Mexican Food
The last time that I was in San Diego I found a small mom & pop place to eat Mexican food that was incredible. But I wanted to give it a second visit before I revealed my newly discovered secret, and thus tonight, after I arrived in San Diego, I had dinner there.
It is a very small space inside Midway Plaza, right on Midway and about a block from Pacers. A small kitchen where a husband and wife cook, while the daughter tends the food and the drinks, and in between customers helps her little sister with her homework.
And the food is spectacular! And obviously San Diegans are discovering this little spot, as while I was there, a constant flood of people filed through the place.
Why? For one thing, they make three or four different kinds of mole, including a poblano mole that takes 30 ingredients to make! On the menu tonight were two kinds of soup: Menudo (I pass) and a spicy Mexican Steak Soup with vegetables that was divine. The previous time that I was here, they had Albondigas Soup, which was terrific.
But the mole is what makes this place special.
I then had lamb cooked in a mole BBQ sauce, plus a real tender Carnitas pork in a green mole sauce, chicken in a blackened chocolate mole sauce, plus all the fixings for less than $10, and a pint of draft beer is a buck and a half.
The name of the place: Ortega's
Article comments
1 - Aaman
Sounds good - but how is this a book review?
2 - Eric Berlin
I think you're right, Aaman -- I'll move this over to Culture.
My wife took me to this incredible low budget place -- close by to where she used to get her surf on -- right off the PCH: incredible views and super cheap and excellent fish tacos and Pacifco Claros. If you've never hit the beach this way, you're missing a truly outstanding experience.
3 - HW Saxton
Roberto's #1 up in Golden Hills off of
Washington St has thee BEST Birria* I've
ever eaten. Served up with a stack of
hot homemade corn tortillas and lots of
onion and cilantro,it can't be beat.
*Birria - For you poor unfortunates out
there who haven't tried it; It is a slow
cooked, rich & spicy goat meat soup.
Sometimes lamb is used as it's not quite
as wild tasting to gringo palates.
4 - Adam
I agree, Ortegas is a great place to find homestyle cooked mexican food in the Midway area. The slice of pizza for $1.50 is an excellent deal too - their pizza tastes better than any pizza plaze in the area. They also serve cold beer and have Tapatio salsa which deserves two thumbs up.