California burrito is a signature dish of United States; we have verified places to eat it in San Diego. San Diego's defining flour-tortilla burrito: marinated carne asada, french fries, pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream or guacamole rolled tight at the counter. Start with where to eat California burrito in San Diego.
California burrito · San Diego
San Diego's defining flour-tortilla burrito: marinated carne asada, french fries, pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream or guacamole rolled tight at the counter. No rice, no beans. The fries are the trick.
The California burrito was invented in San Diego at one of the city's -bertos taquerias in the late 1970s or early 1980s, with Santana's Mexican Grill and the Lolita's chain among the spots that claim credit. The dish travelled north with surfers and college kids from Mission Beach and Pacific Beach kitchens, then settled into every San Diego taqueria as the city's house burrito. National Burrito Day 2026 saw KPBS publishing a full origin piece naming San Diego as the dish's home, though no single restaurant has been confirmed as the inventor.
Where to eat in San Diego:
- Lolita's Mexican Food
- Tacos El Gordo
- Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop
- El Comal
- La Puerta
Where to eat California burrito in San Diego: the editor picks