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Inside Bar  - El Sueño, San Diego, CA

El Sueño

4.0
4
170 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
Coming Soon to Open Table!

Vibrant Mexican Food and Craft Cocktails.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Sushi
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Tue 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (619) 501-9813
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 170 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.7Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
El Sueño enchants with a "beautiful ambiance" and "delicious food," making it a delightful spot in Old Town. While the "amazing food" and "super great staff" win hearts, occasional service hiccups and inconsistencies are noted. A visit promises flavorful Mexican fare and vibrant cocktails, perfect for an enjoyable meal.

170 Reviews
  1. Carlos

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Mason took care of us. He was very professional definitely coming back!

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  2. Edward

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 7, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food, friendly service, reasonable prices; indoor tables were loud, and while outside was less noisy, it was also chilly (heat lamps were not numerous enough to do the job). Pretty courtyard, though, and everything (tempeh tacos and salad) were fresh and tasty.

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  3. Thomas

    San Diego

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    We enjoyed the restaurant location in Old Town SD walkable from our hotel! Nice friendly staff and great food, we enjoyed all the different dishes we tried. Good portions and value also !!

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  4. Ignacio

    VIP

    Austin

    37 reviews

    5.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was a great experience. Our first visit was amazing. Cocktails and dishes and the wonderful service of our server Milei were the ingredients of an excellent Sunday in San Diego. Very nice restaurant!

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  5. Peter

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Fajita was just a steak and shrimps, didn’t look like any fajita we had in our lifetime. Shrimp smelled like a fish and steak meet didn’t taste fresh. The place looks very nice, servers are very polite but the food needs a lot of improvement.

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  6. Merlyn

    San Diego

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Host seated us we didn’t get seen till about 45 minutes later because we had to ask when do we get our order and drinks taken or even water. Service was really bad and it’s too bad because I’ve heard really good things about El Sueno just sad we couldn’t have experienced it. Service was horrible for our table of 8! Once we did order food and drinks took another 40-45 minutes to come and check up on us in which we didn’t want to order anything and just wanted to leave.

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  7. Keith

    Denver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We cut a narrow path through the menu. She had a spicy margarita, I had the Oh Behave (a horchata/rum concoction that was most yummy). We split the queso fundido, and seriously, we could have stopped there, as we're apparently in our eat-like-a-bird era. But no, we plowed ahead, gorging on lobster tacos and enchiladas del mar--all of it was awesome and we each got down like three bites. These are not huge portions (nor are they small)--it is us, of woefully tiny stomachs. Oh well, go, go hungry. You'll be satisfied.

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  8. Shira

    San Diego

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was pretty good, and ambiance was pretty. It was just very cold inside to eat with doors open.

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  9. Maya

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 10, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is delicious! Mckenzie was our server and she was lovely!!

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  10. Jeannette

    San Diego

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first time here. Lindsay was our server, she was friendly, and very familiar with the menu. The ambiance was fun and a great date nite place. We had the fajitas, skirt steak and shrimp cooked perfectly. Definitely a place we will revisit.

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FAQs

El Sueño is rated 4 stars by 170 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 19 times today
Google Map for El Sueño

2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110-2713

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Old Town
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Tue 11:30 am–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Sushi
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine
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