Ortega's Bistro

I have visited this place a few times in the last decade. This review is for my most recent visit in Feb 2024. The restaurant has a full bar, and even on a slow night having a meat at the bar is a decent vibe. This night I went with a group of four and sat at the bar. David was our bartender / waiter was forthcoming with great suggestions about what to enjoy on the menu. I had a taste of the tamarind margarita, and it was delicious. If I had to describe it, it tastes "brown" but in the best possible way. My partner and I shared two mains so that we could both enjoy the Chili Relleno and the Carnitas. The were both delicious: the chili relleno had an incredible cheese pull, and was covered in grilled cheese that was grilled deliciously. It sat in an enchilada like sauce that you can still taste the chilis in, one of the better ones I have had in San Diego. The carnitas were crisp and soft with pockets of oh so delicious pork fat. If I could criticize anything about it it would be the sauce over it was a tad overpowering and in the future I will ask for it on the side. But the unexpected star of the evening was the beans that came with the carnitas - charro beans, that made me giddy with unexpected pieces of meat in a soupy bean mixture. Soooo good. This place has improved significantly since my previous visits. Keep it up please!

The service was the best I've had in a long time. No drink went empty, our extras were delivered. They have a green sauce on the carnitas that is so yummy! My hub had the lobster. The whole big lobster. He really enjoyed it with the delicious tortillas. They give you a couple tortillas, but you can have as many as you can eat. I recommend this place. Plus it has parking!One comment: the salsa was bland. It tasted a bit like canned tomatoes. It had very little spice and it was not nice.

Nice atmosphere, great margaritas, free chips! There is loads of parking in the after hours. Good size portions of food.

Visited Ortegas last night for a work christmas party and it was lovely!Located in the heart of Hillcrest in San Diego, Ortega's offers an authentic taste of the Rosario region in Mexico, making it a must-visit for those seeking genuine Mexican cuisine. Of course I began my evening with a sip of the Jalapeño Margarita, which had the perfect balance of heat from the jalapenos and the sour of the lime, creating a unique and refreshing flavor. I followed it with the Presidio Margarita, with its blend of premium ingredients was the perfect opener for all the food we got!We ordered guacamole for the table, and it was fresh and perfectly crafted, with a perfect mash of avocados and the right amount of zesty lime. We also ordered the queso fundido, which is a melty combination of Oaxaca cheese, chorizo, poblanos, caramelized onions, cotija, and queso fresco. The dish was elevated by a drizzle of crema. It was so delicious.By recommendation for the main course, I opted for the Crab Enchiladas, a dish that exceeded my expectations. The enchiladas were generously filled with fresh crab meat, and the flavorful sauce added that flavor I was looking for from the moment I walked in. My coworkers ordered a variety of tacos, burritos, Huachinangos, etc. Everything looked as delicious as it sounds.For a sweet conclusion, we ordered the churros. With a crispy exterior, soft interior, and a dusting of cinnamon sugar, they were served alongside a dark chocolate dipping sauce.I want to thank our server and the whole staff for having us and for their super friendly service. We had such a beautiful evening.Will be back for sure

Spontaneous happy hour find!Wonderful Hillcrest gem,Delicious options and enjoyable margaritas and sangrias!

Nice atmosphere and good service but mediocre food. While the tortilla soup was tasty, it was served lukewarm. The medium rare steak lacked flavor and was on the tough side. The lobster was unimpressive but the coconut flan was excellent and sadly the best part of the meal.

This place is known for their happy hour specials, and I can understand why. Great drinks and even better homemade chips and salsa. The service was also top notch.I would not recommend the crab burritos, there was very little crab in it. But all other entrees were very good.I certainly would visit again.Great atmosphere too.

This is a wonderful restaurant if you're looking for authentic Mexican food! The interior is beautifully decorated and you're always greeted by a friendly staff member. I enjoyed the variety of Spanish music that was playing in the background as well.I ordered the Chicken Mole plate and substituted the refried beans for black beans; the mole was delicious! I also recommend asking for a side of their house hot sauce to compliment any dish.

We were just here for Pride weekend and was pretty disappointed with this place. We had a reservation so there was no wait, decent interior with music playing and our server was welcoming for sure. The food however was just incredibly uninspiring and dare I say bland. The huevos rancheros was quite flavorless and the menu stated it came with rice and beans which I did not receive (I'll get to why I didn't ask) the carnitas hash was missing seasoning and was really just fried carnitas and potatoes without any real connection. I had the mango mint margarita which was crazy sweet with a syrup aftertaste along with a sad excuse for a sugar rim. So my friends were also dining with us and one of them ordered the enchiladas which comes with two, he wanted one with chicken and one with cheese and the server straight up just said he won't do that because the kitchen was really busy... it's a simple request and can't really see how the absence of chicken from one enchilada would cause such a slowdown so that left a bad taste in my mouth which is why I didn't ask for my rice and beans. It's not horrible but I would never recommend this to a friend.

We had reservations for Sunday 5:00pm and were sat promptly to table close to the open kitchen and it was truly lovely! We ordered specialty coffees and margaritas drinks came quickly to our table along with complimentary chips and a wonder fresh salsa! The menu is authentic to the SoCal region with pacific lobsters and shrimp which the major of the guests opted for. Lobster meat was presented on the shell and shrimps on skewers! Beautiful presentation and lime and fresh rice and beans in a small bowl! Perfection! The flour tortillas are authentic and severed in a covered pot to keep hot. The complimentary Mexican dessert for the birthday girl was shared. The staff the bus person are all professionals! Plenty of parking out front and charming restaurant in the heart of Hillcrest. We will be back soon.