Pho Hoa on El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights, San Diego, the long-running Vietnamese soup counter selling large bowls of beef pho for under seven dollars.
Address: 4717 El Cajon Blvd, San Diego, CA 92115
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in Mission Hills, San Diego, the take-out wrestling-themed counter slinging four-dollar tacos and the Surfin' California burrito for fourteen.
Try: Surfin' California burrito, $4 tacos, Lucha-style adobada
Bread and Cie's cafe counter on University Avenue in Hillcrest, San Diego, the in-house bakery serving sandwiches on its own stone-hearth loaves for under fifteen dollars.
Try: Sandwiches on house bread, soups, scones
Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista, San Diego, the open-until-4am Tijuana-style trompo carving adobada tacos for around three dollars and California burritos under twelve.
Try: Vertical-trompo adobada tacos under $4
Lolita's Mexican Food on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, the California-burrito counter selling the canonical version for under twelve dollars.
Try: California burrito under $12, breakfast burrito $8-10
Oscar's Mexican Seafood on Emerald Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego, the local-vote fish taco champion with battered fish for under five and ceviche tostadas at seven.
Try: Fish tacos under $5, ceviche tostadas $7
Filippi's Pizza Grotto on India Street in San Diego's Little Italy, the 1950 family-Italian counter behind a market storefront pouring red-sauce pasta and pies under eighteen.
Try: Pizza by the slice, hero sandwiches, family-style pasta
