La Puerta

This review is based on my experience there for lunch. I do not know what the atmosphere is like at night, but it was relaxing and relatively easy to get a table there on a Saturday at noon.
I was visiting San Diego and staying in Gaslamp looking for food in walking distance. Found La Puerta and it was some of the best Mexican food I’ve ever had.
I tried the tacoquesos with chicken and they were excellent. The fried cheese wrapped around the chicken really made this dish. My wife had the So Cal burrito, which was also extremely delicious.
I would totally come down to San Diego from Orange County just to eat here again! It was that good.

I love the ambiance here! It’s noisy but fun! I love it when they have a DJ playing top hits or fun 80’s tunes while we enjoy good cocktails and yummy food! They have an awesome happy hour there and we usually take advantage of it before going to a ball game at Petco Park. Their guacamole is delish (mouth watering)! They have very flavorful Mexican dishes ranging from tacos, nachos, flautas, to amazing salads! I have always had great experiences at this place! Will go back there this summer!

Was staying nearby while in town for work and Unilocaled this place. Place was packed on a Wednesday night. Food was excellent but the service was really really really slow. I’m talking about 20 minutes to get refills on soda, 50 minutes to get my food out after ordering it. Just terrible. While the service was really friendly it was just really frustrating having to wait so long for food which is a shame because the food was outstanding. Because of the wait time, I won’t be back but hopefully others can go there and have a better experience.

Love this place! Close to home and one of the better Mexican options in Downtown.
They have a great HH and the food is so yummy!
Definitely worth the wait, but if you’re impatient (like me) it’s best to call ahead.
I do agree with other Unilocalers about customer service. The front of house always seems annoyed when you walk up and servers are nice enough. Regardless, good spot if you’re looking for yummy food and drinks.

It was almost 2300. Hungry, thirsty and needed to relax after a few hours of being at a wedding reception. I had looked up several places and I came across La Puerta, a Mexican place to chill. Plus it was open late, until 0200. Beauty. So we start heading there figuring it was some kind of mexican restaurant. I was wrong.
It’s in downtown San Diego, Gaslamp district. Forget finding street parking on a Friday night. So we just headed into the parking garage two blocks up from La Puerta. Maybe could’ve found street parking, but wasn’t in the mood to deal with traffic. There’s a small counter to sit outside Puerta and have some food, but you’re right on top of sidewalk. We asked for table for four and after about 10 mins, we’re in. Whoa! This isn’t no mexican restaurant. It’s dark, live DJ and a few strung up lights illuminate the room. All booths and bar were busy with patrons and servers serving.
We got the perfect booth, furthest corner facing the entire place and bar. Right next to DJ. He was pumping out classic 80s remixed rock. Cory was our server and he was the best. Welcomed us and made great drink suggestions. I had the spicy, mezcal margarita. Don’t know what Bön and Panangias had. Ordered some small plates. I’ve ordered pork taquitos, potato taquitos, guacamole with chips and tostaditas. It was all good. The two salsas they brought out were delish. The taquito plates were drizzled with this awesome tasty sauce, delish. Then I had some awesome drink, it had a great name, I forgot. It’s the last drink under the Mexperience Libations. But it was their version of an Old Fashion, but with mezcal. It was DELISH.
Overall, this place is great. Cory was great, DJ awesome, food was surprisingly pretty darn delish and beverages, oh yeah! And remember, you need to be over 21 after 3pm.
Olé to La Puerta! I’ll be back.

Ok… Keep in mind, I really don’t like Mexican food. Yeah I know, blasphemy here in San Diego. It just doesn’t sit well with me and I’ll leave it at that.
We arrived and were promptly seated at a nice big booth in the back. We got our drinks in the next few minutes along with some chips and salsa.
I’ve never heard of «make it wet» but apparently that’s where they drizzle some sauce that I can’t possibly remember the name on the top and it enhances the flavor a lot. So I went with the surf n turf burrito and got a side of fries.
It taste great. There was an ok amount of steak and shrimp but for a 1 lb burrito it was mostly burrito wrap and sauce… Def not meat. Keep in mind, it wasn’t NO MEAT… I just would have expected more… But it didn’t taste horrible actually rather good… So thumbs up there and perhaps my limited understanding on Mexican food and the amount of meat that goes into it.
The fries I got were standard French fries — crispy… I appreciate that.
Server was very friendly and took time to explain make it wet to me. It took all of my effort to not say «that’s what she said» but I pulled it off with mature colors.
All in all I think it was a pretty decent place. I reserve 5 stars for the best of the best places I go… And I don’t know I would put this in a 5 star range.

Personally, I was not impressed by this place at all –food wise. The location and the ambiance was cool though.
I had read on Unilocal reviews and from word of mouth that their guacamole was great. and apparently it’s a hit because it’s marked as a «favorite» on their menu but sadly, it was a huge letdown. It was tasteless and I didn’t like all the their chunks of stuff they put in it not did I like that they serve it right on top of the chips on a plate.
I got the Bark At The Moon margarita which had mulled serranos but I didn’t think it was spicy enough or even spicy at all.
Entrée was the Mix & Match taco platter (pick 3 street tacos) and at last I was starting to see some good in this place. Got the al pastor taco – pretty tasty. The carnitas was good –slightly too salty. But the best of the three was the shrimp taco – excellent!
I would go here again during happy hour and get drinks and shrimp tacos, but only if I was downtown for another reason already.

This is a neat little Mexican themed bar/​restaurant on the outskirts of Downtown. Sat outside to people watch and enjoy the San Diego scenery. Went for a plate of the Carne Asada fries that came with free chips and dip (which was equally good). Service was polite and fairly prompt. Never actually set foot inside since we sat outside so next trek over I am gonna have to get a gander of the aesthetics. Food was good but pricey. The menu seemed to focus on the basics of a Mexican restaurant: burritos, quesadillas, tacos, and even Mexican breakfast items (I believe these were geared for the weekend).

So glad I came here for happy hour because their carne asada fries really made me happy :) :) Big servings of amazing french fries, chunks of delicious meat, topped with all the fixin’s you expect to complete the fiesta in your mouth. LOVED their extra crispy chips and fresh salsa. And I really enjoyed their simple yet flavorful tacos (the carnitas were by far my favorite). A few points off for just how packed and popular this place is, because it is really hard to navigate through and find a table, let alone get a drink order with a server. Still, for the price and the flavors, La Puerta is a great spot for light eatings — come early to grab a coveted bar top for drinks if you are coming with a large crowd!

«La Puerta» translates to «The door to excellent Mexican Food». It’s sort of a divey casual bar that serves Mexican food that is sure to please almost any palate. We wandered in on a weekday for lunch and fortunately they weren’t busy yet so we were able to grab a seat without waiting.
We ordered the guacamole, which is not your standard guac. It is served with fresh Avocado, Serrano Peppers, Pico de Gallo, Panela Cheese, Cilantro, Lime, House Chips. Really outstanding.
I ordered the torta La Puerta which was delicious, though the bread was not traditional. It was a little more substantial and not as light and airy as I would have liked. It was stuffed with Achiote Pork, Arranchera Steak, Turkey Ham, Melted Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Jalapeños. Delicious.
My husband ordered the trifecta of signature street tacos Ranchero Shrimp served with tomato, Grilled Onion & Poblano, Lettuce, Crema; the pastor with adobo Pork, Pineapple, Guacamole, Pico de Gallo; and the pollo asado.
Service was sufficient, they may have been a little understaffed. Regardless we got in and out in under an hour. Food was cheap and delicious.

I’m sending out a huge thank you to the San Diego Unilocalers for mentioning this place on Talk. My friend wanted some good Mexican food in the Gaslamp area and she got it!
Service was fast, friendly and phenomenal! Our waitress was great with recommendations on drinks and food. She hit the nail on the head. Along with her cheerful personality, she went above and beyond during their busy lunch hour.
We started off sharing the Guacamole appetizer. Incredible. Fantastic flavor of Serrano peppers, pico and lime with panela cheese cubed on top. I probably could’ve just eaten the appetizer and been done. We kept going splitting the Viva Mexico Burrito stuffed with steak, grilled onions, pablano Jack and panela cheese, crema and guacamole. This burrito is perfect. Don’t add any sauce on top… It’s so tasty just as it is!
Our meal was perfect accompanied with great service. In a busy tourist area it was nice to enjoy a tasty lunch.

I’d rank this place as «A-​OK» with * * * in that it’s a restaurant, bar, and lounge /​club of sort hybrid.
There’s limited table seating and often a long wait. This place came recommended, and based on the laws of supply and demand, this is a popular spot, and probably well deserved by reputation and execution.
In the evening/​night they have a DJ spinning tunes, which at some places could be background ambiance, but here is turned up in volume where it becomes a bit of the foreground, making it harder for conversation inside.
The food portions, pricing and quality are good.
Parking is… well, you know the Gaslamp area, it can be as easy or hard as your timing.
If you like energy and people watching with patience, this could be your * * * * or * * * * * four or five star experience, as it has that hipster young vibe to the place. If you’re looking for a bar that doesn’t just serve boring bar food, this could be your destination. If you’re looking to listen to cool tunes and beats while you eat, and don’t care so much for conversation, the ambiance could be it here for you. It’s an nontraditional restaurant with a little bit of sensory overload, but a positive vibe overall.

i think this may be the best happy hour in the gaslamp! seriously… half off all drinks, apps and quesadillas! oh and it goes until 7… then they have another HH (diff specials) after 10. what!!!
we started here last night (cinco de drinko) …i had a couple different drinks… first one was tequila, cucumber, salt and pepper… yum!
cinna had a jalapeño drink (i think it was called bad teacher)…sooo good!
i asked for the jalapeño drink and bartender asked if i wanted the martini (like cinna’s) or the cocktail. i went for the cocktail since it was different. it was super good!
i also got the pulled pork tostaditos .yum!
i tasted cinna’s fundido (ha that sounds funny)…it was cheesy goodness
the place was PACKED… no more than that… it was F#%$^ PACKED! yet the bartenders killed it! they didn’t miss a beat… props!
absolutely looking forward to returning… really soon

La Puerta… has a large sugar skull entering you into the door of the day of the dead? Nah, more like the day of indulgence. The delight when the chips are gluten free for this celiac girl (I know, it’s the simple things in life) That part alone had me at hello. Cool joint with an eclectic vibe. Good and friendly servers too. Happy hour is a must at this place. ½ off appetizers, drinks and quesadillas. The guac is so damn good it’s ridiculous. Basically it looks like nachos, but it’s just hearty chips pounded with guac, cheese curds, and some fixings. It’s incredible along with the the salsas. Ask for the spiciest one, its divine.
We just indulged in drinks and appetizers, but I’m anxious to try the full menu.

Great spot for happy hour! All quesadillas and appetizers are half off. Although we didn’t visit Tuesday, there’s $ 2 Street Tacos and hot dogs on this day and heard they are great!
They serve melt in your mouth quesadillas, which were awesome. I visited this place two days in a row because the food is THAT GOOD. Highlights are the fundito, surf and turf taco plate and fajitas. Deliciously wonderful. We also ordered the Carne Asada Fries for $ 16. Skip it.
La Puerta serves good until the wee hours. But it is pretty loud with music blaring and an edgier crowd versus the afternoon and dinner patrons.
Service here is exceptional. Friendly and professional with great attitudes.

Came back and still so good! We went here twice within 24 hours because we loved it so much. We tried the tacos and both agreed that the chicken ones were the best ones. Same great service as before!

I really haven’t been all over San Diego, but if you’re stuck in a convention and the Gaslamp is about all you have time for to explore, then you cannot do any better than La Puerta… IMHFO.
Really. The bar is well stocked and the bar men are friendly and knowledgeable. If you ever bump into Israel (?), you’ll be in very very capable hands. Have him make you a house margarita with Don Lorenzo or go one better than I did and do a proper high end, small batch tequila. You get a home made mix, not some powder in your fine tequila, so no sacrilege asking for a margarita at La Puerta.
The service is prompt and the floor staff including security in the evenings is friendly and helpful. The décor is sufficiently comforting, especially contrasted with Las Hadas next door which has a very Pattaya beach type feel to it. I felt so much more at home and at ease at La Puerta, and not only do they want you to stay, you feel like you don’t really need to be in a hurry to leave.
The food is of course, one reason why you should stay. Now, I had just about all the soft street tacos that they had at both joints, and nothing says «Welcome to San Diego!» better than the tacos at La Puerta. I’m sorry Las Hadas, but I have to vote my conscience and my palate. La Puerta for the win. Food took about the same amount of time to come out, maybe a tad longer at La Puerta, but IMHFO, well worth the wait. Hey, you’re in not hurry anyway, you’re already kickin’ it and just keepin’ the Tecates comin’. Good times… While you’re at it, have at least one Negra Modelo from the tap…
This review is going to get trashed by locals, but like I said, if you’re stuck in the Gaslamp and looking for an adequately local welcome to San Diego, you really can’t go wrong walking in La Puerta.
Chill, vato…

The Quick: My favorite happy happy spot in Gaslamp; Half off drinks, quesadillas, and appetizers. Always packed, but you can usually manage to grab a spot outside. Must be 21+ after 3pm.
The Details: Holy guacamole do I love this spot. The «al pastor» anything is delicious, but I particularly like $ 2 taco Tuesday’s and the happy hour ½ al pastor quesadilla. Make sure to «make it wet» for extra enjoyment (green sauce is my preference). To be fair, I’ve only dined here when there is a special, but they have so many promotions it’s always a great deal.
Pro Tip: For those non tequila fans (if you exists) the house cava is only $ 2.5 during happy hour ($ 5 normally) and is delicious
The Damage: We literally feast and never spend more than $ 15 a person. Bottoms up!

Came here for the first time on a Monday night and this place has happy hours all night on Monday after 3pm until 1am! All alcoholic drinks at 50% off which is a plus, and appetizers and quesadillas are 50% off as well on Mondays. Definitely a good deal!
We arrived around 7pm and waited for 30 – 40 minutes before getting a table. However, there was space at the bar so you can easily just get a drink, relax there, and the hostess will go up to you to seat you when there’s an available table.
We ordered a bunch of drinks, chips and salsa, guacamole and chips, quesadillas, and rolled tacos to share amongst 4 people. The quesadillas were gigantic. I ordered 2 quesadillas to share with my boyfriend, a carne asada and a pastor, and could barely finish one and had leftovers to take home. You will definitely get full from just appetizers and wouldn’t even need to get entrees. They also have free chips and salsa and the red salsa they bring out is addicting! Drinks are super cheap and delicious. I would definitely come here again.

: VENUE/​SERVICE :
Back in December of 2015 we visited Gaslamp for a b-​day weekend getaway. Per my Unilocal digging La Puerta came up as one of the highest reviewed spots to come too. So we had the pleasure to dine here on a Saturday for lunch. All the seating (tables & booths) were taken up except the bar. But wait was minimal since we got there around 2PM. The bar looked fun & I could see it as a very happening popular spot for drinks & hang-​outs. The vibe was trendy/​hipster-​ish. The atmosphere was very laid back/​relaxing. Restrooms has dark interior décor but was clean.
The hostess was approachable & friendly. She even accommodated our request to change seats & the channel so we could watch the b-​ball game. Service was pretty good for our server was attentive.
: FOOD :
We didn’t have the chance to do their happy hour but their regular menu items price were reasonable.
Sopa de Pozole [2/​5]
– Bland tasting, not sure if that’s how it usually tastes?! I love soup but sadly I wasn’t a fan of this one :(
Cochinita Flautitas [5/​5]
– Crunchy & yummy. Looks almost like mini egg rolls. Really loved the presentation!
Carne Asada Street Tacos [5/​5]
– Pretty darn good! We really enjoyed the rice, re-​fried beans (one of the best I’ve had so far!) & rajas con crema that came with it as well. This is the 1^st time I’ve ever seen or had rajas con crema served in such combo plate & it was definitely yummy
Pollo Asado Quesadillas [2/​5]
– Disappointed in this dish for there were hardly any chicken & cheese. I kind of consider it as an appetizer but it came out last on our list of orders. Plus it took forever for this dish to come out — over 40 min! Not sure why the hold up but our waiter kept coming by to let us know it’s on its way. The wait would be worth it if had came out bomb-​diggity delicious but it was wasn’t & it was lukewarm too :(
: NOTES :
1) Booth seating — comfy but pretty run down, they definitely need to be replaced.
2) There is outdoor seatingsas well
: OVERALL :
I would visit this establishment again in the future but definitely not getting the soup or quesadillas again though. It’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t yet!

Das La Puerta ist ziemlich gut gelegen und am besten zu Fuss erreichbar! Wenn man etwas trinken möchte gibt es dort sehr gute Mojitos! Falls essen angesagt ist, unbedingt anrufen und Tisch reservieren! Ist sehr beliebt und hat wenig Tische zur Auswahl! Anonsten muss man vor Ort einen Termin abmachen und muss etwas warten! Nun zum Essen! Das Preisleistungsverhältnis für das wo man kriegt ist einfach phänomenal! Unbedingt die Nachos als Vorspeise bestellen! Sind einfach der Hammer! Wir hatten uns danach alle für einen Burrito entschieden und der war erste Sahne! Er ist mega gross und rihtig gut gefüllt und man wird def. satt! Wenn man dann die Rechnung kriegt und so eine tolle und freundliche Bedienung dazu hatte… kann man es fast nicht glauben, dass man so günstig davon kommt! Unbedingt belohnen und 20% oder mehr Tips geben!

Top everything wonderful, top Margarita Cocktails!