This is way, way off the beaten path. Located in the heart of El Cajon’s Bostonia neighborhood, Rodeos Market is a gem in a gem-field of great places to eat along Broadway.

Inside you’ll find all the normal stuff you’d expect in a Mexican meat market. Lots of meat, lots of vegetables, lots of fruits, and a few grocery items you don’t typically find in communities which don’t border Mexico.

But Rodeo’s also has an excellent taco counter. Don’t be shy, step up to the counter and ask the lovely staff what they have cooking. On a normal day you’ll find carne asada, carnitas, and pollo asada. But on some days you’ll find several other options, including my favorite guilty pleasure… lengua. (Beef tongue) This perfectly cooked meat is tender and full of flavor. It’s similar in texture to pot roast but with even more flavor.

I typically order three street tacos (pretty small) and then walk to the back of the shop to score a Jarritos. (They also sell Coca-Cola made with real sugar!) Then I head to the produce area and grab a fresh avacado. After I pick up my little bundle of taste from the counter, I head to the cash register and take my pick of wonderful Mexican candies. My favorite candy at Rodeos is the coconut bars colored like the Mexican flag.

After paying, head outside and grab a stool by the counter. You can enjoy a little taste of East County culture while you indulge in the best street tacos in East County.

As a border community, San Diego is filled with excellent Mexican eateries. From the neighborhood taco shop to the high end offerings downtown, we have lots to choose from. As you can imagine this makes it hard to stick out. Mario’s in La Mesa is unique enough to stick out. Let’s look at three things that make Mario’s an East County favorite.

Location: This spot takes “neighborhood restaurant” seriously. It looks like a house from the outside. Feels like a house on the inside. In fact, I’m pretty sure that this building started out life as a house. It also serves as a gateway to a neighborhood. There’s both a good and a bad side to a neighborhood location. With a tiny parking lot, you will likely have to find street parking. Also, the dining areas are pretty small. So expect a wait at high traffic times and if you have a group of more than eight… well, I’d like to see how they handled that. Maybe the patio?

Home-style: Before we went to Mario’s we had heard two must have items on the menu. First, the carne asada platter. Second, tamales. The former lived up to its billing while the latter was good but not superb. (Not sure why tamales were covered in sauce, we didn’t like it.) Besides the menu items there are a couple of things that make Mario’s amazing. The chips and salsa are fantastic. While it’s just an expected condiment at a Mexican restaurant these stood out as especially good. Also, diners were given a taster of fruit salad. The fruit salad was fantastic and added to the family-factor of our time there.

Also atypical on the menu is home-style Mexican breakfast. If you’ve never tried that it is worth the trip to La Mesa alone.

Service: The waitstaff was great! While busy during our visit I was surprised at the attention we were given. Courtesy, prompt, friendly, and knowledgeable. These are all words we thought of to describe the service we received.

The Good: Upon being seated, children are given complimentary balls of “play” dough (pizza dough) to keep them busy.  The menu features pizza and other Italian specialties such as pasta, sandwiches and salad.  My daughter always orders the Children’s Menu Ravioli.  Priced reasonably at $4.15, it includes a homemade Italian roll and small drink.  Sanfilippo’s pizza is thick crusted and piled with cheese.  It is close to perfection (this coming from a pizza snob).  A medium 12 1/2 inch pizza (6 slices) is more than enough food for my family of four.  At $10.75 for a medium cheese pizza, feeding the family is affordable too.

In addition to their dinner menu, Sanfilippo’s features generous daily lunch specials (1/2 Lasagna with Roll for $5.95 every Tuesday).  Meals are dine-in or take-out.  For take out orders, don’t forget to ask about their pizza to-go specials available Monday through Thursday nights after 5pm.

The Bad: 1) The wait.  Call ahead or dine early to avoid waiting.  Service is friendly but not always fast.  2) Parking.  Sanfilippo’s has a small private parking lot located behind their restaurant.  Parking along La Mesa Boulevard is a challenge due to limited meter parking.

When you think of San Diego County you may not think of good BBQ. Well, Geno’s in El Cajon will introduce you to West Coast styled BBQ in a fun way. Situated on Main Street in El Cajon, the exterior of the building makes it clear that this used to be a Taco Bell. Inside you’ll find a small seating area with a local vibe.

The menu at Geno’s is pretty basic. My favorite sandwich is the Wipe Out. This pulled pork sandwich covered in cole slaw is a little messy but has great flavor. If you’d like to continue the exploration allow me to suggest a side of mashed potatoes. Together they make an awesome comfort food package.

I don’t want to kid you into thinking this is the best place in East County. It’s not. But if you are in El Cajon and you’d like to avoid the plethora of chains and greasy spoons, Geno’s is a solid addition to your repertoire.