El Comal Mexican Restaurant
| Address: | 3946 Illinois St, San Diego, CA 92104, USA |
| Phone: | +1 619-294-8292 |
| Site: | elcomalsd.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 10AM–3PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–10PM 8AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 18
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Heather Willens
to my friend: "would you be interested in pho? my stomachs been weird today and it sounds good..." friend: "You want to try pozole at this place right here called El comal? Its the Mexican version of pho!" ---- mexican pho??? i was intrigued. and it totally is! you pick your broth type and protein (chicken or pork) and the bowl is served along with a plate of delightful add-ons (tostadas, avocado, cabbage, onion, cilantro & jalapeño). we ordered half size and that was the perfect amount for a mild appetite. red broth + chicken...i could have that soup every week. just like pho :) also got a micheladas which was tasty. the atmosphere here is lovely. casual sit-down (we sat at the bar because it was quite full on the sunday evening). there was live music that started a bit after we arrived with very strong and lively vocals. everything about this place made me feel like i was in mexico with how authentic it was. id definitely come back.
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Arturo Sermeno
My precious wife and I visited the restaurant on Friday evening July 5. Unfortunately the service was slow and somewhat invisible. We were given chips and salsa and enjoyed a one-man entertainer while we waited to order. We patiently waited for 15 minutes and we needed to flag a waitress to take our order. As we were waiting the entertainer spoke with us for a few minutes. Four tables were seated after we had arrived and were served promptly. We waited half and hour and did not receive our food. The waitress told us the food was taking longer because it had to be fried. We did not understand her reasoning as other tables were served ahead of us. We told the waitress we were leaving and did so. We were greatly disappointed.
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jesus adrian sanchez
Hoy fue mi primera vez aqui,,,,pidiendo lengua de res,,, y desgraciadamente el primer bocado la carne estaba en mal estado,,, muy asquerosa,,,, además la comida ,,,, es de microondas,,, la saliente aquí y esta demasiada caliente en el centro,,,,, muyyy mal inicio,,,, PARA NADA RECOMIENDO ESTE LUGAR,, pésima comida
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Luis Manuel Mendoza
Porque aquí en Internet dice que abren a las 8 am. Y llego con mis amigos y me dicen. Que abren hasta las 9. Pongan más cuidado en sus horarios. Los clientes no tenemos la culpa en sus descuidos. Mucha gente se les va. Lo pensaré dos veces antes de volver a este restorante
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Chris Eckeard
Great food but pricey. Its understaffed for busy weekends causing customers to leave do to lack of service. Buena comida pero caro. Es insuficiente para los fines de semana ocupados causando que los clientes se vayan debido a la falta de servicio.
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Jeff Dracup
Unbelievable Mexican food. Indescribable. I dont like mole and they have me a sample. It was the finest red wine, a beautiful story of flavor after wonderful flavor . . . . Not what you expect in the typical Mexican restaurant. The chef is from the Yucatan. The food is indescrible. Tasted the pork with red sauce as well as the chili relleno. Unbelievable! Try this wonderful place tonight. It is magical. :)
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Anna Miller
Good: That green salsa was spicy! This isnt for people who cant handle the heat. I would say its only a tad bit less spicy than the habanero salsas Ive had before. This place also isnt to expensive. Okay: The food was cooked fully. Nothing was overcooked. Bad: The flavor profile! I dont know what they are doing with their flavors, but it just isnt all that great. I had the veggie burrito and it left a lot to be desired.
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Crystal Velasco
Being 100% Mexican, I struggle eating at Mexican restaurants, but this place is DELICIOUS!! The tacos are bomb! They have great beer selection and their micheladas are to die for! When friends and family visit, this is my go to dinner place! I havent had one thing I havent loved. You cant beat 3.50 for guacamole! My all time fave dish is the cochinita pibil tacos... Simply amazing!
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Karen Klaus
Went during non-peak hours and the waitress was not attentive. The chips and salsa were pretty good. I had the baja ceviche special because the baja fish tacos were $5.50 each, which I think is too pricey. The ceviche was just ok. I just wasnt impressed with this place. May give it another chance sometime in the future...maybe it was an off day for the staff and cook.
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A Private User
I explored plenty of Mexican restaurants in five years in San Diego, and El Comal is the one I go back to time and again. On a recent long weekend trip back to SD we went into El Comal every day. The food is fabulous, the service friendly, and the prices very reasonable. Try the albondigas, the cochinita pibil, the posole, and the rest of the menu. Its all good.
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Jonathan Dolan
This place is incredible! The food is delicious and tastes authentic - you can tell that the staff knows what they are doing! My girlfriend and I decided to go here as a spur-of-the-moment decision, and we are so glad! Dont let the lack of parking scare you, because it is totally worth it! El Comal can definitely expect our business in the near future!
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steven turner
There is not a better Mexican restaurant in North Park and it would be difficult to find a better Mexican restaurant in San Diego. Id come here just for the salsas,(which can be purchased). The only problem I have with the restaurant is they have limited vegetarian options. I always eat the huaraches. Inside and patio seating. Full bar here as well.
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Claudia Santiago
If you want authentic Mexican food, including hand made tortillas at a sit down restaurant this is the place to try!!! I say this coming from a first generation Mexican American :-) Small and family owned but the margaritas are strong and on point. If youre lucky you might get some free live entertainment on weekends!!! Definitely a gem in San Diego!!!
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Douglas LeClair
Excellent homestyle Mexican food in an upscale environment. The outside is very unassuming, but inside is a homey feel. My mother in-law is Mexican and she knows good food and this is one of her favorite places in San Diego. The parrillada (gigantic platter or assorted meats) is highly recommended to share, as well as their excellent margaritas.
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Judy de los Santos
Definitely one of my favorite places to go to for authentic Mexican food. At its best. my recommendations: pozole, tlalpeno, chilaquiles, beans and rice are delicious. Mimosas and cucumber margaritas are spot on. The waiters/waitress are definitely attentive and the place can get packed. Especially for dinner and weekends. Buen provecho!
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David Reagan
Ate here for the first time with my Spanish class and it was amazing! Just visited again with some friends from out of town, and they loved it, especially for the price. We went in on a Saturday night with no reservations and a party of 10, but were still seated promptly. Service, food, price: all five out of five stars.
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A Private User
North Park has some excellent small, quality based options for food. We were recommended to go here and it is far and away our favorite place - we tested it on take out and have gone back for the yummy margaritas and full meals. Never had heavy, greasy (lardy) bite. Friendly atmosphere, makes you feel like family.
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Brenda Osmena
OMGOODNESS this place was absolutely wonderful!!!! Their margaritas were awesome and there food was absolutely wonderful. We went there on a Groupon and got margaritas 2 apps and 8 tacos. The tacos were terrific and the apps were great. This looks like a little whole in the wall place but it was so WONDERFUL
