12 Best Restaurants in San Diego, California

Bold graffiti graphics, chandeliers with tangled telephone wires, and beat-heavy music energize this Downtown eatery that celebrates Mexican street food with a modern twist. Settle into one of the interior rooms or the sunny patio under orange umbrellas to sip margaritas and other specialty cocktails, Baja wines, or fruity aguas frescas made daily. Guacamole, ceviche, chicharrones, and taquitos whet appetites for tasty street tacos, with rotating varieties that include lobster, mushroom, and shrimp that can be mixed and matched for plates of three. Deep-fried carnitas with a jalapeño Caesar salad, short rib enchiladas, shrimp a la plancha, and fish tacos round out the menu. The original (and smaller) Puesto is in downtown La Jolla.

Seafood lovers have long flocked to Puerto Nuevo, the “lobster village” just south of San Diego in Baja California, Mexico. When a family that operates several Puerto Nuevo restaurants opened Ortega's in Hillcrest, it quickly became a top draw for authentic Baja coastal cuisine, minus the long lines to cross the border.

Not a typical San Diego taco shop, this Mexican eatery is upstairs in a shopping complex in the middle of a tequila museum with some 2,000 bottles dating from the 1930s. The owners are equally serious about food, calling their cuisine Hispanic-Mexican Gastronomy, which means meat and fish dishes with lots of unusual spicy chilies, herbs, spices, and moles.

Don't miss this local gem serving up delicious ceviches, seafood cocktails, and famous fish tacos, available grilled or fried Baja-style. Place your order at the small walk-up window along India Street, then grab one of the (limited) seats along the adjacent outdoor terrace.

One of the oldest restaurants in San Diego, having opened in 1933, Las Cuatro Milpas ("The Four Cornfields") feels like a closely held secret in Barrio Logan. Open until 3 pm, it almost inevitably attracts a big lunchtime rush, though the wait is worth it for the homemade tortillas, beans with chorizo, and rolled tacos. The menu is simple, though everything is delicious, and the interior—with checkered picnic tables—looks like it hasn't changed in 85 years. Don't forget your wallet, as they only accept cash.

This is the place for exceptional, elevated tacos that won't break the bank. Happy hour runs from 2 to 6 pm (except on Wednesday, when it lasts all day), where LOLA margaritas are $7 and Calidad draft beer is $5.

Named for a form of Mexican wrestling, this taco shop with its hot-pink walls and shiny booths was famous mostly for its lack of parking until it appeared on the Travel Channel’s “Man v Food" in 2010. The lines of burrito-crazed fans have calmed down somewhat since then, but the spicy salsa muerta is as hot as ever.

Don’t park in the gas station next door; they watch and will tow.

Tucked away on the bottom floor of a tattoo parlor, this funky little taco shop has a drink menu larger than the Mexican food lineup (but don't let that dissuade you). Place your order next to the wall of bottle caps, and then head to the pet-friendly street-side patio that draws a crowd for the hearty burritos wrapped in warm, soft tortillas and authentic salsas that range from traditional red salsa to chipotle cream. Prepare to wait a few minutes for those no-skimp octopus tacos, and thick steak burritos. On Friday and Saturday, this hole-in-the-wall cures late-night munchies with carne asada fries and a 10 pm last call.

Easy to spot from its red neon sign perched above the front door, Night & Day Cafe offers simple, hearty Mexican food with counter service and ample portions. The hearty breakfast burritos, bacon cheeseburgers, and fish tacos provide more than enough sustenance for two meals.

Despite Old Town's (somewhat accurate) reputation as a tourist trap, Old Town Mexican Cafe has been a favorite for locals and tourists since opening in 1977. Expect crowds from open until close, with a line of guests hungry for popular breakfast dishes like chilaquiles, omelettes, and huevos rancheros, as well as lunch and dinner specialties like fish tacos, carne asada, enchiladas, and much more. Wash it all down with one of their famous margaritas or michelada made with lime, clamato, and your choice of beer (any Mexican Lager strongly recommended).

Located next to Campo Santo Cemetery, Tahona—in its architecture and design—might suggest the illusion of a snapshot of historical San Diego, but culinarily it's anything but. Offering a dining experience that centers on mezcal, Oaxacan cuisine, and locally sourced produce and ingredients, Tahona puts a new spin on Southern California Mexican cuisine. Its menu features plenty of familiar staples like tacos, guacamole, and tostadas, mixed in with innovative items like carnitas bao buns and short rib birria ramen.

Make reservations online for its adjoining spooky speakeasy, Oculto 477, which brings an elevated sensory experience to its mezcal offerings.