Freds Mexican Cafe

Drove over for lunch today at the café in Laguna Niguel, but there were trucks in the parking lot and a crew tearing it apart. So sad it closed.

Don’t think I would come here if it wasn’t Taco Tuesdays.
The tacos were OK. Nothing really special. The carnitas taco was good. But I think there are def better taco places in SD.
I do like the convenient downtown location and it’s great for groups. But really, nothing special about this place or their food.

I guess this should be counted as the original first stop. we’ll call it the pre-​game round.
The group and I stumbled upon this place while scavenging for a suitable dinner location. There was about 10 of us, so the other nice restaurants would’ve required a reservation (since it was Labor Day Weekend) or like. an hour + wait, which we were not down for. When we got to Fred’s, we were immediately seated and were good to go!
Fred’s Mexican Café is like your typical cantina. I got a huge enchilada which was good, and everyone else got these huge margaritas. I guess someone had told the waitress that we had 2 birthday boys at the table, so she brought out 2 birthday blowjob shots. If you’re not familiar, blowjob shots are usually some kind of sweet shooter with whipped cream on top (can you guess why?), and the drinker cannot use their hands to take the shot (let your imagination run wild!). Anyway, so the first birthday boy did it, no problem no sweat (prob cuz he’s Irish!)! The 2^nd birthday boy was pretty drunk by this time due to all the day drinking, so when he did it, he did manage to successfully get the shot up and in his mouth… but it ended up spilling out of his nose. GROSS! HAHA On the bright side, he said it cleared up his sinuses and everyone was a good sport about it.

LOVE FREDS !!!
BEST HAPPY HOUR.
LOVE working when Carina is serving great service good food and the best Margaritas my faves (horny Grandma) !

Before going to San Diego, I said to my mate that I would be having as much mexican food as I possibly could handle during our 2 nights there. I mean I was literally gonna go nuts so, of course, all I wanted to do after we landed was to… you guessed right. have mexican for lunch!
We went to the hotel, changed and headed out. Walking on 5^th Ave, it was a beautiful/​warm and sunny arvo and I wanted to sit outside to chill. I caught a glimpse of Freds Mexican Café and said to my mate: «Yeah we’re going there». The reviews on Unilocal weren’t that flattering but I decided to give it a shot anyway and you know what? I loved it! Our waitress was really nice and the food didn’t take long to get to us either.
We started with Nachos and also had a free appetizer of the chicken chingaderas courtesy of checking in on Unilocal.Guys, seriously. Those chingaderas are totally titis!
I also had the Carnitas and that was really good as well. I cant remember what my mate had (who cares…) but he said he really liked it.
It’s more pricey than the other small mexican shack but I liked the food so I don’t mind! I will definitely go back.

We were trolling at Comic Con, and wanted to grab something to eat. Mexican sounded good, so we went to Fred’s.
We ordered the Classic California Burrito and the Nachos appetizer.
Everything was just ehh. It was edible, not bad. But not good either.
The Classic California Burrito we were looking forward to trying because of the fries inside, which seemed odd. But it had a little too much guacamole, and the flavors of the ingredients didn’t really come out. It was… whatever. Pretty bland.
The nachos costed $ 2.95 extra if you ordered any kind of meat on it, so we ordered it plain. I liked that it was served with black beans which are my fave. It didn’t have enough toppings though, way too many chips vs. cheese, beans, jalapenos, etc…
We also unlocked the Unilocal special for a free appetizer. They gave us the option of guacamole or queso. We chose guacamole, but somehow we ended up with both.
Their guacamole kind of sucked, I’ve had a lot better, a lot fresher. It tasted like it came out of a storebought container. The queso was pretty decent, I ate a lot of that.
It was a meal, but nothing more. I’d rather spend my money elsewhere, but I wouldn’t say I disliked my experience.

This place started off as so-​so in my books, but quickly redeemed itself to thumbs up.
When we arrived we had to wait mins for our our outside table not b/​c there weren’t any available but so the waitress could «catch up». The waitress came over and started us off with some warm chips and tasty salsa. It was happy hour so we checked out the specials (there are drink specials, no food specials). We settled on 20oz beers for $ 3.50 during happy hour. That to me is a great deal for such a large beer.
I ordered a chicken tortilla soup and my fiancé ordered the surf and turf burrito. My soup was chock full of chicken, the broth itself was not bad. The surf and turf burrito was huge and full of both steak and shrimp-​absolutely delicious. The waitress kept the chips and dip coming. We left Fred’s full and completely happy.
The waitress was very attentive our entire visit, so I guess that 5 minute catch up helped. All in all a great experience. I’ll definitely go back.

Pros: Good happy hour because it’s located at the side that gets the sun in the afternoon.
Cons: Bouncers and hosts all have an attitude. Please let’s loose it up!

Food here is good… had their california burrito which was delicious. However, the service over memorial day weekend was horrible. The restaurant wasn’t busy so the servers were definitely not overwhelm to justify the bad service. I’m not sure if this was a one-​off night or it’s typically like this but I’m giving it 2 stars for now.

I was attracted to Fred’s Mexican Café for two reasons: 1) I love Mexican food and when in San Diego, you eat just that, and 2) They had a check-​in offer for a free appetizer. Um, hello! How can you turn that down?! They got me…
My friend and I came here for one of our last meals in San Diego, and I was actually really excited about it. The atmosphere seemed like a lot of fun, the staff was great, and everyone there looked to be enjoying themselves. We were seated and informed the waiter about the check-​in deal. He gave us the list of appetizers from which we could choose (there were about five, if I recall correctly). We were denied the first one because «they were out,» as was our second one. That left us with chips and queso dip. Really??? If I wanted chips and queso dip for free, I would’ve flown back to my apartment in Boston. Both of us ordered burritos, and while they were large, they weren’t as good as I wanted them to be. It wasn’t spicy, even after I doused it in salsa, and the flavor was barely there.
Needless to say, this place wasn’t the greatest. If you’re going because of the check-​in offer, keep your fingers crossed that they have them in stock.

just a pit stop here… post elite event… before driving to the next stop…
i enjoyed bottomless diet coke, water and a free appetizer with Unilocal check in. woo hoo!!!
i had chips and a small portion of Guac while my companion order chips/​queso. Both entrée’s were small portions but who’s complaining (they were free). they were standard americanized Mexican food…
thoroughly enjoyed em…
service was fast and friendly (we sat at the bar)…i felt almost bad that we only ordered a soda on top of our free food… but the bartender treated us just as good as others who were ordering drink after drink… that’s a huge plus!
while there are tons of other great places to hang in the gaslamp… the great service will most likely bring me back. Then I can give you a more thorough review of the food and drinks

The two stars are for the chips and salsa and cool patio.
The food is mediocre at best.
The house margaritas suck! Big pretty glass, weak ass drink. Pretty sure they left out the tequila.
Don’t even bother.

I love Fred’s for Mexican food! Every time I’ve been here, I’ve enjoyed whatever I’ve ordered. A bonus is that you get a free appetizer when checking in on Unilocal.I love sitting outside when coming to this particular Fred’s because you get to take in all of Gaslamp District while you’re eating under a straw umbrella. The inside has some rather interesting décor and even has a placard that reads «Margaritas: They make you see double and feel single» up by the bar that is quite entertaining.
The waiters/​waitresses are very nice, and I’ve always been seated quickly. The first time I ate here, I accidentally left my credit card on the table (didn’t grab it after I paid). As soon as I noticed it was gone, I gave them a call. They told me that whatever was picked up from the tables was put in the safe and only the manager could open it the next day.
Distraught, I had to wait a whole day to know if they had even recovered my card or not, but when I called the next morning, they were able to reassure me that they had my card right away. I picked it up with no hassle and was so relieved. Overall, great food and good service. Will be back many more times.

I wouldnt really call it Mexican food–
I guess Mexicanish. With tacos like
” cheeseburger taco etc.” but that doesnt mean its not tasty. And they do the beeritas here (beer in margarita) and skinny margaritas. My fave!

Awesome margarita list– try the Cadillac. Also, they offer a pretty good food menu as well– we’ve tried their burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. The portions are massive, so bring your appetite. Complimentary chips and salsa are great, salsa could use some extra heat though (a little on the sweeter side– but plenty of flavor with garlic and cilantro) — the chips are thin/​crispy and flavored with some sort of house made «salt» that packs a nice punch of «yeah» to the experience.
Head over during happy hour for discounts on most drinks and draft beer. Caesar helped us during our last trip and he was awesome– very attentive, friendly, and offered sound advice when we were selecting our margaritas. We needed to leave a little earlier than expected and he did great accommodating– getting the check early and bringing to-​go boxes to take some of the uneaten food with us. This location is great for people watching if you can sit near the main street– watching the tourists and locals walk by in droves. Also, great kid menu options– plenty to choose from and they provide crayons and coloring paper to keep the little ones busy while the grown-​ups relax and soak up the CA sun.
Head to Fred’s for a great meal, excellent drinks, and an overall chill atmosphere.

Oh Fred’s. I asked our concierge if they had a Mexican place they liked and they started to gush over Fred’s.
We walked over there and realized pretty soon this would be a micro-​chain-​gaslamp-​type experience.
Our server was really nice – maybe a little too amped up though. The menu is pretty vast and probably two to three bucks more expensive than it should be per item, but overall pretty solid.
Their chips are thin but crisp and work well with their slightly bland salsa.
I ordered the fish tacos and asked for refried instead of black beans. They easily accommodated that – and their refried beans were quite good. The fish were good portions and well grilled, but the tortillas were a little dough-​y. Overall a pretty forgettable experience and pricey, but definitley not bad.

Great location on fifth street, with inside seating and outside seating under thatched palm patios.
This is in a very touristy area so I didn’t expect the food to be better then average. I ordered the fish tacos ($ 10.95) and they offered mahi mahi or cod which I thought was more authentic. I’m not a big fan of catfish or tilapia in my fish tacos. A large portion of spanish rice and black beans came with the order. Very good flavor with the cabbage, white sauce and flour tortillas. Fred’s has a large selection on their menu, I should have asked the server what the restaurant’s specialty dish is.
A large selection of beers, tequila and other distilled drinks but since I was at a conference I had to pass. It would have been very nice to have a cold cerveza with my fish tacos but having a two hour lecture after lunch would have been over the top.
I thought the salsa was tasty but the chips were a little too salty. Good service.

It was Sunday — the last day of Comic-​Con. I didn’t want the experience to end after they announced last call at the Convention Center, so I decided to walk along the Gaslamp and enjoy the sights one last time. Somehow, I found myself outside of Fred’s, where they were holding a trivia contest — answer 5 out of 8 Comic-​Con related questions right, and you could draw a card out of a hat which had different prizes in it. I answered ⁷⁄₈ of them (what can I say, I’m a geek), and got a free appetizer for chips and guacamole that was only good for that day. Since I was there, I figured, «What the hell,» and gave them a go.
I do have to admit, the Fred’s location in the Gaslamp is pretty nice. There’s countless flatscreen TVs on the wall, ample seating indoors, and I was seated at a booth in front of the TV that was playing music videos (and not just that, most of them that aired were 80s rock — YES!). I would’ve liked to have been near the patio, but that area was filled out by the time I got there.
Despite the prize location, I’ve had better Mexican food near my neighborhood. While I appreciated the free basket of chips (on top of the free chips and guacamole), the guac itself wasn’t that spicy. I took my server Lisa’s recommendation for the Cabo Carnitas — not only did they have more of a kick than what I’m used to, the pork itself was a bit on the fatty side. Carnitas, in my ever so humble opinion, should not be that fatty! And the price point… while Fred’s prices are about the same as El Torito, the quality is another story.
So, despite my free chips and guacamole, I can only give Fred’s an «ehh.» Definitely a place for the tourists and out-​of-​towners… and there’s much better places in the Gaslamp to try!

Stopped in for drinks and supposedly it was still Happy Hour.
The bar was packed and it was difficult to gain the attention of the bartenders. Finally got our orders in, and I’m officially hooked on a new drink… Chambord 7… Ironically, it was $ 7…
$ 1 off drinks, which doesn’t seem like a deal, but whatever.
Pretty big establishment and tried a crab or spinach cake and some chips and salsa. Mediocre…

After an amazing evening at a tech event where my company was exhibiting, my team, friends, and I needed some food and drinks to celebrate the experience long into the night. We opted for Fred’s since that is usually a friendly place for semi-​drunk folks and was a pretty popular place to enjoy a margarita in the middle of the night. When we walked in, it was almost completely dead, which was just fine with me after the busy evening of shmoozing at Analog just moments before.
The dinner started with their house chips and salsa, and the salsa itself was very tasty and even had a nice kick to it. I ordered up the Rosarito combo served with a mahi mahi taco and chicken enchilada. For about $ 13, this was no cheap meal by a long shot since there was really only 2 simple items on the plate. I found both the taco and enchilada to be extremely bland and was disappointed by my expensive plate of food. The drinks are pretty heavy-​handed which is nice, but the food is really what I wanted a healthy helping of. Unfortunately it was another case of the SD food blues for me and I would have much preferred an authentic street taqueria to this stuff, and at half the price.
While the service was decent, our waitress didn’t smile once. I don’t know what the deal was but it didn’t seem like she wanted to be there at all. If it wasn’t for the great company, it would have been a miserable dinner but fortunately we’ve got a great company of friends that can turn any frown upside-​down.
Food: ⁴⁄₁₀
Service: ⁶⁄₁₀
Price: $$
Atmosphere: ⁵⁄₁₀