not too oily and not too salty.
You pay for the establishment at this restaurant because the food is not good at all. The drinks were decent but margaritas here don’t come with salt so make sure to ask for some on the rim of your cup if you like salt like I do. The waitress (I think her name was Lisa) was nice enough to bring me a glass w/​salt. Also, the spicy orange wasn’t spicy. Save your $ 1 and get regular margarita, get drunk and then have someone take you to Lolita’s for your Mexican food or go to Buffalo Wild Wings for their late night HH that starts at 10 pm. That’s what we ended up doing.

enchiladas jalisco excelentes su margarita spice fabulos
el tequila tres tonos extra anejo lo mejor