Garcias Puebla Mercado

Wanted to make carnitas tacos. Bought everything here. Top of the line. The pork was superb! My whole family raved!

I ordered 24 tamales — cheese, chicken, and beef — for our family’s Thanksgiving get-​together because darn it, tamales are good for the holidays, good for snacks, good for any time. These tamales were excellent. My favorite was the beef, although the chicken was excellent, not the dry, flavorless kind that one can often get with tamales. The tortilla chips were okay, nothing great, nothing lousy. The avocado and chipotle salsa were excellent.
The guy who helped us was funny and extremely friendly. He offered us a sample of some beans and rice that he was making in the back, and those were delicious as well. Definitely recommended.

GREAT Mexican market with LOTS of fantastic fresh food options — from tortillas made on site, to tamales, to chips, to a great variety of salsas — and much, much, more. At about $ 20, the famous Wednesday carnitas dinner really is all that and more, and worth a weekly trip all by itself. But the other great food options keep us coming back.

I really don’t understand the hoopla. Just picked up my first (and last) order there. Had pork tamale plate.
1. Beans were very soupy
2. Everything was over salted
3. Couldn’t mix and match a combo. Had to get tamales (and all the same kind) or all enchilada’s etc.
3. Place was very dirty. Stuff all over the floor in the kitchen area. Looked like a drill sitting on a pan of ground beef. Not a close look but the color was right. Might have been plastic covering the beef but seriously considering contacting the health department.
4. No written menu with prices etc. This is not primarily a dining place. It has store goods and a meat counter too. The front of the store dirty as well.

We ordered the carnitas dinner for a family and it was fabulous and the flour tortillas that you can purchase in the store are the best you can find!

They pressure sold us a Carnitas family meal one day. They pushed and pushed and pushed about how great of a deal it was. We finally gave in and we’ve been hooked ever since. The carnitas are super tender and there is enough to feed a family of five for 3+ days. It also comes with a large bean and large rice, as well as salsa and tortillas. For around $ 30 a family, it’s definitely worth it and it’s super delicious!

Love this place! Both flour and corn tortillas, rice, beans, salsas, fresh corn chops and tamales. You can’t go wrong. They’re all freshly made daily and tasty. Don’t let the look of the place fool you. I’m a regular customer. I no longer buy the tortillas in the grocery store. I love the husband wife team. They’re so so nice! The only downfall is you might have to wait a couple of minutes for assistance due to the fact it’s a one man show. They have the cooks primarily for cooking.

Tamales! The masa is always moist and has great flavor. This place is the seems family owned and operated. The rice and beans are also very good, also I recommended trying their avocado salsa.
If u ever need to make tamales they have everything you need, plus they make the best masa in town.

Everything here is served fresh and very Authentic! The food here that they make In the kitchen by the sweetest ladies reminds me of my mom and home back in Mexico. Whenever I need my REAL Mexican food fix, I go here! I can’t find anywhere else locally that makes home made style Mexican food that isn’t Americanized and ruined with sour cream and cheddar cheese! I like that stuff at times but come here and give it a go!
I love the tamales and chile verde plate! Mmmm…

Came here because of the few, but good reviews here on Unilocal and I WAS NOT disappointed. I tried the carnitas burrito and two types of their tamales; chicken and beef. The tamales were amazing, the masa was flavorful and the fillings (chicken/​beef) were well seasoned. The masa was a little thick, but because of how good the flavor was, I really didn’t mind. The carnitas burrito (carnitas, beans, rice, and guacamole) was delicious. It had a homey taste, fresh and authentic. They gave me a choice of salsa, hot or medium. I chose medium. The salsa wasn’t spicy at all, but was just as good as everything else. Overall they won my boyfriend and I over with their food.
The location on the other hand was a little off-​putting. It was definitely clean, just not organized. As soon as I walked in I started sweating. It was 103 outside and this place was even hotter inside. You have to walk to the back of the market to get to the kitchen to order your food. There is a vague menu, it has pictures of about 8 things with names, but no prices. The carnitas burrito wasn’t even on the menu I had to ask for it. One guy was running the kitchen and I felt for him. Working in a hot kitchen in 103+ degrees, that is some dedication.
I don’t normally review places, but this place deserves some recognition. If you’re contemplating giving this place a try, just do it!!!

The only place I buy tortillas. I have been going here for years, everything is good and the owners are so helpful!

I stopped in because I heard they made food to go, in addition to the resale goods they provide, and I heard they make some very good carnitas, so for $ 5.99 I had them make me one. I also picked up a Tamale de Rajas or peppers and cheese, and a pork tamale, each for a $ 1.79.
When I ordered carnitas burrito, the lady asked if I wanted the burrito with everything and after she laid it out, I specifically told her I wanted carnitas, guacamole, and pico de gallo in the burrito. However, I opened it up, it was packed also with rice and beans (
). That being said, the burrito was huge and wrapped in a very good flour tortilla (
), and at least, even though I did not want them, the rice and beans were good. The carnitas were great, and I was very happy they packed the tender succulent morsels very generously (
). The carnitas were very tasty and well seasoned. The guacamole was fresh and so was the pico de gallo, two items that are always a great match with carnitas (
). Even with the beans and rice, the burrito was quite good. I just like the two in my burritos with carnitas because I want to taste the carnitas.
The Rajas tamale was kinda of a disappointment because they were not made from the traditional white cheese, but rather a orange yellow cheddar like cheese. The masa was good, perhaps a little on the thick side (
), but it tasted good, as the green peppers inside, but that yellow orange cheese was sort of dry and just did not provide that melted quality. A Monterrey Jack or Oaxaca Cheese would suffice for better results (
). Also, the huge potato inside threw me off. Never had potato in a rajas tamale. To me, it’s just a filler. The pork tamale was much better, even though it was a little on the greasy side (
). The pork was savory and very tender, and the tamale had plenty of it with no potatoes (
)! Hooray…
I was a fan of the carnitas burrito, minus the rice and beans, which I would of gladly eaten on the side, and the pork tamale, but I expected much more from the tamale the rajas. The people who work here are very nice and they also make tacos and provide family platters of carnitas with all the fixings, so I even with the small hiccups, I am still a fan…

They have very good food I won’t take that from them… But the little old lady at the register is rude!!! You have to be polite to your customers but I guess being that is family owned what can you say!!! But what I can say is Lil granny needs to watch her mouth. :(

!
This place is awesome. Moving to El Cajon from Barrio Logan I know what good tortillas and Mexican food taste like as we had them on every corner. Looking for flour tortillas to make homemade burritos? You found it!
Try them out, you won’t regret it. They have an awesome food combo that feeds a family of four, also good if your just trowing back some brews. Might as well get some tacos to go along with

I absolutely love this place and have been coming here since I was a little girl. Their corn tortillas are to die for. They are made daily and are so fresh they are still warm when you buy them. Their salsa and tamales are absolutely incredible as well.

The Garcias are always kind, courteous and helpful. Homemade tortillas without all the junk in them, locally grown produce. Everything you would expect at a Mexican market including food made on site. Good quality, good prices. I’m a regular.

This place was recommended to me by a friend who is been going there for a while. At first glance, it is a family run Mexican store next to a trailer park and a motel in El Cajon. But in the back, they have a full Mexican kitchen that makes homemade and fresh everything!
Homemade Carnitas, carne Asada, pollo asado, tamales, Chilaquiles, tortillas, salsa, guacamole… And more! It is available for catering as well as just getting a burrito if you’re in the mood.
I talked to the lady behind the cash register and asked her what the secret to the excellent food was. She told me that they use the same recipes that they cook with at home. No restaurant nonsense or mass-​produced nonsense.
I watched my Carnitas burrito being prepared tonight. They chopped up the Carnitas fresh in front of me after it in a pan on top of the stove. The lady through some spices from a few different bowls and mixed it up with some rice, beans & seasoning in the pan. Once again, the best Carnitas burrito I’ve had in my life! But when they run out, they run out.

Great Tortillas, great carnitas, great prices. Did I mention everything here is great? When it’s busy, I stand out like a white thumb, but everyone;s friendly, and it goes to show this is the place to go, for real Mexican food. Wednesday carnitas special is a great deal, although the regular special every other day is a great deal too.

I too have been going here for year’s sure not too many of us «Yelp» people are current customers but I am, so please come as check out Garcia’s Mercado.
It’s a store that sells Mexican products — Cheese’s, spices, can goods, bakery, and the best of all homemade Mexican food.
I love the homemade tortillas, chips, salsa and hot carrots, tamales. The re-​fried beans are excellent so traditional ! and my favorite are the Chile Rellenos !
They run out quick but you can always order some and pick up the next day. Garcia’s is great for picking up some great food for last minute parties.
The owners work really hard and put their heart into their products. Fresh Fresh Fresh…
The negative — well lets just say the store could use some serious «feng shui»…

WHAAAT!
I can’t believe I’m writing the first review for this place. I’ve been going here for years.
They make their own flour and corn tortillas fresh on the premises. I go here for one thing and one thing only, Their Carnitas Special. 1and a half lbs of carnitas, beans, rice, salsa, and hot fresh corn tortillas for one very low price. Easily feeds my family of 4.
The family that runs this hole in the wall Mercado are very friendly. Easy to miss the small driveway as you are on Main street so slow down. it’s worth the visit.