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Reviews
Californians have long flocked to Puerto Nuevo, the “lobster village” south of San Diego in Baja California, so when a member of the family that operates several Puerto Nuevo restaurants opened Ortega’s, it became an instant sensation…
— Fodor’s Travel
ORTEGA'S, A MEXICAN BISTRO, the Hillcrest rice 'n' beanery co-owned by a member of the family that built Puerto Nuevo into Baja's celebrated "lobster village," has regained its status as best upscale Mexican house (good mom 'n' poppers abound) thanks to new chef Liliaana Naverette. She pinpoints flavors like she's been cooking all her life — which she pretty much has — and isn't afraid to season south-of-the-border style, so that the chile-sharpened shrimp ceviche makes norteno mouths beg — for more. Tortilla soup can be dazzling when made right, as it so rarely is in this town, and Navarette's sparkles like an Aztec diadem. With Puerto Nuevo made a little distant by over-the-border uncertainties, it's good to have this one in our back yard...
— DISH by David Nelson, San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine
You don’t have to cross the border to savor the authentic flavors of Mexico. From mimosas made with freshly squeezed orange juice and champagne to handmade flour tortillas, Ortega’s offers diners high quality, fresh ingredients at affordable prices...
— Susan Russo, San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN)
Starting with five generations of experience and a gracious, warm, attentive waitstaff, Ortega's Mexican Bistro has been serving award-winning, Baja-inspired cuisine to an appreciative audience since day one.
— San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine
I used to love driving down to Puerto Nuevo a couple of times a year for spiny lobster and margaritas, but given the chaotic traffic on my last couple of return trips, I have lost my taste for it. But right in the heart of Hillcrest at Ortega's Mexican Bistro, I found the deliciously sweet local lobster I was craving served with Baja flair...
— Maria C. Hunt, San Diego Union-Tribune
“Muy delicioso” dishes mark the menu of this “gourmet” Hillcrest Mexican celebrated for serving the same “incredible” Baja California-style lobsters and flour tortillas popularized by the original namesake in Puerto Nuevo, Mexico; “exceptionally warm”, “rustic” décor lends a welcome “neighborhood” vibe; P.S. it may be “the best bargain in San Diego.”
— 2007 America's Top Restaurants, Zagat Survey
The made-to-order guacamole and the filled one-and-quarter-pound lobster explain why this 60-seat restaurant commenced an expansion to add some 150 seats when it was barely six months old.
— David Nelson, Westways Magazine
At Ortega's, Hillcrest's hip Mexican eatery (Of South-of the-Border lobster fame), the table-side guacamole does not disappoint, especially when paired with the house pomegranate Margarita.
— Abe Opincar, Gillian Flynn, Dan Triemstra and Sara Digregorio, Riviera Magazine
We couldn’t quite put our finger on the comforting smell that greeted us when stepping inside the new Ortega’s Bistro. The air was pleasantly warm, faintly spiced, as though we had entered the house of a relative who cooks the family’s favorite meals all day long...
— Frank Sabatini Jr., Gay & Lesbian Times
