Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Puesto: F-ing awesome!

Filet mignon taco among the best tacos ever made — period.

From left: Mahi Mahi Taco, Filet Mignon Taco, Grilled Shrimp Taco (at Puesto La Jolla)
From left: Mahi Mahi Taco, Filet Mignon Taco, Grilled Shrimp Taco (at Puesto La Jolla)
Place

Puesto

1026 Wall Street, San Diego

If you go to Puesto, you’re going to do a lot of cursing.

Not in a bad way, but along the lines of “This taco is f-ing awesome!” or “This is an f-ing great margarita!” or “Damn! I love this f-ing mural!”

Puesto has that effect on people, both the downtown restaurant at the Headquarters or the original one in La Jolla, which recently expanded its original upscale taco shop to an extra room with a full bar.

Interior of Puesto La Jolla

It’s f-ing awesome!

Sponsored
Sponsored

Puesto specializes in amped-up versions of street tacos and what has to be some of the country’s best mezcal and tequila cocktails. Seriously.

The ceviche, made with mahi mahi, lime, avocado, onion, tomato, and chile serrano was a good starter. It was tart the way it should be, but the fish was firm. The crisp, housemade tortilla chips were a good vehicle for carrying the fish to my gullet.

The Puesto Perfect Margarita is done in the classic style: tequila, lime, and agave over the rocks and served in a salt-rimmed glass. This was the drink that started me on my complimentary f-word rant.

The Puesto Perfect Margarita at Puesto La Jolla: Maestro Dobel Tequila, lime and agave nectar

The Burro Blanco, a Moscow Mule made with tequila instead of vodka, along with ginger beer, is one of those drinks you might underrate at first because it’s more subtle in taste than, say, the Puesto Perfect. But don’t be surprised how quickly you slurp it down and start making “kick ass” puns.

Puesto lives and dies on its tacos — which, as said before, are f-ing great! Going here for a burrito? Nope. No enchiladas either. That might seem like an f-ing disappointment for some, but sometimes it’s good to have priorities.

The way to go here is to get the three taco mix and match plate for $11. There is an upcharge on some tacos, like lobster, filet mignon, mahi mahi, and shrimp.

Ceviche de Acapulco at Puesto La Jolla (mahi mahi, tomato, onion, avocado, serrano chile, lime)

The grilled shrimp and filet mignon tacos are two of the best tacos I’ve ever eaten — and they’re there on one plate! How f-ing great is that?

The filet is tender and topped with a crisp parmesan-like cheese, avocado and a spicy pistachio jalapeño sauce. I love Puesto’s spicy salsa, but this taco has so much flavor that I eat it without the extra spice.

The grilled shrimp comes with tinga, a hibiscus chipotle sauce that adds a pickled sweetness to everything it touches. It is excellent.

The mahi mahi taco was good, but it was like George Harrison trying to stand out next to Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

The chicken al pastor taco, with tinga, pineapple, avocado and tomatillo roja, got raves from my friend, but he generally doesn’t curse as much when eating as I do.

If I had to rate Puesto, I’d probably give it my highest rating: 10 F-bombs.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Melissa Etheridge, The Imaginary Amazon

Events April 1-April 3, 2024
Next Article

Croome Brothers Trio, Jack Tempchin, Ricky, Swami & the Bed Of Nails, Kahlil Nash

Acoustic and electric in Del Mar, La Jolla, Little Italy, and City Heights
From left: Mahi Mahi Taco, Filet Mignon Taco, Grilled Shrimp Taco (at Puesto La Jolla)
From left: Mahi Mahi Taco, Filet Mignon Taco, Grilled Shrimp Taco (at Puesto La Jolla)
Place

Puesto

1026 Wall Street, San Diego

If you go to Puesto, you’re going to do a lot of cursing.

Not in a bad way, but along the lines of “This taco is f-ing awesome!” or “This is an f-ing great margarita!” or “Damn! I love this f-ing mural!”

Puesto has that effect on people, both the downtown restaurant at the Headquarters or the original one in La Jolla, which recently expanded its original upscale taco shop to an extra room with a full bar.

Interior of Puesto La Jolla

It’s f-ing awesome!

Sponsored
Sponsored

Puesto specializes in amped-up versions of street tacos and what has to be some of the country’s best mezcal and tequila cocktails. Seriously.

The ceviche, made with mahi mahi, lime, avocado, onion, tomato, and chile serrano was a good starter. It was tart the way it should be, but the fish was firm. The crisp, housemade tortilla chips were a good vehicle for carrying the fish to my gullet.

The Puesto Perfect Margarita is done in the classic style: tequila, lime, and agave over the rocks and served in a salt-rimmed glass. This was the drink that started me on my complimentary f-word rant.

The Puesto Perfect Margarita at Puesto La Jolla: Maestro Dobel Tequila, lime and agave nectar

The Burro Blanco, a Moscow Mule made with tequila instead of vodka, along with ginger beer, is one of those drinks you might underrate at first because it’s more subtle in taste than, say, the Puesto Perfect. But don’t be surprised how quickly you slurp it down and start making “kick ass” puns.

Puesto lives and dies on its tacos — which, as said before, are f-ing great! Going here for a burrito? Nope. No enchiladas either. That might seem like an f-ing disappointment for some, but sometimes it’s good to have priorities.

The way to go here is to get the three taco mix and match plate for $11. There is an upcharge on some tacos, like lobster, filet mignon, mahi mahi, and shrimp.

Ceviche de Acapulco at Puesto La Jolla (mahi mahi, tomato, onion, avocado, serrano chile, lime)

The grilled shrimp and filet mignon tacos are two of the best tacos I’ve ever eaten — and they’re there on one plate! How f-ing great is that?

The filet is tender and topped with a crisp parmesan-like cheese, avocado and a spicy pistachio jalapeño sauce. I love Puesto’s spicy salsa, but this taco has so much flavor that I eat it without the extra spice.

The grilled shrimp comes with tinga, a hibiscus chipotle sauce that adds a pickled sweetness to everything it touches. It is excellent.

The mahi mahi taco was good, but it was like George Harrison trying to stand out next to Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

The chicken al pastor taco, with tinga, pineapple, avocado and tomatillo roja, got raves from my friend, but he generally doesn’t curse as much when eating as I do.

If I had to rate Puesto, I’d probably give it my highest rating: 10 F-bombs.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob
Next Article

Reader 1st place writing contest winner gets kudos

2nd place winner not so much
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.