The 14 Best Breakfast Burritos In San Diego
"America's Finest City" is perhaps the most famous of San Diego's many nicknames, but for food lovers, "City of Infinite Breakfast Burritos" feels far more apt. Situated less than an hour from the San Ysidro border, San Diego is a veritable cornucopia of Mexican food in all forms, but few have become as integrated into the city's identity as the breakfast burrito.
But with so many options available, deciding where to go — let alone finding the very best — can be a daunting task, even for those who have lived in or have been visiting the city for years. And really, it's hard to go wrong, as every neighborhood has breakfast burritos of a quality that would make inhabitants of most other cities weep at what they are missing. This list — created by a San Diegan with help from countless customer reviews and social media threads — serves as a jumping off point for those looking to produce their own breakfast burrito itinerary across the city of San Diego.
Just know that this journey, once started, could take up a lifetime of delicious wandering. Without further ado, these are the best breakfast burritos in San Diego.
Humberto's Taco Shop
Humberto's is, in many ways, the platonic ideal of a taco shop. This two-chain institution with locations in Golden Hill and Southcrest is a humble, no-frills local favorite open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. every weekday, and until midnight on weekends. It consistently has a line out the door, yet said line is never more than five or six people long, making it the perfect combination of bustling without taking too much time. There's nothing fancy about it, just good people making delicious food with hefty portions.
The machaca burritos and chorizo burritos are both top of the line choices here. The shredded beef of the machaca, a staple of the cuisine from the Norteño region of Mexico, is perfectly complemented by a medley of griddle-cooked onions and peppers, while the chorizo is absolutely dripping with flavor (and the best kind of grease) with every bite. Densely packed with eggs and cheese, this burrito could be split into two meals or enjoyed as a massive, nap-inducing brunch. To top it off, the workers will throw in as many spicy red and tangy green salsas as your heart desires to maximize your enjoyment. If you get here too late for breakfast, Humberto's also serves one of the best fish tacos in the city, with one taco being enough to satisfy your lunchtime cravings.
(619) 231-8433
1015 25th St, San Diego, CA 92102
Los Reyes
The true beauty of San Diego is the sheer of breakfast burrito options per square foot. One block away from Humberto's are two more burrito spots: Los Reyes and Birria El Rey. While both are delicious, we'll focus on the former here.
Los Reyes' steak and egg burrito is a beautiful tribute to the art form, especially when paired with the tangy salsa verde that comes with it. It's not the most tightly-packed burrito, but that allows room for the salsa to drip down into every crevice and cranny, and makes the final bite an absolute explosion of flavor. The steak is perfectly cooked, and for an extra kick, the staff will throw in a habanero salsa that takes things to the stratosphere. Los Reyes has a covered outdoor patio with TVs and a soothing fountain, making it the perfect place to hide from the summer heat while feasting on one of these massive meals. Wash it down with a horchata or Jamaica (a hibiscus tea that separates Mexican restaurants with red flags from the real deal) for maximum enjoyment.
(619) 231-0716
2496 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92102
Cotija's Cocina Mexicana
San Diego abounds with locally-owned mini-chains frequented by loyal customers. Like Humberto's, Cotija's Cocina Mexicana is a local institution with multiple locations, and the one in Point Loma is consistently considered to have one of the best breakfast burritos in the city, which, by the transitive property of San Diego's elite status as a breakfast burrito mecca, would make it one of the best in the country.
I'm talking, of course, about its famed hash brown burrito. The burrito is huge and packed with both sausage and bacon, eggs, and, of course, the eponymous hashbrown, for the perfect, salty, crunchy addition to the ensemble. In a fun twist, the burrito also has sour cream, which a rich silkiness to the already flavor-filled meal. The only part of the meal that is sub-elite is the salsa, but that's nothing that a few shakes of Cholula can't fix. Sausage and bacon together in a breakfast might sound intense, and you'd be right to think so. But hey, you can't live life scared, and if you're willing to risk a bit of midday lethargy, Cotija's is there, ready to give you the breakfast of a lifetime.
(619) 226-1477
3720 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107
La Perla #3
La Perla #3, also located near Point Loma, is perhaps best known for it's non-breakfast burritos. It's most famous creations are the Oaxacalifornia burrito — a monster California burrito wrapped in a cheesy quesadilla and often considered one of the best burritos in the country — as well as the King Kong burrito, which combines carne asada and chile relleno, which is always a green flag on a Mexican restaurant menu, for a truly incredible experience.
But that's a conversation for another day. Those massive, breadbox-sized burritos may get most of the attention at La Perla, but the steak and egg breakfast burrito is worthy of its own time in the spotlight. The line to get your hands on one of these monsters loaded with potatoes and perfectly-cooked carne asada might be intimidating, but don't let that dissuade you. La Perla #3 receives bonus points for having a level of consistency that is nigh-on unmatched, and the communal dining tables are perfect for grabbing a quick solo bite or bringing all your pals. The tortilla itself is also a work of art, and did we mention it's only $10.75?
(619) 795-0063
1224 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106
Taco Surf
One of the true joys of the San Diego breakfast scene is the ease with which one can grab a world-class breakfast burrito and then head to some of the most beautiful beaches to eat it. Pacific Beach's Taco Surf, with a surfboard-laden decor to match its name, has stood as the perfect embodiment of that privilege since 1989.
Taco Surf has an extensive menu featuring some exciting options like the surf and turf burrito, but to really get the most out of your experience here, you have to know how to utilize the build-your-own options. The custom breakfast burrito with chorizo can be complemented with your choice of three toppings, including guacamole, crunchy tater tots, grilled peppers and onions, chipotle salsa and more. If the rest of this list hasn't satisfied your steak craving, you can also build your own California burrito and add eggs, tater tots, and guac to the restaurant's fantastically smoky carne asada. These burritos are almost ominously big, so come hungry, and don't neglect the green salsa, which ties the meal together more seamlessly than The Dude's rug did to his apartment.
(858) 272-3877
4657 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
Don Pedro Taco Shop
San Diego is a city made up of many different neighborhoods, all of which have a breakfast burrito they call the best. When it comes to Chula Vista, Don Pedro boasts one of the city's finest bacon breakfast burritos, which offers us a nice respite from the world of steak and eggs.
Balancing the flavors with bacon burritos can be tricky. Some places on this list, such as Humberto's, can veer at times into being overly dry and salty when it comes to this dish, but Don Pedro manages to get the combination just right. The burritos are huge (are you sensing a trend in the San Diego burrito scene?) and the eggs are perfectly fluffy, which is an aspect that can easily make or break such a dish. The shingled exterior and unassuming counter makes for a homely vibe as soon as you walk in, and at just $9.29 for a bacon burrito (at the time of writing), this is one of the cheapest choices on the list.
Don Pedro Taco Shop
(619) 427-0214
247 3rd Ave, Chula Vista, CA 91910
MJ's Fusion Deli aka MJs Yogurt Time and Deli
I know what you're thinking: it seems sacrilegious to dare suggest moving into the realm of fusion breakfast burritos in a city just minutes from the Mexican border. But I promise, despite the seeming randomness of the presentation, this restaurant slash frozen yogurt stand with more names than Snoop Dogg is worth the experimentation.
After all, where else can you get a breakfast burrito stuffed with crispy pork lumpia, a Filipino dish that's similar (but different) to an egg roll? The crispy skin of the lumpia adds a truly unique textural contrast to the rest of the burrito, but the twists don't stop there. The meat options in the burrito are truly wild: you can take your pick of sisig, a Filipino favorite of both Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay, sweet and savory longanisa sausage, apple and pear-glazed beef, Alaskan pollock, spicy red chili pork, and more. You can even get it chimichanga-style, aka deep-fried, if you want an extra crunch. Be warned: starting at $21.40 for the #805SouthBurrito, MJ's is more of a special treat than an every-week kind of breakfast, but for those looking for a culinary adventure, it's hard to get more out there than this.
(619) 600-3560
1550 E H St #j, Chula Vista, CA 91913
Pepino's Eatery and Bakeshop
Pepino's is a bit of a haul from downtown San Diego, located north of the city in La Jolla, and it's a relative newcomer to the scene. Like MJ's, this is a fusion spot, but instead of Asian fusion, it's a pan-Latin concoction that has taken the online world by storm.
Despite what some say, I have a hard time going so far as to call this the absolute best breakfast burrito in San Diego, but it's definitely one of the most interesting. This Peruvian bakery and restaurant, which is run by Michelin-trained chef Sebastian Becerra, specializes in the Lomo Saltado burrito. This clever fusion menu item uses a singular ingredient, the fried potato, to pay homage to the culinary traditions of both the city and Peru — after all, the idea of putting fries in burritos originated in San Diego with the California burrito, and fries are a key part of the iconic lomo saltado Peruvian stir fry. The dish comes with scrambled eggs, guacamole, tater tots, Oaxacan cheese, and Peruvian-flavored beef. It's a slightly more expensive burrito as well as being a 20-ish-minute drive from downtown San Diego, but the proximity to La Jolla's stunningly beautiful beaches opens up a world of possibilities.
7556 Fay Ave, Suite F, La Jolla, CA 92037
Mike's Red Tacos
Situated so close to Tijuana, it's imperative that you don't forget to mess around with the birria scene in San Diego. Sometimes it feels like there are quesabirria stands on every corner, and it can be intimidating to know which to choose, or when.
Luckily, this delicious and trendy meat isn't just a dinner food, and when it comes to breakfast birria burritos (say that three times fast), it's hard to do much better than Mike's Red Tacos. It has become a local institution among the true breakfast searchers of the city. Loaded up with hashbrowns, beans, and oh-so-gooey cheese, this burrito is not for the faint of heart, or those not prepared to take a nap after. From humble origins as a food truck, Mike's has built a three-location chain in San Diego, with brick-and-mortar spots in Point Loma (seemingly the city's Mecca for breakfast stops), Clairemont Mesa, and Mira Mesa, and are on the verge of opening a fourth in Pasadena, giving customers no excuse to not search them out and fall in salty, stewy love.
Multiple locations
Nico's Mexican Food
Ask any San Diegan their top choices for a breakfast burrito and you're likely to get one of a hundred answers. Still, Nico's Mexican Food in Ocean Beach is a spot that consistently makes the grade, which is why it was one of the first places I had to refresh my memory on when making this list.
Serving breakfast all day is an easy way to win over a chorizo-lover like myself. Nico's doesn't mess around with gimmicks or fancy ingredients and, unlike some of the places named in this article, they don't overload it in terms of size. They just let the quality of the food speak for itself. This is a simple, straightforward breakfast burrito that you can get and take right to the beach. The tortilla is thin and delicious, the habanero salsa is on point, and if you're looking to expand past the breakfast burrito, the machaca torta has been called a revelation, and the California burrito is one of the city's best.
Multiple locations
El Indio Mexican Restaurant
El Indio is one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in San Diego, which is saying something. The main draws for this 86-year-old-and-counting institution near the airport are the incredibly tasty, fresh-made tortillas as well as its claim to fame as the birthplace of the taquito, which is different from a flauta in that it's smaller, traditionally uses a corn tortilla, and is often served more as an appetizer than a main course, as celebrity chef Guy Fieri discovered in an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."
Those two ingredients would be enough to merit a visit from anyone passing through the city, but El Indio continues to impress by also having a breakfast burrito game that can't be overlooked. The chorizo and egg burrito is huge and delicious, loaded with flavor without being overly heavy, and the tortilla carries the gravitas of generations of tradition.
(619) 299-0333
3695 India St, San Diego, CA 92103
Ortiz's Taco Shop
Remember what I said about burrito density in San Diego? Well, literally right next door to Cotija's Mexican Cuisine sits Ortiz's Taco Shop, a 20-plus-year-old family-owned taqueria that consistently makes the list of best breakfast burritos in the city known for them.
The steak and egg burrito is delicious, but it's the surf burrito that brings people back time and time again. The outside of the joint may not look like much, but in some ways that's the best sign of all. Step inside the small, tiled shop and make your way past the coin-operated candy machines to the small counter with a "Order Here" sign hanging from the ceiling. The surf breakfast burrito is a special posted on the wall that features bacon, potato, egg, and cheese, and for my money, is quite possibly the best bacon and egg burrito in the city. If you're feeling particularly spicy and adventurous, spring for an order of cabeza tacos, a taqueria mainstay made from roasted cow's head that is a must-try for any aspiring foodie.
(619) 222-4476
3704 Voltaire St, San Diego, CA 92107
Kono's Cafe
Kono's Cafe and Konito's were sister restaurants in Pacific Beach that were longtime staples of the breakfast scene. This is thanks in large part to Kono's proximity to Crystal Pier, one of the more beautiful lookout points the city has to offer, but also to its dedication to high-quality breakfast foods.
Sadly, Konito's has shut down, but Kono's remains a vital part of the neighborhood's culinary scene, slinging massive burritos that feature green chiles as their calling card. It's only open from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm every day, and the odds are that if you go there, especially on the weekend, you're going to be standing in line for a while, but it's all worth it once you sit down overlooking the Pacific Ocean and take your first bite of this monstrously big breakfast. The Egg Burrito #5 is a personal favorite, as I'm a sucker for chorizo in all forms, especially when paired with perfectly creamy eggs, but it's worth taking a trip away from the land of carnivores to try Egg Burrito #2, featuring the aforementioned green chiles in lieu of meat. Even for those to whom it feels wrong to spring for a meatless burrito, the flavors from the chiles quickly set your mind at ease.
(858) 483-1669
704 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109
JV's Mexican Food
For the final stop on our virtual culinary tour, we go to an absolute institution of the craft. JV's is a well-decorated but humble burrito shop by Mission Bay that consistently ranks among the best of the best when it comes to breakfast burritos.
The expansiveness of the menu is enough to make a newcomer borderline agoraphobic, but fear not — there are some clear touchstones to get you started. The shrimp machaca burrito is a unique offering that is well worth a try, and JV's even has a corned beef and eggs burrito that could be made into a rare corned beef hash burrito if you add potatoes. However, the Crunchy Chipotle Burrito is arguably the signature, with crispy bacon and potatoes, a combination of jack and cheddar cheese, and, of course, the signature chipotle sauce, which is the perfect combination of spicy and creamy. While parking is limited outside, seating is extensive inside, and the aguas frescas are delightful refreshments to wash down all that savory deliciousness.
(619) 276-0758
1112 Morena Blvd, San Diego, CA 92110
Methodology
The methodology for this article was simple and immensely enjoyable. I have spent years scratching my obsessive itch to uncover the best choices of what is probably my favorite food in the world: the breakfast burrito.
This write-up comes from the personal experience of that search, as well as sourced opinions across various social media platforms to ensure that there are no blind spots that I have neglected in my personal tour of San Diego's countless taquerias and breakfast joints.