La Puerta – Gaslamp

Torta "La Puerta" is the one to order: achiote pork, arrachera steak and ham with melted jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, jalapeños, pickled onions, avocado and mayo, with fries on the side. Ask for a side of the wet red sauce if you want to spoon some over it.

It's a bar as much as a restaurant. The Fourth Avenue original takes no reservations, turns 21-and-up after 9 pm, and runs a daily happy hour from 3 to 5. Order online for pickup if you'd rather skip the wait. If downtown parking is the problem, La Puerta has a second location in Mission Hills, at 4020 Goldfinch St.

Sources: lapuertasd.com (Downtown and Mission Hills addresses, phones, hours, happy hour, 21+ after 9 pm, no reservations, online ordering; checked 2026-11-06); lapuertasd.com lunch/dinner menu (Torta "La Puerta"); Emily Blackwood, "Where to get tortas in San Diego", San Diego Magazine, 2024-07-23 (Gaslamp cantina, namesake torta, Mission Hills location); Gaslamp Quarter Association, 2021-08-27.