Oscar's Mexican Seafood – Pacific Beach

Most people come for the fish tacos, but the torta list is just as long. The house torta, the Torta de Oscar, piles smoked fish, skirt steak and spicy shrimp into one roll, and like most of the tortas here it's finished with cheese, cabbage, onion, tomato, cilantro and avocado. If you want one thing at a time, there are single-filling versions: smoked fish, grilled shrimp, grilled octopus, ahi, skirt steak, and a surf and turf of steak and shrimp. The Fisherman Torta goes the other way, with smoked fish, scallops and grilled fish together.

Order at the counter, or ahead online through the Emerald Street ordering page. Oscar's also has a Hillcrest shop at 646 University Ave.

Sources: oscarsmexicanseafood.com (Pacific Beach and Hillcrest addresses, phones, hours; checked 2026-11-06); Oscar's Emerald St online ordering (Tortas section and fillings; checked 2026-11-06); San Diego Lineup (746 Emerald St, phone, hours, Fisherman's Torta; Emerald St reopened after renovation in 2025; checked 2026-11-06); Emily Blackwood, "Where to get tortas in San Diego", San Diego Magazine, 2024-07-23 (Torta De Oscar).