Cabais Mexi-Deli

Fast, cheap and delicious, Cabais Mexi-​deli is everything a hungry local or malnourished visitor could want. Tucked away on a discreet block underneath of Escape Games, the place is easy to miss and hard to forget.
The deli’s interior is as simple as the exterior, offering a few tables to sit at along with sill seating beneath the window. The menu offers a wide range of options from $ 3.99 breakfast burritos and $ 4.99 huevos rancheros to $ 2.00 fish tacos and $ 5.29 chicken casadillas. Don’t forget to check out the daily specials — wife and I split 2 fish tacos, a side of rice and beans and a drink for wallet busting $ 5.00.
The food was amazing. The fish was flavorful, not over cooked and the corn tortillas soft and fresh. Just the right amount of cabbage and sauce to compliment the fish while the home made house sauces give it an extra kick if that’s what you’re looking for.
The outdoor area on the side of the building is nice and shaded and offers a comfortable place to enjoy the meal.
With a super low price point right in the middle of San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood, Cabais really can’t be beat. It’s hard to find a decent fish taco at $ 2 bucks or less that doesn’t taste like a one dollar bill covered in tarter sauce, but at this mexi-​deli they find a way to do it right.

Had the breakfast burrito nopales and it was great! The woman working was so nice also! I’ll be back to try more.

dank nachos. they don’t get soggy but you still get a good amount of cheese and condiments, good for sharing. the lady who works here is super nice too.

Yum this place is delicious. Sometimes I eat here 4 times in a week and it’s not like I don’t have options, I’m in Hillcrest for crying out loud. It’s just that good. And the family is nice. :)
Oh btw they have a veggie omelette burrito for breakfast and it has a bunch of actual veggies in it! Be still, my heart.

Great California burrito — thank you for using French fries inside instead of potatoes. Tortilla is def legit and their Salsa verde is on point. Will def be back!

I had high hopes for this place. Fell flat. The Cali burrito wasn’t only not good, it was actually bad. It tasted funny. Like the oil they used in the fries was burnt or the carne asada was cooked using dirty dishes. On top of that, the guac was non existent. Salsa was terrible and the red had the same strange taste the burrito had.

Best breakfast burritos in SD. I go here several times a week, and they are always great to me. I seriously can’t rave enough about how delicious their food is.

Absolutely love their breakfast burritos! Unlike some places, they load these bad boys up… I am full until dinner when I have one for breakfast. It’s not all filler like potatoes either. Lots of eggs, cheese and meat!
I eat here at least once a week!

Felt like a carne asada burrito today to help me with Christmas shopping and checked on Unilocal to see what was good around Hill Crest. I was pleasantly surprised by the burrito, it was juicy and flavorful. The guacamole was fresh and the two salsas offered (red and green) added just the right kick of spice to complement the burrito’s flavor. I will definitely be coming back!
I was told hungry to take pictures maybe next time

Great place for lunch ! Friendly staff … Fish tacos special is so good — 2 tacos rice and beans and a soda for 5 bucks
3 Potatoes rolled tacos rice and beans and a soda 5 bucks

Great spot to grab lunch in Hillcrest! I haven’t tried anything here that I did not like. I like to order ahead of time for pick up because it does take a little while to make if you’re on a short break. The albacore tuna salad sandwich and the salad is amazing. I’ve also tried their burritos and fries. Family owned with great customer service. Check out their website for the menu. They offer great Mexican food and deli items. Check them out you won’t regret it!

Excellent little Mexican deli. The Carne Adada burrito is the bomb! Tuna sandwich came with a nice side of fruit. The service was pleasant and fast. Good prices too!

The food: Beans in both the bean/​cheese burrito and bean tostada had good flavor, but the beans were a little runny – too much water. Similarly, the salsa (hot and habenero) wereTh too watery – if you put a spoon and lifted it, you could see what I’m talking about. We like thicker salsa. The carne asada burrito had good taste – just wish more meat/​filling was in there instead of bunches of tortilla.
Prices were reasonable (about $ 12 for the 3 items above) and food was prepared quickly. The woman at the counter seemed very nice too. It looks like a small family run business. The restaurant is small – kitchen is bigger than the small seating area. I never noticed this place before – drove right past it all the time – on Fourth Ave, close to the morrocan place. (Parking in this area is difficult. Lucky I went after 7pm).

I saw the growing reviews and decided to give this place a try. I should start by saying that the way that I inaugurate most Mexican-​inspired eateries, especially where the competition is stiff, is to try a burrito with carne asada. In San Diego the carne asada burrito is a staple, but the California burrito is a hometown classic… it’s also a good way to rank California Burritos while also ranking the carne asada all on its own. So, what’s the verdict?
It’s good. The flour tortilla was perfectly warmed with golden brown color marks from the grill top; the carne asada was was tender and seasoned with just the right amount of peppery presence you’d expect; and the portion was comparable to that of your average California burrito — I’d say even a tad bigger. I was a bit disappointed in the unmelted cheese next to the sour cream, but that’s a snobby preference. I just believe that if you put cheese in a burrito, it should be melted.
The joint itself is small with a couple tables to seat four and a bar facing the window to seat the same. Aside from a few crumbs stuck to my forearm, the place is relatively clean. The staff wasn’t as hospitable for what seemed to be a family-​owned (or at least, operated) establishment, but it doesn’t mean there was poor service, because there wasn’t. Someone was available to promptly take my order, food was delivered expediently to my table with the option of salsa verde and salsa rojo options.
Though I’m not blown away by this experience, I’d still re comment this place and also will continue to try other items off the menu — perhaps their breakfast burritos or their calamari burrito.

My homies and homegirls. I have proven wrong. I did nit think there was any good mexican food in San Diego. I was proven wrong yeaterday. I came here last night after having sone drinks. I hadnt eatin all day so I was feeling it. After the homegirl told us to go here for a good burrito. I said YEEEE! And made my way down. This is there first mexican place in Hillcrest that didnt look at me like I was gonna rob someone the second I walked in. I could not see the menu. So i just told homie at the register what I wanted and dude hooked me up… HUGE PLUS. MEDIO LITRO MEXICAN COKE YEEE! YEEE!
I got me a plate of chicken enchiladas with arroz y frijoles. It was just like my jefe use to make. Sauce was a lil different but still amazing. The pollo tasted fresh. Arroz and frijoles were on point as well. Ate my whole meal and felt perfect. Was even able to walk around after without that completely bloated feeling.
My lady got the carnitas burrito. I usually dont even try carnitas at restaurants. They have always been either to salty or way to tender. But when I took a bite of hers. It made me wish I had gotten that. It was just delectable. The chefs really know what they are doing back there.
Not a bad price either. We got both meals for $ 15 and change. Even if you usually have a sensative stomach like me. You should try here. I had a really good mexican dinner for cheap and it was amazing.

I’ve been here a few times now, and sampled enough of the menu to finally feel justified in writing this review. First off, the service here is awesome. It is run by what I can only imagine to be a family as it is always the same people running the show in the front and the back. I like that.
The first time I ate lunch here I ordered the beef rolled tacos supreme. I LOVED the crispy fried shells and the meat was well seasoned (something I find lacking in most rolled tacos). I also really enjoyed the rice and beans.
The second time, I opted for a Cali Burrito. I don’t usually go for burritos but I am SO glad I decided to that day! The fries were thin and crispy and, once again, the meat was seasoned to perfection. There was no gristle and it was super tender.
Today, I only had about 15 minutes to order and eat so I had to go somewhere quick. I had been craving one of those Chicken Cesar Wraps at Urban Mo’s but I was afraid I wouldn’t receive it in enough time to be able to eat before returning back to work. So, as a last resort, I walked next door to Cabais to grab some rolled tacos and, lo and behold, a chicken Cesar wrap! SCORE!!! Not your typical Mexican restaurant menu item but SUPER DELICIOUS nonetheless. The chicken is even better than the steak and has converted me to only ordering it in my food there from now on. Also, they mixed up the chicken with the lettuce and dressing so that it was evenly distributed. This is key for me and one of the main reasons I never order burritos. There’s nothing worse than getting a huge bite of only chicken on one side and only dressing and lettuce on the other. I hate that. It’s all about the even distribution!
I love that this place never makes me feel like a greasy fatty after eating anything here (although, I do love to feel like a greasy fatty from time to time!). They have lots of healthy menu options and all your taco shop favorites. I’m a fan and I am SO lucky they are steps away from where I work!

Fresh, honest-​to-​goodness tacos and burritos, among other items. Given the quality, prices are fairly reasonable, and the folks at the counter are friendly and attentive, taking care to explain menu items or answer any questions you might have. The joint is quite small, seating at most ten people, so if all the seats are taken, plan on getting your order to go. Still, a very dependable choice if you’re in the neighborhood.

It’s pretty damn good here. I haven’t checked in nearly as many times as I’ve been here. I love the fitness breakfast it’s completely healthy. There’s always good quality ingredients that are very fresh and both of the salsa’s are excellent. I can never decide which one I like better.
This would have been a five-​star place for me except I had their California burrito the other day and I was completely disappointed. The fries inside were soggy and gross and I didn’t finish it. I will say the carne asada part of it was flavorful not the best but not the worst.
My other reason for docking a star is that I have come here on many occasions and they were closed (on Sunday of all days). Sometimes they take vacations and close down altogether for days at a time.
My favorite thing on the menu has got to be the chorizo and egg breakfast burrito it is the best chorizo and egg burrito that I have had in San Diego. It’s the non grissly delicious chorizo that makes it. I always add pica aka salsa Fresca which makes it perfect ($ 5 with pica).
I like that they have whole wheat tortillas as an option that’s a big plus in my book.

I stopped in the Cabais Mexi-​Deli for breakfast. Specifically, I had the machaca plate, that also came with warm corn tortillas, rice, and beans. (
)
Everything was very good. The machaca had scrambled eggs and shredded beef, but to my surprise, it did not come mixed with the green peppers and onions the way it is traditionally prepared. (
) Instead, they added some pico de gallo on the side, but it still was good. I used the corn tortillas to make breakfast tacos and added some of their flavorful hot sauce to add some zing. (
) Both the red hot and green were very good. The red was much spicier though.
The rice was very good and came with that great tomato flavor and was well seasoned. (
) The re-​fried beans had a great robust flavor to them as if they were prepared the traditional with lard of the beans boiled with a ham hock. (
) Their texture was creamy with bits of pinto that had a good al dente feel to them (
). These to were very well seasoned. Nice job.
If you order a breakfast combo, it includes hot cup of coffee. The people who work here are very nice and happy to have you there.

Cabais Mexi-​Deli is getting a 5 for Freshy Freshness!
This place will not disappoint, you’re going to wonder why you were going to those «other» places and wasting your time.
It’s Clean, the Food is Yummy and Fresh and the staff is AWESOME! Oh and the prices are pretty good too.
Parking is meh but it’s Hillcrest so get over it.