Mexican RestaurantBarRestaurantCohn Restaurant Group
Elevated Mexican Cuisine in the heart of La Mesa. You can taste the love at Casa Gabriela. At the core of Chef Gabriela Lopez’s cuisine are traditional Mexican recipes passed down from her Grandmother reimagined with a modern, elevated presentation. Similar to the flavors on the menu, Casa Gabriela’s ambiance is warm, inviting and vibrant, with splashes of color everywhere. Located in the heart of La Mesa Village, the spacious outdoor garden is the perfect place to enjoy margaritas with friends or an intimate date night for two.
Explore offerings from Casa Gabriela on 8384 La Mesa Blvd in La Mesa, with popular aperitivos, ensaladas y sopa, chef gaby's molcajetes for two, and especiales de la casa available at this location.
birria, rajas con papas, crispy masa sopes, poached eggs, guajillo hollandaise, queso fresco, habanero white onions, refried black beans, papas al ancho (gf)
came today to have a meal, been here many times, no host, sat down, no service, then I was told to move, told to move, reserved, faced the sun instead of the cars, no one ever sat there, I feel I was lied to, treated like crap, had drinks and left, shame on your host
GC
GENO'S CATERING
2 days ago
4.0
We live in La mesa and wanted to try Casa Gabriela. The place is great and the food is excellent but? If you don't mind loud music (not background music) but loud then this place is for you. I am sure the man who came out to speak to us (four of us) last night 07-07-2016 is a great guy (owner, manager whatever) but the attitude was "it's always loud whether you come back or not this is how loud we have it". He told us the patio is louder and if we wanted to eat upstairs there is no speakers. Having owned a restaurant for ten years the background music is just that...background. The four of us were in agreement that it was too loud. You decide!
CL
C Lo
Jun 28, 2026
3.0
Food was mediocre. Not enough pico di gallo sauce on fish tacos; they were kind of dry.
The vegetarian fajitas were average and small.
Kale corn Mexican salad has no flavor - not enough dressing- and we had to ask for more, it tasted just like kale and no blending of flavors. Wasn’t really impressed with the food. The main thing I liked was their salsa.
Ambience is nicely decorated. But, I don’t think I would opt to come back.
AA
Aletheia828
Jun 23, 2026
1.0
We visited Casa Gabriela for lunch on Father’s Day during happy hour, excited to try it for the first time. We ordered a couple of ceviches to share and were stunned when they arrived. The portions were tiny — literally about three bites of fish. We were told it was the “happy hour” size. There was nothing happy about it.
We sent them back and ordered the full-size versions. Unfortunately, the food itself was a major letdown. The ceviche had no flavor — it tasted like plain shrimp straight out of the refrigerator except way undercooked like eating scallop sushi paste. Some pieces of fish had a strong fishy taste halfway through and we both stopped eating the ceviche at that point.
We had also ordered the chorizo bean dip, which is labeled gluten-free on the menu. It says it comes with flour tortillas (which obviously contain gluten). We asked the server to substitute corn tortillas instead — no big deal, or so we thought. After lunch we noticed an extra $5 substitution charge for the corn tortillas. For a dish that’s supposed to be gluten-free, charging extra to make it actually gluten-free is ridiculous.
The only bright spot was the drinks, though our server mentioned they don’t even make the sangria in-house.
Service was noticeably slow (we never got water refills), which may have been due to it being Father’s Day and possibly short staffing. We knew we weren’t coming back, but we didn’t bother sending the food back a second time. I just wanted out of there. We took the $88 loss and left.
It’s a real shame because the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. I’d honestly pay top dollar just to watch Gordon Ramsay react to them trying to serve that seal chum.
LL
Lefty
Jun 22, 2026
5.0
This is the best mexican restaurant I've ever been to. Being almost 50 and living in SD for years I've wrestled with saying this but it's well deserved.
Every single bite of everything on the plate of the steak dish was BURSTING with flavor. So much so I've gone back three times and ordered the same thing.
Yes, Casa Gabriela accepts reservations which can be made online via their OpenTable page.
What are the opening hours of Casa Gabriela?
Casa Gabriela is open Tuesday to Friday from 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM. They are closed on Mondays.
Does Casa Gabriela offer brunch?
Yes, brunch is served at Casa Gabriela on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.
What types of meals are served at Casa Gabriela?
Casa Gabriela serves lunch, brunch, dinner, and happy hour menus.
What types of payment methods does Casa Gabriela accept?
Casa Gabriela accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa credit cards.
Does Casa Gabriela provide pickup or delivery services?
Casa Gabriela offers in-store pickup but does not provide delivery services.
Is Casa Gabriela wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Casa Gabriela has a wheelchair accessible entrance, seating, parking, and restrooms.
What nearby places can I visit before or after dining at Casa Gabriela?
You can visit BO-beau kitchen + garden, a French restaurant; La Mesa Farmers Market for fresh local produce; or Coin Haus, an arcade and American restaurant, all situated near Casa Gabriela.
Are there any nearby wine bars near Casa Gabriela for after-dinner drinks?
Yes, Gio Bistro and Wine Bar and San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room and Gallery are nearby locations where you can enjoy wine after dining.
Can I explore other dining options near Casa Gabriela?
Nearby dining options include Gingham for American cuisine, Surf Rider Pizza for Italian, Centifonti’s Bar & Restaurant for Italian food and drinks, and Johnny B’s Burgers Brew and Spirits for burgers and brews.
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