It depends on what part of town you will be in! Most of the places are pretty good.. I enjoy the hole in the wall joints the most because they tend to be very authentic. We live downtown and I love Freds Cafe.. fun enviroment.. more generic mexican food, but still good! We also love La puerta downtown.. great happy hour and the most delicious Carne Asada fries you will ever taste! I hope this helps!!
I don't live there, but we visit San Diego every summer. I agree with the Fred's recommendation and want to add another. "The Old Town Mexican Restaurant" in Old Town is delicious! The homemade flour tortillas are just like my grandma used to make and the carnitas are to die for!
Casa de Pico, currently located in Grossmont Center in La Mesa. The food and drink are good and the ambiance is great. We always take visitors there and they always love it!
Definitely go to OLD TOWN!!! Two fabulous ones we have eaten in are "Old Town Mexican Restaurant" and "Coyote Cafe"!! A+
Just an "fyi" Fred's and Rubio's are chain Mexican restaurants.
For hairybottle, San Diego is in Southern California!!! FABULOUS FABULOUS!!!!
Here are some suggestions from my brother who lives in San Diego (by the way these are his words, not mine):
"Jimmy Carters Mexican cafe, Service not the best but good food, very good sauces, and besides the normal Mexican fair they usually have some dishes from south Baja
Can't help with sushi, but we're heading to San Diego tomorrow and wanting to try Pokez restaurant downtown. It gets great reviews and has quite an extensive menu.
Also second the Freds Mexican Cafe. Got to have an AK margarita.
Boy does that bring back memories! My parents used to take me to Alphonso's when I was a little boy (I'm 37 now). My dad knew Alphonso and he used to stop by our table to say hello. I remember that they used to put out a small bowl of chiles, peppers, and hot spiced carrots and my dad used to dare me to eat one of the jalepeno peppers. I never took him up on it.
Boy does that bring back memories! My parents used to take me to Alphonso's when I was a little boy (I'm 37 now). My dad knew Alphonso and he used to stop by our table to say hello. I remember that they used to put out a small bowl of chiles, peppers, and hot spiced carrots and my dad used to dare me to eat one of the jalepeno peppers. I never took him up on it.