Best Contemporary Mexican Restaurants in Sorrento Mesa

I don’t know why I’ve never reviewed South of Nick’s before, but this is hands-down one of my all-time favorite places! They never disappoint. If I’m anywhere near South of Nick’s—or even two hours away—I’ll make the trip without hesitation. Today, we were lucky to have Nadia as our server, and she was fantastic! Attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely amazing. As for the food—wow. I had the Chilean Seabass, and as always, it was perfection. My husband ordered the Steak Chimichanga, upgraded with a Lobster Enchilada and beans—absolutely fantastic! We also couldn’t resist starting with the Shrimp Taquitos alongside the incredible black beans, salsa trio, and fresh tortilla chips. To top it off, I ordered the Shrimp Cabo to go, because why not extend the deliciousness to later? Every single thing we had was bursting with flavor and perfectly executed. South of Nick’s consistently delivers a phenomenal dining experience, and I can’t recommend it enough. If you haven’t been yet, go—you’re in for a treat!

We travel around the country and try to make the dining  experience part of our vacation. We had learned about red O the last time we went to San Diego and didn’t have time to experience the restaurant. So we made a point of it this year. I will say that it has to be one of the best restaurants we’ve ever had the pleasure of  dining. We come from a state that serves a lot of beef and I will say that the 18 ounce ribeye was better than anything I had from our home state. My spouse had the half a pound lobster and it was done to perfection. So I highly recommend anyone experiencing this restaurant if they have the opportunity. The weight staff was incredible. And we will definitely put in our plans for next time we’re in San Diego.

Beautiful restaurant and excellent food. I definitely recommend Javier's for a special evening.

We chose to sit outdoors for an early dinner, and the ambiance was lovely. The service was quick and very pleasant. I had the pleasure of trying their passion fruit shrimp ceviche, and it was absolutely delicious! I’m inspired to recreate the recipe at home. I also enjoyed their tacos, which were fantastic. The purple tortillas added a special touch that made me think they might be made in-house. Would definitely recommend to our friends.

We Love everything!!!! One of our favorite places!