A Trip to Old Town San Diego

Old Town State Historic Park, located on San Diego Avenue and Twiggs Street, is accessibly adjacent to the Old Town Transit Center, Coaster, Trolley, and MTS Bus service. Old Town is a special part of San Diego that attracts people from near and far. The city is rich in history, shops, and cultural delicacies. Whether you're shopping for edible food and gifts or indulging in tacos on a Tuesday, Old Town San Diego is a historic and cultural gem of America’s Finest City.

Every Saturday Old Town has different featured living history activities for visitors including a soap making demonstration, print guild tour using 1800s technology, and fiber arts using quilting, spinning wool, weaving, and more. There is also a Historic Contra Dance Society social and Californio Day, which remembers the city’s early settlers. It's clear when you visit that Old Town will always be a cherished historical subdivision of America’s Finest City, a place that transformed from a Mexican pueblo into a developed American settlement between 1821-1872. Currently, in addition to hosting twenty-two historic buildings, the town is also advanced with twenty-five restaurants within just a mile radius. The art, cultural shops, and authentic food all contribute to the city’s rich and celebrated historical impact as well. 

The History of Old Town

Visitors of San Diego’s quaint Old Town get to experience what life was like in the 1800s when days went by on a far slower pace. The Spanish colonization of the Americas was essentially marked by the Conquest of the Aztec Empire from 1519-1521. Cortez and other Spanish explorers found several culinary sensations when they sought out new land and fortune including chocolate, peanuts, vanilla, squash, avocados, and tomatoes. In turn, the Spanish brought to the Americas culinary items including pork, lamb, citrus fruits, garlic, cheese, and wine. 

There are plenty of museums and old buildings that allow visitors to immerse in the rich history that Old Town offers. The Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. The Casa de Estudillo was constructed by two of San Diego’s early settlers, José María Estudillo and his son. At the time in 1827, the establishment was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California. 

The Best of Old Town Eateries

When it comes to culinary recommendations, we’ve got you covered. A couple of the best places to go for savory and flavorful Mexican food are both operated by Fiesta de Reyes, "where history lives and the fiesta lasts forever," and they are Barra Barra Restaurant and Saloon and Casa de Reyes. The Fiesta de Reyes plaza provides not only restaurants, but also a nice patio, a stage surrounded by succulents, and diverse retail shops and concessions. The Fiesta de Reyes plaza has a fun hot sauce shop and a concessions stand featuring Old Town Roasted Nuts – the cinnamon glazed almonds look like a hit!

Barra Barra Restaurant and Saloon

Try tacos, guacamole, or spicy nachos with your margarita or mojito at Barra Barra Restaurant and Saloon in the heart of Old Town San Diego. They have traditional décor and succulents to help create the authentic ambience. 

Casa de Reyes

Casa de Reyes serves their traditional horchata in a flagon and a margarita big enough for two, making for a cute date. You can listen to mariachi bands that serenade the guests as well!

Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant

If you are looking for a good margarita, you can get the famous large margarita at Casa Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant.

Café Cayote 

Café Cayote is the go-to place for Taco Tuesday, and it has specials every Tuesday from 3:30-10pm. Each week offers a new Taco Tuesday specialty taco for $2 or $3 and margaritas for $5.95. Café Cayote is known for their tasty food, festive atmosphere, courtyard patio, grande margaritas, and handmade tortillas. According to Café Cayote’s site, Old Town is the most visited tourist area in San Diego, as there are over 6,000,000 visitors each year.

Shopping Your Way Through Old Town

Shopping in San Diego is bountiful, and Old Town’s retail shops sure don’t disappoint. Different experiences you can have include crafting your own candles at Toby's Candle Shop or browsing a surplus of Indian jewelry and western wear at Covered Wagon. Celebrity Jewelry is a shop with plenty of diamonds and gems. There are plenty of concessions and retail shops that offer souvenirs to tourists. Whether the souvenirs are edible like old-fashioned candy, wearable like special jewelry, or decorative such as pottery, the town is a mecca of hand-crafted and one of a kind gifts!