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Inside Bar  - El Sueño, San Diego, CA

El Sueño

4.1
4.1
202 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

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2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 21 times today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Charming
Coming Soon to Open Table!

Vibrant Mexican Food and Craft Cocktails.

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 202 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
El Sueño enchants with its "amazing food" and vibrant atmosphere, perfect for celebrations and date nights. Guests rave about the "delicious" Enchiladas Suiza and "fantastic" spicy margaritas. The restaurant's friendly staff and lively music create a memorable dining experience. While service can occasionally be slow, the overall charm and quality shine through.
202 Reviews
  1. Roxana

    Baja California

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was really good! But the service was terrible.

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  2. Oscar

    Unspecified

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great ambience and decent food but a little overpriced.

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  3. Monique

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    24 reviews

    4.0

    24 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Drinks are great m! Food is delicious all in the beautiful historic Old town San Diego! Can’t wait to go back

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  4. Nick

    San Diego

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    The server was very rude. The tables are so close to each other and the tables were also very small. Took about 30 minutes just to get a glass of water. Wouldn’t recommend this place. The vibes were just not it.

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  5. Nicole

    VIP

    Central Coast

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place is a must try. The quality and taste is amazing. The staff is also very friendly and attentive. Would definitely come back.

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  6. Ernesto

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We won’t be going back. Service was below par and our food took forever to come out. When it did, my plate had food on the bottom of it that smeared across our table. The side of rice and beans looked as if someone put their thumb in it. They took it back and we asked that they take it off our bill cause we were leaving as soon as my GF finished her appetizer we shared at that point. Server said manager sends apologies but never came to table. Bad business!

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  7. Moises

    San Diego

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    I understand Valentine’s Day is a busy day for them and try to get as many tables in but it was way too full a restaurant oversold with tables right next to each other could not even hear your own conversation. Definitely will reconsider going back the only plus for this place is their food but even the service was rushed. To put the cherry on top they automatically charged 18% gratuity simply unacceptable.

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  8. Wendy

    San Diego

    16 reviews

    4.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I was not expecting a different menu because it was Valentine’s Day I was disappointed that I was very limited on what I could order and all though the server was very attentive I did not like that she took it upon herself to tip herself a automatic 25% my husband and I are good tippers and all thought what we would of tipped her might of been very close to that the fact she did it and their was still a option to tip was a bit shady so I would never return to this restaurant.

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  9. Guy

    San Diego

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant was nice and the ambiance was good. The appetizers were okay but the entrees were pretty good. It took awhile for us to get seated after we had a reservation at 6pm, and there were some things going on they said they were working on. It was strange hearing loud 80s rock music when it was supposed to be more romantic, but overall it was good.

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  10. Miriah

    New Mexico

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    When walking up to El Sueño I knew that it was going to be good! The vibe was phenomenal & our waiter was awesome. I can’t remember his name, but he had a little bit of salt & pepper hair & made us laugh. I ordered the Al Pastor tacos that were heaven. My partner had the street tacos with Carne Asada that she said, “are the best!” That rice also was amazing, the flavor profiles were on point! I don’t know how they marinate the meat, but I hope they don’t change it. The ambiance was just what we needed for a chill night & some bomb tacos! Don’t sleep on El Sueño! Haha.

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FAQs

El Sueño is rated 4.1 stars by 202 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 21 times today
Google Map for El Sueño

2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110-2713

Additional information

  • Area
    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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