Ol' Rodeo's Market - El Cajon, California

Jay S.

I can’t believe Ol’ Rodeo only got 4.8 stars.
My wife and I made the 5 mile trip from La Mesa to El Cajon to try this place on the advice of a local Facebook group. I live in La Mesa and work in Barrio Logan so I don’t usually travel more than a couple blocks for some of the best Mexican food in San Diego. We made the trek out there and we’re immediately greeted by the owners and they were genuinely the nicest people you could ask for. We came for the Carne Asada but when I heard they had Menudo I decided on that. Normally the burritos come with rice and beans but we really just wanted to know how the Carne Asada tasted so my wife ordered a burrito with only Carne Asada and guacamole. Both of these were amazing, probably the best Carne Asada I’ve ever had outside of Mexico and the Menudo was to die for, no kidding, I felt a tear well up in my eyes. The Carne Asada is so tender and didn’t have any fat or connective tissues, you never had one of those chewy pieces of meat that you get at most taco shops. The flavor was excellent and the guacamole and tortilla were exceptional. I thought the Menudo was probably the best I’ve ever had. The tripe wasn’t chewy at all just like the Carne Asada it was very tender and kind of melted in your mouth. The hominy was good and they didn’t overuse it as some places do because it is cheaper then tripe. The broth was simply delicious, my wife isn’t a fan of tripe so she only tried the broth and hominy and she loved it too. It was served in the traditional manner with oregano, onions, cilantro and lime along with four corn tortillas. The Menudo also had part of a Cafe‘s foot or pig trotter, a luscious piece of Gelatinous goodness covered with a piece of skin and a couple of small bones. I wrapped it up in a corn tortilla so my wife wouldn’t see me eating it, it was so delicious and melted in my mouth like nothing else. I’m not sure where they got these tortillas but again they were the best we’ve ever had. My wife isn’t a fan of corn tortillas but I always make her try them and she loved these. We also grabbed a Clamato out of one of the coolers which was perfect to wash down our food. We decided the true test of good Carne Asada was to buy some from their butcher counter and cook it at home to see if it was just as great. We usually buy our raw Carne Asada at Valley Farms market, preferring the imperial Valley Carne Asada over their wet rub. This is an excellent Carne Asada which they marinate in a vacuum, which draws the flavors into the meat. Their Carne Asada is thicker cut than Ol’ Rodeo so I was skeptical when I bought 2 pounds of it. We also got some queso fresco. We cooked the Carne Asada over lump charcoal and took a cleaver to it on the board. Heated up some tortillas and all of the usual condiments. This carne Asada was as good as the burrito they made my wife. I gave some of the meat and tortillas to my neighbor who loved it as well. They also have beef birria and lamb birria, we brought some of the lamb birria home and it was delicious, next time I will have it at the store so I can enjoy the corn tortillas with it.
We struck up a conversation with Miguel, the owner, who introduced us to his wife and mother who were the nice ladies that first greeted us. walking around the small grocery store made us very happy, not just because of the warm, homey feel but because of the genuine hospitality that everyone exhibited. These are just nice people trying to make you happy. The butcher counter had just about everything you could wish for, lots of beef and pork, chicken and cheese. Different tortillas including some that I think they make in house. Lots of spices and sauces and ingredients you would find in any traditional Mexican household. They have aqua Fresca and homemade salsa and guacamole.
Normally I would close with, if you were in the area, stop by, but I’m gonna break with tradition and tell you to go out of your way to find this incredible shop filled with amazing people.

A H.

Bought a meat package for $105. I think it was a okay deal. I haven't done the math but I am sure I could have found similar things for cheaper prices if I bought them individually from other stores. The convenience of doing it all at once was nice tho. The meat is good quality.

Diana C.

This review is for the tortillas sold here.

We usually buy our tortillas somewhere else but it happened to be raining and we didn’t want to drive that far out. We yelped “tortillas” and we found this store.

The tortillas were just serving and they were still warm. We got home and make tacos and we enjoyed them! Really good.

A V.

Really good food & great customer service everyone is very kind and welcoming. You can order to go or dine in.

Wonil K.

Maybe not the best place for a proposal, but definitely the best place to get birria burritos the morning after

Nikki B.

Fantastic food, my friends and I come here from hours away just to eat here. It definitely helps that the people are so friendly, as well

Steve G.

The market is nice, small and very friendly. My review is based mostly on their carne asada burrito. Many reviews taut this place as a hidden gem. But the burrito was awful. 1/3 of it was fat and gristle that was inedible. Another third was just charred bits. Go for the market, but not the food!

joey T.

Hidden gem, great family owned mexican food market with an amazing kitchen making select tasty meals. The chorizo breakfast burrito 🌯 is absolutely the best in town! Birra tacos, carne asada and Quesadillas are so delicious 😋.