El Viejon Seafood — Restaurant in San Diego

I’m giving this restaurant a well deserved five stars for an incredible dining experience last Sunday night! We arrived around 8 PM, and the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting with just the right amount of buzz, perfect for a cozy evening out. The place wasn’t overly crowded which made it easy to settle in and enjoy the meal without feeling rushed. For my first course I decided to try ceviche for the first time, and it was an absolute revelation. The dish was bursting with bright tangy flavors, perfectly balanced with a fresh zesty kick that danced on my taste buds. The seafood was impeccably fresh and the citrusy marinade had just the right amount of acidity to make every bite refreshing and memorable. It was such a delightful introduction to ceviche and I’m already looking forward to having it again! Then came the seafood tacos and let me tell you, these were some of the most elite tacos I’ve ever had. I ordered three different ones: a shrimp taco, an octopus taco, and one that combined both. Each was a masterpiece in its own right. The shrimp taco was plump and juicy with a subtle sweetness that paired beautifully with the vibrant toppings, fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a creamy sauce that tied it all together. The octopus taco was a standout with tender perfectly cooked octopus that had a slight char and a smoky depth I couldn’t get enough of. The combo taco was the best of both worlds blending the textures and flavors in a way that felt indulgent yet balanced. The tortillas were soft, warm, and just sturdy enough to hold all the generous fillings without falling apart. I ended up eating way more than I planned because every bite was so flavorful and satisfying. This place is a gem and I can’t recommend it enough for anyone craving fresh bold...

Not sure how describe the place, it's in a strip mall, but everything around here is. The signage stands out if make the turn into the super crowded parking lot. The music was great, loud enough to cover the din of the customers, but not so loud you can't have a conversation. The overall business is small, but delivered on huge flavors.

I had no idea what a Las Aguachille was, but the description sounded amazing, so I ordered a half order, glad I did, no way I could eat it all. I got it with black sauce, black like the devil's soul and just as hot. I'm sweating as I type this, my tongue is burning and salivating with each bite. It's delicious, cucumber, red onion, radish, lime juice, and shrimp, with a nice dose of avocado. It's amazing, my mouth is cooling down and the beads of sweat are limited to my upper lip. I will definitely try it again before I leave, red sauce next time.

I also wanted to try a single Birria taco, but they had a variant called the Manolarga, it's queso birria taco with with an octopus tentacle, lightly fried, perfectly seasoned, thrown in for good measure. By God, it measured up perfectly. The tender pulpo blended perfectly with the Birria in the taco. I ended up using the consume that came with the taco to help put out the fire in mouth.

Overall it's a great place. I'm here for three days, I will be back with my fellow work...

I have to start out by saying I had high aspirations for this place judging by the other reviews but I was really let down. I called to put in an order of smoked tuna fries and the guy on the front said they no longer make fries even though their menu said had it on there. I asked him THREE times and he said not that he knows of. Seemed very unsure so I told him to ask the cook. He came back and said they actually do indeed have fries called "el viejon fries" with shrimp+octopus+crab and that they can add tuna. I said perfect, replace the octopus with tuna and we are good to go. I arrived and asked for my order and he told me I made a good choice with my selection. I get my food and go home to eat it. I open it up and there's only chicken and a few bits of tuna. I didn't ask for pollo asada fries you ding dong! How can someone mess up an order so bad.

I ate the food anyway and it was awful for $30+. Everything was dripping oil and fat. Nothing seemed fresh and way too much salt. Definitely not fresh or healthy. Steer clear of a this place as they will most likely mess up your order. If you do place an order over the phone: verify multiple times with the young guy up front that he got your order correct, then when you get there CHECK YOUR FOOD before leaving because they will most likely have gotten wrong anyway. Plus the food was bad so just don't go...