I have not been here in a while. Lo siento! I have missed it so much! Ordered the house…read moremargarita to start off the evening!They have changed the menu a little, but they still have my favorites. The big tortilla with beans and chorizo...sooooo good! I can never pronounce the name of it...LOL! But I also ordered the taquitos, another delicious starter! I then had the green mole with ground pistachios over chicken...oh sooooo good!!!!! I love coming here! The staff is always friendly! The server said it had been a while. The outside patio is always welcoming!!! They are also dog friendly! Cako Approves!

Was in the area and needed a quick bite before an event. Stopped by at 4pm and was surprised to be…read moreone of 4 people at the restaurant. Two at the bar, one outside, then me. Given the minimal patrons, service was excellent. Was here during happy hour and the food was great! Server said birria or fish tacos are best, so I opted for birria. Tacos didn't come with consumé but they were juicy enough without it. Good flavor but tortillas did start to fall apart. Margaritas for $5 are a good deal and tasted fresh. Ambiance is upscale Mexican and I think it hits, at least for happy hour! Guac and salsa prices were too high for my liking ($13 and $10, respectively) especially as a happy hour item, but to each their own. Overall 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 with a $5 marg as the kicker to round up vs down (for guac and salsa prices).

Tacos El Gordo hits right every time! If you're a foodie you know that's this is the spot. This is…read moreby far the best location to get authentic TJ tacos. The Carne Asada Taco has a smoky beef flavor, and the quesadilla with corn tortilla has that seared cheese effect that you can only get with Oaxaca cheese, which is like a Mexican Mozzarella. I highly recommend pairing a quesadilla with your tacos. You can order it from any line. I've been going to Tacos El Gordo for almost 25 years now and it is still legit! This place is a San Diego staple that is true to home, and if you're not from San Diego, don't leave without trying it out!

Iconic, but overrated. Mediocre tacos San Diegans always recommend. To be clear they're not bad,…read morethere's just much better taco/mexican places. Try it once bc it's the thing to do when in SD, but only this location. Gaslamp location somehow worse unless you're blasted. Their adobada is probably their best meat. Al pastor was ok but surprisingly lacking in flavor. Carne Asada was all smoke, overwhelming smoke taste and not in a good way. Service was quick with their unique ordering system. They keep the ambiance simple with decently clean tables which is nice considering the large crowds they deal with.

Great spot to chill and eat in old town. Shout out to ash for the great service! She recommended…read morethe el Rey combo plate and it did not disappoint. And who can complain about delicious handmade tortillas?

Awesome service by Francisco V. Great tasting margaritas and food came out fast recommend this…read moreplace and especially recommend to be helped by Francisco, he is an expert server!

The food and service were amazing! Matt helped us and couldn't have been more kind and positive…read more we had the tacos and all were 5/5!!

We came here for a 34th anniversary dinner and it was an excellent choice! It was our first time…read morehere! The atmosphere, waitstaff (Matt) and food were all superb!

Five stars all the way!!! Amazing food, fresh chips and salsa oh and service that cares the taco…read moreplate was full of flavor and the portions were spot on! Everything tasted good

I'm so mad about this place!! Hubby and I headed down to SD…read moreto get away from the heat in the OC. On the drive, I decided I wanted Mexican food. I picked a place off Google but when we landed there we were not comfortable stopping to park, so we looked again and decided to check out La Puerta not realizing it was in the Gaslight District. I am not a fan of the Gaslight District, which is why I am so mad!! I'm going to HAVE to go back to the Gaslight District!! The food was AMAZING!! I HIGHLY recommend the Potato Flautitas. It's the kind of dish I'm going to dream about, I'm salivating now just thinking about them. I also did the Pick 3 Street Tacos (and actually ordered a 4th). The Ranchero Shrimp and Grilled Veggie were top notch. The Conchinita was recommended by our waiter, and it was interesting, tasty but different. It could have used a little more pickled onion. The only one I would not recommend (shockingly, I thought it would be the easy pass) was the carne asada. It was too greasy. My husband ordered a carne asada quesadilla and said the same, it was too wet and soaked through the tortilla. But there were no many other delightful options, I would say just don't go traditional. But honestly my favorite thing on the plate was the side dish rajas con crema, seriously, that alone is going to drag me down to the Gaslight District. I'm even considering going to a Padres game just for the excuse. I'm salivating again! As for our waiter, Colin, he was fantastic. Very informative, made great suggestions and seemed genuinely pleased by our satisfaction. He was smiling the whole time, friendly and stayed very present. I highly recommend you get yourself through the door at La Puerta and sit down for a meal ASAP. (We ate the food so fast I forgot to take pictures.)

this place is in a great location! It's right off the freeway the decor is funny ambiance is coolread more

My go to spot for delicious mexican food in San Diego and never a wait!…read moreIt's about $5 a taco and burritos around $15-$20. The food is really good and if you don't mind spending a little extra definitely worth it!! Food comes out quick, lots of seating indoor and outdoor, salsa bar, and awesome decor! Staff is very friendly and attentive. Trust me it's a must try!!!!!

The huevos rancheros were SO YUMMY! I also got a drink and it was delicious…read more Service was nice and attentive. It is very nice looking inside, could see people coming here to celebrate bdays and such.

I've visited this restaurant twice, once for a friend's birthday and another time to for a day trip…read morewith my parents. First and foremost, the overall atmosphere of this restaurant is very festive. There's a full bar, plenty of seating, and there's always music playing in the background. In my most recent visit, we were initially directed to a table close to the bar. But one of the bussers kindly cleaned a larger table by the patio very quickly, then moved my parents and I. So we unexpectedly got a comfortable booth by natural light, how thoughtful! :') Food Highlights: - Grilled Octopus (5/5) - Char + flavor + texture made for a phenomenal appetizer to share - Señorial Non-Alcoholic Sangria (4/5) - this was terrific, but it's a bit pricy to order from here. You're better off buying this bev in bulk from Smart & Final - Chicharrón, Chips, and Guacamole (4.3/5) - Delicious! But I would have liked more chicarrón and guac, less chips. - Lenguado al Ajillo (4.7/5) - Crispy edges, but the flounder itself flakes beautifully. The garlic butter flavor isn't too overpowering and the corn cake that comes with this plate is on the sweeter side - overall, a fantastic dish! The staff is generally accommodating to reasonable requests. I actually asked for extra cilantro lemon rice and less beans. I didn't even mind the black beans lodged into the rice cause this still made for a well-balanced meal. If I'm in the greater San Diego area in the future, I'm determined to try one of their popsicle margaritas!

This is my new favorite restaurant…read more The place is nicely decorated, feels inviting and spacious at the same time. The service is prompt and friendly. The foods and drinks are beautifully presented and it's difficult to resist licking the yummy molé.

Came to Cocina de Barrio with several friends and overall, we thought it was okay. Some dishes were…read moreranked highly whereas most were middle of the pack. I ordered the mahi mahi fish tacos and a house coffee. The coffee was actually pretty good! Cream and sugar were delivered separately to finish with your preference. As for the tacos, it was okay. The fish was a bit dry for my liking, cabbage could have been chopped with more finesse, and I wished they QC'd their limes a bit before putting them on the plate. Both were bone dry and I had to ask for more. Moreover, the cilantro lime rice was also a bit bland. It needed salt to lift the flavors in my opinion. There weren't even flecks of green if it was supposed to be cilantro? I tried boyfriend's veggie hash but was disappointed to find that it was almost all potatoes. Having said that, it was an extremely generous portion so he was filled up. While I didn't try it, our friend that had the chorizo hash also said it was okay so I'm guessing the ratio wasn't quite right. Anyways, ask for their chili sauce on the side, that's actually quite surprising. It had really good heat and was more like a chili crisp than a vinegary hot sauce. The plates that did score favorably at the table were the carne chilaquiles and the divorced eggs.

Yum yum yum! Loved Javier's! The restaurant is so beautiful with all the stone work and the giant…read morebar in the center. Such a stunning design. The food and margaritas were amazing. It is a bit pricy so I would come here for a special occasion but everything is so delicious. Our server was so attentive as we had two babies and a larger party. She made some great recommendations. She let us mix and match the enchiladas which was a great choice to try more of the dishes. They ask you to check your stroller at the host stand, so just an fyi for any parents with littles.

I've been coming to Javier's for a long time, and it's still one of my favorite restaurants. The…read morefood is always fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The staff is welcoming, and the service is consistently excellent. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, especially the bar area--it has such a unique and upscale vibe. If you visit, don't skip the Beef Taquitos. They're my favorite item on the menu, and I keep coming back for them. Everything I've tried here has been delicious. Definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants in San Diego.

The fried shrimp tacos were awesome. The chips were good and the hot sauce was a little spicy but…read moregood. I forgot our waiter's name but he was very attentive.

I got a couple rolls to go as well as some edamame. All serviceable, nothing remarkable but an…read moreinexpensive option for some decent sushi! Fun decor in this place! When I came in to pick up my food there was no one at the host stand and it seems like there was one waiter running the whole show during busy lunch time. Little teeny tiny parking lot but it's right across from the shopping centre parking so not a big deal.