How is Isabel's Cantina restaurant rated?

Name: Isabel's Cantina
Address: 966 Felspar St, San Diego, CA, United States, 92109
Telephone: (858) 272-8400
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.2

Isabel's Cantina

4.2

242 Reviews

$30 and under

Fusion / Eclectic

Top Tags:

At Isabel's Cantina, Chef Isabel Cruz fuses Latin and Asian cuisine

into sensual and creative concoctions that are both remarkably addictive and surprisingly healthy. By incorporating ingredients from spicy pork carnitas to tofu, Chef Cruz creates a vegetarian's haven as well as a meat-lover's paradise. The exotic dining space is at once dramatic and hip, with accents such as an enormous 15-foot Buddha statue staring down at the dining room. Casual booths, stark lines, and warm colors create an atmosphere not found elsewhere in Pacific Beach, attracting crowds for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Cuisines
Fusion / Eclectic, Contemporary Mexican
Hours of operation
Breakfast Daily: 8:00am - 3:00pm Lunch Daily: 8:00am - 3:00pm Dinner Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Phone number
(858) 272-8400
Website
http://isabelscantinasd.com/
Payment options
AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Isabel Cruz

Location
966 Felspar St, San Diego, CA 92109
Neighborhood
Pacific Beach
Cross street
Cass
Parking details
4 private parking spots in front of the restaurant. Easy to find non-metered street parking beyond that.
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

The Best Chinese Food in San Diego

House Chips, Guac + Salsa
Lettuce Wraps
your choice of marinated char-grilled chicken or tofu, served with cucumbers, bean sprouts & peanut sauce
Ahi Wontons
wonton crisps topped with fresh seared ahi, avocado, sweet soy & a wasabi cream drizzle
Crispy Plantains
served with chipotle cream
Plantains with Carnitas
plantains served with carnitas, avocado, & green onions, served with sides of chipotle cream & salsa cruda
Soup of the Day
bowl is served with grilled rosemary bread or a tortilla

Ensalada

Mexican Chopped Salad
chopped romaine lettuce with radishes, cucumbers, red cabbage, tortilla strips, chipotle corn salsa, pepita seeds, tossed with a cumin vinaigrette & served with cotija ranch
Blue Cheese Walnut Salad
mixed greens, balsamic vinaigrette on the side, blue cheese crumbles, walnuts, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro & grilled rosemary bread
Kale Salad
organic kale, pineapple, jicama salsa, roasted pepitas, corn tortillas strips & cumin vinaigrette

Favorites

Chicken Tamales$16.50
house-made chicken tamales on steamed kale, topped with guajillo chile sauce, sour cream, and pico de gallo, served with black beans, rice, & avocado
Chile Relleno
your choice of carnitas or soy chorizo served with a roasted anaheim pepper stuffed with jack cheese, served with mexican rice pilaf, guajillo chile sauce, cotija ranch, & cilantro-lime sauce
Green Chile Tamales
cantina's housemade slightly sweet corn tamales with roasted tomatillo sauce, corn salsa, black beans, brown rice & guajillo chile sauce
Chicken Diablo
roasted free-range half chicken glazed in chipotle-lime sauce with a red chile-cumin rub, served with brown rice, steamed kale, frijoles negros, corn salsa, and chipotle-lime sauce
Ahi Platter
seared ahi, wonton crisps, avocado, sweet soy & wasabi cream, served with coconut rice & a side of coconut chile oil
Double Happiness Lettuce Wraps
grilled marinated steak & chicken served with lettuce leaves, cucumber, bean sprouts, thai chile paste, coconut rice & peanut sauce
Sustainable Salmon
grilled marinated salmon served with mango mint salsa, a sweet soy drizzle, steamed greens & coconut rice
Asia Grill
grilled red bell pepper, kale, shiitake mushrooms and seasonal vegetables served with marinated tofu, brown rice & peanut sauce
Pepita Crusted Catch of the Day
fresh fish served with mexican rice, steamed greens, pico de gallo, cilantro-lime sauce and coconut chili oil

Big Bowls

Buddha Bowl
big bowl of steamy lemongrass & coconut milk broth with shiitake mushrooms, noodles, veggies, chili flakes, cilantro & green onions
Brazil Bowl
marinated chicken or tofu, with your choice of brown or coconut rice & black beans, served with mango mint salsa, crispy plantains, & a side of coconut chile oil
Brians Bowl
brown rice, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, green onions, broccoli, roasted tomatillo sauce, jack cheese, & a side of amalia's sauce, served with flour tortillas
Pineapple Fried Rice Bowl
coconut rice, pineapple, seasonal vegetables & marinated carnitas, served with a side of coconut chile oil

Tacos

served with rice & beans with chipotle cream and fresh corn salsa

Carnitas Tacos
braised carnitas, cotija cheese, guajillo chile sauce, cilantro-lime sauce, & pickled red onion
Chicken Tacos
marinated chicken breast, jack cheese, tomatoes, green onion, avocado sauce, chipotle cream & pico de gallo
Soy Chorizo Tacos
soy chorizo, avocado sauce & pico de gallo
Grilled Fish Tacos
fresh fish, cabbage, chipotle aioli, avocado sauce & pico de gallo
Steak Tacos
marinated steak, jack cheese, pico de gallo & cilantro-lime sauce

Temptations

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Coconut Flan

Cold Drinks

Soda
coke, diet coke, sprite, ginger beer
Iced Tea
passion fruit, green and blood orange
Juices
oj, lemonade, cranberry, tangerine, grapefruit, and pom
Pineapple Orange Kale Juice
made fresh in-house

What 242 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.2

4.2 based on all time ratings

4.2Food
4.1Service
4Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

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Filters

C
Carol
San Diego
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on March 1, 2020
overall5food5service4ambience4
Love the food !
VC
VictoriaC
Phoenix
32 reviews
vip
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on February 16, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
Absolutely excellent! Will definitely go back. Food excellent, great service, welcoming , and very nice surroundings.
M
Missy
Oklahoma City
26 reviews
vip
5.0
26 reviews
Dined on February 2, 2020
overall5food5service5ambience5
We love the fresh healthy menu with plenty of options for vegans, foodies and other health conscious individuals. The Mexican dishes are our favorites but the specials are always creative and delicious too. Can’t wait to go back!
J
Jody
San Diego
38 reviews
vip
4.0
38 reviews
Dined on January 11, 2020
overall4food4service4ambience4
Great neighborhood spot
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York Area
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Great food, reasonable price, fun ambiance, friendly staff- all good! I will definitely dine at isabellas again
r
rachelb
San Diego
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on November 16, 2019
overall4food4service3ambience5
Lots of variety in the menu. Food tasted fresh. A bit noisy the day we were there but nice decor and ambiance.
MG
MitchellG
Anchorage
23 reviews
4.0
23 reviews
Dined on November 2, 2019
overall4food5service3ambience4
Seemed like a bit of a local spot, a little hard visually find, but trust the GPS it is where it says it is. I took my wife and 2 young sons to Isabel's for her birthday dinner while staying in Pacific Beach on vacation. The food and drinks were great. My wife said her tamale was the best she had ever had. We had a nice dinner and no complaints.
MV
MikiV
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on October 20, 2019
overall4food5service4ambience5
This is PB's best spot for a great, quiet dinner. Just out of the party zone the area's known for.
J
Jody
San Diego
38 reviews
vip
4.0
38 reviews
Dined on August 31, 2019
overall4food3service5ambience3
Nice local spot
PL
PatioLunch
Sacramento
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on July 28, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Excellent margaritas, and the red sangria was pretty tasty too. We all three enjoyed our meals - Brazil Bowl, Ahi Platter, and Green Tamales. The decor is fun, and the atmosphere and service was outstanding.
AS
AmandaS
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 30, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
love love love this place! one of my favorite places in PB
KR
KR17
Portland
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
we loved it so much for dinner that we went back for brunch on the weekend!
AM
AmyM
San Diego
7 reviews
4.0
7 reviews
Dined on June 14, 2019
overall4food3service4ambience4
The food was ok, great flavor but the meat was tough. Server was nice and the restaurant had a chill vibe.
AS
AmandaS
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 8, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Love love love
RA
RobertA
Seattle
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 1, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience4
Great service, nice ambiance, innovative and delicious food, and reasonable prices
EJ
EllenJ
San Diego
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on May 11, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Always an excellent meal...the Chicken Diablo and the tamales are family favorites. Good service with friendly and professional staff.
AE
AmyE
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 5, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Breathtaking, calm, healthy, and serve was great! Used a groupon to check it out, we will be going back forsure! The atmosphere is almost as good as the food!
JG
JoyG
San Diego
10 reviews
vip
4.0
10 reviews
Dined on April 20, 2019
overall4food4service3ambience4
BF’s soyrizo is always good. My nut crusted Fish was just ok.
B
Brenda
Seattle
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 6, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
We met with a large group of friends and they were very good at accommodating us. We ordered the guacamole for the table which was delicious. I ordered the chile relleno which was the best I have ever had. The pork carnitas were delicious; tender and moist.
QC
QuentinC
Richmond
18 reviews
vip
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on April 5, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Quick easy in and out not packed would recommend to anyone
BM
BrigidM
Denver
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on March 23, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Isabel's has been my favorite place in PB for the last 8 years (since I have lived there). The food is AMAZING! I went there because I am moving away and had to have my "last supper" there. The service was top notch and I only wish I could have eaten one of every entree!! Love it. Highly recommend. :)
P
Pablo
San Diego
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on March 15, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience4
This restaurant has Great food. Also the atmosphere is very nice. The service was excellent.
KF
KimF
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 24, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience4
Outstanding, friendly service and fantastic seafood!
RM
RayM
San Diego
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on February 23, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Did not take reservations on Saturday. Need to update that
NP
NikkiP
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 17, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Good was delicious! Make a reservation, there were a lot of people waiting for a table by the time we left.
f
food1st
San Diego
75 reviews
vip
4.0
75 reviews
Dined on February 17, 2019
overall4food5service3ambience3
The food was very good. Ahi won tons, Mexican chopped salad, double happiness lettuce wraps and tamales with carnitas. They seemed short staffed and the service very spotty. Some small children were running around, opening the front door and that made the ambience challenging.
i
iluvfood
San Diego
13 reviews
vip
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on February 10, 2019
overall4food5service4ambience5
Awesome food as always! It was quiet and slow which is quite different from the Sunday breakfasts I have had there. The food is amazing !! Double Happiness is my favorite!! And you cannot beat their prices . It is such a steal in a beautiful setting. We’ll be back again for dinner soon!
JD
JeffD
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 9, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
Isabel's is an incredible restaurant offering healthy, delicious food, with a calm and intimate ambiance. Great for date nights! We were served by Ryan who was kind, attentive, and provided excellent service. Brian, the manager, offered great recommendations and also offered exceptional customer service to us. We appreciate quality food, calm and romantic atmospheres, with vip service. This is exactly what you can expect from Isabel's. Best, JD
DR
DonnaR
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on February 2, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
We came to Isabel’s for a nice evening to celebrate friendship and to enjoy a healthy, delicious dinner. The Budda bowl exceeded my expectations and the wine, a Rose’ was spectacular! Our server was wonderful as well! Sure to come back very soon! Thank you, Isabel for a great time!
N
Nothebest
San Diego
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on January 27, 2019
overall3food3service3ambience4
Expensive, not great quality, slow service. It’s tucked away and hard to spot.
LD
LauraD
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on January 25, 2019
overall2food3service2ambience4
The venue was very inviting. The food was okay. Over priced for what you got. We ordered the fish tacos which really didn’t have much taste and had a bone. Also we had the chicken and beef lettuce wraps. They came with romane lettuce leaves which was very difficult to make into wraps. The only toppings that came with it were cucumbers, bean sprouts, and the best part was the peanut paste. Both entrays were $16. We both had desserts which the menus showed $7, but the bill showed $8. Both desserts were very good but not worth $8.
B
Blondie
Portland
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on January 19, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
New favorite find! Original. Loved everything. We will be back.
EB
EmilyB
San Diego
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on January 5, 2019
overall5food5service3ambience4
The ahi tuna platter was out of this world and the blackberry mule was delicious. Very cool atmosphere. Can't wait to come back for brunch!
JS
JoeS
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 5, 2019
overall5food5service5ambience5
My date said it was awesome. Great food and atmosphere
ZL
ZenaL
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 29, 2018
overall5food5service5ambience3
Fresh-squeezed fruit juices, healthful greens, delicious brown rice and vegetable combinations plus wonderful takes on Mexican food for the carnivore. The service was consistently attentive.
LS
LenS
San Diego
8 reviews
vip
4.0
8 reviews
Dined on December 15, 2018
overall4food5service4ambience4
Healthy and delicious food in friendly and casual atmosphere
D
Doats
San Diego
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on September 14, 2018
overall5food5service5ambience3
alana is a great cook. i like isabels and coffee cup so very much.
p
pup1
San Diego
64 reviews
vip
3.0
64 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2018
overall3food3service3ambience2
The restaurant has food that is fine, however, there are no lights in the patio in front of the restaurant and it is not very inviting from the street and as you walk in. Some lights to illuminate the front of the restaurant would be much more appealing.
OT
OpenTable Diner
Sacramento
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on September 7, 2018
overall5food5service5ambience5
Isabel’s is a wonderful place to meet friends and family to visit and share a wonderful meal. The House Chips, Guac and Salsa were so fresh. The hostess/ waitress was super pleasant and attentive.
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Diego
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 12, 2018
overall5food5service5ambience5
Birthday thank you! Food always amazing

FAQs

Isabel's Cantina is rated 4.2 stars by 242 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Additional information

Cross street
Cass
Neighborhood
Pacific Beach
Hours of operation
Breakfast Daily: 8:00am - 3:00pm Lunch Daily: 8:00am - 3:00pm Dinner Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Cuisines
Fusion / Eclectic, Contemporary Mexican
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
4 private parking spots in front of the restaurant. Easy to find non-metered street parking beyond that.
Payment options
AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Executive chef
Isabel Cruz
Additional
Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://isabelscantinasd.com/
Phone number
(858) 272-8400

Featured in

The Best Chinese Food in San Diego

Isabel's Cantina

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information

The Best Chinese Food in San Diego

Starters

House Chips, Guac + Salsa

Lettuce Wraps

Ahi Wontons

Crispy Plantains

Plantains with Carnitas

Soup of the Day

Ensalada

Mexican Chopped Salad

Blue Cheese Walnut Salad

Kale Salad

Favorites

Chicken Tamales$16.50

Chile Relleno

Green Chile Tamales

Chicken Diablo

Ahi Platter

Double Happiness Lettuce Wraps

Sustainable Salmon

Asia Grill

Pepita Crusted Catch of the Day

Big Bowls

Buddha Bowl

Brazil Bowl

Brians Bowl

Pineapple Fried Rice Bowl

Tacos

Carnitas Tacos

Chicken Tacos

Soy Chorizo Tacos

Grilled Fish Tacos

Steak Tacos

Temptations

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Coconut Flan

Cold Drinks

Soda

Iced Tea

Juices

Pineapple Orange Kale Juice

Overall ratings and reviews

Sort by

Filters

FAQs

How is Isabel's Cantina restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information

Featured in

The Best Chinese Food in San Diego