Mexican food in San Diego

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The only thing I really knew about "Mexican food in San Diego" is that they are the inventors of the California burrito which is a burrito with french fries on it. I had one of these at a burrito place in Millbrae and was not impressed. And so I was not that interested in San Diego's Mexican-food scene.

But then: it is close to Mexico. And we are in San Diego....

And so we have eaten and we have been impressed.

La Fachada

We got the carnitas burrito (we always get this at new places for purposes of comparison) and carnitas tacos. Which is to say we purchased a lot of carnitas with a bit of tortilla holding it all together.

I can't believe these things were so cheap, beacause they really were mostly meat. The five tacos were just a ton of carnitas with a bit of cilantro and onion. The burrito was just meat with a bit of pico de gallo and guacamole in place of beans.

We ordered and sat outside and it took us awhile to understand the place. There was an open barbequeish grill in the back. That had a pot of beans and foil with grilled (grilling) onions and peppers. All this was freely available to supplement one's purchased food. As much beans as you want. I thought they were a bit plain but Lady Steed liked them a lot.

Adalberto's

We got a breakfast burrito (eggs and potatoes---which were french fries) and a super burrito.

To the breakfast burrito I added beans and "Mexican salsa" which is basically pico de gallo. It was a good burrito. Big. And, by Bay Area standards, tell me if you see a trend here, hella cheap.

Lynsey had them, instead of all the meats, just put carnitas on her super, but I guess in San Diego when they say super, they meeaan suuuper. This thing must've been two feet long. It was constructed of two enormous tortillas (props to the burrito maestro who pulled this off) and full of all the foods.

Incidentally, you can get half a pint of guac here for five dollars. That is not restaurant prices! Do all the world's avocados originate in San Diego and we only get what they decide not to pick up off the ground???

The most important detail here however is that both were excellent. La Fachada was superior but both were quality, quality institutions.

San Diego is about more than french fries in your burrito. But they do have those french fries ready for you any time you want. (Both places, incidentally, did have the California on their burrito menu: carne asada and french fries. And why not? This is San Diego.