Puesto - La Jolla: A Vibrant Dining Experience with Authentic Mexican Flavors

I was surprised by how good Puesto was, especially as a vegan. They actually have solid veggie options, which is not something you can always count on. I ordered the calabasita and mushroom taco and it was flavorful and really well done. Fresh, balanced, and satisfying. My friend had the cantina chicken bowl and said it was full of flavor and really good as well. The Cadillac margarita was excellent, smooth and strong. Definitely one of the better ones I’ve had. The staff at the bar was friendly and attentive, which made the experience even better. The atmosphere was great too. Relaxed, welcoming, and a nice place to sit and enjoy your food. Overall, Puesto delivered good food, good drinks, and a good experience. I’d absolutely go back.

First time trying Puesto and lucky us it was Taco Tuesday which is 50% off tacos. I was in the mood for fajitas but I was disappointed it was not on the menu. Excellent consolation was Taco Tuesday. We ordered chips and salsa. The chips are a little thicker and definitely not greasy. Thank you! I ordered one chicken, one fillet mignon and one carnitas taco. I’m not a spicy loving person so I got all the sauces on the side. All three tacos are stuffed with meat on a blue tortilla. The tortillas are smaller than normal but it was stuffed full. The chicken was very tender and moist. The fillet mignon was tender and it had a nice char and smoked flavor. The carnitas taco was ok but not on the same level as the chicken and fillet. Excellent from everyone we encountered at the host stand and Devon our server. This restaurant has an upbeat vibe.

Seriously one of the best experiences, Izzy was fantastic! She made our early dinner such a great time, had awesome recommendations, and was an absolutely amazing person in general. I am from Atlanta, but frequently travel back and forth to Encinitas, she had the best recommendations with places to visit/where to take my friend in San Diego. We will absolutely be back!

Had an amazing experience with pistachio tres leches! I‘m huge for pistachio and this made my day with perfect flavour bursting in my mouth of lemon layer, slight sweetness with pistachio ganache and pistachio cake soaked in heavy cream. The other cuisine were good as well - i love the salsa more!

We went here yesterday for brunch and they were great! They had plenty of space and accommodated us being 10min late to our reservation. The food was delicious with our favorites being the Nogada guacamole, which was really unique with the nuts and fruit on the guac, and the cripsy crab and shrimp tacos as well as the wagyu brisket taco. All of the guacamoles are a little sweet because of the orange in it. It was unique and felt very fresh. I also really enjoyed their salsa with nice fresh chips! We also got the baja fish taco and the grilled shrimp taco which I felt were just okay. The prices are a little expensive at $10+ per taco and they add an additional surcharge as well but the food quality seems pretty good. There is a taco tuesday deal for half off tacos which would be a pretty good deal. There was multiple spots for free street parking a couple of blocks away though parking may be more difficult in the summer months

Stopped by Puesto in La Jolla and honestly it’s a pretty good spot overall. We tried the al pastor chicken bowl and tacos both flavorful, well-seasoned, and satisfying without being too heavy. The 4-salsa chips were really good (loved the variety), though the portion size was a bit small for sharing. The pistachio tres leches was a pleasant surprise soft, nutty, and not overly sweet. Perfect way to end the meal. Drinks-wise, the cucumber margarita was super refreshing, light, and balanced definitely recommend if you’re not into overly sweet cocktails. Overall vibe: lively, modern Mexican with good flavors Food: solid, tasty Portions: slightly on the smaller side Would I go again? Yes, especially for tacos + margaritas ⭐ Rating: 4/5 Perfect for a casual La Jolla meal when you want good food, fun drinks, and a nice atmosphere

Would come here again and again if we were locals. The watermelon mezcal drinks, the house made salsas and hot sauces, the tacos, and the pistachio tres leches?! So good. And Izzy, our server, was so sweet too. We’re looking forward to welcoming them to the east coast in Nashville when open

Food, service, vibe - all too notch! Abby was extremely nice and made the best suggestions. I’m a vegetarian and I had Calabacitas and I think they are the best tacos I have had in America. That with the Dirty Soda and pistachio tres leches just made up for an amazing taco Tuesday