Ortega's A Mexican Bistro

4.5

1027 Reviews

$30 and under

Mexican

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:30

Booked 6 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Ortega’s Mexican Bistro features the authentic flavors of Puerto Nuevo. Experience Baja style lobster and table side guacamole while sipping one of our classic fresh squeezed margaritas. Enjoy dining in our restaurant or for a more energized evening, dine in our bar - La Cantina. Additional flavors include Banana Crusted Huachinango, Flat Iron Steak Burrito, Chicken Mole. The design captures the festive traditions and tasteful flavors of Puerto Nuevo and Baja California.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Mexican / Southwestern
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–20:30 Fri, Sat 11:30–21:00
Phone number
(619) 692-4200
Website
http://www.ortegas.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Private party facilities
Contact restaurant for Private Events at 619-692-4200 or via email at info@ortegas.com

Location
141 University Ave #4, San Diego, CA 92103
Area
Hillcrest
Cross Street
3rd Avenue
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Private dining

Popular dishes

Guacamole Made TablesideUS$12.75
avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime
Baja Shrimp Ceviche*US$15.75
shrimp, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño, onion, corn tostaditas
Fish Ceviche*US$14.75
snapper, tomato, cilantro, jalapeño, onion, corn tostaditas
Poblano Portobello Quesadilla (2)US$14.75
corn masa, poblanos, portobellos, caramelized onion, oaxaca cheese, tomato arbol sauce, cotija & queso fresco, crema
Queso FundidoUS$16.75
oaxaca cheese, chorizo, poblanos, caramelized onion, cotija & queso fresco, crema, corn & flour tortillas

Ensaladas

Add: Chicken Breast +$10 | Mahi +$12 | Shrimp +$12 | Steak +$13 | Half Lobster +$25.75

Caesar & AvocadoUS$12.75
romaine, avocado, croutons, parmesan, caesar dressing
Ortega's Mixed Green SaladUS$12.75
mixed greens, grilled tomato, avocado, cucumber, carrot, garbanzos, cotija & queso fresco, black bean corn salsa, balsamic vinaigrette
Sandia Sesame SaladUS$12.75
mixed greens, watermelon, avocado, cucumber, carrot, garbanzos, cotija & queso fresco, black bean corn salsa, sesame soy vinaigrette

Soups

Ortega's Chicken & TortillaUS$9.75
roasted chicken, onion, chipotle, cilantro, garbanzos, tomato, rice, tortilla strips, avocado
Puerto Nuevo-Style TortillaUS$9.75
guajillo chiles, chicken stock, roasted tomato, cilantro, avocado, jack cheese, tortilla strips
Black Bean & PumpkinUS$9.75
pureed black bean & roasted kabocha pumpkin, black bean corn salsa, crema

Seafood

Ensenada-Style Fish Taco TrioUS$20.75
Modelo especial beer battered snapper on flour tortillas, chipotle garlic aioli, cabbage, crema, roasted salsa. Side refried beans
Banana Crusted HuachinangoUS$22.75
Snapper with a plantain crust, roasted tomato sauce. Side rice, refried beans & flour tortilla
Crab Enchiladas (2)US$23.75
Crab, mushroom, spinach, jack cheese, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, verde sauce, cotija & queso fresco, crema, cabbage. Side rice & refried beans
Mahi Mahi Taco TrioUS$21.75
Grilled mahi mahi on corn tortillas, chipotle garlic aioli, avocado, crema, cabbage. Side black beans
Dorado VeracruzUS$22.75
Seared mahi mahi, roasted tomato sauce, bell pepper, onion, poblanos, white wine, capers & green olives. Side rice, refried beans & flour tortilla
Shrimp Taco TrioUS$20.75
Shrimp sautéed in white wine on corn tortillas, chipotle garlic aioli, avocado, crema, cabbage. Side charro beans
Shrimp Enchiladas (2)US$21.75
Sautéed shrimp, jack cheese, mushroom, spinach, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, rojo sauce, cotija & queso fresco, crema, cabbage. Side rice & refried beans

Beef + Pork

CarnitasUS$20.75
Slow roasted pork, verde sauce, pico de gallo. Side rice, charro beans & flour tortilla
Steak Taco TrioUS$20.75
Angus steak on corn tortillas, chipotle sauce, cabbage, crema, avocado. Side charro beans
Steak BurritoUS$20.75
Grilled bistek, charro beans, jack cheese, huitlacoche-mushroom sauce, avocado, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Side rice & charro beans
Grilled BistekUS$22.75
Huitlacoche-mushroom sauce, pico de gallo. Side vegetables, rice, refried beans & flour tortilla

Chicken

Chicken Mole**US$20.75
Grilled chicken breast, spicy-sweet mole sauce, sesame seeds, crema. Side vegetables, rice, refried beans, & flour tortilla
Chicken Mole Enchiladas (2)**US$20.75
Roasted chicken, jack cheese, pico de gallo, corn tortillas, spicy-sweet mole sauce, cotija & queso fresco, crema, cabbage. Side rice & refried beans
Chicken Pippian**US$20.75
Grilled chicken breast, creamy pumpkin seed pippian sauce, crema, pumpkin seeds. Side vegetables, rice, refried beans, & flour tortilla

Puerto Nuevo Lobster

Includes Cup of Puerto Nuevo-Style Tortilla Soup. Grilled lobster, rice, refried beans, drawn butter, grilled lime, flour tortilla

Whole Lobster SpecialUS$46.75
whole lobster tail
Half Lobster & Steak SpecialUS$35.75
Ortega's surf & turf. Half lobster tail & fire grilled bistek, huitlacoche-portobello mushroom sauce
Half Lobster & Shrimp Special**US$34.75
half lobster tail & four large shrimp on a skewer, epazote cilantro pesto, roasted tomato sauce

Vegetarian

Poblano Queso Taco TrioUS$19.75
Grilled oaxaca cheese on corn tortillas, poblanos, caramelized onion, cabbage, black bean corn salsa, cotija & queso fresco, crema. Side black beans
Chile RellenoUS$19.75
Poblano chile, jack & oaxaca cheese, tomato sauce. Side rice, refried beans & flour tortilla (contains chicken stock)
Vegetarian BurritoUS$17.75
Black bean & pumpkin purée, potato, avocado, poblanos, caramelized onion, pico de gallo, jack cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Side black beans
Cheese Mole Enchiladas**US$19.75
Cotija, queso fresco & jack cheese, spicy-sweet mole sauce. Side rice & refried beans (contains chicken stock)

Sides

Refried, Charro or Black BeansUS$3.75
Mexican RiceUS$3.75
Flour TortillaUS$1.50
Corn TortillaUS$0.75
Cup Pico de GalloUS$2.75
Half AvocadoUS$4.50
CremaUS$0.50
Side VegetablesUS$4.75
Side SaladUS$3.75
Chiles Toreados (3)US$3.50

Margaritas

prepared with homemade sour mix

CabrilloUS$11.00
silver tequila & triple sec
PresidioUS$13.00
cuervo tradicional silver & grand marnier
PomegranateUS$14.00
pomegranate, cuervo tradicional silver & grand marnier, sugar rim
Spicy CucumberUS$14.00
cucumber, jalapeño, cuervo tradicional silver & grand marnier, chile rim
Mango MintUS$14.00
mango purée, mint & cuervo tradicional silver, sugar rim
TamarindUS$14.00
blended tamarind & cuervo tradicional silver, chile rim
Fresh JalapeñoUS$14.00
jalapeño, cuervo tradicional silver & grand marnier, chile rim
Strawberry MintUS$14.00
strawberry, mint & cuervo tradicional silver, sugar rim

Premium Margaritas

hand crafted with fresh squeezed lime juice

Don Julio ClassicUS$17.00
grand marnier, fresh orange
The Patron ClassicUS$17.00
grand marnier, fresh orange, pink salt rim
Mezcal MargaritaUS$16.00
agave nectar, sal de gusano (worm salt) rim
Hibiscus MezcalUS$16.00
housemade jamaica, agave nectar
Casamigos MargaritaUS$16.00
grand marnier, agave nectar, fresh orange
Casamigos Margarita LightUS$16.00
casamigos blanco, agave nectar
The Clase AzulUS$25.00
clase azul reposado, grand marnier, agave nectar, fresh orange, black sea salt rim

What 1,027 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Ortega's A Mexican Bistro offers a vibrant, authentic ambiance perfect for a taste of Mexico without crossing the border. "great food and service" are consistent highlights, with standout dishes like Puerto Nuevo lobster and table-side guacamole. While some service experiences vary, most diners enjoy the "excellent" atmosphere and flavorful meals.

1,027 Reviews

T
Thomas
San Diego3 reviews
5.0
Dined on 28 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Best margaritas in town! Add a splash of Pomegranate to their Presido margarita with a sugar rim for best margarita you’ve ever had! Great staff of people, super friendly!
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S
SARA VIP
San Diego138 reviews
5.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love this hidden gem! They have amazing Mexican food. We enjoy their steak burritos, steak tacos, table made guacamole & Casamigos margaritas are delicioius!! Highly recommend if looking for some yummy authentic Mexican food. This restaurant makes us feel like we are visiting Baja, MX. Best in town!
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W
Wayne
San Diego10 reviews
5.0
Dined on 16 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and margaritas. Table side guacamole nice touch. Valentine day prix fix was an excellent value.
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H
Haley
San Diego1 review
3.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
had reservation at 8:45pm, didn’t get seated until 9:45pm. Food was alright, soup was good and steak was good but the burrito altogether was lack luster and the table side guac was middle of the road basic. the chicken tortilla soup and the chips and salsa was all that could really be enjoyed. The ambience was perfect for valentine’s day and the service was great. The food and wait time was what made this sort of not worth it. i will give the benefit of the doubt because it was at closing time and we were the last ones in there. but for valentine’s day i was expecting better. an $87.00 bill was not worth the experience. won’t be going again, but wasn’t the worst i’ve experienced
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K
Karlos
Los Angeles1 review
2.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
I had high hopes for this restaurant when I made a Valentine’s Day reservation for 8:30 PM, expecting a smooth and enjoyable night. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Despite having a reservation, we weren’t seated until 10:20 PM—nearly two hours later. No updates, no apologies, just an endless wait that killed the mood. When we finally sat down, I was hoping the food would make up for the poor experience. It didn’t. The dishes were mediocre at best—nothing memorable, nothing worth the wait. The only saving grace? The margaritas packed a punch, but at that point, we needed them just to get through the night
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P
PACO MHERI
San Diego9 reviews
3.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
I found this place on Open table. It was our first time in. We had a reservation at 8pm. It was Valentine’s Day. We arrived 745 and they told us they were running behind. When asked how long to wait they said unsure. We waited til 845 and started looking for other places to eat nearby but of course they finally called our name. So almost an hour wait with a reservation. I just don’t understand the the point on having reservations if doesn’t really apply to real time. Maybe this restaurant should only do reservations on holidays and not take any walk ins. Just saying because we’re tons of people waiting outside and inside, with and without reservations. We were waiting in front of the main check in desk for the whole hour and it was such a safety hazard. People’s butts were in my face if you can imagine. The food was ok. I thought it would be better. Maybe I came on an off day because the reviews sound way better than what we experienced. I wouldn’t recommend this place on a holiday, or Valentine’s Day. Like I said, maybe I came on a bad day but I wouldn’t come back. There are way more other places that I can eat at with better service and food. Maybe this days food wasn’t great because it was so busy.
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S
Sarah VIP
San Diego1 review
2.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Margarita tasted like a bottled mix, although I ordered one that said “fresh lime juice” on the menu. Couldn’t drink it, just left it. I asked for water, and that took a while. Also, waiter didn’t clear table before dessert but put dessert plate in front of me. I stacked the dirty plates together so I could put dessert in the center of the table and share with my date. Lovely. Also, please don’t tap me on the back of the arm every time you stop by the table. Thanks.
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S
Sally
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 15 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Good timely service. Delicious guacamole and margaritas.
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G
Gary
San Diego4 reviews
5.0
Dined on 12 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent! Fun creative menu. Chips & salsa were fantastic so we knew we were in for a great meal! I had banana crusted snapper-yum! Great w the sauce it was served with. Hubby’s chile relleno was one of the best he’s had (he even asked to tell the chef personally!) Strawberry mint margaritas were delish too-refreshing! We’ll def come back!!!
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J
John
Los Angeles2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 6 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our second visit was as good as our first. We chose to meet relatives here for a nice meal. We visit from Long Beach and discovered Ortega’s on our own last time we were in town. We took locals here for their first visit and they loved it, too. Great margaritas. I’m surprised it is not busier. Just a few diners each time. We will return.
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FAQs

Ortega's A Mexican Bistro offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (619) 692-4200.

Ortega's A Mexican Bistro is rated 4.5 stars by 1027 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:30

Booked 6 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Ortega's A Mexican Bistro

141 University Ave #4, San Diego, CA 92103

Additional information

Cross Street
3rd Avenue
Area
Hillcrest
Hours of Operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30–20:30 Fri, Sat 11:30–21:00
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Mexican / Southwestern
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment Options
AMEX, Contactless Payment, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.ortegas.com/
Phone number
(619) 692-4200
Private party facilities
Contact restaurant for Private Events at 619-692-4200 or via email at info@ortegas.com

Ortega's A Mexican Bistro

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Veranda

Galeria/Cantina

Bistro

Custom inquiry

Chicken Mole Enchiladas (2)

Shrimp Enchiladas (2)

Chicken Mole

Starters

Guacamole Made TablesideUS$12.75

Baja Shrimp Ceviche*US$15.75

Fish Ceviche*US$14.75

Poblano Portobello Quesadilla (2)US$14.75

Queso FundidoUS$16.75

Ensaladas

Caesar & AvocadoUS$12.75

Ortega's Mixed Green SaladUS$12.75

Sandia Sesame SaladUS$12.75

Soups

Ortega's Chicken & TortillaUS$9.75

Puerto Nuevo-Style TortillaUS$9.75

Black Bean & PumpkinUS$9.75

Seafood

Ensenada-Style Fish Taco TrioUS$20.75

Banana Crusted HuachinangoUS$22.75

Crab Enchiladas (2)US$23.75

Mahi Mahi Taco TrioUS$21.75

Dorado VeracruzUS$22.75

Shrimp Taco TrioUS$20.75

Shrimp Enchiladas (2)US$21.75

Beef + Pork

CarnitasUS$20.75

Steak Taco TrioUS$20.75

Steak BurritoUS$20.75

Grilled BistekUS$22.75

Chicken

Chicken Mole**US$20.75

Chicken Mole Enchiladas (2)**US$20.75

Chicken Pippian**US$20.75

Puerto Nuevo Lobster

Whole Lobster SpecialUS$46.75

Half Lobster & Steak SpecialUS$35.75

Half Lobster & Shrimp Special**US$34.75

Vegetarian

Poblano Queso Taco TrioUS$19.75

Chile RellenoUS$19.75

Vegetarian BurritoUS$17.75

Cheese Mole Enchiladas**US$19.75

Sides

Refried, Charro or Black BeansUS$3.75

Mexican RiceUS$3.75

Flour TortillaUS$1.50

Corn TortillaUS$0.75

Cup Pico de GalloUS$2.75

Half AvocadoUS$4.50

CremaUS$0.50

Side VegetablesUS$4.75

Side SaladUS$3.75

Chiles Toreados (3)US$3.50

Margaritas

CabrilloUS$11.00

PresidioUS$13.00

PomegranateUS$14.00

Spicy CucumberUS$14.00

Mango MintUS$14.00

TamarindUS$14.00

Fresh JalapeñoUS$14.00

Strawberry MintUS$14.00

Premium Margaritas

Don Julio ClassicUS$17.00

The Patron ClassicUS$17.00

Mezcal MargaritaUS$16.00

Hibiscus MezcalUS$16.00

Casamigos MargaritaUS$16.00

Casamigos Margarita LightUS$16.00

The Clase AzulUS$25.00

Overall ratings and reviews