Top 10 Mexican Restaurants in San Diego

San Diego, due to being near the coast, has had a lot of opportunities for cultural exchanges & intermingling throughout history. That is why, when you get on the streets to look for food, you will find cuisines ranging from Japanese to the Mediterranean to Mexican and what not. So, there are multiple San Diego restaurants and eateries which serve kip smacking food with loads of variety. A particularly popular cuisine in many San Diego restaurants is Mexican.

This is because of the close cultural exchanges which the city has had due to its proximity to the Mexico Border. It is even said that if you can’t go to Mexico to get Mexican food, San Diego is the next best alternative. Most Mexican restaurants can be found in the Old Town region of the city. The following article will guide you through the top 10 San Diego restaurants which serve delicious Mexican cuisine.

This is a family-run chain working in the food industry for about 40 years and is a mandatory inclusion in the list of Mexican San Diego restaurants. The company set up its San Diego location in 1998. It runs by the motto of quality and excellence in the entire service spectrum to the customers. This Mexican restaurant is a no-frills joint, which is not very big in terms of space but is decent. The arrangement is that of counter-serve.

A particularly popular and featured preparation of Tacos El Gordo is the Authentic Tijuana Taco, which uses homemade corn tortillas with high-quality fresh meat. The choicest of ingredients are used to make guacamole and salsas, which are also freshly prepared daily. The different types of the tacos available are Adobada (with spiced pork), Cabeza (with beef head), Tripa (with beef guts), Carne Asada (with grilled beef), Buche (with pork stomach), Brisket (with beef breast), etc. The place also serves delicious Mulas and Mexican fountain drinks or sodas along with tasty fries.

Opening Hours

The restaurant on its usual days opens from 11.00 am to 1.00 am. On Fridays and Saturdays, the opening hours are up to 2.00 am. The place remains closed on Tuesdays.

Location

Tacos El Gordo, 3265 Palm Ave, San Diego, CA 92154, United States

This is a seafood chain operating at multiple locations in San Diego. Their highlight is that all of their branches are near the coast, and they are known for offering beachside delivery. The particularly relaxed outlets are designed in a casual and classy way. They are known for serving classic and modern tacos. Among other San Diego restaurants, their specialty is the wide variety of seafood tacos. The chain is famous for offering delicious seafood tacos. The various tacos prepared by them include those with battered fish, shrimps, skirt steak, smoked fish, grilled shrimp, grilled octopus, and scallops. The place also serves delicious sides and fresh drinks like fruit water.

Opening Hours

All San Diego outlets of Oscars Mexican Seafood have opening hours from 8.00 am to 9.00 pm on all days. On Fridays and Saturdays, the opening hours are extended up to 10.00 pm.

Location(s)

Oscars Mexican Seafood, 927 J St #7205, San Diego, CA 92101, United States

Oscars Mexican Seafood, 703 Turquoise St, San Diego, CA 92109, United States

Oscars Mexican Seafood, 746 Emerald St, San Diego, CA 92109, United States

Oscars Mexican Seafood, Hillcrest Center, 646 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92103, United States

Next among the San Diego restaurants in the Las Cuatro Milpas. It is an old school Mexican place operating for the past 8 decades! The place opened in the year 1933 and has been earning a wide base of customer loyalty with the help of its homemade tortillas. The ambiance is not very posh but is clean and spacious with simple monotone walls and picnic-style tabletops. The place serves Tacos, Tamales, Burritos, bean rice, etc. The menu is not very extensive and ends in 2 small pages, but the popularity of the place knows no bounds. You can always find yourself standing in a queue if you want to grab a bite at this place. However, the wait is worth it as the food is sumptuous and also very cheap. Third-generation owners presently run the restaurant. This family-run business has practically outlived everything else in the region and is among the oldest San Diego restaurants.

Opening Hours

The opening hours of Las Cuatro Milpas on weekdays are from 8.30 am to 3.00 pm. On Saturdays, the place opens from 6.00 am to 3.00 pm and stays closed on Sundays.

Location

Las Cuatro Milpas, 1857 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113, United States

Puesto, also known as Puesto at The Headquarters, is a Mexican eatery in San Diego’s The Headquarters at Seaport Mall. The restaurant is spread on two levels with large glass windows. It maintains an ambiance which not many San Diego restaurants showcase. The place is known for its innovative preparations and locally sourced Mexican menus. Puesto serves refined flavors of Mexican street food and emphasizes organic, all-natural ingredients that have been sustainably grown. The beauty of the place is enhanced by floor- to- ceiling mural designs which captivate the customers. In addition to its traditional taco line, the place also serves innovative cocktails and other handcrafted Mexican preparations. It is one of those San Diego restaurants which have paid a great deal of attention to the aesthetics and the environment. The renowned designer Thomas Schoos has designed the dining area of Puesto. It is a depiction of a tribute to the streets of Mexico City. The place also provides services for group dining and parties.

Opening Hours

The opening hours of the place are from 11.00 am to 10.00 pm every day.

Location

Puesto, The Headquarters at Seaport, 789 W Harbor Dr Suite 155, San Diego, CA 92101, United States

Next in the list of San Diego restaurants is the Aqui Es Texcoco, which is a casual and decent eatery. The ambiance is well lit and breathy with gloss finish tabletops and dual-tone walls decorated by framed paintings & posters. The restaurant is famous for its traditional Mexican style barbecued lamb, which has gathered a fan base in the entire region. The name of the restaurant derives from a place in Mexico that goes by the name of Texcoco. The place was known for its indigenous preparation of the Barbacoa (lamb barbecue). This is what this restaurant has been bringing to the land of the USA using special cooking techniques to prepare the Barbacoa. The original preparation includes slow roasting of the meat for about eight hours in underground pits, which are lit on fire, and the pits were covered with supple leaves of maguey. This is what is replicated in this restaurant using specialized ovens, tasting as close as it can get to the original. Borrego lamb meat is used in the dish. Such preparations show the robustness and commitment to authenticity, which San Diego restaurants have.

Opening Hours

The place operates every day from 8.00 am to 9.00 pm.

Location

Aqui Es Texcoco, 520 Broadway, Chula Vista, San Diego, CA 91910, United States

If you are looking for cozy San Diego restaurants that serve delicious Mexican, this is the place you turn to. One of the highlights of the place is that it has a vegetarian-friendly menu, unlike certain other San Diego restaurants. The ambiance is attractive with small circular tables with vibrant colored table- clothes and dual-tone walls with a lot of space in the dining area. The interiors have small plants in pots and bright curtains too. The restaurant is operating for about 20 years now and is known among locals & visitors for good Mexican food. The restaurant uses the freshest of ingredients to make their food as authentic as possible. El Comal also offers services relating to catering, and hosts events as well. The restaurant has a long and extensive menu, which ranges from salads to desserts and has a lot of options for both vegetarians and nonvegetarians.

Opening Hours

On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, the restaurant opens in two shifts; from 10.00 am to 3.00 pm, and from 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm.

On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the restaurant opens from 9.00 am to 10.00 pm.

On Sundays, the restaurant opens from 8.00 am to 9.00 am.

Address

El Comal, 3946 Illinois St, San Diego, CA 92104, United States

Among all Mexican San Diego restaurants, if there is a place that serves traditional handmade delicacies, it is the Super Cocina restaurant. The restaurant has a no-frills setting and focuses on good quality food at low prices. The particularly popular preparations include empanadas and enchiladas. The dining area has small wooden tables to seat 2 or 4, arranged in a spacious manner against the backdrop of a simple white wall. The place has large-sized glass panes to allow ample natural light to enter. In Mexican cuisine, the restaurant offers a wide range of regional specialties to suit all tastes. Their exotic flavors and exemplary services make the base for a strong overall customer experience. The USP of this restaurant is providing simple food with family origins and the usage of the right condiments with perfect balance. Some of the rather popular dishes are Birria De Chivo, Caldo de Res, Carnitas, Mexican Style Soup, etc. A special thing that distinguishes this place from other San Diego restaurants is that they change their menu almost daily.

Opening Hours

The restaurant opens from 8.00 am to 8.30 pm every day.

Location

Super Cocina, 3627 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104, United States

Another mention in the list of San Diego restaurants serving traditional Mexican is the El Indio. This is a casually decorated spot which has been operating since 1940 and is popular among locals. The place even has a colorful and relaxing sideway patio, and the interiors are well furnished. The place is famous for its invented dish called the Taquito. This dish is handmade fresh daily using corn tortillas, which can be filled with the choicest and finest morsels of shredded beef, potatoes, or chicken. The Taquito is deep-fried to a crispy golden condition and is topped with choice of lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and cheese. The corn tortillas which come straight from the oven are hot, fresh and perfectly balanced between soft & crispy. You can get your tortilla, especially baked with a drizzle of butter too. The menu includes combination plates, Tacos, Taquitos, Burritos, Tamales, Tostadas, Chimichangas, Quesadillas, and Enchiladas, among others. The place also offers catering services and can be contacted to host functions, parties, and business meetings too.

Opening Hours

The restaurant opens from 8.00 am to 9.00 pm every day.

Location

El Indio, 3695 India St, San Diego, CA 92103, United States

If you are looking for lively San Diego restaurants that serve quality Mexican food, Café Coyote is just the spot. The place has a rustic feel and is buzzing with mariachi music, which is a type of Mexican traditional music using stringed instruments. The menu has more than 100 tequilas to offer, and hence the place is nothing but a paradise for connoisseurs. The decoration and ambiance are mostly done in well-lit shades of brown, and the overall experience is undoubtedly a worthwhile one. The place has been running for about 30 years now. It is one of the landmarks in the list of San Diego restaurants located in the Old Town region. The festive and cheerful atmosphere is somewhat therapeutic and attracts locals & visitors alike. Apart from tasty tequilas and delicious Mexican food, the place also has a colorful outdoor courtyard and splashing fountains, which add to its aesthetic beauty.

Opening Hours

The place opens from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm every day.

Location

Café Coyote, 2461 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110, United States

This is one of the most chilled out San Diego restaurants, which is known for offering signature drinks and tequilas apart from regular family recipes. The highlight of the place is the DJ arrangement in the after- hours. There are also happy hours which are from 3.00 pm to 7.00 pm. The authentic recipes make this place a really good suggestion if you want to grab a delicious bite in a classy ambiance. The restaurant’s website correctly defines the place, saying that “Tacos, Tunes, and Tequila, that’s what we are all about!” The place is a perfect hangout spot with good service and hospitality.

Opening Hours

On weekdays the restaurant opens from 11.00 am to 1.00 am.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant opens from 10.00 am to 1.00 am.

Location

La Puerta, 560 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101, United States

Other noteworthy things include the city’s association with the US Navy and also its growth in recent years as a hub of healthcare and biotech R & D. The city is sometimes referred to as “the birthplace of California.” It was one of the first sites which the Europeans visited on the western coast of the American land. Now, the city serves as the seat of the County and plays a major role in the region’s economic & financial activities. Go ahead and plan now! Happy and safe travel