Cafe Coyote

This is my way overdue review. I have been here twice and its is my Goto as soon as I plan to head down to San Diego! It is located in beautiful old town San Diego. Everything is so beautiful and colorful.
Parking is not easy and the roads are a bit frustrating due to being so narrow with a lot of pedestrians crossing the streets.
As soon as you arrive you might think «Oh no, the wait time must be so long.» Due to how populated it gets but the place is so big each time I have gone I literally waited no more than 5 minutes!
Now, the food, it is so authentic! Everything on the menu looks delicious and based on the dishes I have tried it is! Not to mention the drinks, so many margaritas to chose from! I myself am a huge fan of margaritas and my eyes lit up as soon as I saw all of the amazing sounding options I had to choose from. I’ve tried two so far but I WILL try them all eventually. It’s a huge portion as well. Same with the food. Even my boyfriend who I know to always finish his meal needed a to-​go box.
The prices are fair the food is delicious the drinks are incredible the ambiance is magical… I just loved the whole experience.
As for the service I have to say that although it gets pretty busy the staff is very attentive which I found to be very impressive.

Yum! Even the sour cream was good and not some artificially tasting crud. Beans were great, the cheese, the free salsa and chips were delicious, strawberry daiquiri (virgin), everything was delicious! Can’t wait to come back! It’s busy, but with it. Lots of seating so we didn’t have to wait to be seated and the service was top notch. Loved this place! Mexican food is my favorite so I’m very picky… The his place passed with flying colors. Avg meal prices were $ 8-​$ 9.

The ambiance is fantastic! Service is quick and friendly. The fresh tortillas are handmade by a tortilla woman on site… Very cool to watch
The food is fresh and very good. A must visit when in San Diego

My girlfriends and I came here for lunch on a recent day trip to San Diego. We got some good recommendations to try this place, so we did. We had a free appetizer voucher so we ordered the cheese quesadilla, it was pretty good, not the best I have ever had, but alright. For my main entrée I got the Carne Asada Burrito (with cheese and sauce on the side). The burrito was good, I think it was too stuffed with avocado, beans, cheese, meat, it was just an overload– all the flavors were mixed together and it created this big mush! I got through half the burrito and couldn’t eat anymore. I also got the Chamango Margarita, which was great! Probably my favorite part of the lunch.
Beyond the food, I liked the energy of the place. They have a cute patio area, the weather was nice so it felt good to be outside and take in the fresh air. They have fresh tortillas being made out on the patio area, so it was fun to watch. Plus there was a football game going, everyone was into it. Just a lively atmosphere to be around.
I recommend trying this place out. I have been to Old Town many times and there are better Mexican food restaurants in the area, but still worth checking this place out.

With all the other delish options in Old Town, there is just no reason to eat here. The food was well below average, and while the service was good, it just isnt a meal worth eating. $ 2 taco Tuesdays is cute, but the tacos are bad, so then it ceases to be cute and becomes just bleh.
Sorry, Coyote, never again.

We ate here while stationed in San Diego in 2005. It only seemed necessary to go back and try it again on a recent trip out.
The setting is beautiful. We sat out on the patio in mid-​December. It was a clear, warm day, so nice, actually, that I was able to wear a sundress!
Parking was plentiful. The staff are all very friendly. We didn’t have to wait when we stopped by for lunch. We came during a shift change, but both of our waitresses were friendly and attentive. We had a couple of margaritas that were delish. Our food came in a timely fashion and was very good.
Overall, we had a great experience and will return. The only reason I gave 4 stars was because the flavors of the food were, what I assume (?) would be traditional Mexican flavors. We live in Texas, so I’m more accustomed to Tex-​Mex styles.
I’m planning on returning here soon, just to check ;-)

My boyfriend and I went here for brunch today (a Saturday) and did not have to wait for a table to be seated. We sat outside next to one of the heater lamps since it was a bit cold out and they definitely worked to keep us warm while we enjoyed being outdoors. The service was great and the waitress was very nice and checked up on us to make sure we were doing fine.
I ordered the chilaquiles and he had the steak and eggs. The food was delicious and reasonably priced overall. I ordered an avocado on the side (I’m an avocado/​guacomole lover) and it was just under 4 $. In general, avocado is expensive when you order out but that was definitely on the higher end.
A plus is that there is a candy store right next to the restaurant so we. were
grab some ice cream on the way out while we walked back to our car.
Overall, I would go back to this place.

First time here and I am happy to say I would definitely return. Nothing beats homemade corn or flour tortillas being made right in front of you.
There are small birds that hang out looking for scraps and live festive music for those who want to tip the band.
I got the surf & turf with Spanish rice and refried beans & my nephew got the enchiladas. We also grabbed the free Unilocal appetizer which my nephew really enjoyed. He said for something so plain he really loved it.
If you are a non-​dairy eater make sure to specify no cheese on the beans. Will definitely return!

This place was really solid. We were in town for the night before flying back home after vacationing in Cali for the week. I wanted to get some good Mexican food and we saw this place while walking around old town. The place is relaxed, the staff are friendly, and the food is pretty good. They were really quick to place and bring our orders.
The only disappointment was their salsa selection. The regular salsa is pretty good. Their really hot ones were a let down. Making salsa hot is easy, making it hot and taste good is a challenge. Theirs are bland and don’t have good flavors, even if they do have some heat.

We have made it a habit to come here every time we visit San Diego. We come for the tortilla soup but stay for the deliciously HUGE margaritas. I would definitely suggest sharing a margarita and get more if you need to because like I said they are huge!
I give 4 stars because the other menu items never catch my eye or sound very appetizing. However we did go to their brunch this last visit and it was very good with diverse offerings. I had the huevos rancheros with a mimosa or 3 and it was all delish.
Old town is a cute quaint little area and even if you don’t try this spot the whole area is worth checking out!

This outstanding Mexican joint in the heart of San Diego’s Old Town serves up wonderful Tex Mex and fabulous margaritas in a friendly, casual setting that validates everything you’ve ever heard about Mexican cuisine in Southern California. My chimichanga was superb, and my waiter never let my chip bowl stay empty or my margarita glass get dry.
San Diego no doubt has DOZENS of great restaurants, but I would put Café Coyote up there with some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.

Every time I think of San Diego I always associate Café Coyote. For me, a San Diego trip isn’t complete without eating in this place.
The service is amazing, don’t be intimidated when you see a line because they ALWAYS get you a seat pretty fast.
I’ve never ordered anything here that’s just a blah or okay. The food is always trash and amazingly good. The price is very reasonable although I find their margarita drinks a little too pricey.
Recommendation: if you love calamares I suggest you order their calamares for appetizer around $ 8. It’s the best calamares, even better than fancy restaurants like Flemings. Trust me, I’ve tried enough calamares and this place knows perfected it.

In short, this place is just bad. I recommend going to the bottom of the Unilocal app to view the reviews that are hidden. They’re much more accurate representation than the recommended ones. Had warned my friend from out of town about coming here but he was adamant about it because a Mexican buddy of his recommended it. I don’t know how Mexican his buddy is, but I’m pretty sure only retired white senior citizens who come down from the hills eat here. Lol.
For taco Tuesday the tacos range from $ 2-​$ 3. Not only are the tacos small but the meat is dry and everything about it is low quality. The fish taco was over cooked and rubbery. The el pastor was dry and burnt. They’re stingy with every topping. I decided to try the «special taco» which was supposed to be like a chile relleno… But really it’s a tortilla with a spoonful of sour cream topped with over cooked soggy oily blackened sliced jalapeños. The best thing about this place were the tortilla chips and salsa they served you prior to taking your order.
The waiters seemed like they were overwhelmed and one got snippy with us when we asked if we could split the check as if the question was personal.
Honestly people, if you want Mexican food and you’re in San Diego… You can literally eat anywhere and it would be better than here. The taco shop next to a random gas station is probably better than here. This isn’t just bad Mexican food in comparison to the rest of San Diego, this is just bad Mexican food in general. Fast food Mexican like Cotixan or Santanas are infinitely better than here.
And for the elderly people who eat here… Please. Love yourself. You retired in the paradise that is San Diego after living what I’m sure was a long hard working life. You deserve better. And literally any Mexican place in any San Diego county city is better…

This place is always crowded and there’s always a wait. Its fun for mostly tourists or if you’re in the area and want to people watch since it sits on a popular street corner.
The parking can be difficult. Cinco de Mayo and Dia De Los Muertos are probably the most crowded event days (they block the streets off for pedestrians only) and you will find yourself in the longest wait line ever.
I’m all about the friendly most authentic legit Tortilla Ladies (basically they can be found off the sidewalk in a little nook attached to the building) with their freshly made to order corn or flour tortillas smothered in warm butter wrapped in foil to enjoy while you walk around Old Town and people watch. ITS A MUST!
The restaurant has these cute cottage type windows that open up to the sidewalk so you can check out the scene and the scene can check you out as well. Viewing the Chargers games is fun for the locals and sipping on some of their margaritas or cervezas. I recommend coming here early to grab a spot if its an event, parade, game day, weekend, or block party. Its a great place to take your out of towner friends along the strip.

I enjoyed my lunch here very much. We ordered the margaritas for two. Its the best deal. For around $ 14 we had about three margaritas each. The tortillas here are home made and you know what that means. Deliciousness. My Carne asasda and Chile relleno were very good. The Carne asasda was a tad on the tough side but that is due to this cut of meat. My boyfriend had the Chile Colorado and he was happy with his meal. Chips and salsa were good here too. The prices here are very fair and a large menu to choose from.
Service was great and friendly. A very large restaurant with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. If you have a sweet tooth stop by the candy store that is right next door and affiliated with this restaurant. You can buy sweet water taffy, Mexican candy, homemade fudge or ice cream.

This ended up being a great spot for dinner. Don’t let the long line keep you from trying this place because it moves along at a decent pace, or at least did when I visited. The restaurant is really huge and the outdoor seating area is huge as well.
Chips and Salsa (complimentary with meal) — The salsa has a real fresh taste and I loved that is was somewhat chunky instead of being thin and runny. The salsa sure tasted fresh, but the tortilla chips didn’t and I’d prefer just having some of their homemade flour tortillas with the salsa and not the chips.
Quesadilla — Free with Unilocal check in and I was able to use the Unilocal check in offer with no problem. I appreciated that it was free, but felt it was a bit thin and nothing I couldn’t have made at home myself.
Enchiladas ($ 10.95) — I had 2 cheese enchiladas that had a red sauce over them. I liked the enchiladas, but would ask for a green sauce next time since I wasn’t so crazy about the red sauce to see how if I’d like that better. My hubby had some green sauce on his meal and I tasted it and liked it. The rice and beans tasted great and I loved that the beans had texture instead of being mashed to death.
There were two ladies at a counter set-​up near the sidewalk at the front corner of the restaurant making handmade corn and flour tortillas as well churros and you can just walk right up and order these items without eating inside if you just want those particular things. You can get 2 flour or corn tortillas for $ 1 and they will put salsa or butter inside each tortilla and roll them up making for a delicious street snack. They also sell cinnamon tortillas and I suggest asking them to roll those ones up with butter and cinnamon/​sugar inside because it’s so good! I also had a churro that I think was a couple of bucks and it was really good. I’d stop by when in the area again just to walk up and get some of these tortillas and churros!
If you are a fan of Taco Tuesday they offer a different taco each week which I thought was cool to change things up and not have the same type of taco that’s on special like most places do.

Café Coyote is a favorite place of my family local to San Diego. It was the first place they took the out of towners to during our recent visit. I can see why.
Firstly, we had a reservation, but there was no problem getting a table for 10. We were in the back room on the left side. Not only did we have space to dine, it didn’t get super loud in the room. Our server handled our large group with ease.
Secondly, thirdly and fourthly, the Famous Old Town Carnitas tacos. I had the carnitas with flour tortillas based on my uncle’s recommendation and they did not disappoint. It was a build your own taco platter, and was more than enough food for dinner and breakfast the next day. The pork was tender and juicy and all of the fixings accented it perfectly.
I can’t forget to mention the Cadillac Margarita. It was huge and easy to drink, but strong at the same time.
This is a really hard review for me to write as I reminisce fondly of this authentic San Diego Mexican meal. I wish Café Coyote wasn’t across the country away.

Standard Mexican food. Satisfactory but not crave-​worthy. Pricier than the hole-​in-​the-​walls (obviously) for decent portions of less delicious food.
The free quesadilla for Unilocal check-​in is always yummy and the service has always been good.

A definite favorite in Old Town. Go for the margaritas, the burritos, or hell .even the mariachi band. Just go.
Food is always good. Most recent visit had our party of 7 on a Saturday night seated right away. Margaritas and Coronas were a-​flowin.
Shrimp burrito is worth your time. Tableside salsa? Eh not so much. Carnitas are also pretty famous here.
Once my baby brother found out I was treating he proceeded to order the lobster. Yep, that’s the kind of family I have. Oh well, it was worth watching him struggle to eat it since they gave him a shell cracker without the little meat fork to go with it.
I call that dinner karma.

We went to San Diego’ Old Town to explore the old San Diego and to get good Mexican food.
We came to Café Coyote, and we were not disappointed.
I had the Chili Verde and also tried the El Rey Combo. They were both very tasty and filling. Our kids had food from their kids meal, which was your typical chicken nuggets /​spaghetti type of meals. This was convenient for us since our kids prefer eating something simple and familiar to them.
We got free quesadilla for our party of 10 and the usual chips and salsa. My brother-​in-​law devoured the chips and dip. He wasn’t a big Mexican cuisine fan, but he sure contradicted himself that night. He really enjoyed his carne asada Tacos and sides.
I specially liked the Chile Verde because of the tender meat. Their refried beans were also seasoned a little bit differently from what we’ve been used to. It had a hint of sour citrus taste and we loved it!
The place was so busy on a Thursday night. But they could easily accommodate big parties like ours. I also liked the Mexican setting and feel. The musicans, who go from table to table for requests was a nice added touch to the experience.

El lugar es muy bullisioso, no es lugar familiar; pero si para ir con amigos a tomar unas copas, la comida no es muy buena. Que el lugar sea popular no significa que es bueno.