El Sueño

Name: El Sueño
Address: 2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA, United States, 92110-2713
Telephone: (619) 501-9813
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.4

4.4 (272)

$30 and under

Mexican

2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110-2713

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Great for outdoor dining
Good for groups

Coming Soon to Open Table!

Vibrant Mexican Food and Craft Cocktails.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Sushi
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Tue 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Phone number
(619) 501-9813
Website
http://www.elsuenosd.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110-2713
Neighborhood
Old Town
Parking details
None
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine

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What 272 people are saying

El Sueño reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.3Service
4.5Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

El Sueño offers a vibrant dining experience with "great happy hour deals" and "delicious food" that stands out. Guests rave about their "amazing" tacos and "wonderful" ambience. While service can be inconsistent, the welcoming atmosphere and flavorful dishes, like the "soft shell crab taco," keep patrons coming back for more memorable meals.

272 Reviews

a
adilene
Los Angeles1 review
1.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Unfortunately, my experience here was deeply disappointing, and I will not be returning. Shortly before our reservation time started , I received a call from the hostess informing me that the kitchen was closing per the manager’s instructions. We were literally pulling into the parking lot, still well within our reserved time. While the hostess was kind and simply following orders, the overall treatment we received from the staff was unacceptable. Our server, in particular, made us feel like an inconvenience rather than welcome guests. There was a noticeable lack of warmth or basic hospitality — she did not greet us kindly, offer assistance with the menu, or check in after our food was served. I requested cheese on my dish, which was omitted, and no one came by to confirm if everything was correct. We were also never offered refills, despite clearly needing them. What made this experience worse was observing the waitress engage enthusiastically with another table of white men while being cold and dismissive toward our group of Latina women. It felt uncomfortable, and quite frankly, discriminatory — especially in an establishment that brands itself as a Mexican restaurant. Ironically, the food lacked authenticity, and the absence of even basic staples like aguas frescas should have been a red flag. I will be contacting the restaurant directly to express my concerns. If you’re a person of color, I would strongly caution against visiting this place — not only due to the poor service, but because you’re truly not missing anything in terms of food or atmosphere.
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A
Alynne
Dallas - Fort Worth3 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Was so great to experience this restaurant! Happy hour deals were so worth it! Can’t wait to come back!
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R
Richard VIP
San Diego7 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great lunch at El Sueno! The food and service were spot on. The newly released menu was outstanding. Highly recommend the soft shell crab taco that was added to the menu. Delicious!!
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K
Kateryna
Denver / Colorado2 reviews
1.0
Dined on July 1, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
Waited for over 30 minutes for a server. Ask a host couple times on an update, were told the server is on their way. Never made it to us, not even with the water or any communication. It’s not a problem to wait but no one has come to even check on us which made us leave and go to a different nearby Mexican restaurant. No wonder there were more people there since the service was much better! Flew all the way in from Colorado and El Sueno was on our list for a while, left disappointed.
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J
Jashell
San Diego1 review
5.0
Dined on June 30, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was fresh and delicious and our server was so friendly and outgoing we felt right at home
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J
James VIP
Los Angeles223 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 29, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Great Mexican food in Old Town! Service could have been a touch tighter.
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J
Jennifer
San Diego5 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great experience Food was great! The server was very attentive.
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g
gabriel VIP
Los Angeles4 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a birthday celebration. we had the shrimp tacos and the enchiladas the food was really good.The ambiance of the restaurant was just as impressive. The interior was stylish and welcoming, with great attention to detail in the decor. It had a warm, inviting atmosphere that made the whole dining experience feel special. I’ll definitely be coming back and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food in a beautiful setting
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T
Tim
San Diego2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What an amazing experience. Well taken care of, and everything was different than all the Mexican restaurants. Food was elevated. I’ll be back soon
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J
Jess
New York City13 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 20, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
This is the spot for huge and unique cocktails. Sit outside if you can!
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FAQs

El Sueño is rated 4.4 stars by 272 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 17 times today

2836 Juan St, San Diego, CA 92110-2713

Additional information

Neighborhood
Old Town
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–11:30 pm Happy Hour Mon, Wed–Fri 3:00 pm–6:00 pm Tue 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mexican, Sushi
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Wine

Website
http://www.elsuenosd.com/
Phone number
(619) 501-9813

El Sueño

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 272 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

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Make a reservation

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