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Love the vibe and aesthetic at La Jollita, such a great addition to the La Jolla neighborhood. It's perfect for a sunny outdoor lunch or a more vibey dinner. I tried a variety of tacos, and the smoked tuna was definitely my favorite. That said, the standout dish was the zarandeado-style fish. Our waiter recommended it over the branzino, and I'm so glad he did! It was incredibly tender, flavorful, and easily one of the best whole fish dishes I've had in a while. It comes with tortillas for DIY tacos, and while a few extra garnishes would be a nice touch, the fish truly shines on its own. Also loved the chips and salsa flight. Overall, it's a great spot for elevated sit-down Mexican food with cocktails. I'll definitely be back!
This hidden gem is in downtown La Jolla, great views and calming outdoor atmosphere. Even when you're sitting inside, you still get a view of the outdoors. I got served complimentary chips and salsa. My waitress was kind and knowledgeable. I got the tuna and shrimp tostada, taco lorenza and limon agua fresca. Everything was so flavorful and tasty. I can't wait to come back and try more!
La Jollita" is a diminutive form of "La Jolla," which translates to "the little jewel" in Spanish. La Jollita restaurant opened over 5 months ago, super busy with locals and tourists on Prospect St in La Jolla. The restaurant happens to be a few steps away from a few art galleries I was visiting and so I decided to give it a try and have lunch. The hostess was cordial and nice. Was seated promptly to a table of my choice, in their umbrella shaded outdoor patio with my pup, who was offered a bowl of water by the kind staff. The manager Alejandro was very hospitable, nice and did check to see if everything was good. The waitress/server was also very pleasant, attentive and helpful. Despite that it was post lunch crowd rush time, this casual restaurant was still very crowded with diners and the atmosphere was energetic and vibrant as was the decor. I was mostly surrounded with groups of nice looking male diners who all spoke Spanish and were fun and flirtatious ;) lol From the menu, ordered the signature dishes: tuna tostada, La Jollita tostada, Flan for dessert and La Sangre Del Mar drink for Me. And for Fendi, the Lorenza taco which had a slivered slice of ribeye beef. Every dish was delicious and perfect for a sunny coastal area casual dining but does NOT have views of the ocean. The pace in which the drinks and foods were presented took longer than expected. Long wait time for food and service is annoying and deterred me from ordering additional items I wanted to try but will have to try another time when we revisit. Over the last two years, for this particular real estate space, I've seen at least 3 restaurant business open and close due to failure which can be forgivable if you have an ocean view, but NO ocean views here. Perhaps La Jollita can learn from those mistakes. Despite the longer wait time, because the manager and staff did make a concerted effort to make things right with a genuine positive attitude, I will return. With the fantastic food and casual dynamic vibe, proven to be 'the little jewel,' worthy of your visit...La Jollita! Recommend
Bday celebration for my 86 yr old relative Jollita is the restaurant owner's first Mexican restaurant opened in America ( with 24 in Mexico) The margaritas, agua frescas, mescal cocktails, grilled shrimp, ahi tacos or tostadas, poblano clam chowder, mole taco, and branzino are oh so delicious. Highly recommend all dessert; tres leche cake and chocolate cheesecake (was ok) Tacos are $8-24 ( each) Entrees: $50-95 The establishment is kid friendly and casual despite the prices It is possible to have a more economical taco forward meal though some tacos are $24 while the lowest cost taco is $8/9 or to add shared entrees for a more high end special occassion cost meal ( $495 for 6 ppl with cocktails, 2 entrees and 2 tacos per person and dessert ) entrees in retrospect are shareable so a prawn entree with more than eight large prawn is shareable at a table individual tacos for guests and shareable entrees if you want to be more extravagant. This was a bday celebration for us .. treating our 86 yr old relative Helpful tips: parking is very difficult and this restaurant will seat you only if you are all present prepare to walk far from parking handicap access is tough and handicap parking is also tough to find ... if elderly you will need to get dropped off in front and others will swear and honk at your car.. ( a car of youth took a photo of our 88 yr old bday guest and shouted profanities as she hobbled out of the car to the curb).. special occassion
Came here for Restaurant Week and tried their $65/person dinner menu. I started with the tuna tostada and I will say that was delicious. The tuna tasted flavorful and fresh. For the entree, I tried mezcal-flamed filet minion and it was just okay. I ordered it medium rare & it came out closer to medium but not bad nice enough to complain about. It was kind of bland. For dessert, they were out of the flan (which was part of the original menu) so I think we ended up getting a chocolate cheesecake or something similar which was okay but I'm not a huge chocolate person. This menu also came with a house margarita or draft beer. I got the house margarita and it was okay. Server was nice, their other cocktails besides the margarita I got were better. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice, it's a cute restaurant.
This suite on Prospect St in downtown La Jolla has seen a variety of businesses pass through its doors over the past several years. The latest is La Jollita which featured Mexican cuisine in an upscale setting. The owners refurbished the decor to reflect the change in culinary direction from its predecessor. The outdoor front patio had several tables while the open-air inside dining area could seat close to 100 customers. The hostess took me to a two-top table in the middle of the room across from the bar. One side of the two page menu listed the cold bar and taco offerings. The other side displayed the hot bar, main dishes, salads, soups, sides, and desserts. The prices seemed to be quite high with the cheapest taco costing nine dollars. I selected the Smoked Tuna Taco and the Manolo "The Fisherman" Chowder for my meal. A complimentary bowl of blue corn tortilla chips along with limes, green salsa, and red salsa were provided. The taco arrived first and was a bit larger than street size. It was filled with smoked tuna machaca, melted cheese, chipotle sauce, and a wedge of avocado. I liked how the tuna wasn't too salty which I have experienced at other places that serve this item. The chowder came out second and was served in a small bowl. It was a bean and noodle soup containing chiltepin shrimp, panela cheese, and crema fresca. A piece of toasted bread was provided for dipping. The broth had a good savory flavor, but the issue was the $18 cost for a small serving. It should have been a large bowl because right next door, you can get a similar amount of chowder for almost half the price. My visit occurred during the early days of the soft opening period. While at my table, another party was seated next to me. They brought a non-service dog that was initially unleashed. The hostess should have done a better job of ensuring the pet was on a leash and to seat the group outdoors on the front patio. A manager did come by to reseat the party, but I was taken aback at how liberal the business was with animals. Overall, I gave my lunch at La Jollita a rating between three and four stars.
This Spot has been occupied by many businesses in a short period of time. And now it's been occupied by LA JOLLITA. In our dining experience here the food and service were great. I think this one will be around for a long time. Pricing-wise, food taste,vibes, and service I see that this will stick around, we hope so, coz my wife and I like their food. Nice Space inside and their outdoor, we chose the outdoor because it's a bit chilly outside. Ordered The TOSTADO VALLARTA, The SHORES SURF & TURF, TACO LORENZA , TUNA TOSTADA Among the Tacos my Top pick that I like the most was the TORTADA VALLARTA and the THE SHORE SURF & TURF. The TORTADA VALLARTA is a razor cut fish tossed with/ onion and cucumber and dressed simply with lime and olive oil, very Crispy Tortilla. The fish is super Tasty. And the Shore Surf and turf the Shrimp texture was nice, I can taste the freshness of the Shrimp and the meat was very tasty. My wife loves her TUNA TOSTADA, she said she likes it, and my TOSTADO VALLARTA the most. THE SAUCE that comes with my Tostada Vallarta if you can ask extra of those it's actually a pretty good sauce for any of their Tacos. Don't know what it's called but it's here in my pic next to my tostada Vallarta Service was excellent from BRITNEY, vibes all around from the staff, and the inside dining area was all great. But Parking if you are looking for a side street or metered, I think just go for paid Valet parking or paid building structure saves you more time going around looking for one. Spot had been occupied by many businesses in a short period of time. And now it's been occupied by LA JOLLITA. In our dining experience here food and service I think this one will be around for a long time. Pricing-wise, taste and vibes, and service I see that this will stick around, we hope so, coz my wife and I like their food. Nice Space inside and their outdoor, we chose the outdoor because it's a bit chilly outside. Ordered The TOSTADO VALLARTA, The SHORES SURF & TURF, TACO LORENZA , TUNA TOSTADA Among the Tacos my Top pick that I like the most was the TORTADA VALLARTA and the THE SHORE SURF & TURF. The TORTADA VALLARTA is a razor cut fish tossed with/ onion and cucumber and dressed simply with lime and olive oil, very Crispy Tortilla. The fish is super Tasty. And the Shore Surf and turf the Shrimp texture was nice, I can taste the freshness of the Shrimp and the meat was very tasty. My wife loves her TUNA TOSTADA, she said she likes it, and my TOSTADO VALLARTA the most. THE SAUCE that comes with my Tostada Vallarta if you can ask extra of those it's actually a pretty good sauce for any of their Tacos. Don't know what it's called but it's here in my pic next to my tostada Vallarta . Service was excellent from Britnee M. and vibes all around from the staff, and the inside dining area was all great. We like the food so we are definitely visiting again . But Parking if you are looking for a side street or metered, I think just go for paid Valet parking or paid building structure saves you more time going around looking for one.
La Jollita has lots of potential. The food is excellent and the ambiance is very nice. It has only been open for two weeks, and the staff I interacted with was professional and attentative. But a few things could use improvement. We dined here on a busy Saturday evening. I ordered two tacos -Taco Dumbo and Smoked Tuna Taco - both were very good although I preferred the tuna. Both were much better than at the other expensive taco place a few blocks away. Mel ordered three tacos and loved all three. We also got a side of beans and she got a lovely margarita. All good! A couple of areas to improve. There were too many any staff on the floor to the point of having some of the younger employees standing around and joking - this was distracting and it only contributed to the noisy/rushed feel of the restaurant. The prices were inconsistent. It is odd that the margarita ($14) was cheaper than a side of beans ($15). Not complaining about the margarita price, but the beans were just too expensive for what you got. Finally, the staff were extremely/aggressively eager to clear plates - sometimes without asking and sometimes while you were still holding your taco or with food still on the plate. This might be because there were too many workers and they needed to have something to do. Interestingly, they did not notice the empty water bottle and only brought a new one when I asked. All of that said, I enjoyed my visit to La Jollita and will come again. I attribute some of these issues to the newness, and certainly hope they resolve things as the restaurant matures. 3.5 start for this first experience.
We dined at La Jollita for my mom's birthday and it was excellent! The food, drink, and service were all top notch. Parking on a Tuesday night was surprisingly busy in the village, so our party of 8 trickled in. It wasn't a problem at all to be seated without our full party. We sat at a table that was against the wall with a long padded bench on one side and chairs on the other side. This was perfect since we needed a high chair. The atmosphere overall was really nice. My husband even commented that he could actually hear the people at our table, so while it was a lively restaurant, it wasn't so loud that we couldn't hear one another. The drinks at La Jollita were pretty reasonably priced. I had the mezcalita with passionfruit, though they can also make it with hibiscus. My mom enjoyed her margarita and my husband really liked the Black Pearl. The food was amazing. You could really taste the freshness of the seafood. For starters, we shared the rock shrimp, ceviche, shrimp cocktail. All were great, but I preferred the ceviche over the shrimp cocktail. The rock shrimp was really good too. My husband and I shared a tuna tostada (they said this was more of an individual portion), but we easily cut it in half. That was my favorite from the cold bar. I had a surf & turf taco and that was delicious. My husband enjoyed the smoked tuna taco and my uncle enjoyed the taco dumbo. For fish, we ordered the branzino and the fish zarandeado. Not sure what type of fish, but the zarandeado was cooked perfectly. At the end, they brought out a birthday flan (with a candle) for my mom. The service was very good. Our server, Edgar, was very patient as he had to come back to our table as people were arriving to get our drink orders. He anticipated when we needed more drinks. The food was brought out surprisingly fast. I feel like we ordered and it appeared almost immediately! The entire staff was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back. They also have a dog friendly patio at the front of the restaurant.
2 days ago
2 months ago
2 months ago
3 months ago
Love the vibe and aesthetic at La Jollita, such a great addition to the La Jolla neighborhood. It's perfect for a sunny outdoor lunch or a more vibey dinner. I tried a variety of tacos, and the smoked tuna was definitely my favorite. That said, the standout dish was the zarandeado-style fish. Our waiter recommended it over the branzino, and I'm so glad he did! It was incredibly tender, flavorful, and easily one of the best whole fish dishes I've had in a while. It comes with tortillas for DIY tacos, and while a few extra garnishes would be a nice touch, the fish truly shines on its own. Also loved the chips and salsa flight. Overall, it's a great spot for elevated sit-down Mexican food with cocktails. I'll definitely be back! read more
3 months ago
This hidden gem is in downtown La Jolla, great views and calming outdoor atmosphere. Even when you're sitting inside, you still get a view of the outdoors. I got served complimentary chips and salsa. My waitress was kind and knowledgeable. I got the tuna and shrimp tostada, taco lorenza and limon agua fresca. Everything was so flavorful and tasty. I can't wait to come back and try more! read more
La Jollita" is a diminutive form of "La Jolla," which translates to "the little jewel" in Spanish. La Jollita restaurant opened over 5 months ago, super busy with locals and tourists on Prospect St in La Jolla. The restaurant happens to be a few steps away from a few art galleries I was visiting and so I decided to give it a try and have lunch. The hostess was cordial and nice. Was seated promptly to a table of my choice, in their umbrella shaded outdoor patio with my pup, who was offered a bowl of water by the kind staff. The manager Alejandro was very hospitable, nice and did check to see if everything was good. The waitress/server was also very pleasant, attentive and helpful. Despite that it was post lunch crowd rush time, this casual restaurant was still very crowded with diners and the atmosphere was energetic and vibrant as was the decor. I was mostly surrounded with groups of nice looking male diners who all spoke Spanish and were fun and flirtatious ;) lol From the menu, ordered the signature dishes: tuna tostada, La Jollita tostada, Flan for dessert and La Sangre Del Mar drink for Me. And for Fendi, the Lorenza taco which had a slivered slice of ribeye beef. Every dish was delicious and perfect for a sunny coastal area casual dining but does NOT have views of the ocean. The pace in which the drinks and foods were presented took longer than expected. Long wait time for food and service is annoying and deterred me from ordering additional items I wanted to try but will have to try another time when we revisit. Over the last two years, for this particular real estate space, I've seen at least 3 restaurant business open and close due to failure which can be forgivable if you have an ocean view, but NO ocean views here. Perhaps La Jollita can learn from those mistakes. Despite the longer wait time, because the manager and staff did make a concerted effort to make things right with a genuine positive attitude, I will return. With the fantastic food and casual dynamic vibe, proven to be 'the little jewel,' worthy of your visit...La Jollita! Recommend read more
Bday celebration for my 86 yr old relative Jollita is the restaurant owner's first Mexican restaurant opened in America ( with 24 in Mexico) The margaritas, agua frescas, mescal cocktails, grilled shrimp, ahi tacos or tostadas, poblano clam chowder, mole taco, and branzino are oh so delicious. Highly recommend all dessert; tres leche cake and chocolate cheesecake (was ok) Tacos are $8-24 ( each) Entrees: $50-95 The establishment is kid friendly and casual despite the prices It is possible to have a more economical taco forward meal though some tacos are $24 while the lowest cost taco is $8/9 or to add shared entrees for a more high end special occassion cost meal ( $495 for 6 ppl with cocktails, 2 entrees and 2 tacos per person and dessert ) entrees in retrospect are shareable so a prawn entree with more than eight large prawn is shareable at a table individual tacos for guests and shareable entrees if you want to be more extravagant. This was a bday celebration for us .. treating our 86 yr old relative Helpful tips: parking is very difficult and this restaurant will seat you only if you are all present prepare to walk far from parking handicap access is tough and handicap parking is also tough to find ... if elderly you will need to get dropped off in front and others will swear and honk at your car.. ( a car of youth took a photo of our 88 yr old bday guest and shouted profanities as she hobbled out of the car to the curb).. special occassion read more
5 months ago
Came here for Restaurant Week and tried their $65/person dinner menu. I started with the tuna tostada and I will say that was delicious. The tuna tasted flavorful and fresh. For the entree, I tried mezcal-flamed filet minion and it was just okay. I ordered it medium rare & it came out closer to medium but not bad nice enough to complain about. It was kind of bland. For dessert, they were out of the flan (which was part of the original menu) so I think we ended up getting a chocolate cheesecake or something similar which was okay but I'm not a huge chocolate person. This menu also came with a house margarita or draft beer. I got the house margarita and it was okay. Server was nice, their other cocktails besides the margarita I got were better. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice, it's a cute restaurant. read more
2 months ago
Food was AMAZING, service was top tier and vibes were coastal. I'd 100% recommend and will definitely be coming back sooner than later. The cocktails were also delicious. I am still thinking's about the whole fish - I believe it was a branzino. read more
18 days ago
Amazing location and good service. The atmosphere is the best overall - tacos were missing the simplicity of the tortillas and has lits of rich flavors if you are into that, and the best salsa read more
This suite on Prospect St in downtown La Jolla has seen a variety of businesses pass through its doors over the past several years. The latest is La Jollita which featured Mexican cuisine in an upscale setting. The owners refurbished the decor to reflect the change in culinary direction from its predecessor. The outdoor front patio had several tables while the open-air inside dining area could seat close to 100 customers. The hostess took me to a two-top table in the middle of the room across from the bar. One side of the two page menu listed the cold bar and taco offerings. The other side displayed the hot bar, main dishes, salads, soups, sides, and desserts. The prices seemed to be quite high with the cheapest taco costing nine dollars. I selected the Smoked Tuna Taco and the Manolo "The Fisherman" Chowder for my meal. A complimentary bowl of blue corn tortilla chips along with limes, green salsa, and red salsa were provided. The taco arrived first and was a bit larger than street size. It was filled with smoked tuna machaca, melted cheese, chipotle sauce, and a wedge of avocado. I liked how the tuna wasn't too salty which I have experienced at other places that serve this item. The chowder came out second and was served in a small bowl. It was a bean and noodle soup containing chiltepin shrimp, panela cheese, and crema fresca. A piece of toasted bread was provided for dipping. The broth had a good savory flavor, but the issue was the $18 cost for a small serving. It should have been a large bowl because right next door, you can get a similar amount of chowder for almost half the price. My visit occurred during the early days of the soft opening period. While at my table, another party was seated next to me. They brought a non-service dog that was initially unleashed. The hostess should have done a better job of ensuring the pet was on a leash and to seat the group outdoors on the front patio. A manager did come by to reseat the party, but I was taken aback at how liberal the business was with animals. Overall, I gave my lunch at La Jollita a rating between three and four stars. read more
1 month ago
INCREDIBLE! I went to Puesto last time I was in La Jolla and this place ran circles around it. Amazing service at the bar and the tuna tostada and surf and turf tacos were to die for. read more
8 months ago
This Spot has been occupied by many businesses in a short period of time. And now it's been occupied by LA JOLLITA. In our dining experience here the food and service were great. I think this one will be around for a long time. Pricing-wise, food taste,vibes, and service I see that this will stick around, we hope so, coz my wife and I like their food. Nice Space inside and their outdoor, we chose the outdoor because it's a bit chilly outside. Ordered The TOSTADO VALLARTA, The SHORES SURF & TURF, TACO LORENZA , TUNA TOSTADA Among the Tacos my Top pick that I like the most was the TORTADA VALLARTA and the THE SHORE SURF & TURF. The TORTADA VALLARTA is a razor cut fish tossed with/ onion and cucumber and dressed simply with lime and olive oil, very Crispy Tortilla. The fish is super Tasty. And the Shore Surf and turf the Shrimp texture was nice, I can taste the freshness of the Shrimp and the meat was very tasty. My wife loves her TUNA TOSTADA, she said she likes it, and my TOSTADO VALLARTA the most. THE SAUCE that comes with my Tostada Vallarta if you can ask extra of those it's actually a pretty good sauce for any of their Tacos. Don't know what it's called but it's here in my pic next to my tostada Vallarta Service was excellent from BRITNEY, vibes all around from the staff, and the inside dining area was all great. But Parking if you are looking for a side street or metered, I think just go for paid Valet parking or paid building structure saves you more time going around looking for one. Spot had been occupied by many businesses in a short period of time. And now it's been occupied by LA JOLLITA. In our dining experience here food and service I think this one will be around for a long time. Pricing-wise, taste and vibes, and service I see that this will stick around, we hope so, coz my wife and I like their food. Nice Space inside and their outdoor, we chose the outdoor because it's a bit chilly outside. Ordered The TOSTADO VALLARTA, The SHORES SURF & TURF, TACO LORENZA , TUNA TOSTADA Among the Tacos my Top pick that I like the most was the TORTADA VALLARTA and the THE SHORE SURF & TURF. The TORTADA VALLARTA is a razor cut fish tossed with/ onion and cucumber and dressed simply with lime and olive oil, very Crispy Tortilla. The fish is super Tasty. And the Shore Surf and turf the Shrimp texture was nice, I can taste the freshness of the Shrimp and the meat was very tasty. My wife loves her TUNA TOSTADA, she said she likes it, and my TOSTADO VALLARTA the most. THE SAUCE that comes with my Tostada Vallarta if you can ask extra of those it's actually a pretty good sauce for any of their Tacos. Don't know what it's called but it's here in my pic next to my tostada Vallarta . Service was excellent from Britnee M. and vibes all around from the staff, and the inside dining area was all great. We like the food so we are definitely visiting again . But Parking if you are looking for a side street or metered, I think just go for paid Valet parking or paid building structure saves you more time going around looking for one. read more
La Jollita has lots of potential. The food is excellent and the ambiance is very nice. It has only been open for two weeks, and the staff I interacted with was professional and attentative. But a few things could use improvement. We dined here on a busy Saturday evening. I ordered two tacos -Taco Dumbo and Smoked Tuna Taco - both were very good although I preferred the tuna. Both were much better than at the other expensive taco place a few blocks away. Mel ordered three tacos and loved all three. We also got a side of beans and she got a lovely margarita. All good! A couple of areas to improve. There were too many any staff on the floor to the point of having some of the younger employees standing around and joking - this was distracting and it only contributed to the noisy/rushed feel of the restaurant. The prices were inconsistent. It is odd that the margarita ($14) was cheaper than a side of beans ($15). Not complaining about the margarita price, but the beans were just too expensive for what you got. Finally, the staff were extremely/aggressively eager to clear plates - sometimes without asking and sometimes while you were still holding your taco or with food still on the plate. This might be because there were too many workers and they needed to have something to do. Interestingly, they did not notice the empty water bottle and only brought a new one when I asked. All of that said, I enjoyed my visit to La Jollita and will come again. I attribute some of these issues to the newness, and certainly hope they resolve things as the restaurant matures. 3.5 start for this first experience. read more
We dined at La Jollita for my mom's birthday and it was excellent! The food, drink, and service were all top notch. Parking on a Tuesday night was surprisingly busy in the village, so our party of 8 trickled in. It wasn't a problem at all to be seated without our full party. We sat at a table that was against the wall with a long padded bench on one side and chairs on the other side. This was perfect since we needed a high chair. The atmosphere overall was really nice. My husband even commented that he could actually hear the people at our table, so while it was a lively restaurant, it wasn't so loud that we couldn't hear one another. The drinks at La Jollita were pretty reasonably priced. I had the mezcalita with passionfruit, though they can also make it with hibiscus. My mom enjoyed her margarita and my husband really liked the Black Pearl. The food was amazing. You could really taste the freshness of the seafood. For starters, we shared the rock shrimp, ceviche, shrimp cocktail. All were great, but I preferred the ceviche over the shrimp cocktail. The rock shrimp was really good too. My husband and I shared a tuna tostada (they said this was more of an individual portion), but we easily cut it in half. That was my favorite from the cold bar. I had a surf & turf taco and that was delicious. My husband enjoyed the smoked tuna taco and my uncle enjoyed the taco dumbo. For fish, we ordered the branzino and the fish zarandeado. Not sure what type of fish, but the zarandeado was cooked perfectly. At the end, they brought out a birthday flan (with a candle) for my mom. The service was very good. Our server, Edgar, was very patient as he had to come back to our table as people were arriving to get our drink orders. He anticipated when we needed more drinks. The food was brought out surprisingly fast. I feel like we ordered and it appeared almost immediately! The entire staff was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back. They also have a dog friendly patio at the front of the restaurant. read more
This place caught our eye while exploring La Jolla. The place is inviting and the staff were very friendly, we were seated quickly even without a reservation. The staff were friendly and efficient. The food was delicious! We ordered the tuna tostadas, tacos governor and tacos Lorenza. Can't wait to eat here again! read more
5 months ago
The tuna tostada stole the show! It was so good! Had my mouth watering. I also had the pacific coast taco which was shrimp with a chipotle sauce and a carne asada taco. Both were also good. The tamarindo Paloma was okay, I hardly tasted the tamarindo but still good. Espresso martini with tequila was my favorite. I would definitely be visiting again. Staff was top tier, never had an empty dish in front of us read more
4 months ago
The tuna tostada was absolutely delicious and the clear standout of the night. We also tried the surf n turf, Dumbo, and Pacific Coast chipotle shrimp tacos. All were very good, but the tuna tostada was the one that made us immediately order another before we left. The margarita was great and paired well with everything. The patio seating was comfortable and had a really nice evening breeze rolling through. If you have been in the sun all day, you might want to bring a light wrap or jacket because it cools down quickly once the sun goes down. Overall the food had great flavor, the vibe was relaxed, and it was an easy place to sit back and enjoy a really good meal. read more
2 months ago
I've been hearing about La Jollita and decided to try it on our way to La Jolla Playhouse -- and oh my goodness, I'm so glad we did! The customer service is top notch, and the food is next level. Fernando, our server, was so good -- super nice, helpful, and gave us great recommendations. We started with drinks -- Sangre de Mar and the mango seafood drink -- both so, so good. Then we had the ceviche Los Arcos, tiradito callo de hacha, and avocado salad... everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. We actually ordered a second avocado salad because it was that good! For tacos, we got the smoked tuna, gobernador, and dumbo -- all amazing, especially the gobernador (we had to order another one). You seriously need to come here. We'll definitely be back, and very soon! read more
13 days ago
6 months ago
My roommates and I wanted to try something new which is why restaurant week came to us at the perfect timing! I made a reservation through Open Table so we got seated relatively quickly. Our server was super friendly as well, although I didn't catch her name. I appreciate the coat hanger/bag hanger to the side of our tables. We all got the tuna tostada as our starter. It was SO good, I would come back for that alone. For our entree, I chose the fish filet which was super filling and delicious. My roommate got the filet mignon and was unimpressed so maybe pass on that one. I got the tres leches for my dessert which was great, while my roommates got the flan. They thought the flan was a bit too heavy but nonetheless, we had a great dining experience! read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
amazing food amazing service Juan Carlos was so nice and enjoyable. Definitely coming back. read more
2 months ago
6 months ago
Came for restaurant week and had a great experience. The servers and manager were attentive and gave good recommendations. I only took a star off because my steak was not the appropriate temp even after being redone. I ordered medium rare and the first one came out well done and the second medium. Otherwise the food was good. The green salsa is very flavorful. The tuna tostada was fresh and delicious. Loved the desserts. Would go back but wouldn't order the filet mignon. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
One of my favorite places in all of San Diego. The best seafood, and being a Mexican native this place truly takes me back to my roots. Amazing drinks and the food is phenomenal. The staff is extremely friendly and makes you feel right at home, it also feels nice to be treated as family... we're here so often we love this place. 100/10 read more
Came here after seeing an influencer come here with her family .We were in the area so we decided to come and check it out for dinner. We arrived around 5:30 pm there was a wait but being that it was just two of us they seated us right away . This place was packed. Not sure how long this place has been opened here in La Jolla but it's pretty popular at the moment. Service was good and they are very attentive. I ordered two tostadas the tuna and the jollita. They were both very tasty and they reminded me of the tostadas de ceviche from the ceviche place in the Mercado in Tepa. My husband ordered two tacos , taco dumbo and Taco Lorenzo. He liked the dumbo best over the Lorenzo which he said had no taste .Then I ordered another drink and ordered a Paloma, which to me was not a Paloma. I couldn't even drink it because it was that bad. I wonder if the bartenders are even tasting what they are making? I even had my husband try it and he said it was not good . I did let the waitress know and I think it bothered her that I said I didn't like it . She was kind enough to go and let the manager know and they took it off our bill. I don't think I would come back again , the prices were a bit on the high side for tacos and tostadas. One plus is that they bring you complimentary chips and salsa. You get green and red salsa but none are spicy (unfortunately) they were just ok. read more
18 days ago
5 months ago
The service was very good. After we arrived, it took about 10 minutes for them to take our drink and food order. The tostadas and tacos we ordered were delicious--highly recommended! We also ordered a main dish, the filet mignon, which was very good, although the cheese was a little salty. The only thing I honestly didn't like--and the reason I'm giving it 4 stars--was the esquite and the fideos secos. They were bland and lacked flavor. The esquite in particular was not good; it almost felt like I was just eating butter. At the end, we ordered the flan and the cake of the day, which was a tres leches cake--both were delicious. Their signature drinks, the carajillo and the espresso martini, are also highly recommended. read more
6 months ago
We live on the east coast and we dont have any seafood mexican restaurant like this one. Everything was delicious and o loved that they had the fideos secos thoseade my night. read more
3 months ago
Tuna tostada was amazing. But the smoked tuna taco was so bad. And unfortunately the ceviche was not good either... I wish I liked the food more because it's so cute but the tostada and the tres leches are the only good things we had read more
4 months ago
3 months ago
Riquísimo! Service was 10 out of 10. We had a great time. Absolutely love this place. Sebastian was an amazing host for us! I will 100% be back read more
2 months ago
3 months ago
Ayer fui a la Jollita a celebrar mi cumpleaños y me encantó !! La comida estaba deliciosa y el servicio increíble, me gustó mucho y si lo recomiendo. Me atendió Fernando y excelente servicio, también Alberto en barra muy atento con nosotros. Gracias La Jollita read more
7 months ago
I waited almost 24 hours to write this review so I could respond thoughtfully rather than emotionally. To start on a positive note, the employees are attentive and friendly. They genuinely seem happy to be there, and that shows in their customer service. Upon arrival, our waiter took our drink order. My husband asked for a specific brand of tequila that wasn't available, and the waiter suggested an alternative, which my husband agreed to try. Our drinks arrived along with guacamole, which unfortunately was very bland, flavorless, and disappointing. We snacked on the complimentary chips and salsa (salsas were bland and tasteless) while waiting for our appetizers and main course. Within the first five minutes, a waiter arrived with a tray of food that was not ours. We let him know, and although he seemed confused, he took the food away. Shortly after, another waiter came to our table with a different tray of food that also was not ours. Again, there was confusion, and he left. Our ahi tostada and taco gobernador eventually arrived and were tasty. After that, however, the wait became excessive. Nearly an hour and a half passed with no main course. During this time, our water was refilled multiple times, our chips and salsa were replenished twice, and my husband was brought another tequila shot--which he normally would not order, but the wait had become so long. Oh! And another tray arrived that was also not our food. We watched people arrive, eat, and leave as we continued to wait. When my husband finally flagged down our waiter, he was asked if we wanted the check. The check! Before we had even been served our entrées! We explained that we were still waiting for our food. The waiter looked perplexed, apologized, and rushed to the kitchen, but it still took another 20 minutes for our meal to arrive. We ordered the fish that serves 3 people and no sides. When we asked for tortillas, one waiter brought tortillas and then another waiter came with a second plate of tortillas which again, we said we had already received. The bill reflected $4 for tortillas! Given everything that had gone wrong, this was frustrating, as they easily could have been comped. The final issue came when we received the bill and noticed two charges of $69 each for tequila shots. Yes, $69 per shot. I don't know much about drinks, but I think the waiter should have informed my husband that one shot would be more expensive than a main course! Nothing was proactively taken off the bill despite the long wait and mistakes. Only after we complained was the fish entrée discounted by 50%. What disappointed me most was not just the waiter forgetting to put our order in, but the complete lack of management involvement. We sat at the table for nearly two and a half hours, yet no manager came over to acknowledge the situation, offer an apology, or provide any gesture of goodwill. We even requested to speak with a manager, and no one ever came. This was our first visit, and unfortunately, it left us with a very poor first impression. It's a shame, because the food itself showed potential, but the overall experience fell far short of expectations. read more
7 months ago
Beautiful place! Brand new, but to get straight to it, portions are SMALL, and pricey. We ordered: tuna tostada, queso fundido, and taco lorenza(not pictured). The Taco was delicious! The queso fundido was good, and then hardened after 10 seconds, with not much flavor from the seafood chorizo. The tuna tostada was pretty solid, but the soy sauce/ chili seasoning was just heavy. Like each bite was really salty. I like my food seasoned, but the balance felt a little off. Would be perfect with less soy sauce. It's a great place to enjoy a night out with people, but we didn't want to order anything else after looking at the size of the esquites being as big as the spoon they give you, and the mexican cocktail is sadly small. Service was very nice, yet still was kinda hard to get our servers attention being not that busy. Overall nice place for a couple bites and $60 read more
4 months ago
Stopped by La Jollita for drinks and appetizers--such a great experience. The staff was incredibly friendly, especially Boaz at the bar who made an amazing margarita. I tried the Mazatlán shrimp cocktail and it was delicious. Definitely looking forward to going back and trying more from the menu! read more
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La Jollita - seafood - Updated July 2026
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