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    El Tio's Restaurant

    4.8 (46 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    EL TIO'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tio's Restaurant

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    Three Meat Burrito
    Hayley C.

    I swear, this may be the BEST breakfast burrito I've ever had! My friends and I came by on a Monday morning craving good Mexican food. I was visiting from LA, and had high expectations, whereas they were visiting from Cincinnati and were just excited for a good burrito. The man and woman working were super nice, and the burritos were TO DIE FOR!! They were so big, and the egg, meat, peppers, and hash browns tasted so fresh.

    Menu Board
    Lisa T.

    Small, hole in the wall but well worth the stop!!! Friendly, delicious and fresh. Authentic and amazing sauces, tender and juicy meats.

    Jack M.

    I had a good breakfast burrito from this little place hidden away in a little strip mall in Rolando. I choose the ham, eggs, tater tots, cheese, and sour cream breakfast burrito for $9 and some change. You can switch up the proteins. Like I said, the burrito was good and well filled and quite large, but next time, I will ax the sour cream because it softened up the tater tots. Also, the burrito really didn't need it. The burrito came with a good amount of ham and scrambled eggs. I would have liked more cheese in the burrito, however. I did mention to the owner that the flour tortilla needed more time on the hot griddle, to brown it up a bit and give it that good texture. The red hot sauce that I tried was really good, and so was the service. The place is simple and offers a few tables inside.

    Torta de Jamón

    Amazing! Fresh and crunchy veggies. Great service. I will be coming back every time I'm in the area!

    Menu 1.6.2025
    Chandra R.

    A hidden gem! Our party of five arrived at 8:00 AM for breakfast and were warmly greeted by the owner. We ordered five dishes, and our food was on the table within 15 minutes despite him being the only one working. The food was delicious and packed with flavor. While we were eating, the owner invited us to participate in cutting the Rosca de Reyes. My husband made the second cut, and we found Baby Jesus! The owner was thrilled for us, and on February 2, my husband will be buying tamales for everyone. This was our best restaurant experience in San Diego.

    Carne Asada Fries

    It was my first time coming here, and since we went to the area, I was looking for some good CAF. I stop by this place and the fries were delicious. The french fries were nice and crispy. Everything was seasoned deliciously. And also the sauces are just the right amount of spice. The only con that I have to save about. It is that. I wish it would have more cheese, but overall it was delicious!! Definitely going back now that I live in the area!!! And the service was fast.

    Cheese Burger and Fries

    I was craving a good quality burger and didn't want the usual in n out. I found El Tio's on yelp and i'm so glad I did! I got the weekly special of cheeseburger, fries, and a can of soda for $9. The lettuce, tomato, and onion were so fresh and the patty was nice and thick. Everything else on the menu looked so good, i'll definitely be returning to try more

    California

    Most California burritos have either guacamole or sour cream. This burrito had both and it was a perfect balance that made it very delicious. The owner was nice and offered recommendations. This hole in the wall is worth a stop if you are in the area!

    Torta de Milanesa
    Tim B.

    El Tios has a great menu! Big portions and the flavor of the torta de milanesa was amazing. Red salsa was also fire!

    Cheeto burrito
    Eduardo M.

    If I could rate this more than 5 stars I would. In a city full of taco shops, Tio's has to be one of the most underrated in SD. Every time I enter, Tio greets with me a warm welcome asking my order and what I'd like to drink. He creates a good atmosphere chatting you up and makes it feel as a friendship as opposed to a service. The food always comes with good portions and the salsa is great. The menu holds a lot of variety from breakfast plates to sandwiches to a classic order of carne asada fries that you can never go wrong with. Today I tried a Cheeto burrito and this might have to be my new go to order. Tio gives a great service and definitely deserves more recognition. 100/10

    Restaurant store front - don't blink or you'll pass it by!

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    Business owner information

    Photo of Lizette G.

    Lizette G.

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    1 year ago

    Service was great and fries were perfect can't say anything bad about the place. The price here are fair.

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    1 year ago

    Really good! Good quality and good price! The service was good too they were kind! I'll be back

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    2 years ago

    The food was 10/10 and the service was quick and kind to our needs and overall great place to enjoy a lunch or breakfast

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food. Good prices. Order food here. Great service. Stop reading this review, get into your car, and come here NOW.

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    3 years ago

    Best shake I have ever tasted. The food is amazing, definitely recommend. This is my new favorite place.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - El Tio's Restaurant

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    Quixote

    Quixote

    4.0
    (679 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$$

    Loved it here. Things to note 1. Parking is bad so plan…read moreaccordingly and be prepared to walk a block or 2 to get to the restaurant 2. It is very dark in here. I had to take photos in night mode so it looks a lot brighter than it actually is. If you are going with someone older or who has trouble seeing in the dark, they are not gonna see anything lol 3. I heard reservations were required months out but i went in the same day. It was the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend around lunch time but they took walk ins left and right so maybe just dinner is what needs to be booked in advance? The decor was immaculate and everything that came out was delicious and it came out very fast. It is connected to the Lafayette hotel which has the jungle room, bowling alley, pool and multiple bars. You can easily spend the day here. Mmmm not if you have kids though. 10/10 recommend

    Very trendy, friendly, evocative dining experience! It's located inside the Lafayette Hotel, but…read morethere's also an outside entrance to the restaurant. Beware there's only street parking, no valet service (unless you're a hotel guest), so that can present a challenge. Reservations a MUST on weekends, especially with a group. Now for the food reviews. Everything we ordered was delicious from the squash blossom and smashed tuna tartare appetizers to the El Festin platter (made for groups) . Since the main dining area is kept dark for the dramatic gothic effect, it's tricky to rely on your sense of sight for the presentation of each of the dish. The highlight for me was the chili garlic shrimp tacos. So full of flavor! The only drawback is that many of their dishes are made with nuts. So if you have a nut allergy, which one of us in our group did, the menu was limiting. Overall, it's an incredible place for first timers and out-of- towners. I might return for a special celebration, but not repeatedly. Once is good enough experience, especially with so many other special dining options in our fine city.

    Photos
    Dramatic dining space!
    Dramatic dining space!
    Chamoyada dessert, the mango sorbet was the highlight!
    Chamoyada dessert, the mango sorbet was the highlight!
    Cool and dramatic setting!

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    Cool and dramatic setting!
    Coasterra

    Coasterra

    4.0
    (4k reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $$$

    Delicious food, great view, and wonderful hospitality!…read more On our last evening in San Diego, we went to Coasterra to wrap up our vacation there. This restaurant came highly recommended by major Visit San Diego websites, and we felt we should give it a try. Located right next to the water, the restaurant offers expansive view of the harbor and the San Diego skyline. Sitting is about 50/50 indoor vs. outdoor, and we chose the indoor sitting as it tended to get colder in the evening. Parking is available out front, but we took Lyft there. We came in around Happy Hour, and we were able to score two appetizers for $11 each. We got fried calamari and fish cervice as appetizers. For entree, we had the fish tacos and scallops. Both of the appetizers were excellent, and the cervice was so light and flavorful. My husband loved his scallop entree, and the taste and presentation were original and outstanding. My fish taco was enjoyable as well. For dessert, we had fresh churro that was paired with ice cream, which was excellent as well. Our meal came to $143 with taxes, which was a very good value with the quality and services offered. Our waiter was attentive and friendly, which made us felt right at home. As for the ambiance, it felt modern and relaxed. There were diverse customers from locals, tourists, and business people. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience and we will return.

    We discover a gem. Our server Case is a 10 star server in a 5 star rating system. The atmosphere…read morewas all of the 5 stars. The table side guacamole was all five stars. The main courses we ordered we not what our taste buds were looking for. The flan ( Yes, the flan ) was the best flan I have ever consumed. As dense as a cheese cake and coconut flavors of the islands. We lookd forward to giving the place another go because of the Service, the Atmosphere, and the guacamole. We hear happy hour on a week day is the best time to indulge.

    Photos
    Skyline & bay views
    Skyline & bay views
    View from patio
    View from patio
    Main dining room

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    Main dining room
    California Burritos

    California Burritos

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $$

    I ordered the shrimp burrito with black beans & avocado added. It was such a delicious burrito with…read morea massive size. I did really enjoy the additions I made which made it more filling. Great flavor and good prices! I would be back to try more menu items. They have a good selection of items for the menu! I ordered a raspberry tea and unfortunately they gave me a root beer instead. Oh well. My partner really liked the beef taco and CA burrito.

    They do things a little different at this place. The California had guacamole and sour cream. Makes…read moreit more like a carne asada burrito adding fries. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this burrito. It's large, filling, but their sauce had an almost artificial red color to it. Despite the weird look of the sauce, it had decent spice, wasn't overwhelming but wasn't weak either. Parking is very difficult here, and seating is limited. It's a small tack shop style place, made more for to-go orders. Service was fast and friendly. Their horchata is where they really lose a star, it's from a fountain and tastes like it, watered down artificial flavor. However you don't come here for the drinks, you come here for the large tasty California Burritos, hence the name. They've definitely won me over and I'll be back when in the area. That's this critic's review, until next time, I'll be eating.

    Photos
    California Burritos
    Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, and Potatoes Burrito
    Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, and Potatoes Burrito
    California Burritos

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    Puesto at the Headquarters

    Puesto at the Headquarters

    4.1
    (5.7k reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Private events

    The name might be Puesto but the food was PRESTO!!…read more Never been here before but I will ABSOLUTELY return in the future. From start to finish, everything was wonderful and I will NEVER forget my experience. We were met immediately with great service as well as continuing to receive it from every member of staff including our lovely server. Every other member that brought out our food & drinks was just as delightful. The weather was perfect to be seated outdoors in their patio, it matched the relaxing and enjoyable vibe we had. The food, I mean, the FOOD was undeniably delicious and full of flavor. I've literally never had a better taco anywhere else. The Al pastor was exceptionally juicy and tasteful and I'm so glad I went with my go to because it's a meal I'll never forget. The Agua Fresca were so refreshing too, sweet but not overly sweet, just the right balance. Overall, I have another new favorite when I come back out again.

    * catching up on old backlogged drafts so this review may be a bit out of date…read more Booked a big group dinner here as they had lots of spacious seating. We were split into two tables outside. Overall the experience was pretty underwhelming. The food was not very flavorful - it wasn't authentic Mexican food or even good California fusion Mexican food. There are so many better Mexican restaurants in San Diego, it was disappointing to have wasted a meal here. I believe it's a chain so not sure if the other locations are better as I've only tried this one.

    Photos
    Ribeye Taco
    Ribeye Taco
    Puesto at the Headquarters
    Puesto at the Headquarters

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    El Tio's Restaurant - sandwiches - Updated June 2026

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