Found this place during happy hour and it's a great little gem! Chill, laid back vibe on a Monday…read morenight but I'm sure it's packedon the weekends and during local events. I had the 3 Little Birds (homage to Rasta life) because I love Mezcal. It was perfectly smokey and a tad sweet. I started with the guac app but it was way too much for one person; definitely a shareable item. The guac was very fresh and light, with panela chunks to elevate the dish. It was a shame to leave it unfinished. Additionally I had an a la carte pollo asado taco which was divine! The thigh meat was expertly marinated and piled high on a cheese encrusted homemade tortilla. Since I'm a salsa connoisseur, I requested the habanero salsa, which was just my speed... but not for the faint of heart. The salsa verde was good but the showstopper was salsa rojo which had a nice smokey, fire roasted flavor that made me want to order some too take home. Also, I received awesome service from Emily on 9/28/26; shout of to her for taking great care of me! I can't wait to come back!!!

We had a great experience at La Puerta! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere had that…read moreperfect mix of chill and lively -- definitely a popular spot without feeling too hectic. They also had some really great vegetarian options. The tostadas, veggie tacos, and flautas were all awesome and full of flavor. The margaritas were reasonably strong, which was nice. And definitely save room for the churros -- they were so good! The only thing that wasn't quite our preference was the queso fundido. It was a little more solid than we like; we prefer ours to be extra melty and gooey. Otherwise, everything was fantastic. Great food, drinks, service, and vibes!

The mixed (fish & shrimp) ceviche is still just as good as I remember it from over a decade ago! So…read moremany more locations have opened up since then, but my friends and I happened to be around the area of this original Pacific Beach one. The ceviche cup was a perfect lil snack before our afternoon adventures. Easy to take your food to go or eat outside if there's standing room. Expect to wait at least 15-20 minutes. Oscars will always be a staple every time I visit San Diego!

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Busy place but it's thankfully quick! Also had to wait in line but not for too long. The guac is so fresh and delish - just need an extra squeeze of lemon. Sauces and condiments are up for grabs and a lot of it is self-service so it can feel more chaotic. The fish tacos, shrimp tacos, octopus tacos, and ceviche were all good! Not a 5, but a solid 4.5 :)

An elegant space with high ceilings and interesting murals…read more The chicken enchiladas suizas, guacamole, and street corn were excellent. Service was friendly and attentive. A great choice for Mexican food near UTC!

Stopped for a drink and a snack. Not many people here on the day went visited…read more Sat at the bar because the patio was too warm. Was told by the waiter that they no longer offer free chips & salsa. But that there was a small charge. We agreed on the chips & salsa because it's usually really good there. Had a spicy jalapenos Mule. Which was really good.

I love this place! foods great and Melanie is so fun we love when she bartends! Service is always…read morethe best!

We went for Happy Hour on a Sunday afternoon. The service was very good. The food was excellent as…read morewere the margaritas. I loved the overall feel of the restaurant as it was very comfortable. I definately recomment La Puerta!

The Positives: The food was excellent and we loved the…read moreatmosphere! The Negatives: It's pretty loud in the main dining area. If you prefer a quieter experience, I'd recommend requesting a table away from the main area. We called ahead of time and the host confirmed that we'd be seated in the "Hell" room, which is the quieter area of the restaurant. However when we arrived, we were told they couldn't accommodate our request because it was never guaranteed. If that was the case, why not set that expectation upfront? What We Ordered: Fondue -- 0/5: This was a major letdown. It turned into a congealed blob after just a few minutes, and I wasn't a fan of it being served with tortillas instead of chips. Fondue needs that crispy crunch to balance out the texture. Memelita -- 5/5: The best thing we ate! It was packed with rich, delicious flavors and was easily our favorite dish of the night. Beets -- 4/5: Very tasty and worth ordering since there's lots of fried items on the menu. Crab Corn Donut -- 3.5/5: The crab meat was delicious, but the donut itself was a little too dense for my liking.

To say this place is a vibe would be an understatement... it's such an immersive dining experience…read morethat once you enter the doors, you feel like you've been transported to another place in time. We attempted to make reservations but had trouble with OpenTable, so we opted to just go and tempt fate. The hostess suggested sitting at the bar because it would be a few hours wait if we made a reservation. Our group sat at the bar and the bartending staff was friendly and helpful in not only making recommendations for our food but for where we could go out after. Because the venue was very busy, I anticipated the food to take a while, but it came out incredibly fast which was much appreciated after a full day of sightseeing. I ordered the masa fried chicken tacos and a drink and it did not disappoint. Can't wait to return to this gem of a place the next time I'm in San Diego.

My sister recommend this location when a friend of mine and I were looking for a place to have…read morebrunch on a Saturday and I am so happy she did! We got there early and got a good spot in the Patio. The service was amazing Jose and Karen provided what felt like white glove service in a fun atmosphere. I saw Jose take a glass of Milk with a Paleta Payaso to a kid as a surprise and the look on the child's face was worth his efforts! Bottomless mimosas were good! We had the Mango Habanero Aguachiles and the Breakfast Tlayuda as well and both were superb. For me the Aguachiles needed a bit more spice so Karen recommended their matcha salsa and that went well with everything! Will definitely be coming back! Thank you all for a great experience!

This has been my friends' go to brunch spot for a while so I finally got a chance to check them…read moreout. We showed up on a Saturday with no reservation and the wait ended up being shorter than estimated which was nice. The place was clean inside and offered indoor and outdoor seating. All of our food had good servings, were tasty, and enough to share. The place is known for their bottomless mimosa deal, which all my friends participated in. One thing I will say is that there was a point where they didn't check in enough for refills but were still strict with the 90 min cut off. I will come back again and try different menu items and maybe participate in the bottomless mimosa deal.

We went to Coasterra for a late lunch on a weekday…read more We made a reservation on OpenTable and mentioned gluten free needs due to Celiac's and the team was attentive to that. The host mentioned it, and the server Jack D especially was really great. There was an error from the kitchen that they noticed right away before our first bite and worked to fix it. Jack was really really excellent at handling the situation, all in such an understanding and pleasant way. Ambiance was beautiful as usual. Sitting outdoors in the shade is such a San Diego experience. For food, I enjoyed the fig pear walnut salad. Enchiladas with mole were delicious. Sangria very refreshing.

Good food, nice environment and friendly service. Calamari was great appetizer & entrees very…read morefilling. Happy hour drinks excellent. Hostess was attentive and checked on us, which speaks well of the service and their attention to excellence. Think about the chocolate dessert...

Best taco I had in SD was the grilled fish taco here -- rlly pricy tho (like $10 pp)…read moreThey give lil shrimp/fish broths Comes with sauces available in the little fridge which are SO good

I used to live right next to the oscars in east village when it was still a thing. the green sauce…read morewas (and still is) my fave. stopped by on a whim today and picked up a grilled fish taco, grilled shrimp taco and a pulpo taco. only after i ordered did i realize i could have gotten the oscar's combo... Most satisfying were the pulpo, grilled fish then grilled shrimp. Next time I'm lucky enough to be in the area, I would probably get pulpo taco, and then either taco gobernador, shrimp and bacon or skirt steak taco on flour, half rice half beans, and a horchata or jamaica depending on how i'm feeling. tried a bunch of sauces today - biggest fan of mexico lindo 7 mares sauce with the seafood here.

This is my first time dining inside this California Burrito Restaurant…read more I was driving around in this area and I saw this California Burrito Restaurant and I wanted to give this place a try. I enjoy eating authentic Mexican cuisine. I parked my car in their parking lot then I walked inside their front door. I talked to the owner Caesar and asked him How long has he been in business at this Starling Drive location in San Diego, CA? Caesar said he's been operating his California Burrito Restaurant business for 20 years now. Caesar also said to me that he works with his wife and grown children at his Mexican restaurant every day. My order was placed by Caesar today for my lunch time meal at 12:30 PM. I ordered one Beans and Cheese Burrito. The price is $7.50. Then I had to pay a tip of 20 percent that came up to $1.25. The tax was $1.50. My total purchase today was $9.25. I had to wait at least 30 minutes later until my order number 109 was called to the front counter today. There was non stop walk in customers coming into this California Burrito Restaurant at the lunch hour between 12:30 AM to 2:30 PM today. Their majority of their customers were of Mexican descent and I saw only 3 Black People placing their orders with Caesar today. I was the only Asian person ordering from this California Burrito Restaurant this afternoon. I also noticed 2 Nurses picking up their orders today who work for Sharp Memorial Hospital today. This man and woman nurse were of Caucasian descent. It's interesting for me to get to know the population of people who are living nearby this Starling Drive location. Caesar called my order number 109 today. Then I was served a really HUGE Beans and Cheese Burrito. I also drank cold ice water today. It was a beautiful day today because the weather conditions were very cool and cloudy. I sat down at this window seat so I could see the outside. The Beans and Cheese Burrito was very tasty the beans were refried and thete was a very generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese. The Tortilla was heated up and slightly toasted. This Beans and Cheese Burrito was a HUGE Size. I wasn't sure that I had an appetite to finish eating this Beans and Cheese Burrito but the flavor was amazing! I kept taking small bites on this Beans and Cheese Burrito for my lunch time meal this afternoon. I also received excellent customer service from Caesar and the rest of his family I saw was working very hard in the back kitchen area preparing and making their very popular Carne Asada Burritos. I also saw Caesar and an older lady sweeping up the floor and also mopping up the floor inside their front entrance to their California Burrito Restaurant Caesar told me to come in again soon to try their Steak Carne Asada Burrito. This item is the most popular food in their California Burrito Menu. I told Cesar the owner 3 I will dine inside his restaurant again soon. I love Carne Asada Burritos.

When i saw that there was an actually spot called California Burrito, you bet that I had to try a…read moreCalifornia burrito at California burrito lol Got the California burrito, carne asada taco, chicken taco and menudo. Portions were massive but unfortunately there was not much flavor, and im not too keen on hot salsa since i cannot handle spicy. It was ok but unsure if this would be a go to spot. The staff here are friendly and at the time i came, a Wednesday night around 5pm, there was a steady stream of people ordering to go and also eating there The place itself isnt that big. Theres counter space with about 5 stools inside and 4 tables outside. This is more of a take out spot. Parking may be limited depending on the time of day/night you go.

Thank you to Daniel for being so welcoming and providing good recommendations. Will come back!read more

Food was delicious- service was very good. Everyone was very nice from the hostess to the servers…read more Will definitely try again.