Review Ma Lupe's Restaurant - Imperial

Give “ Ma Lupe’s “ a try and you won’t regret it!!

Always good! My husband and I stopped in for a light dinner. He had a small size shrimp cocktail and we shared the tostada plate which consisted of 2 beef tostadas, rice and beans. The tostadas were very, very, good. The corn tortillas had just been fried and they were crispy and warm. The shredded beef was tender and flavorful. There was a small container of warm, mild salsa, which was a very nice addition. There was also beans and rice. The beans are served in a freshly fried tortilla shell , shaped into a bowl. So cute and so good. We eat here about once a month and tonight the wait staff was as always friendly, knowledge about the menu, eager to see us happy, and made us feel like family. You won’t be disappointed. If your food is t what you expect, please let the staff know. They’ll make it right.

I just went today and ordered to go. I was a lil disappointed that I had to wait a lil long. I must tell you, that the wait was worth it. The service was great, but the food was greater. The fish that we got was full of flavor, I was a lil skeptical at first about ordering seafood, but they proved that the flavor and presentation were there.

Ma Lupe's is the kind of Mexican restaurant that I want every other mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant in America to aspire to be. These days, I eye-roll at "authenticity" as a culinary concept, but I'm all for getting closer to the originally envisioned recipe without feeling as if someone wants me to nod my head and acknowledge it. Ma Lupe's just wants to serve me a good meal. The quality of the food and service during my visit was indeed on the higher-end (despite the menu being affordable), beginning with an amuse bouche of "Filete Relleno de Mariscos," which consisted of a delicate filet of fish, grilled octopus, and shrimp, all wrapped in cheese. It was, by far, the best bite of food I've had in this desert region of Southern California, and I kicked myself for not knowing to order the full entrée. You, dear readers, now have no such excuse. The "Mexicali Flauta" (a large taquito, essentially) was a miss. While I enjoyed its piquant red tomato sauce, it made the flauta soggy, undoing the frying. Also, the beef inside was difficult to taste. The "Gobernador Taco," on the other hand, was awesome. The crunchy corn tortilla is grilled until it blisters and the cheese has been melted into a salty, stretchy web that keeps the shrimp snugly inside. The chipotle cream sauce on the side is exceptional and should be used unsparingly. Additionally, the complimentary chips are served with a spicy salsa roja with heavy garlic and onion flavor that also could be applied to this taco. Earlier this summer, I wrote about the "Special Quesadilla" invented at El Centro's Camacho's Place and how imitations have popped up at Mexican restaurants nearby. Its appearance at Ma Lupe's is a head-scratcher, because this restaurant's menu otherwise veers towards 100% Mexican dishes. I coyly interrogated my waitress (who was excellent, by the way) about the "Special Quesadilla," asking her if she's ever seen such a thing in her native Mexico, and she shook her head and laughed, "No way, this is American." Ma Lupe's "Special Quesadilla" is heavy, rich, and crispy. Unlike at Camacho's Place, it is more of a meal here than an antojito. Also, whereas Camacho's Place's rendition is made in a dough similar to puff pastry, the cooked dough in Ma Lupe's version wants to crumble when pinched, almost like a pie crust. Regardless, both versions are good and unique to the Imperial Valley region. Ma Lupe's is perhaps the restaurant I have most enjoyed dining at in Imperial Valley and a "must-stop" for me on future road-trips between San Diego and Arizona destinations.

Great Mexican cuisine, variety of options, awesome staff. My go to place almost every week.

Crowded but it was lunchtime. Cleared out quickly. Love the Military discount. Way to go Ma Lupes

Always love Ma Lupes ! Their food is yummy and their staff is very friendly

Great home made tasting food. Awesome service.

Yup it's good, they were almost out of stuff so yeah it has to be good

This place has some of the best seafood in the valley.. out of all the businesses in that current location, Ma Lupes has been there the longest and has done very well. So well that they plan on opening a 2nd location here in the valley.. 2nd location may already be opened, but I'm not completely sure

Great food We had chiles rellenos they were awesome Excellent customer service

The young ladies working here and friendly and outgoing. The food can take some time but they constantly check in with so it doesn’t seem long. Food is fantastic. Thank you

We were just passing through El Centro. We found this place by chance. We noticed a few Police Cars parked on their lot. We thought, If the cops eat here, it's probably good". We were not disappointed. Our server was pleasant, the service was good, the food tasty and did not take too long to get to us. The beer was cold. The price was fair. What more can one ask?

Excellent waitress service! Highly recommend this place! 😋