San Diego Mexican Food Reviews

3946 Illinois St
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 294-8292(map)
Official website

Bottomline - Authentic style, diverse menu, great bar, wonderful food.

One of the wonderful things about El Comal is the menu. There is a fantastic variety here with so many traditional items that you'll need to go back several times to get a handle on the place. From basic street tacos to Cochinita Pibil. From shrimp to goat. It's not a huge scattershot menu, but it touches on many different things.

To me the food here is delicious and comforting with a great depth of flavor. Both the Cochinita Pibil and the green mole are the best I've ever had. I think this can be attributed to the authentic dishes that are taken to a higher level than most Mexican restaurants. And example - The chicken enchiladas have chicken so succulent and flavorful that it's almost a shame to put more sauce on it. But then you add the green mole and the dish truly shines. Still simple - chicken, tortilla, sauce - but with wonderful flavor.

But more than just a great Mexican place, ElComal also mixes in live entertainment (sometimes) and a real bar. So if you want a quality mojito or margarita with your meal, they have that.

I would advise quizzing the server if you aren't sure. The menu here certainly has something for everyone, but you need to sift through lots of options. Spicy to bland. Simple to complex. If you want to play it safe, get the Cochinita Pibil tacos which are like the taco of my dreams.

I have read that the food service can suffer when the place is packed at night, but I've always gone for lunch, which was fine. Parking on the street isn't a problem, at least during the day.

I'm not a fan of goat. But I tried the goat tacos here. They didn't convert me. So if you don't like gamey, fatty meat, you might want to steer clear. I know that's all me, but so few restaurants serve goat that I'd just like to make sure you know what you're getting.

There are actually two locations, the other being in Chula Vista, but I've only been to the North Park restaurant. Both are suppose to be good.

But over all I really like El Comal. It's a very comfortable sitdown restaurant serving traditional Mexican dishes done very well. The variety of the menu choices really makes me want to go back and try everything.