Diners' Choice: Mexican restaurants in San Diego

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants with the best overall Mexican cuisine in San Diego? You’re in the right place. Each month OpenTable analyzes more than 400,000 new diner reviews. We sort the results by category to help you discover new favorites. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

El Agave

4.7

4.7 (2436)

$30 and under

Mexican

Old Town

About the restaurant

Experience the true flavor of Mexico at San Diego’s premier Mexican cuisine destination.
Established in 1996, El Agave Restaurant & Tequileria offers its patrons a unique dining setting within
the largest tequila museum in the United States – with over 3,000 tequilas on display – also
repeatedly voted the #1 tequila bar in the country. Nestled in historic Old Town, San Diego, it is the
perfect place to enjoy a business lunch, romantic date, rehearsal dinner or to simply relax and
unwind sipping find tequila with friends.

Top review

April

Dined 2 days ago

Great experience dining in Old Town, love the ambiance and food ! Excellent service staff

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South of Nick's - Del Mar

4.7

4.7 (564)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Del Mar

About the restaurant

An essential stop in San Diego for Southern California Mexican Cuisine.

South of Nick's Mexican Kitchen & Bar features Classic Mexican favorites, prime steaks and seafood with a So Cal twist. Fine Tequilas & Margaritas

Our food and drink meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and combines both modern-creative and traditional styles of cooking.

Nick’s is dedicated to perfecting the dining experience through continuous innovation, offering the highest quality food and beverage, and executing impeccable standards of hospitality. The deeply instilled Nick’s culture is personified by its Ladies and Gentlemen – professionals who share a single focus and are inspired and committed to offering great service and creating positive memorable experiences.

Top review

Lisa

Dined 6 days ago

I love this place! Food and service is incredible!

Blanco Cocina + Cantina – Fashion Valley

4.7

4.7 (553)

$30 and under

Mexican

Mission Valley

About the restaurant

Blanco is more than your typical Mexican restaurant, it‘s an escape from the ordinary, a happy hour hang out, a place to sit back, recharge and party. It’s a vacation in your neighborhood that helps you relax with your favorite people. For food, margaritas, and good times, Blanco is the perfect place to find your bliss.

Top review

Schnazzyvip

Dined 1 day ago

The food was fantastic. The service was super slow and our waitress wasn’t attentive. She spilled water on our table and didn’t have the decency to wipe the table dry.

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4.8

4.8 (329)

$30 and under

Mexican

Hillcrest

About the restaurant

If you are in the mood for creative, Tex-Mex inspired dishes, the fun and atmosphere of Baja Betty's in San Diego, CA is for you. This popular eatery provides diners with a colorful and entertaining setting in which to savor a full array of dishes made from the freshest and most authentic ingredients.

The menu at Baja Betty's features many expected options, such as a comprehensive quesadilla menu and array of satisfying combination platters. However, diners can also enjoy a build your own burrito or bowl, an array of house specialties and tacos and some stunning signature margaritas to wash it all down. The menu at Baja Betty's also offers a long list of tequilas and mezcals, a full range of appetizers, nachos, soups, salads and the best Taco Tuesday in town!

Top review

Tina

Dined 3 days ago

Love love this place!!! Good good food good fun. Super sweet staff!! Everyone was very kind!!!😍😍😍❤️❤️❤️🥰🥰🥰

Blanco Cocina + Cantina - Coronado

4.7

4.7 (100)

$30 and under

Mexican

Coronado

About the restaurant

Secure your spot and experience Blanco’s fresh twist on Mexican food. Lounge long and on with tantalizing tequila flights and easy but innovative tacos. Go for the classic but fresh burrito or bowl layered with savory fillings like spicy Machaca short rib or red chili chicken, fresh salsas, and our famous house guacamole. Whether you’re hungry for something flavorful or thirsty for something fun, we’ve got everything you want at Blanco.

Top review

Dylan

Dined 1 day ago

Excellent as always will keep returning always have a good time here

Rockin Baja Lobster Old Town

4.6

4.6 (1852)

$30 and under

Mexican

Old Town

About the restaurant

Rockin' Baja is a full service and fun Mexican-Seafood restaurant that offers uniquely prepared Baja style seafood presented in rustic steel buckets. We created a diverse menu filled with exceptionally great, finger lickin’ good fun food delivered fresh to your table daily. Kick back, drink an ice cold beer or margarita, enjoy a shot of tequila and experience all the good times that are Rockin’ Baja.

Top review

Ray

Dined on Oct 5, 2024

As always everything was great. Definitely be back soon.

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4.6

4.6 (3435)

$30 and under

Mexican

La Jolla

About the restaurant

JAVIER'S presents a rich heritage of elevated Mexican cuisine in a friendly, captivating ambiance. Enjoy hand-shaken margaritas, rare tequilas, craft cocktails and a vast selection of beer and fine wines. Dine with us in the main dining room, al fresco patios, one of our semi private dining rooms, or at the exquisite bar surrounded by one of the West Coast's largest selection of the world's finest tequilas. We at JAVIER'S consider all our wonderful customers a part of our family and thank them for their support and sharing in the success and joy that is JAVIER'S. Come experience the freshness of our original Mexican cuisine in a warm, friendly environment at one of our five locations.

Please be advised we don't allow strollers. If you bring your stroller we have a designated area to store your stroller while you dine.

Top review

andrewvip

Dined 1 day ago

Great place for a great time. Livley and excellent food and service. On the pricy side but worth it.

Puesto La Jolla

4.6

4.6 (2094)

$30 and under

Mexican

La Jolla

About the restaurant

Owned and operated by a Mexican American family whose best memories all include tacos. Puesto is an award-winning Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar providing an innovative approach to authentic Mexican flavors. Puesto has garnered national acclaim for its Mexico City-style crispy melted cheese tacos, served on handmade non-GMO, organic, maíz azul stone-ground tortillas.

In addition to tacos, offerings include a selection of fresh catch ceviches, guacamoles, starters and ensaladas, courtesy of Chef/Partner Luisteen Gonzales. The bar program showcases the best of Mexico City through the use of fresh ingredients in our hand crafted cocktails and housemade Micheladas, tequilas, mezcals, Baja craft beers, and Valle de Guadalupe wines you can’t find elsewhere.

We’re honored to have been featured by media outlets nationally and internationally, some of which include National Geographic, Huffington Post, Insider, Zagat, Eater, Food and Wine, LA Times and the Michelin Guide.

Top review

Joelvip

Dined 7 days ago

Fabulous Taco Tuesday Experience Great Customer Service

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Experience

Taco Tuesday!

Puesto at the Headquarters

4.6

4.6 (3470)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Downtown

About the restaurant

Owned and operated by a Mexican American family whose best memories all include tacos, Puesto is an award-winning Mexican Artisan Kitchen & Bar providing an innovative approach to authentic Mexican flavors. Puesto has garnered national acclaim for its Mexico City-style crispy melted cheese tacos, served on handmade non-GMO, organic, maíz azul stone-ground tortillas.

In addition to tacos, offerings include a selection of fresh catch ceviches, guacamoles, starters and ensaladas, courtesy of Chef/Partner Luisteen Gonzales. The bar program showcases the best of Mexico City through the use of fresh ingredients in our hand crafted cocktails and housemade Micheladas, tequilas, mezcals, house-brewed beers, and Valle de Guadalupe wines you can’t find elsewhere

We’re honored to have been featured by media outlets nationally and internationally, some of which include National Geographic, Huffington Post, Refinery 29, MSN, Insider, Zagat, Eater, Food and Wine, and LA Times.

Top review

Sassy18

Dined 7 days ago

So good!! Ali was our server and she was kind and helpful with recommendations. The tacos are unique and such a different flair than what you will find anywhere else. They recommend 2-3 per person. There were 2 of us, so we ordered 5 and then split them so we could taste a variety. Surprisingly, the filet mignon taco was our favorite, followed by the shrimp and pork. The salsa flight/tour was fun but it is definitely spicy. I’d still order it anyway. :)

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Experience

Taco Tuesday!

Cocina de Barrio Encinitas

4.6

4.6 (106)

$30 and under

Mexican

Encinitas

About the restaurant

*Brunch hours are on a walk-in basis only.

Cocina de Barrio by Chef Jose J. Flores

Welcome to Cocina de Barrio, the newest modern-urban Mexican restaurant located in Encinitas, CA! We are proud to feature the culinary richness of Oaxaca as well as other Mexican regions. Stop by and enjoy our bar stocked with plenty of tequila and mezcal selections, beer, and wines sourced from Valle Guadalupe.

Don't forget to join us during our weekend brunch (where we add a Mexican kick) and our happy hour every Monday-Friday from 3-5pm! Stay Chido!

Top review

Alicia

Dined on Oct 2, 2024

Beautiful atmosphere and extraordinary cocktails and food. Amazing vegan options and they are willing to veganize dishes not on the vegan menu. Excellent service.

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