14 Best Restaurants Old Town San Diego

Photo Credit: Olga Nayashkova

• Price: $$
• Address: 2461 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website:  cafecoyoteoldtown.com
• Best for: Authentic Mexican food.

Sifting through the tourist traps to find the best Mexican food in Old Town isn’t hard. After all, Cafe Coyote has earned the title for the past 20 years!

The kitchen staff of Mexican chefs prepare dishes with traditional recipes and fresh ingredients. The menu is strictly Mexican with entrees like tacos, enchiladas, carnitas, quesadillas, and tamales. And you can’t miss the famous Tortilla Ladies preparing fresh tortillas by hand daily in front of the restaurant.

Casa de Reyes

Photo Credit: Namyong Kwon

• Price: $$
• Address: 2754 Calhoun St, San Diego, CA
• Website:  casadereyesrestaurant.com
• Best for: Live entertainment.

Dining out isn’t just about the food but also the ambiance! Casa de Reyes is one of the best Mexican restaurants for turning meal time into fun time with featuring live music. Weekends are the best time to come when you can catch live performances on the Fiesta de Reyes stage. See mariachi bands dressed in their Traje de Charro and playing traditional Mexican songs.

While their popular Mexican dishes like Old Town nachos, tacos, burritos, or seasonal specials are more than enough to satisfy, you don’t want to miss a chance to get up and dance along to the music after you eat.

There’s even a special celebration for Cinco de Mayo if you visit San Diego in the Spring.

Casa Guadalajara

Photo Credit: Damon Buff

• Price: $$
• Address: 4105 Taylor St, San Diego, CA
• Website:  casaguadalajara.com
• Best for: Dining in a Mexican-inspired setting.

Casa Guadalajara stimulates all of your senses for an authentic Mexican dining experience. It’s one of the best Old Town San Diego restaurants that truly transports you south of the border to Mexico.

The smell of traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisines greets you at the door. Taste award-winning dishes like Pescado a la Naranja and Seafood Tostado. Gaze around the patio and see colorful paper picado draping overhead and vibrant tiled tables. Listen to the sounds of live mariachi bands and feel the warm hospitality of friendly servers.

Old Town Mexican Cafe

Photo Credit: Olga Miltsova

• Price: $$
• Address: 2489 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website:  oldtownmexcafe.com
• Best for: Handmade tortillas.

You can always taste the difference between store-bought and hand-pressed tortillas. Look in the Old Town Mexican Café window while walking down San Diego Ave to see tortilla making in action, then grab a table to taste them fresh from the kitchen.

This Old Town staple has perfected the art of tortilla-making since opening in 1977. The menu has several dishes where you get to try them for yourself. Order your tacos and burritos with flour tortillas. Or popular meals like the Old Town Pollo served with a side of corn tortillas and salsa.

Old Town Tequila Factory Restaurant and Cantina

Photo Credit: Joshua Resnick

• Price: $$
• Address: 2467 Juan St, San Diego, CA
• Website:  oldtowntequilafactory.com
• Best for: Dining with a panoramic rooftop view of Old Town.

Experience one of the popular Old Town restaurants with a modern twist at the chic Old Town Tequila Factory. Contrast this modern Mexican restaurant perched on a rooftop with panoramic views of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park to Mission Bay.

Come for happy hour (M-F) on the Tequila Terrace for drink specials and deals on sharable appetizers like the Tres Amigos Taquitos and Guacamole Primo. Lunch and dinner serve specialties like the famous fajitas and seafood hour specials. The Sunday Champagne Buffet Brunch has all-you-can-eat and is open to adults and kids.

El Agave Restaurant and Tequileria

Photo Credit: E Gil

• Price: $$$
• Address: 2304 San Diego Ave B, San Diego, CA
• Website:  elagave.com
• Best for: High-end Mexican restaurant.

Mexican cuisine isn’t just about street tacos and margaritas. If you’re looking for something classier for date night, El Agave Restaurant is a go-to Old Town San Diego Restaurant.

Make reservations for a table in this dimly lit restaurant. Step up your taste palate with sophisticated Mexican cuisines of Chile Relleno, Arrachera Tampiquena, and gourmet tacos. The real star of this restaurant is the drink menu. It has more than 2,000 types of tequila and is recognized as the largest Tequila Museum in America. Cheers!

Miguel’s Cocina

Photo Credit: Mahault Albarracin

• Price: $$
• Address: 2444 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website:  miguels-cocina.com
• Best for: Cali-Mexican fusion food.

Mexican influence has undeniably left its mark on San Diego. However, inspiration is a two-way street, with restaurants like Miguel’s Cocina showing California’s influence on Mexican cuisine.

It has a menu full of dishes that blend in a taste of SoCal. The Surf & Turf Burrito is stuffed with French fries inspired by Cali surfers who wanted to load up on carbs after a surf session. Fish Tacos are a San Diego staple thanks to the accessibility of fresh fish from the sea (check out our other San Diego taco recommendations here). And chocolate empanadas for dessert because chocolate makes everything taste better!

Barra Barra Saloon

Photo Credit: Saw Yu Moon

• Price: $$
• Address: 4016 Wallace St, San Diego, CA
• Website:  barrabarrasaloon.com
• Best for: Kid-friendly restaurant.

Finally, a saloon that kids are more than welcome to enter! This Old World Mexican-style venue only has the appearance of a saloon—it’s a family-friendly atmosphere that ensures kids eat just as good as the adults.

Barra Barra Saloon is a family-owned Mexican restaurant in the Fiesta de Reyes complex. Its family values trickle down to the menu that gives extra attention to the ‘little amigos.’ It has a designated kids' menu with Mexican dishes served with a healthy side. Kids 10 and under eat free every day!

Celebrate your birthday here during your visit to San Diego for a free dinner on the 5th day of your birthday month.

Tahona Bar

Photo Credit: Mary Brown

• Price: $$
• Address: 2414 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website:  tahonabar.com
• Best for: A curated chef dining experience.

After an eerie walk through Old Town’s Campo Santo Cemetery, shake off the chills with Mezcal. It’s the one spirit that won’t give you a fright, and it’s the perfect pairing for Oaxacan and Baja California-inspired cuisine.

Tahona Bar features the Chef’s Tasting Menu. It’s a six-course meal crafted by Executive Chef Adrian Villarreal using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Choose from more than 120 Mezcal varieties paired with your meal.

Make reservations for the hidden Occult 477 speakeasy behind the bar.

Casa de Freds, Tacos y Tequila

Photo Credit: Joshua Resnick

• Price: $
• Address: 2470 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website: fredsoldtown.com
• Best for: Tacos!

Mark your calendar for Taco Tuesday at Casa de Freds! It’s one of the best Old Town San Diego restaurants specializing in tacos.

This casual restaurant offers a dozen types of tacos on the weekly menu, ranging from $4 to $7. Mix and match your plate with classics like Chicken Tina and Beef Brisket. Feeling experimental? Order exotic tacos like the grilled swordfish and cheeseburger taco.

Discover Other Cuisine Favorites in Old Town

Jack & Giulio’s Italian Restaurant

Photo Credit: Timolina

• Price: $$
• Address: 2391 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA
• Website: jackandgiulios.com
• Best for: Pasta.

Chef’s kiss The pasta dishes at Jack & Giulio’s is truly exquisite. Their secret? It makes pasta in-house daily, so it’s fresh and ready to serve when you order.

Start your Antipasti (first course) with hot, melt-in-your-mouth garlic bread. The signature dish is the scampi alla Giulio, served butterflied with a pile of mushrooms and a side of your choice of pasta. Explore the pasta variety with specialties, including the Tortelloni Verdi with spinach pasta, Tortellini Piacentina with hand-braided pasta, and Lasagne for savory sheets of layered pasta.

Pizza Bella Italian Bistro

Photo Credit: Hans Geel

• Price: $$
• Address: 2707 Congress St., San Diego, CA
• Website: pizzabellasd.com
• Best for: Award-winning pizza.

The ‘Best kept secret in Old Town’ is where you’ll discover ‘America’s best pizza.’ The award-winning pies have attracted TV and contest attention that’s driven many people to see what the hype is about—you won’t be disappointed!

Build your own pizza with toppings ranging from pepperoni and pineapple to shrimp, crab, and artichoke hearts. If you’re not feeling creative today, order one of the combination pizzas cooked-to-order in a stone oven.

Trattoria Don Pietro

Photo Credit: Dennis Ho

• Price: $$$
• Address: 2415 San Diego Ave San Diego, CA
• Website: trattoriadonpietro.com
• Best for: Modern Italian restaurant.

Trattoria Don Pietro brings new life to Old Town with a modern restaurant atmosphere serving contemporary Italian and Sicilian dishes. No need to catch the trolley to Little Italy because this restaurant brings those iconic flavors of the motherland right to you.

This stylish restaurant beckons all foodies who love taking pictures of their food and restaurant settings. The menu features land, garden, and sea dishes for every course and something sweet for dessert.

Harney Sushi

Photo Credit: Natalia Lisovskaya

• Price: $$
• Address: 3964 Harney St, San Diego, CA
• Website: harneysushi.com
• Best for: Sushi.

Step right up to the sushi bar in Harney Sushi and see what creation these expert sushi chefs will create next. This Japanese restaurant specializes in creative sushi dishes prepared right in front of you. Practice your chopsticks skills with hand-rolled sushi, specialty rolls, and sashimi dishes.

Rockin’ Baja Lobster Coastal Cantina

Photo Credit: Jerry

• Price: $$
• Address: 3890 Twiggs St, San Diego, CA
• Website: rockinbaja.com
• Best for: Seafood.

Several Old Town San Diego restaurants offer seafood, but none do it quite like Rockin’ Baja Lobster. It’s literally a crab in the bucket and served ready to eat.

The signature bucket dishes are the sea-to-table specialties. You’ll have plenty of food with the Lobster Bucket, Sea of Cortez Bucket, or Surf and Turf Bucket that can serve up to three guests!

Best Vacation Rentals in Old Town San Diego

Old Town San Diego is one of the most popular areas to visit while visiting San Diego. In addition to tasty restaurants, it has many attractions, shops, and events. Book now with San Diego Vacation Rentals for your next getaway to ‘America’s Finest City.’