Cali's & Fries — Restaurant in San Diego

San Diego is only about 100 miles south of my home in Los Angeles, as the crow flies (a distance spanned in a drive of as little as two hours, on a good day). But when it comes to Mexican food, this city might as well be on another planet. Its not as if LA is lacking in this regard: To the contrary, the city boasts noteworthy cuisine from every region of the country. Sometimes, however, the occasion calls for gut-warming comfort food. Only a San Diego taco shop like Cali and Fries can deliver on the latter count.

The first bite of succulent carne asada, rich crema and cheese and crisp french fries, wrapped in a toasty wheat tortilla, is enough to send a sinner to heaven. On the second bite, the potpourri of carbs and fat manifests more palpably in the throat, then stomach. The biting hunger of the last hour or so before your meal begins to dissipate amid the onslaught of protein and glucose. The third bite leaves you only 1 inch (out of 8) down the burrito's spine...and you already doubt whether you can finish.

Cali's and Fries is the first genuine Taco Shop I've visited in San Diego, so it is difficult to assess its standing within the city's California Burrito galaxy. If this shop is only a middling joint then the others in town have to be pretty damn...

Great little Baja-style Mexican Taco Shop. Since I wasn't that hungry I got the Kids Meal with Two Rolled Tacos with Guacamole and Cheese. It also comes with French Fries and a Drink. I paid $1 extra and got a Coconut Horchata. It was all yummy. I liked that the fries were the skinny kind. The Coconut Horchata was refreshing in the hot summer weather and different since it was coconut. I also liked their hot red hot sauce.

If I was visiting longer, I would have loved to try their different fries options (e.g., Chipotle Carne Asada Fries, BBQ Carne Asada Fries, Surf and Turf, etc.) or different burritos from around the world. So creative! For the burritos, you pick your meat (e.g., carne asada, carnitas, shrimp, etc.) and what type of burrito (e.g. American, Italian, Vietnamese, etc.), and each one comes with different...

Very nice first impression as you come in to a clean dinning room, Friendly and prompt service, Food feels fresh and it was neatly prepared, I had the beef roll tacos, they were crispy and tasty with a real guacamole. My taco de carne asada had so much carne that I had to get a fork to eat some of it. The salsa bar offered four salsas one of them very spicy and a pickled carrots that were not so spicy. A bonus for me. Hot chips are self serve in the salsa bar. A nice touch. The menu is well explained and has lots of pictures that make it easy to place your order. I will definitely come back to try their specialty the California Burritos. Customers that came in favor them in their orders. They told me they are in the process to introduce a healthy line of California burritos. Wcarrillo follow me on...