This was the first Mexican restaurant that I had to ask for salsa. I received my Order of 5 mini bean tostada (excellent) But there was no chips or salsa. I had to ask. read more

La Puerta - Me - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Quick run down to SD from LA for the weekend, yelping brought me here. The reviews about the vegetarian selections peaked me interest so here I am. After I arrived I was blown away by the ambiance and it drew me right in and had me ordering things & boy were they yummy in my mouth, the grilled veggie quesadillas were 10/10 ‍ read more

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I ordered mix n match Taco and spicy Margarita. I think the carnitas taco was very salty and I didn't like it much. Both pastor and shrimp tacos tasted good. The spicy margarita was ok, nothing special. The service was great, my server came to my table several times, she was very friendly and nice. read more

La Puerta - Spicy Margarita - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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I came for the fish tacos and left HAPPY. When we have so many good taco options here in San Diego, you don't think a restaurant as large, and with as many locations as La Puerta, will do them justice. But you're wrong because their ceviches and salsa alone, are worth the trip. The fish tacos were fresh and juicy, I come here once every few months. Service is the only reason they get 4 stars because they can be slow but it is worth the wait if you have the time. read more

Can't go wrong here order whatever looks delicious and it will be! Tequila menu is also crazy don't miss it!

The burritos here are amazing! They're huge, delicious, and so filling. The staff is also incredibly kind and made sure I had a great experience. I would definitely recommend this place! read more

After a long 2.5-hour drive from LA, their happy hour really hit the spot definitely a win. I ordered the steak and shrimp tacos, and they were great! The shrimp had this citrusy, lemon-pepper seasoning that made each bite pop, while the steak was perfectly cooked and paired beautifully with the shrimp for a balanced, flavorful combo. We also tried an appetizer (pictured below), though it wasn't particularly memorable compared to how amazing the tacos were. The service, however, was exceptional! Our server switched during our visit, and both of them were incredibly sweet, attentive, and made sure we were well taken care of the entire time. The atmosphere was just as impressive, the menus were creatively designed on what looked like vintage album covers (also pictured), and the artwork throughout the space really added to the artsy, laid-back vibe. Overall, La Puerta Taco is definitely a spot I'd recommend. Great tacos, fun ambiance, and outstanding service perfect for a happy hour stop after a long drive. read more

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Everything about this place is amazing... food, environment and all the staff. I highly recommend.

How can you say no to getting tacos in San Diego? There is a plethora of amazing places to choose from and after being in California for a few years, I have such deep heartfelt appreciation for solid tacos. After waiting for our friends to fly in, we decided to check out La Puerta, which they recommended. I will say this place is definitely a vibe! The interior is really casual and fun and I loved seeing all the mugshots plastered on the walls. The decor gives such a hipster feel and I would definitely dine for the ambiance alone. If you know anything about the 27 club, you'll definitely get a kick out of this place! We had to wait 45 mins for our party of six but the hostess told us we could grab some drinks from the bar while we waited. Our group got a round of mexican candy shots and before we knew it our table was up. The Mexican candy shots hit the spot: fruity and citrusy with a rim of chamoy and tajin. I am used to the watermelon variety but this one tasted more like grapefruit and I really enjoyed it because it had the right amount of sweetness. When we got seated, we ordered some chips and guac and some carne asada fries. Portions were a good size to feed our ravenous table. For entrees, we got mix n match tacos and some people in our party split a burrito. I had cochinita and pastor tacos and the pastor was definitely my favorite of the two. I also liked how the plates came with beans and rice so it was very filling and worth the $19 price tag. I also ordered the howl at the moon cocktail which was a spicy margarita with reposado. I thought it was really nice and refreshing but I think I would like to taste a little more of a spicy kick to it. If you have reservations about spice and want to try it, it may not to be too overwhelming. (Definitely subjective though, I have a high spice tolerance) Overall, a solid dining experience. I will definitely return when I'm in the area! read more

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July 25 2025, me and my husband visited this establishment. Originally starting off, the service was not all that good. When we ordered a salad with chicken and the salad without chicken....I felt like I had to hunt for our server every time we needed something. I make it a point, by saying that every time me and my husband are in town. We always stop by this restaurant because it's one of our favorites. However, what really made our experience great was the owner of this establishment. He came over to our table never end of our meal and personally apologize for the servers lack of competency. He fixed our evening and set it on the right path. All in all, I would stop by this location due to the ambience and the delicious food. read more

La Puerta - Dessert - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Special thanks to Chloe for a great service and the assistance in figuring out where to go next on an impromptu Gaslamp bar crawl. The beverages here were incredible, in addition to traditional margs they have a lot of mezcal. Our group favorite was the "bark at the moon" cocktail, which was a spicy marg with reposado and serrano agave. Honorable mention to the frozen mojito - crisp and delish, you're probably going to get a brain freeze from drinking it too fast. There are quite a few fried fries options that I'd like to try out when I visit them again! read more

Drinks strong, food was beyond amazing. Only shrimp I've ever enjoyed. All other reviews saying food was mid are full of it. Nick B was awesome, great bartender and representative of the restaurant. I would be here every week if I lived within 30 mins of it. Thank you for an awesome end to my vacation. read more

This is a late review...my first time, my husband's second time eating at this restaurant. He loved it and I didn't. The food was okay. The service was okay. But the ambiance and decor was amazing. Check out the photos. I would go back if invited to a gathering. I wouldn't go again because I prefer authentic Mexican food but misappropriation food. read more

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Awesome staff at La Puerta! Thanks to Chloe for great service and helping us determine our next stop on an impromptu bar crawl around Gaslamp. The drinks here were amazing, they have a lot of mezcal options in addition to classic margs. The "bark at the moon" cocktail, a spicy marg with reposado and serrano agave, was our group's fan favorite. Honorable mention to the frozen mojito - crisp and delish, you're probably going to get a brain freeze from drinking it too fast. They offer a lot of loaded fries options that I want to try on a future visit! read more

It's been a while since I've been to La puerta. So I decided to update my review. First things first , I really do like their chicken quesadillas and the Carne Asada fries. Really good place for a Mexican food with good drinks in the gaslamp. Service is fast and efficient. This is a great vibe to be in if you're looking for a good date place or a place to hang out with your coworkers and friends. read more

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When in San Diego literally have to eat all the Mexican food you can find. Checked out the gaslamp and came across this restaurant. Waited almost an hour for our seats but that's ok it was well worth it. Trust me thought, if you have kids this may not be the area for them although the restaurant was nice and the food was good, it was more like a barzy type of vibe, nothing wrong it's just that we prefer not to have our children with us. Luckily they loved their food. Would recommend and hopefully we will be back to visit! read more

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The food is delicious and comes out ridiculously fast. The staff is friendly and helpful to first-timera.

We walked to La Puerta around 10:30 on a Saturday night and were seated quickly. We had a taco plate and loved it. Nice sized portions. The ambiance was nice as well. Music was playing but chill vibe. Drinks were on point and our server was attentive. This was our first visit here and we were not disappointed. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in San Diego!! They have the best happy hour in SD imo. Happy hour is 3pm-5pm half off alcohol and appetizers AND late night happy hour is 10pm-close half off appetizers and frozen drinks!! The ceviche is my FAVORITE DISH 10/10 recommend. Every time we come here we have the best time, service, food and drinks :) Nick and Carlos were so friendly and helpful as well. Can't wait to come back!! read more

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Food is amazing, salsa has the right kick and flavor recommended the Carne Asada Quesadilla good size plates enough to share the servers are great as well read more

Currently sitting by at the bar and have to give a shoutout to my bartender Dakota for making sure that my drink was never empty and that I left full. Also, she had the best smile :) read more

La Puerta is a vibe. It is the place to gather, enjoy the company of friends, and good eats and drinks served with friendly staff. We loved our meals. I had a great Al pastor burrito smother in side-by-side red and green sauce lined with crema. We had chips (love the salsas, particularly the roasted red salsa.) my son loved the chicken burrito, saying the meat was exceptional. I must agree. Try the appetizers too. The queso fundito paired well with their house-made tortilla chips. Grab your friends and go party. read more

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WEIRD VIBES. Called the restaurant and was told Sunday happy hour was all day by an ai operator. Weird but okay. I live downtown so I walked over and waited 10 minutes for a table only to be told when they seated us that they stopped Sunday happy hour a while back. Out of hangry frustration we walked out. As I was leaving I said to my partner "that's bull****." But because I was so hungry, I returned to ask the manager if he would possibly honor what I was told on the phone because I just wanted to eat and we had already waited for a while. To my shock, he said he wouldn't because the server said I cussed AT her which was a ridiculous distortion of what happened. In what world would a customer (a former server myself) cuss at a server and then follow that by calmly and rationally explaining the happy hour mix up to a manager so that we could still dine there and potentially have the server waiting on us?!? Make it make sense, la Puerta. Oh, you can't because your employees are weird and dishonest and the manager was on an even weirder napoleonesque power trip. This place is weird all around. La Puerta being a long time go-to place for Mexican in downtown is a sad reflection of just how far gaslamp restaurants have fallen unfortunately. read more

I wish we hadn't tried this place. We were in town for a work event and afterwards decided we wanted to go get some food. In San Diego it's either Italian food or Mexican and we were feeling like Mexican. So we looked up a few places to see what always near to us and La puerta popped up. Now was sold us was that supposedly this place was voted to have some of the best tacos? Which honestly I wouldn't know because we decided to eat burritos but let me get to that. We get to the restaurant and receded rather quickly, which was great and were given this giant booth to sit in, which was awesome considering the restaurant itself is rather small. While my husband went to the restroom, the waitress came up didn't tell me her name and goes would you like water or you wanna wait? I was kind of thrown off by how she asked that so I was like oh no yeah we'll just get water thank you and she walked off to go get it. I assumed after my husband had returned. We are finally going over the menu and she walks over to ask if we were ready to order and I told her we were just kind of going over it and decided to ask her regarding the drinks if they had other margaritas besides the frozen one, she goes these are all margaritas right here and she pointed to a section and I ask OK which one do you recommend and she looked visibly annoyed by my sheer audacity to even ask her. Ultimately, I just picked the first one she mentioned and she moved out of my husband who just ordered an iced tea. Then she walked off and came back with her drinks. We decided to order burritos because they sounded good and looks good on the menu, except I ended up taking out the pico de gallo and poblano pepper because I don't like spicy. I tend to get heartburn. Anyways, I ordered rice and sour cream in a place and my husband ordered. I believe it was a Cali burrito or some sort, and the order was placed. The food came rather quickly, which was awesome, except for the fact that my burrito came to me falling apart. While I'm trying to fight for my life And wrapped this burrito back up I realize that there's no sour cream in my burrito so I asked the waitress whom I didn't want to burden any further by asking questions, if she could just bring me some sour cream on the side it's not a big deal. I figured I'd just dip the burrito in it. While she did that, I continued to struggle with this freaking burrito because I was damned if I was gonna eat this thing with a fork and a knife. It's a burrito. You should be able to eat it with your hands. She came back with the sour cream and that's also when I noticed that the rice wasn't in there... There was no rice in the burrito. So at this point annoyed myself I say I just realized that there's also no rice in here she side, rolled her eyes and said ugh the kitchen keeps messing up and she walked away. Me and my husband looked at each other like uhhh okay. Then I see her come back with two little tiny cups, the kind where they usually bring you like chips, salsa in, full of rice... and then she walked away again. So ultimately I was left to build my own burrito. At the end of it all, I couldn't even finish the burrito because it was still falling apart and the Carne salad that was salty as hell. The guacamole wasn't spicy, which was great for me, but I don't know how that would fall for anybody else who is expecting spicy guacamole that has poblano pepper in it. The margarita that I got, I added mango to it, at the waitress recommendation, was flavorless and water down. Ultimately the whole experience was just a bummer. I get that a lot of people don't like to work on the weekends. I was one of those people, but it just felt like we weren't welcome. Now I sort of wish. I had tried the tacos instead, because then I'd be able to give you an honest opinion if they actually have the best tacos. We ended up paying her bill which she did remove the add-on of the rice and sour cream, and left. If you're wondering we still gave her a tip which honestly I feel we shouldn't have left. Walking out of there and feeling disappointed. We see a Taqueria across the street and looked at each other like we probably would've been better off eating here. We fell for the touristy trap of these hipster, bougie themed typed restaurants, I hope this helps save someone else for falling for it. read more

La Puerta - Front of restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was so delicious and the atmosphere is top notch. Quick service and easy access.

I went out with my friend to celebrate our late birthdays and we decided to check out La Puerta! Our server Jessica was amazing!!! Every suggestion she gave us was a hit! I had the Surf N Turf tacos and they were soooo good!!! I also had the Mexican candy shot and for a person who doesn't drink much it was fire!! I love all the mugshots on their wall! Overall, we had a great time and Jessica's service made our experience even better! Will definitely return read more

Came here for dinner with a friend and was able to make a reservation which was great. I wasn't super hungry so I got the ceviche which was delicious. It had amazing flavor, the shrimp was fresh and I loved all the avocado. Although I think if I had to share it, it would've been gone fast! My friend got the tacos which she liked and thought had good flavor. The plate wasn't huge and their prices are def a bit high but she enjoyed her meal. She also got the frozen margarita which she thought was yummy. The service was pretty good and the restaurant was busy. It's a cute restaurant located in a bustling area. Prices are def on the higher end, more than I feel they should be but we still Enjoyed the experience. read more

La Puerta - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Love that this place offers HH on the weekends! Stop by for a quick bite, they immediately sat us. We sat outside due to bringing my dog. Service was quick and good as always, they were constantly refilling our waters and brought out our drinks quickly. Ordered Cochinita Tostaditas and Carne Asada Quesadilla. The portion for both items were plenty and the salsa were delicious! You can always tell if the food is good based on the chips and salsa :) read more

La Puerta - Cochinita Tostaditas - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Coming back to La Puerta had me nervous. It had been almost a year since my last visit... would it be as good as I remembered? It was! Another absolutely awesome visit! The music was rocking and we got a table right away. The drinks were cold and refreshing, the house margaritas are awesome! The food was so good I almost forgot to get pics. We devoured 3/4 of the quesadillas before I could stop to think! The tacos are next level. I love the flavor balances and fresh ingredients. I got the surf 'n turf tacos. Absolutely amazing! It's hard to stop thinking about them! Great venue, great service, great food! If you are anywhere nearby, this is a must hit spot! read more

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The service was friendly but ultimately poor. The waitress forgot to bring our silverware, then brought too few silverware, and when we ordered some juice without ice, brought only half a cup of juice saying that since we didn't order ice, she could only fill half a cup. The food was decent, not great. Ultimately would not recommend this place read more

The food is amazing, definitely addicting. The service is great, not that much of a wait unless it gets really busy but its worth it. Its like a grungy type of style so the atmosphere is fairly dim but I like it. read more

The food is really good. The guac and chips is worth $15 for sure. The coconut shrimp gives 6 HUGE shrimp that can easily be an entree instead of starter. If ever in the area stop in. read more

La Puerta - Coconut Shrimp - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Good food, good vibes and music but way too loud for me. Drinks were nice and potent. My teens loved it. Service was a bit inattentive.

Every time I'm in SD I have to stop here. I took my family and they loved it too. It is always so good. See ya next time.

Every time I come here I get great service and great food. I usually sit at the bar which is always a vibe and the bartenders are efficient and friendly. It's my favorite Mexican spot downtown thus far. read more

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This place is truly amazing. I can't believe the happy hour prices for the quality of food and drinks you get, it's such a great value. I also noticed that all the tequila they use is additive-free, which is super impressive. The food is consistently delicious, and we love it so much we've already been several times. Had to give them a shout-out! read more

La Puerta - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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La Puerta has the best happy hour. Always go here before every Padres game to get half off appetizers and drinks. The bartender Travis is the absolute best. My mexican candy shot was delicious!!!! read more

La Puerta - Mexican candy shot - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

While it may not be truly authentic Mexican cuisine, it is undeniably tasty. We order the Carne Asada Burrito with extra beans, the Carne Asada Signature Street Tacos (YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THIS ONE), and for beverages (we're a bit conventional), we choose the Got to Give it up and Sober, both of which are delightful virgin drinks. We've also tried their Sopa De Pozole, and it's definitely worth sampling. The ambiance is dimly lit and romantic. There's plenty to observe if you're on an awkward date, with numerous conversation starters adorning the walls. On particularly busy days, it might be challenging to get the attention of a waitress, but rest assured they are diligently attending to multiple tables, so patience is key. Additionally, be prepared for a wait if you visit on a busy evening; this place is popular, and many others are eager to enjoy it. read more

Been eating here for a couple years. How have I not reviewed!! A few if my favorite things: Mexico City salad: it's a pretty simple salad with tomato, cucumber, avocado but that cilantro dressing brings it all together. Veggie quesadilla or burritos. Fresh veggies. Love the poblano TJ dogs get on happy hour Of course tacos. Can't go wrong with any. Did have an issue with one time with a server increasing my 20% tip to almost 50% credit card gave me the adjustment. So keep the receipts. I'm local but maybe thought I was a tourist and easy target. If there food wasn't delicious I probably would have not returned. Though in all times going this was the first issue. The ambience is great. Love the mug shots. The bar gets super tight and crowded at happy hour. You'll know your next seat partner intimately. Wish they removed a couple stools. read more

La Puerta - Grilled Veggie burrito and Mexico City Salad - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I saw this was rated highly in the area for best tacos and had to stop. I took the risk to be a walk in and a table was open. Inside is quite small and seating is tight. There is enough space for privacy. The carne asada tacos I ordered were absolutely delicious. I can see why every time I walk by they are busy. read more

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