El Borrego Restaurant

I have been going to El Borrego for awhile now, and it was one of the places that I took special care to order from during the pandemic, lest it be lost. Now from outward appearances, you might believe that El Borrego is a taco shop. While it definitely serves tacos, you should not consider El Borrego a taco shop and go there when craving a carne asada burrito. Instead, El Borrego is an oasis of tranquility in the city. Gentle music plays in the background as you sit and enjoy your caffe de olla, or horchata, or even the occasional beer. And then comes the food. El Borrego, as the name suggests, specializes in lamb that has been slowly cooked until it is fall apart tender, but still gloriously juicy. The lamb special, which comes with a lamb rolled taco, a lamb taco, a nopale quesadilla, rice, and nopale salad, is a nice introduction to the lamb they serve. The nopale salad, which seems odd at first (as nopale is a cactus) is bright and refreshing. To my amazement, there is a Sicilian dish that's virtually identical nopale salad served here. El Borrego also serves lamb and cochinita pibil by the pound, which you can order family style. To be honest, I've never ordered the cochinita pibil. Another option is the mixote de borrego - a mix of various cuts of the lamb, along with tortillas and other fixings. Really good stuff.One other dish that's a standout to me is the green pozole, which is served only Thursday-Sunday. It's basically a hug in a bowl, and one I crave from time to time. The chilaquiles are also excellent.As far as service goes, it's not surprising that a place that puts so much love into their food would also have good service. You order at the counter, and the food is brought out to you. Whether you eat inside, or in the much larger patio outside, the vibe is chill, the food is excellent, and the service is friendly. I cannot recommend El Borrego enough.

This is a delightful place, it doesn't seem as difficult to park as north park or Kensington, there were actually a couple of spots outside on a Sunday.They have a delightful patio, which is available to rent for events in the evening and we loved seeing butterflies floating around enjoying the flowers.The cafe de olla was delicious and I'm glad we saved room for the flan!

This restaurant is bigger than I thought! They have a huge patio in the back and an altar display to celebrate the Day of the Dead. We ordered a tarmarindo and a hibiscus agua fresca to start with. The drinks came in cute mason jars and were very refreshing.We shared the pozole verde, which is only available Thursdays-Sundays. It was very flavorful and filling. Their house specialty is the lamb barbacoa! I tried that in a taco and it was quite delicious. The pork sope was pretty good and potato taco was alright. They also have tamales available to order for the holidays and carry sweet ones, like pineapple, etc.Overall, the food was pretty good. Service was also friendly and attentive. I would definitely come back for more pozole and barbacoa!

This place feels like grandma's cooking dinner for you. It's lucky the times I've found myself here are Fridays, usually cloudy and rainy ones. Perfect time for Pozole! They only sell it Friday through Sunday so if that's what you want- plan accordingly. The pozole here is green, flavorful, and contains the softest pork I've ever had in a soup in my life, served in a generously sized bowl with a plate of crunchy toppings. I kind of want a little more salt in it BUT I also know it doesn't hurt to cut back a little on that in one's diet so that adds to the grandma cooking vibe for me. The star of the show, the lamb, is worth a trip all on its own. The first trip we ordered the Mixiote which so far has been my favorite thing here. The Mixiote (12oz of marinated tender lamb meat, simmered for hours, with 6 corn tortillas on the side, cilantro, onion, and salsas to make your own tacos) is perfection. The flavor, the tenderness, and tacos are always a winner. The second time we wanted lamb but in the burrito already mixed for us, like totally lazy. It was a little more dry (the lack of the juices in the foil packet that the Mixiote is served in) and the lamb flavor was kind of gone, obscured by the beans and rice. But it was filling and if you just wanted a burrito to slather in hot sauce- you can't go wrong with this tender lamb.The chicken enchiladas (served with rice and beans), quesadillas, and agua de jamaica are tasty enough if you're looking for something else to round out your order. My preferred drink, when they have it, is the horchata. In the quesadilla you can pick from a few different options but I like the squash blossom. I'm not sure how it's prepared, but I think it's kind of a brined version that's actually quite nice with the cheese so anybody can enjoy that, not just vegetarians. I love the flower art piece on the wall inside, but their rear patio is where we sit. It's quite well decorated and we get to spend an hour or so getting a little breeze and eating delicious food. Service is great. The team has a few staff, but importantly mom is in the kitchen, daughter at the register and checking in on tables. Even in the patio we're always checked in on. I look forward to heading back for another Mixiote, trying the bean soup and soft pork tacos, and getting another glass (or maybe a pitcher if I'm lucky) of that horchata.

If you are looking for some great Mexican food and can work with the hours try El Borrego. I have seen this place several times and finally looked them up. They looked interesting but the hours closing at 4pm really put a damper on my interest. I finally got a chance to try them for a quick takeout of the borrego (lamb) tacos. They were piping hot and really tender. I was sold on this place but wanted to have a sit down experience. I finally made it in and it deserves a review.When you walk in the menu is written on the wall that you might likely pass on you way to the front counter. If you don't skip it, then you are better than I. Going first thing in the morning I was not sure what to expect for breakfast. It's a smaller menu but it's really good. Ordered a borrego burrito and huevos rancheros. Sat outside and enjoyed the quietness of the restaurant having just opened.I talked to the waitress and let her know that I've been dying to come here for a while but the hours of 8-4 have been difficult to manage. Apparently they have tried multiple times in their 19 years to do later jours, but they had no business when they were open later. It's a shame but hopefully with the neighborhood changing might cause that to change. The outdoor back patio is colorful and they had a dia de los muertos altar. I checked out the bar area that wasn't open yet and could see myself wanting to come back for a happy hour on a warm day.The food came out and it was piping hot. I really enjoyed my burrito from the first bite. I'll definitely come back.

We went today and it was fantastic! I had the borrego burrito(juicy, tender lamb barbacoa, pinto beans, rice and salsa) and hubs the lamb special(one lamb soft taco, one lamb roll taco topped with crema & cotija cheese, and one rajas stuffed quesadilla served with a side of rice & cactus salad)!The owner was there, she was friendly, warm and inviting, we sat in the patio area. Definitely coming back!

I keep coming back to this restaurant and every time I come I am very happy with the food quality and service. The family that runs this restaurant is very sweet and welcoming and their food is excellent and consistent. Also, their cafe de olla is a must try! Lovely garden atmosphere too - highly recommend!

I had the Borrego Burrito and it was delicious! The agua frescas (horchata & jamaica) we're delicious as well. The owner was in the kitchen cooking every plate ordered. The cashier and waiter were very friendly. The ambiance is warm and welcoming.

Great little spot. We went here for breakfast before our son's soccer game at Hoover High School.The women at the counter was extremely friendly and welcoming and helped us with the menu with recommendations and clarifications. We got the chilaquiles (with chorizo) and a carne asada burrito. Both were great!!

Was looking for some borrego tacos in SD and found this spot. I'd driven by this place several times, but it never crossed my mind to look it up. After seeing a couple of reviews and pictures, we decided to go check it out. The lady who took our order was very friendly. We sat in the patio, which was very pretty. Our food arrived in a timely manner. My bf and I left no crumbs, lol. Very delicious homemade taste and with great flavor. We will definitely be going back. Oh! and the homemade horchata was well made and on point. Prices are reasonable. Does lack parking, but we were about to find parking about a block away, not too far.