Visiting from Arizona, we tried Eskinita for dinner since we were craving street food. Can I just say--this is the authentic Filipino street food I've been looking for and missing from the Philippines. Like omg. Their suka (vinegar) and sweet sauce are the best I've had in a while--I literally drank the sauce like it was soup. Soooo freaking good! I'm not even being OA, you really have to try it to believe it. Even my husband said it takes you right back to memories of street food in the Philippines. And did I mention--you get to choose whatever you like and grill it yourself outside, right in front of their store. Ahhh. I honestly can't put into words how happy and satisfied I am. One thing's for sure--I'll be back as soon as we visit San Diego again. I miss it already though. read more

This Filipino street food is so authentic that it's actually on the street! Well.....not the "street" street, but the grills ARE outside in the parking lot of this strip mall block. You can grill the skewers yourself. On top of that, this place is only open in the evening and only on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Joints like this are a main reason why I started writing reviews in the first place. I tried the pork, pork belly, blood curd, and chicken feet. It was all delicious, and the bbq sauce they're using was also amazing. I was worried that the chicken feet would be a tad dry like this, but it was surprisingly soft and tasty. Next, I ordered some sisig. In the past, I've had sisig that I thought was dry also, but this was like....a swamp. It was pungent. I would've thought it was too salty if it weren't for all the onion, scallions, and rice. The umami was divine. Finally, as someone addicted to fruit teas, I enjoyed chugging the apple tea and lemon tea. Anyways, Rick you're worried about negative reviews with this review average?!? LOL. 4.8 on Yelp and 4.9 on Google maps? I guess the only direction the average can go is down. What kind of war crimes does a restaurant commit to achieve this? Hey guys, Rick threatened me by saying the bottom of my pillow would be warm and my soda would be shaken if I didn't leave a five star review. If you see a cringe TikTok of me saying the food is good, I am actually under duress. Easily one of my favorite restaurants in San Diego so far. read more

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Food may be good, chill vibe but Management is a joke. Next time you guys visit, pay attention to how the owner (male) talks to his employees. Totally unprofessional. Not sure if he's aware of his surroundings but it's happened twice and it just wouldn't be right if I didn't say anything about this behavior. I hope that all the women that work there are not being abused in any way. Whether that be financial, emotional, physical or otherwise. If I am able to witness this as a customer , I can't imagine what happens behind closed doors. I wish i could have recorded both situations. No one deserves to work in a hostile work environment. Get it together man, you don't want that kind of karma! read more

Yummy food, and fun atmosphere! Owner was right there in the mix and so helpful. When in the area, we will be back

First time trying this place out last night and we had a great time! We were warming welcomed by the owner and even let us try a sample of the pares and sisig (both were delicious). Weather was a little rainy but that didn't stop us from enjoying! There's so many options to choose from on the stick and even rice plates. You pick your sticks and then pay and order any additional items. After, you go outside and you get to grill, this was fun to do! The owner made sure everyone was doing well, checking in if anyone needed help! Everything is so delicious, great vibes! Feels like you're back in PI! Such a great experience, we'll definitely be back! Highly recommend! read more

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I'm happy to support this Filipino business. They were so kinda and welcoming. Made me feel sooo welcomed everyone was smiling great energy I'm coming back every week for the food alone!!! read more

Rick is a master of hospitality. You feel welcomed as soon as you walk up. The favors are many and delicious. Tables are setup outside. I feel like I'm home here. The people are happy and you feel lots of love. Did I mention, the wonderful music playing? I love this place. read more

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Hands down good vibes all around! First time here and everyone was professional and friendly. Felt like I was at a family bbq! Huge selection of food options to chose from. Can't wait to come back! read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

After hearing good word about Eskinita, we decided to give this place a shot. Glad we did because the food is delicious, plus we loved the chill vibe and music. Rich has such great hospitality and made us feel welcomed. The customer services was great too. We'll definitely come back and invite family to join us!!! read more

This place is not for all. This street food really hit. I'm a huge fan of intestine. The ambiance felt like I was in the backyard hanging out. Definitely needed some cards to playing with. Pretty much you pick the skewers and put them on a basket and pay. Then you go outside and grill it up. Kuya rich was the best. He was a wizard on the grill making sure nothing got to burnt. I'll definitely go back with a group and just go chill for the vibes. read more

Eskinita - Intestines - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place never lets me down. Best skewers in SD. I travel from Arizona whenever I'm able :)

Great food hands down. Environment very welcoming and service is great love the hospitality. A must visit on days open. read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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The selection was great. From the classics back at home in the Philippines to the environment of the store, to the clean areas to eat and cook, really good experience. The service was also accomodating as it was my first time at this type of food spot. The lady who was at checkout was very helpful. Each stick was $2.00 and I got a total of 7. The sauce was also very good. They had the vinegar and the classic brown sauce for the food. Tasted just like home. The grill itself was great and they had two. The store also had sufficient seating! Definitely would be back here. Highly recommend if you haven't had a experience like this. read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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Authentic Filipino street food in SD. Rich walks you through an assortment of different skewers and grills your selection in front of you. Great music and ambiance as you wait for your food. They are patient and helpful if it's your first time! We tried almost every skewer and everything was delicious. Plenty of parking and seats. This is a must try experience! read more

Eskinita - BBQ - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

This place is a vibe Eskinita always has good energy and the owner is super nice. Feels like you're always welcome here.

Stumbled upon this hidden gem of a street food spot on a Friday night, and it did not disappoint! We met the owner, Rich, who was super welcoming, kind, and attentive. He guided us inside to select our skewers ($2 each) from a great variety, along with other entrée options. Inside, they also sold Filipino beauty products like traditional soaps, face cleansers, and more. After paying, we stepped outside to grill our skewers ourselves, which added to the fun experience. The ambiance, with its music and casual seating, reminded me so much of Mexico--where you just pull up to a literal esquinita (corner) for a late-night snack, eat, and chat. If you're looking for authentic Filipino street food and a welcoming atmosphere, I highly recommend stopping by and meeting Rich! read more

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We were craving for filipino food for dinner and this place hits different. Filipino street food experience! The owner and employees are so friendly and helpful. My little boy enjoyed his experience so much that he kept talking about it. A must when you are in town. read more

Eskinita - Pork BBQ - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Drove all the way from Kensington for this and really glad I did! Reminded me a lot of being home. Everything hits the spot! Ordered sisig and pretty much one of each of the bbq skewers and it did not disappoint! Owner was very helpful and friendly. Very quick service as well. Finally something similar like dollar hits in San Diego! Will definitely make the drive back again for this. Really great experience! read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

The BEST! You'll will feel like family going here. Lots of parking. Outstanding customer service. Ambiance is just like being in a Philippines neighborhood. Chill spot. Highly recommend going here with family & friends. Veteran owned. Salute. read more

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The vibe was exactly like what others mentioned in the reviews--on point! I actually found them on Instagram while searching for "isawan" in San Diego. I absolutely love the atmosphere here. It was our first time, and the moment we stepped out of the car, we were warmly greeted by Kuya (I think he's the owner). He asked, "Family, is it your first time?" and when we said yes, he guided us through the menu and pointed out their specialties. We got to sample the beef pares and sisig, and they were absolutely bomb! We ended up ordering the beef pares, sisig, and beef mami and of course the bbq and isaw and everything... saraaaapp!!! Salamat po for treating us like family and making us feel so welcome. We will definitely be back! read more

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Only open on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. They make up for the short week with the food. I highly recommend the pork belly and chicken hearts. We throughly enjoyed the experience of cooking our own skewers. The owner walked us through how to do it and we went for seconds! This is a family establishment and they make you feel at home. read more

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We've been looking for a place for late night cravings this is the spot!! The food and the service was excellent. It feels like home. This is a nice spot to bring friends, families definitely you will enjoy this place. This is a better place than dollar hits their food and their sauces is on point. Definitely I will come back and eat some more I'm lucky this is closer to my place. Come check it out this spot I'm pretty sure you will love it too. read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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Only came for quail egg, with my friends. 10/10 Each skew is $2.50, rice is only $2. The employee is very sweet and make sure we are all good. read more

Eskinita - Quail egg - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm resurrecting from my yelp review hiatus to give this place the love it deserves. When the boyf and I got there, right away we were greeted by Rick. Awesome guy, showed us the strings and led us through this experience. The boyf and I got a whole lot of everything that way we could get a good gauge on this place. We went outside to cook on the grills, and Rick could sense that we were beginners so he helped us out lol. And we're sooo glad he did, bc he really elevated our food with all his tips and tricks. Rick said to me "just to give you guys pointers, you want to keep the skewers off the grill bc it will burn. I'm telling you this bc you'll be back. I know my product". And THAT was when I knew this place was going to be DELISH LOL. He was right. Unfortunately we went in too quickly on our food and didn't get to grab any pictures, but the ruffle fat was HEAVENLY. Chicken skin, GOD SENT. There were more that we enjoyed immensely, but we're not good Filipinos bc we couldn't identify what dish was what lol but very juicy, very flavourful, texture on point, and savouryyyy 11/10, vibes, service, and food. WILL go again. read more

Came in on a whim on a Saturday night. Lots of choices to BBQ outside. The owner, Rich, was so welcoming and friendly and made sure all of us had enough sauce for our skewers, I got the chicken and pork BBQ, the pork belly, and the chicken skin -- all great! Will definitely be back! read more

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I love not just their street food, but also their sisig, beef pares, and sago at gulaman here. It was definitely taste of the Philippines. Oh how I missed that... and the ambiance was like it too. They definitely make you feel at home. Their service was superb and the owner was super friendly. This is my new favorite spot! read more

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First time here with my husband and some of his coworkers. Thursday night was pretty slow right when they open but that means we didn't have to wait for the grill. The owner opens only 3 days a week and is super friendly! This is not your typical skewer restaurant/shop, this place is meant to give you a glimpse of the hospitality of the people of Philippines. We were greeted and given instructions on how to order. You go inside, grab a red basket and choose which skewers of meat you want. *YOU MUST BE OPEN MINDED.* You then pay at the counter and bring it outside to heat up on the grill. We had 14-16 skewers in total and an Arizona Iced Tea which totaled about $36. Remember, the whole experience is meant to mimic a street food type of eatery. We had the pleasure of talking with the owner and him offering to grill our skewers as well since part of the experience is to enjoy doing it yourself. My favorite were the chicken liver, chicken & beef intestines, and battered quail eggs. They also have two sauces to dip, I recommend both! YUM!! From the initial greeting, to the selection, to the owner, and to the food, we had a wonderful time! Hope to bring family and friends back soon! read more

Eskinita - a basket of skewered food - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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as soon as we arrived, we were welcomed right away by Rich's hospitality and humor. this was our first time here and Rich made sure it wasn't our last. the ambiance was giving us a phillippine home gathering! there was an abundance of 4 grills so no such thing as a wait even though it was a full house! we first came for the skewers which they had manyyyyy options of! the skewers was packed with flavor and this will be forever our go-to. no need to visit dollar hits since this place is 15 min away from my place in downtown! lastly, we was given samples to try the sisig and knew we had to take sisig to go! from the people to the food, the vibe was what we were looking and exceeded expectation! salamat Rich and Marvin see you soon! Micko&J read more

Eskinita - all the good stuff - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

The place is clean, and the ambiance has Filipino vibes. The food and services are excellent! They will take care of you. All the staff members are friendly, especially ate Jen and Kuya; they make you feel at home. I love the food; it's so delicious and juicy. I love the chicken and pork intestine, and don't forget to try their sisig as well! We'll go back. read more

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Such a fun place. This is like having a backyard BBQ with family and friends. The selection can be a bit daunting for a newbie but Rich and his staff are happy to help. For a complete novice I had Rich do the grilling but next time I'll try myself. There's always someone around to offer tips and tricks. Really enjoyed it. read more

First time here with the husband and we loved it! The owner was very nice and helped us grill the skewers. All the skewers and the sauce were delicious but the bulaklak was our favorite! Definitely coming back! read more

Eskinita - BBQ - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Please excuse the photo, I was too focused on crushing this delicious spread. Reminded me of Manila. Delicious street bbq and nicely priced. The beef pares was nostalgic. And the owners were freaking awesome! This was my first time, but will definitely be my new cheat meal spot. read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Driven by here a few times and finally was able to check them out! It's Filipino street food - perfect for a summer night! Everything tasted good and we got to grill on a charcoal grill. Of course we had to pair it with some vinegar which they had as well. The owner walked us through everything as well and was super helpful and kind! I highly recommend coming in and checking them out! read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

Experience: You head inside the storefront and grab a basket to hold your skewers. After paying for what you've chosen, you head outside to the charcoal grills in the parking lot and grill your skewers. They offer some sort of glaze that you can brush onto your meats as well. Very fun and unique, but it does mean you'll smell like meat afterwards. Food: The skewers are all basically done and you are grilling them some more to develop a char and get them crispier. I tried a few different skewers and the standard pork one was probably my favorite. I think I would have liked the chicken skin more if I had cooked it better. If you order chicken skin, be prepared to turn it multiple times to make sure every individual piece of the skewer gets a chance to crisp up! I also highly recommend ordering their soup, which was meaty but also lighter in flavor compared to the more BBQ taste of the meat. Service + Atmosphere: This is what really stood out to me when I visited Eskinita. The owner is very friendly and gives off the vibe of an uncle manning the grill at a family BBQ. He was cracking jokes and making conversation with every single customer while I was there. This, combined with the music from a large speaker and the fold out tables you sit at, makes you feel like you are eating at a family gathering in the best way possible. I will definitely be coming back again! read more

Greeted with a warm welcome as we came in. The owner helped us with grilling our food as it was our first time. The barbecue sauce was sweet and delicious. The taste, aromas, and the ambiance takes us back to Philippines with every bite. We will be coming back again soon! read more

Decided to take a detour on my way home to try out their street food. The gentleman who worked there was very accommodating, and kept on everyone making sure everything was taken care of. Their marinade is sooo good! I had chicken and pork isaw, and lumpiang toge, all in all i paid $33 for 12 skewers and 1 lumpia. I used to go to a different place and i never liked the chicken isaw at other places but this one was good! Their vinegar sawsawan was to die for too! I tried some before i packed the rest to go. Their staff and the food they put out is amazing! read more

Eskinita - Left--Pork Isaw Right- chicken isaw - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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I'm so glad we found this. My husband and I wanted to celebrate tonight and get really bomb ass food at the same time, but wanted to venture a little ways away from where we normally hang out. We decided to come here and man, did this exceed our expectations. Located inside large plaza, EsKiNiTa is truly a hole-in-the-wall joint serving up some of that authentic Filipino skewers over a grill that you get to cook yourself (it IS part of the experience). Now... don't expect fine dining, expect a welcoming and homey atmosphere. The owner was beyond hospitable, explaining what is the most popular item and even cooking our food for us. The charcoal isn't your basic pillow-shaped, charcoal either. They used mesquite charcoal, so it adds another layer of flavor to your food. I highly recommend the chicken and pork BBQ, chicken intestine, chicken liver, and chicken heart. But honestly, you can't go wrong with any of the choices. The BBQ sauce is a must and if you're like me, make sure to get the vinegar sauce to add a different flavor to your tastebuds. You'll have a great time, be surrounded by good people, and enjoy it all with some really good food. Highly recommend, and just like he said... I'll definitely be back. read more

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Came here last Friday! Our second time! Kuya was so nice, welcoming us and all. Plenty of space/ grills to cook. He also helped us cook our sticks. Each stick was surprisingly more expensive than the last time I went. It was $2.50/stick. It was worth it for the chicken isaw tho. We also got a scoop of rice to go with the sticks. But the rice was hard and I think I got the bottom of the pot part. My friend jokingly said that it might be the NFA rice from the Philippines. Jasmine Rice would be nice. Overall, everything was good! Sticks were delicious. It's just the rice killed the vibe for me. Maybe I'll bring some of my own rice next time I come! read more

Amazing food Good Vibes Employees are very positive This was recommended by a family member and this spot is definitely worth the visit read more

Food, music and ambience remind me of Philippines It looks like a tambayan of kabayans there. read more

Eskinita - Filipino Near Me - San Diego, California

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