Cotixan Mexican Food — Restaurant in San Diego

I have many memories of Cotixan, even prior to the drive thru location in Mira Mesa near where I lived for one glorious year. It is not the first Mexican food I tasted when I became a UCSD student (Robertos on Miramar). It was not the best deal I knew of (Rigoberto's also on Miramar). It was, however, where I have gone the most. Late nights, mid-day, even a breakfast every so often. I've never been disappointed.

The food always tastes fresh. The service is quick. And I remember vividly, as I prepared for a going away party in SD, going here to ask about fries. Pollo asada fries. Lots of them. They never laughed at my pronunciation, at least not to my face, though they would have had every right. The person who helped me looked more comfortable on a football field with a helmet than a headset. He was kind, and funny. He asked if I wanted more than just styrofoam. I said yes. I said there would be many people, they would be drinking (legally, of course). They would be hungry. He said he'd take care of it. I returned the day of the party and picked up three large trays. More like a trough. And lots of salsa. Red and my favorite, the green. It was perfect. And relatively inexpensive to boot. And it was....delicious. I remember little from that party, but I remember eating this, and then making my way to a corner of an empty room for a good nights/mornings rest.

Thank you Cotixan. Wouldn't be here without you. See you...

El Co is my Elysian Field. My Paradise. I make pilgrimages from the OC to this location for the divine artistry that is the potato taco. Such bliss! Don't get me wrong, I wish there was an OC location, but the lure of and joy of visiting SD AND stuffing my gob with food that's so good, it registers on the Menu of My Life-type good. Holy IshMael! I didn't look at the hours of operation on this recent visit, but before the plague, it was 24/7. Oh yeah! That's right, round the clock goodness. There's always parking. It's next to a Circle K gas station, so convenient after my drive down. My love of said potato tacos is so great, I've driven through a rather harrowing rain storm on a whim to get them. The drive home took 5 hours because of the accidents brought about by the storm. I would do it again. They have other locations, but not all locations have potato tacos, so those suck. Money wise, it's cash only, reasonable prices for the manna they serve. Make sure you try the red salsa (actually it's more of an orange shade, but don't bust my balls about it), I think they automatically give you the green salsa, and you have to ask for the other kind. You need a token for the bathroom. They have taken safety precautions with seating. It's sparse and out on the covered patio. Yes, they have other food there, taquitos and potato burritos and all the stuff except exceptionally...

Visiting San Diego, I wanted to try the Al Pastor tacos at Cotixan, and compare it to it's competitor Vallarta Express (down the block from this location). I ordered one taco, and it was huge when compared to taco-truck-size street tacos. There was enough protein to make 2-3 street tacos, so at the $5.00 cost may seem pricey for one taco, I'd say it's good value.

The al pastor itself was tasty, and was better seasoned than it's competitor Vallarta Express. I do, however, want to say that it did lack the crisp edges when meat is freshly grilled, and cut from the spit. Vallarta Express wins on that front, where the meat looks and tastes like it is freshly cut from the spit. I can't confirm that this was the case, but looking at it, and tasting it convinces me that this is the case. To be fair, Vallarta Express doesn't offer Al pastor, but their version is adobada, which is similar to al pastor, but slightly different regarding the spices or ingredients.

The inside of this location looks clean, and well-lit. The dining area has a lot of room to dine-in.

In conclusion, the al pastor taco 🌮 at Cotixan was tasty and huge. If it had the crisp edges, which would suggest that it has been freshly cut from the spit, I'd give it 5 stars. I'd definitely suggest this...