Hand-rolled corn-masa tamale filled with simmered pork and red chile, wrapped in a corn husk and steamed in batches. The Barrio Logan recipe from the Estudillo family since 1933, reopened in May 2026.

Las Cuatro Milpas opened in 1933 at 1857 Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan under the Estudillo family, serving the same pork tamale, handmade tortilla and chile relleno recipes for 92 years before financial pressures closed the historic location. The restaurant reopened on May 10, 2026, at 1985 National Avenue inside Mercado del Barrio, with lines around the block for opening week. KPBS and Times of San Diego ran the reopening story. The pork tamale is the dish that built the queue; the recipe has not changed since the Estudillo grandmother first rolled them.

2 editor picks for Las Cuatro Milpas-style pork tamale in San Diego, ranked by editorial score. All San Diego signature dishes · Las Cuatro Milpas-style pork tamale across every city.

Las Cuatro Milpas ★ 4.6

$Street foodBarrio Logan

Las Cuatro Milpas at Mercado del Barrio in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the 1933 Estudillo-family counter back open since May 2026 with its same.

OrderPork tamales, hand-pressed flour tortillas, rolled tacos

DirectionsView

El Comal ★ 4.2

$MexicanNorth Park

El Comal in San Diego is the North Park family-owned Mexican kitchen on Illinois Street, a longstanding interior-Mexican counter known for carnitas.

OrderThe carnitas plate with handmade tortillas; weekend chilaquiles before noon.

TipCash on hand speeds the counter; the courtyard patio runs warmer than the indoor room.

DirectionsView

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