Printer-friendly version
By Paul Levikow
Photo, left: mural of talented chef Gabriela “Gaby” Lopez
September 20, 2025 (La Mesa) – Casa Gabriela in the La Mesa Village has a first-rate, affordable Happy Hour that features unique, scrumptious food full of flavor, and a list of drink specials including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties. The food is not just delicious, it’s presented well. Stunning, actually.
There are nine choices on the Happy Hour menu, which consist of smaller portions of some main menu items, that range in price from $8.95 to $12.95. They are available in the dining room, outdoor patio and at the bar, Tuesdays through Sundays 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed Mondays.
Don’t miss the Jalapeno-Cilantro Tempura Cauliflower with grilled corn relish and quajillo aioli for $9.95. It’s life-changing. No way cauliflower should taste that good. The corn relish makes it even better, if that’ possible. It’s one of the most popular items on the menu that keeps diners coming back for more again and again. If you had to pick only one thing, make it the cauliflower dish. It’s vegetarian.
Another very popular appetizer is the Rolled Taquitos dish. It comes with two roasted potato taquitos with poblano and cotija and two sweet potato rolled tacos with caramelized onions and chipotle. They are stacked on the plate and topped with iceberg lettuce, Mexican crema and queso fresco for $8.95. Each has a distinct flavor profile with a crispy tortilla on the outside and soft, warm, and delicious on the inside. If you are not a fan of sweet potatoes, don’t let that stop you. The sweet potato filling is just right, not too sweet. These vegetarian taquitos are miles above what can be found in neighborhood taco shops.
The Queso Fundido selection rounds out the top three fan favorites. It’s made with crispy chorizo, roasted poblanos, Oaxaca and Asadero cheeses, served with pinto beans and flour tortillas. It’s gluten free and can be prepared vegetarian upon request.
The Caesar Salad is made with toasted chile de arbol croutons, roasted tomatoes, basil, shaved cotija enchilada, and spiced pepitas. Chicken barbacoa nachos come with serrano, pico de gallo, candied jalapenos and a variety of three cheeses including Asadero, cotija and Oaxaca. The TJ Dogs are bacon wrapped with cilantro aioli, jalapeno, and caramelized onions. The Coctel de Camaron is made with chilled shrimp, fire roasted cocktail sauce, charred lemon and horseradish crema. Ceviche Verde is prepared gluten free using local white fish, tomatillo salsa, cilantro, and lime. Esquites (Mexican street corn salad) is fresh grilled corn, cotija, mayonnaise, cilantro, and tajin. It’s gluten free.
The first thing that gets delivered to your table is a complimentary basket of ancho-dusted tortilla chips and excellent salsa,\ that’s just spicy enough but not too hot.
Then comes margarita time. The House lime flavored margarita is perfect and only $8 during Happy Hour. The blackberry basil mezcal margarita is delicious, but a bit too sweet. There are other margarita options as well as tequila and mezcal choices for mixed drinks or shots. Alcoholic beverages range from $6.50 to $10 during Happy Hour, non-alcoholic selections are in the $5 to $6 range. Gaby’s Handcrafted Michilada is 26 ounces for $10. Margaritas are also served by the pitcher for $32. There are red and white wines available, sangria, and Gaby’s Blond Ale. Tinto de Gabriela is a Nebbiolo produced for the restaurant by the Villa Montifiori winery in the Valle de Guadalupe region of Baja California, Mexico near Ensenada.
Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner hours are 3:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Holiday hours may vary. The restaurant, located at 8384 La Mesa Blvd., is also available for private events. Phone: 619-337-3445. Casa Gabriela hosts an outdoor food booth during La Mesa’s Annual Oktoberfest and participates in Restaurant Week.
Diners provided ECM with feedback on some of the dinner selections. “This is wonderful,” said a man describing the Chile Relleno plate. His friend declared the Carnitas dish as flavorful, but a bit too dry. Another diner scored the carne asada taco plate a 9 out of 10, while another guest liked the shrimp taco plate, but there was too much lettuce on the tacos.
Leave room for desserts, even though they are not on the Happy Hour menu. The Ancho Chocolate Bread Pubbing consists of toasted brioche, ancho chocolate custard, coffee ice cream, orange zest, and whipped cream. It has a lava cake vibe but it’s way better. Then there is Chef Gabby’s Famous Tres Leches, Boysenberry Cheesecake Flautas, Brown Bag Churros, Bunuelos Tower, and Roasted Coconut Flan. Each cost $13.95.
Chef Gabriela “Gaby” Lopez is the owner of Casa Gabriela, in partnership with the Cohn Restaurant Group. She was born and raised in Tijuana, came to San Diego at age 15, was classically trained in chef school, then worked as a restaurant consultant, personal chef and caterer. She is still a partner in the Ocean Beach restaurant La Dona, where many of her menu items mirror those at Casa Gabriela. She learned her love for cooking from her mom and abuela and borrows from their recipe collections. Her dishes are influenced by Baja California seafood and Guadalajara, where her grandmother grew up. She was featured in a CBS 8 report.
Chef Lopez says she uses only “fresh, natural ingredients, made with love with a focus on flavors.” Her attention to the exquisite presentation is because, as she puts it, you eat with your eyes.”
“I always give my heart and soul,” Lopez said. “It’s a lot of work when you want to cook homestyle. The work and the time spent are worth it.”
Casa Gabriela sometimes has live music, as during our visit on Mexican Independence Day. Watch for specials, as well as their cart serving up street tacos at La Mesa’s upcoming Oktoberfest.
Note: a message on the menu says a 5% supplemental fee will be added to all guest checks to help offset rising costs, but diners can request to have it removed.
You can check out the Casa Gabriela menu or make reservations here: https://www.casagabrielalamesa.com/.
Recent comments