6 cheap eats rooms in San Diego, editor-picked. the best low-budget rooms in San Diego — the places editors actually return to. All San Diego food.
Tacos El Gordo ★ 4.7
chula-vista · 689 H St, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista is the Tijuana-style trompo taqueria on H Street and Broadway, with the city's canonical adobada al pastor sliced fresh from the vertical rotisserie.
Tip: Open until 02:00 Fri-Sat; the Broadway and H Street locations run separate queues. Cash speeds things.
Salud Tacos ★ 4.4
barrio-logan · 2196 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
Salud Tacos in San Diego is Ernie Becerra's Barrio Logan Chicano-style taqueria on Logan Avenue near Chicano Park, with murals on the walls and a counter built around the carne asada plancha.
Tip: Cash-and-card both fine; pair with a stroll through Chicano Park's mural gardens half a block south.
Lolita's Mexican Food ★ 4.3
clairemont · 7305 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, Ste A, San Diego, CA 92111
Lolita's Mexican Food in San Diego is the Clairemont Mesa Boulevard Chicano taqueria chain founded by the Lolita Garcia family, the originator of carne asada fries in the late 1990s.
Tip: Drive-through and counter both fine; the 24-hour locations stay open for the post-bar burrito run.
El Comal ★ 4.2
north-park · 3946 Illinois St, San Diego, CA 92104
El Comal in San Diego is the North Park family-owned Mexican kitchen on Illinois Street, a longstanding interior-Mexican counter known for carnitas, chilaquiles and Sunday mole.
Tip: Cash on hand speeds the counter; the courtyard patio runs warmer than the indoor room.
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop ★ 4.2
mission-hills · 1810 W Washington St, San Diego, CA 92103
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in San Diego is the Mission Hills Mexican-wrestling-themed taqueria on Washington Street, the Diners Drive-Ins and Dives stop with masked-luchador decor.
Tip: Book the gold booth on the website 48 hours ahead; the line at the counter moves fast after 1pm.
Pokez ★ 4.1
east-village · 947 E St, San Diego, CA 92101
Pokez in San Diego is Rafael Reyes's East Village punk-rock Mexican counter since 1994, the first vegetarian and vegan Mexican kitchen in the city and the late-night skater institution downtown.
Tip: Cash and card both fine; the room is tiny and the look is intentionally punk-western. Counter service.