Local Wally's Top Old Town & Little Italy Eats
Mexican, Italian, and More in San Diego!
Every tour book on San Diego tells you to go to Old Town to get Mexican food but most locals don’t eat there without an out of town guest insisting. But it’s not all bad - among the gringo fueled tourist traps are some real gems. How to find the good ones? Easy, just follow me.
Little Italy, on the other hand, has so many good restaurants that it's hard to pick the best, especially with so many new new restaurants popping up that are owned and run literally by Top Chefs. Once considered a afterthought, Little Italy has blossomed into one of San Diego's top food (and foodie) destinations.
I've also included some of my favorite restaurants nearby, scattered close to the airport and worth the short drive. Forget the guides with endless lists, these are the good ones. (updated 2024)
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Best Mexican Restaurants in San Diego's Old Town
Holy Tourist Trap, Batman! Yes, you found San Diego’s Old Town. While it is in actuality a California State Park featuring historic buildings (the haunted Whaley House, a real old time cemetery, original buildings) most people go there for the food and festivities. And I don’t blame them. You could go to Tijuana and risk running into the non-tourist-friendly drug cartel, or you could go to Old Town and drink margaritas while listening to mariachi music. Your pick.
Somewhat Touristy
Locals and tourists line up at Old Town Mexican Cafe for one thing - carnitas, tender chunks of pork tried to a crisp wrapped in a homemade corn tortilla. Probably the best Mexican food in Old Town and if not as “festive” as some it’s perhaps more authentic. Margaritas are just OK so stick with beer and ask for the hotter salsa to prove you know what you are doing.
Very Touristy
If it wasn't for the patio Cafe Coyote would fall into the abyss with hundreds of other average Mexican restaurants in San Diego. But what a patio! It clearly elevates the food to fiesta level and causes even the most jaded local to admit that it's a great place to take their out of town guests to. Homemade tortillas, you can get them "to go" if you are just passing by and want a snack.
Maximum Touristy
You're on vacation, you don't have a tan, and you don't care what the locals say, Casa de Reyes looks fun - and it is with the roving mariachis, the colorfully dressed waitresses and the margaritas the size of a fish bowl. I'll give the food 2 stars - it's good, not authentic. But I'll give the experience 5 stars with the fun atmosphere and vacation vibe. Located in the heart of Old Town.
Go for the Baja Fish Tacos
Miguel’s Cocina is owned by the same restaurant group that owns The Brigantine chain, including the popular location on the Embarcadero next to the Star of India ship. Honestly, the food here is meh with one exception - their excellent fish tacos! Beer battered fried and totally inauthentic, locals can’t resist them and some (me) swear they might be the best north of San Felipe.
(619) 298-9849
Lobster Not to Die For
Not too long ago it was common for locals to take the short drive to Puerto Nuevo’s fishing village for cheap lobster and margaritas. No longer, thanks to the active drug cartel who also like lobster. No, get your Baja fix for lobster and seafood tacos here. Even if it’s not nearly as good as the real deal, it’s a lot safer. Food is hit or miss, but when it hits it’s pretty good.
(619) 260-0305
Tourist Favorite
Better than the Mexican chains like El Torito or On the Border, Casa Guadalajara checks all the boxes to make this a tourist favorite. Decent food, mariachi band, giant margaritas, and a fun and festive attitude. Not many locals will call it the best Mexican food in San Diego but every visitor leaves with a full belly and a smile on their face.
(619) 295-5111
DOUBLE DARE YOU, COME ON, CHICKEN??
Most Mexican restaurants have hotter salsa, hot carrots and jalapenos for free if you ask, perfect for a before dinner "dare you to eat that" contest. Just make sure you have a cold margarita handy to put out any flames coming from your mouth.
Best Places to Eat in San Diego's Little Italy
Fresh and Modern Italian
In a semi industrial setting is Bencotto, a mash up of a traditional Italian kitchen mixed with a modern urban setting. Think of this as next-gen Italian, a hip approach to the classics that remain true to their roots but kick it up a notch for today's palate. Share plates and make sure you order the house made pasta where you get to pick from a long list of sauces to top.
Next door is their sister restaurant Monello, equally delicious and featuring pasta tossed in a cheese wheel, just like in Italy.
Intimate Italian Trattoria
It's loud, it's happy, it's vibrant, and it serves up rustic Italian dishes in a bistro-like setting. Tables are close in this tiny eatery but your initial irritation will melt once the food arrives. Start with the creamy burrata served over spinach along with smokey roasted tomatoes and you'll know why this place is always packed. Pasta dishes will transport you to an Italian farm table and the meats and seafood are equally impressive. Noise intolerant people should sit outside but for me the lively scene inside just adds to the experience.
Modern Italian in Trendy Setting
Let me first say that this is the place when someone in your party is a vegan and you want to punch them out because every place they want to eat at sounds terrible :-). Civico 1845 not only has excellent modern Italian food but a full vegan menu as well. So yes, we can all get along.
In fact, there are no compromises at all at Civico 1845, one of San Diego’s top Italian restaurants with an upscale casual vibe that is vacation perfect. And there are even gluten free options on the menu so no one leaves hungry. Top pick!
Casual Incredible Food
Richard Blais recreates the chicken sandwich at this hipster hip casual eatery. Of course if you’re a foodie you know Richard from Top Chef or his fancier restaurant Juniper + Ivy. The Crack Shack is a line up and order sort of place with pretty much nothing but chicken sandwiches and insanely delicious fried chicken.
Family friendly but there are plenty of energetic young people soaking up the ambiance and hanging at the trendy bar. There’s even a bocce ball court - not recommended after eating the tasty but oily fried chicken.
Modern Italian in rustic setting
OK, yes, Davanti Enoteca is part of a small chain of restaurants based out of Chicago but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best places to eat in Little Italy. Step inside and the setting is rustic yet chic. The enclosed patio in the back is the place to be, complete with a full sized olive tree and twinkling lights. The best way to experience Davanti is to order family style with lots of plates to share, but not too many as the fresh focaccia bread filled with creamy cheese and topped with honey is so addicting that you'll be stuffed before your plates arrive.
Classic old school and wonderful
The old Italian guys out front, the smell of dried cod when you step into the Italian market, the line in the back to get into the restaurant, you must be at Filippi's, a throwback restaurant that time hasn't changed. While everyone has gone gourmet, Filippi's has stayed the course, serving up pizza with lots of gooey cheese along with huge portions of lasagna or spaghetti with baseball sized meatballs along with cheap pitchers of beer. Plastic tablecloths, Chianti bottles hanging from the ceiling, and their own free parking lot, a huge bonus in busy Little Italy.
Excellent seafood in eclectic setting
Amidst all of the Italian restaurants is Ironside Fish and Oyster, located in an old converted warehouse that appeals to hipsters and oldsters alike. The funky mid-century interior could be cloying but works and their food is nothing if not outstanding. Incredible lobster roll and fish served either fancy with sauces or simple with lemon butter. Outstanding cocktails, one of their specialties.
No, this is not a crummy food court!
With a huge outdoor seating area and a location right in the heart of Little Italy, this is the place to go when everyone in your group wants can’t make up their minds as to what to eat. With six different “stations” you can get everything from gourmet tacos to ramen to lobster rolls and roasted meat sandwiches. Local Celeb Chef Sam the Cooking Guy’s Not Not Tacos is a must for creative tacos.
Top Chef Richard Blais
Anyone who has watched Bravo TV's Top Chef will know Richard Blais, the loveable guy who leaned towards crazy molecular gastronomy and ended up winning the show. On the outskirts of Little Italy is his trendy modern restaurant with long lines of foodies waiting to taste his innovative take on American fare, all beautifully plated and ready for their close ups. Make reservations early.
Little Italy’s Oddball Gems
Secret Tiki Bar Speakeasy
Craft & Commerce is a trendy cool bar with a creative bar menu, certainly a worthy stop on it’s own, but if you know the way there’s a secret “speakeasy” tiki bar in the back that you won’t want to miss. But you just might - it’s hidden behind the steel doors of what looks like a walk in cooler. The human skulls will let you know you’re on the right path. Whew, time for a zombie.
675 West Beech Street, San Diego
(619) 269-2202
Wait.. Is the Room Spinning?
Yes, this is an actual old carousel built in 1881 that’s found a new life as one of the most unusual bars I’ve ever been to. French inspired menu can be pricey and reviews spotty, but where else can you sit at a bar that rotates while dining on fresh oysters and champagne. Honestly, you’re coming here for the photo so get a drink, order an appetizer, and now you have something to write home about.
(619) 255-7533
Weekly Farmers Market on Saturdays
If you want to get a taste of what San Diego is all about then visit one of our farmers markets where you’ll not only find locally grown fruits and veggies but plenty of prepared street foods to enjoy as you people watch. The Little Italy Mercado is the largest farmers market in San Diego and often has items like fresh sea urchin just caught and cracked open when you order. Parking can be brutal, be forewarned.
Kettner Blvd to Front Street
Every Saturday from 8 AM to 2 PM
FEATURED: ISOLA PIZZA BAR
Pizza just like Mom use to make - not my Mom!
I love how San Diego is getting so many chef driven restaurants and how so many of them are making Little Italy their home. Isola Pizza Bar is a delight, a local restaurant that strives to serve up food inspired by the chef's Nonna, not surprisingly named Isola. This means simple food but made with the freshest ingredients. This is good stuff!
Chef Massimo Tennino is passionate about recreating the experience of his grandmothers cooking. Start with a plate of antipasti, from cheeses and meats to seafood and vegetables. So good, the quality shines with every bite. But the real stars are the pizzas, cooked in a wood burning oven and served with a nice char. This is the real deal, insanely creative pizzas that should satisfy the biggest foodie in your group.
The wine list is equally impressive - try their house wines made by their own winery in Italy. I told you these guys take this seriously! With a friendly neighborhood vibe, Isola is a wonderful breakaway from the cookie cutter corporate restaurants, dining here is like a trip to Italy with Nonna Isola cooking something special just for you. Perfect for locals, a great vacation dinner as well and a top pick in Little Italy.
More San Diego Good Eats Close to Little Italy and Old Town
Best Italian in San Diego?
Bouna Forchetta is the best, most authentic Italian restaurant in San Diego. Everything is exactly like what I had on my recent trip to Italy, from the Napolentana wood fired pizzas with the slightly runny centers to the insane cacio e pepe, a simple dish of cheese, pepper and pasta you’ll find all over Rome but one that no one makes right here - except for Bouna Forchetta. Expect long waits, which is why I have no shame and get there at 5 for dinner.
Where locals go for fresh seafood
Two brothers who love to fish own and operate this tiny eatery tucked away next to El Indio Taco Shop, an area that you don't normally associate with seafood. But that's all they do and everything is super fresh with most prepared simply on the grill. You pick your desired fish (ask what's locally caught) and make the big decision of taco, sandwich, plate, or salad. Rivals the expensive seafood restaurants in quality for a fraction of the price.
Classic giant greasy burgers
Hodad's has been serving up burgers, fries, rings and shakes since 1969. Now with a location downtown, I like the hippie throwback original in Ocean Beach best. There's not a gourmet burger to be found on the menu, just fresh and juicy meat oozing with flavor and hot and crispy fries on the side. Kids can't out scream the noise and the VW Bus in the middle of the restaurant sets the tone for the magic carpet ride that's Hodad's.
San Diego's favorite taco shop
Is this San Diego’s original “taco shop?” Quite possibly, it started in 1940 as a tortilla factory and claims to have invented the “taquito”, aka rolled taco, to meet the demand from the factory workers during WWII. Food is fairly authentic though purists will argue that cheddar cheese should not be on a taco. Decent tamales and best rolled tacos, ahem taquitos, in town. Free parking and outdoor patio on the street is old school charming. Locals love this place, very good!
Wrestling theme Meets Burritos
Stay Classy, San Diego. That's the idea anyway behind Lucha Libre, a weird taco shop serving huge burritos and authentic street tacos yet decked out in a Mexican wrestling theme. Start with the TJ hotdog, a bacon wrapped dog topped with grilled vegetables, then move on to a giant Surfin' California Burrito stuffed with carne asada and french fries. Call to reserve the Champion Booth, a flamboyant table with gold trimmings, and be treated like Lucha Libre royalty.
San Diego's Favorite BBQ
Serious BBQ fans will gasp at the lack of smokers and the amount of sauce at Phil's but there's no denying that it's delicious. The Sports Arena location is the original and the best and has lines so long that they installed a live camera feed so you can see how long the wait is. I love my BBQ and will admit that Phil's isn't going to compete with Kansas City but when you're in San Diego and looking for great BBQ ribs you've come to the right spot.
Best Mexican Food in San Diego?
This no nonsense Mexican restaurant is the real deal, loved by locals who like to pretend it’s still a secret find. At one time it was, a non-descript taco shop in a sketchy neighborhood, it looked dubious, even dangerous. But looks can be deceiving and Las Cuatro Milpas lives up the hype - excellent tamales, tacos, burritos, and not much else. Long lines and cash only, closes at 3 (and closed Sundays) so get there early. Pro Tip: Call in a “to go” order and skip the line.
(619) 234-4460
Fish tacos in Ocean Beach
Don't be fooled by their website that makes this place look upscale - while it is neat the ocean it's a dive bar, the sort of place with a bouncer out front. But don't let that stop you because they serve up terrific fish tacos, both fried and grilled, and often get voted as the best in town. Seafood and lots of taco choices, stick with grilled and you can't go wrong. Plenty of local craft beers as well as other seafood options. 21 and above.
Foodie Destination for Small Plates
Wind your way up the hillside away from the airport and you’re in Mission Hills, a fancy neighborhood that hides a tiny gourmet restaurant that’s getting a lot of attention these days. Limited tables, small plates to share, this is date night territory so get the kids a pizza and leave them to fend for themselves. It does get pricey but there are very few restaurants in San Diego that give you this level of culinary experience.
1920 Fort Stockton Drive, San Diego
619-234-2597
