Top 10 Best Mexican Restaurants In San Diego (United States)

The Most Famous Mexican Restaurants In San Diego

San Diego's Mexican restaurants provide a satisfying selection of our preferred dishes, offering a variety of options ranging from fish tacos to flavorful birria. These establishments also showcase some of the city's most captivating and innovative dining spots. We have curated a selection of the top 10 renowned Mexican restaurants in San Diego, allowing you to minimize your online search efforts and maximize your indulgence in the finest tacos, burritos, and quesadillas that America's Finest City has to offer.

Top 10 Most Famous Mexican Restaurants In San Diego

1. 911 Camino del Rio

Website: https://caminoriviera.com/

Location: 2400 India St, San Diego, CA

911 Camino del Rio - The Most Famous Mexican Restaurant In San Diego

At Camino Riviera, executive chef Brian Redzikowski's menu features upscale takes on traditional preparations as well as playful, Southeast Asian-influenced dishes. The Taco, a long filet of tempura seabass gilded with edible gold leaf, and Sonoma Lamb Shoulder Barbacoa with cucumber, onion, cotija, rattle tail chile aioli, and salsa borracha are two standouts.

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2. TJ Oyster Bar in Bonita Springs

Website: https://www.tjoyster.com/location/4246-bonita-rd

Location: 4246 Bonita Rd, Bonita Springs

TJ Oyster Bar - The Most Famous Mexican Restaurant In San Diego

TJ's OysterBar's name may be a little confusing, but this Bonita restaurant offers some seafood options in the best Baja style. Tacos are piled high with fried fish, smoked tuna, garlic shrimp, octopus, and stingray, and tostadas are piled high with mouthwatering ceviche and agua chiles. For a totally awesome meal, wash it all down with a michelada, margarita, or Mexican beer.

3. LOLA 55

Website: https://lola55.com/

Location: 1290 F St., San Diego, CA 92101

Taco variations here are more sophisticated, with inventive combinations like baby carrot adobada and squash blossom relleno. Some of the winners include ribeye carne asada cooked to order on the mesquite wood-burning grill or achiote-rubbed pork belly with grilled pineapple.

4. Downtown San Diego's Taco Stand

Website: https://letstaco.com/

Location: 645 B St, San Diego

This incredible restaurant has multiple locations throughout the city, and all of its tortillas, guacamole, and salsas are made fresh daily. Plus, it opens at 9 a.m., so if you wake up hungry, make sure to try TacoStand's delicious breakfast burritos!

5. Medina

Website: https://www.medinakitchen.com/press

Location: 2850 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104

A "Moroccan-Baja kitchen" may sound like an odd place to eat, but it's full of bold, tempting flavors. Chef Alia Jaziri makes an interesting fast-casual menu that is influenced by both her family history and the place where she lives. You can get couscous bowls with merguez, black beans, queso fresco, and toasted pepitas, or chicken tacos with Moroccan spices, preserved lemon, and a crema that tastes like tzatziki.

6. Texcoco, Chula Vista

Website: https://www.aquiestexcoco.com/

Location: 520 Broadway.

Texcoco Restaurant

This restaurant in Mexico serves lamb "barbacoa" as a tribute to Texcoco, which is thought to be the birthplace of this dish. The lamb is wrapped in maguey leaves and roasted slowly for hours. Wear your stretchy pants when you go to Texcoco. This restaurant serves family-style meals with rib and loin meat, as well as Cabeza, sesos, and pancita (tripe). You can also get a free cup of seasoned lamb broth to dip your food in.

7. Café Coyote, Old Town

Website: https://www.cafecoyoteoldtown.com/

Location: 2461 San Diego Ave.

Café Coyote in Old Town is the best place to get great margaritas to go with your food. This well-known San Diego spot serves huge, freshly made margaritas along with plates full of burritos, tacos, and other delicious Mexican snacks. There are more than 20 different margaritas at Café Coyote, such as a spicy watermelon, a pineapple-chipotle, and a Chamoy sauce one in a Tajin Rim Glass with a Tamarind Chile Treat on top.

8. Puesto Mexican Bar & Kitchen, Seaport Village

Website: https://www.eatpuesto.com/

Location: 789 W Harbor Dr. Suite 155, 5010 Mission Center Rd

Puesto Mexican Bar & Kitchen serves up some of the best Mexican food in the city. We love their delectable mango shrimp ceviche, which we recommend you eat on their beautiful outdoor patio. Their artisanal blue corn tortillas are fantastic and really elevate their tacos. You also have to have one of their refreshing Agua Frescas.

9. Corazón de Torta

Website: https://www.corazondetortatruck.com/

Location: Logan Heights

Antonio "Tony Tee" Ley's food truck, Corazón de Torta, is based in Logan Heights, but you can find him outside of wineries and breweries all over San Diego County. Slowly cooking the short rib gives it a rich chile flavor, and the crispy end bits add a crunchy surprise. "The Dirty" has all the juicy flavors you want with carne asada covered in chipotle meat sauce and gooey melted cheese. There are also vegetarian and vegan options, like the popular vegan Cauliflower Mole, so everyone can leave happy.

10. Tacos El Gordo

Website: http://tacoselgordobc.com/

Location: 511 F Street, San Diego, Ca 92102

There are rules at this taqueria. The first rule is to order and then pay. The second: The line you stand in is set by what you order. You might have to wait up to an hour, especially if you want Tacos El Gordo's famous adobada meat. Aside from the adobada, the menu is pretty short. There are only a few types of tacos, like carne asada, lengua, and chorizo, as well as quesadillas, tostadas, sopes, and mulas. Keep in mind that the portions are small because everything is street-style. The average person will need at least three tacos to make a meal.

Bottom Line

If there’s something San Diego doesn’t kid around with is its Mexican food. From tacos to enchiladas and birrias, Mexican food in San Diego is readily available everywhere. And with California having been part of Mexico up until less than 200 years ago, you know you can’t go wrong when looking for a place to enjoy Mexico’s scrumptious dishes!

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