The other San Diego burrito: a flour tortilla rolled tight around carne asada, pico de gallo and guacamole. No fries; sometimes a smear of beans. The straight-up Tijuana original that came before the California version.
The carne asada burrito predates the California burrito by decades, dating to working-class kitchens in northern Mexico and crossing the border via the same Tijuana-and-San-Diego corridor that brought the fish taco and adobada. Border-shop kitchens like Aibert's, Roberto's and Lolita's served carne asada burritos through the 1960s and 70s before the fries innovation arrived. The dish remains the simpler, purer plate; surfers and skaters in Pacific Beach kept it in rotation as the California burrito's older cousin.
5 editor picks for Carne asada burrito in San Diego, ranked by editorial score. All San Diego signature dishes · Carne asada burrito across every city.
Tacos El Gordo ★ 4.7
chula-vista · 556 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Tacos El Gordo on Broadway in Chula Vista, San Diego, the canonical Tijuana-style adobada trompo carving handmade corn tortillas until 4am on weekends.
El Carrito ★ 4.4
barrio-logan · 2154 Logan Ave, San Diego, CA 92113
El Carrito on Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the homestyle Mexican counter in a 1930s streetcar with chilaquiles divorciados and carnitas.
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.
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.
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.