Cotixan Mexican & Seafood

The cashier was amazing! Super helpful with ordering something I wasn’t familiar with and the food was awesome!

Food is huge in portion size and served FAST !!! First time here and I was extremely impressed :) All the food we ordered was absolutely delicious and extremely fresh. Dining area was clean with plenty of seating. Staff was friendly and Order taker was quick and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend this place :)

BEST tacos anywhere! All the other food is excellent too. Dine in or take out. Open 24 hours.

Pissed, I spent $ 20 on 2 meals and a kids meal. Both of the Tostadas were soggy, the Enchalada was full of unmelted cheese, the kids meal had a ton of old ass fries and the bean borrito had no dam beans!

Haven’t been back here for so long! I frequent Cotixan’s from time to time but this was the location that started it all for me when I first came to San Diego. It was the late night spot when our young, strong stomachs could handle a California Burrito drenched in hot sauce at 3am in the morning and then class at 8am.
My favorites were the aforementioned CA burrito, the Chorizo Torta and the Lunch burrito. This time I went with the Lunch burrito and it was hot and delicious just how I remembered it. Certainly didn’t fail my nostalgic expectations like some places do. Everything else is how I remembered it. It’s out of the way now and I certainly can’t consume this food like I used to, but it’ll always have a place in my heart (burn).

Wow this place is a whole in the wall. This is located inside where the gas station is. The location is small, it is a fast food type of place. The food came out pretty quick I didn’t have high expectations for this place but it was amazing. The first bite I took I knew it was great. They have a salsa bar and outdoor seating.
Overall a great place for Mexican food, I will definitely be back when I am in the area.

THE O.G. spot of my college days just wowed me with their machaca taco. Why didn’t I order this more often back in the day??? Crispy thin layer of skin/​fat lining the pork, which stayed both crispy and juicy altogether with each bite. Delectable. Ridiculous. Win.
Taste bud heaven for Mexican food. I miss you San Diego.

Best flautas and rolled tacos consistently I’ve had over the years, nothing fancy but generous portions and cooked to perfection with lots of cheese and guacamole. Busy but efficient operation.

I grew up just down the street from this place. It used to have great SoCal Mexican food. I have recently moved back to San Diego and was very upset to find the quality of their food and service has fallen so much that I can’t believe they are still in business.
I’ve been back to Cotixan several times and have had a terrible experience each visit. Rolled tacos that were soggy and cold in the middle, Carne Asada burrito that was literally falling apart and carne asada that was soooo chewy I had spit it out, hot sauce in the salsa bar that had gone bad and of course rude employees.
When a long established Mexican food restaurant can’t manage to produce eatible rolled tacos, carne asada or hot sauce it’s time to close the doors and retire.
Cotixan you are an embarrassment to Mexican food and to San Diego itself.

Going to the Midwest for grad school has left a gaping hole in my heart (and stomach), where delicious SD Mexican food used to be. Back in college, rarely a week would go by without going to get a potato burrito. It was a 3am staple on those nights where sleep was not a possibility. And of all the places where we’d go, Cotixan’s was always my favorite.
I was a vegetarian back then, so my orders were always limited to either potato or vegetarian burritos. Cotixan’s potato burritos always stood out as the best. They were huge, ample enough for two servings. The tortillas were outstanding, and the homefries/​cheese/​sour cream mixture was pure, delicious comfort food. Service was fast and the prices were reasonable. God, I miss this place.

not the best Mexican food in town, but so freaking consistent, million dollar buzzword freak consultants should study their business model.
The service is border-​line rude which is THE sign that that place is good, they just don’t need to be nice to you, the food is awesome.

Summary:
Food — tasty Southern Californian Mexican food at its best!
Ambience — gives the feel of a relatively authentic Mexican restaurant atmosphere, as stereotypical as it may be.
Service — none. You order at the counter, and get the tasty salsas yourself, but they keep the restaurant relatively clean.
The short:
Been coming here for years. Huge variety of somewhat Americanized Mexican foods geared perfectly for the southern Californian palate. Their hot sauces are also very flavorful, I recommend both of them! My favorites are the Pollo Asado burrito and the Fish burrito. The Mexican rice is always delicious. I’ve been to many Mexican restaurants in California and Texas, but this one beats them all! Check out their other locations to find one nearest to you!

I’m a fan of Cotixan, just not this location. After trying this place several times, it just wasn’t what I expected. The meat was overcooked & lacked flavor.
One time, we ordered Carne Asada Fries & it took 20 minutes for our order! I don’t understand why it took so long. They weren’t packed & others were getting their order before us.
It’s hard to choose this place when there’s a REALLY GOOD Mexican food option just across the street.

Their fish burrito is pretty good but everything else is meh. Sometimes the carne asada is too dry and the nachos will come with too little meat. It’s nice that they have three options for salsa but it doesn’t change the fact that this spot is usually just drunk food.
Come here with a buzz … Because if you’re not. You should be making better decisions.

Apparently this is the hotspot around the area, but I didn’t get that feeling from my visit.
Located next to a gas station, this shop is oddly designed. Fairly few tables inside, with an un-​insulated extension with small, circular tables built into the ground.
I ordered a cheese enchilada plate and it was pretty much all basic ingredients, with a ton of lettuce and cheese sprinkled on top.
There’s also a small salsa bar, which was nice, but nothing too crazy.

$ 11 for a box of carne asada fries and a large horchata.
Minus one star because the horchata was by for one of the most disgusting I’ve ever had! Definitely ask for a sample before you ask for it. I took a few sips and threw it away!
Fries were pretty good! It came with sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and I think salsa? If it doesn’t come with salsa, then a sprinkle of salsa comes on it?
Red hot sauce had a different taste to it (different from most hot sauces I’ve tried) It definitely had a distinct taste but it was one of the spiciest I’ve tasted, which made it good!
Wouldn’t drive here to get it and if I came back to the DMV near it, I probably would go to jack in the box instead.

My daughter told me about the Steak and Eggs breakfast burrito. I had one this morning and it was really good. It was extremely large and filled with steak, eggs and potatoes. I could only eat half for breakfast… the rest is for lunch. Yummy
Since I devoured the first half I’m not able to take a picture.

Great rolled tacos, maybe some of the best I’ve had. «Al pastor» taco was a giant lump of adobada with a dollop of guacamole. Meh…
Best salsa was probably the red. It tasted very fresh. The famous orange colored salsa lacked a little something including spiciness. Green was bland city.
Clean place and nice folks working behind the counter. I’d stop by again but not go out of my way.

Open 24 hours, this place is perfect for your late-​night Mexican food fix. I usually go to the one on Mira Mesa Blvd but I feel like the portions here are much better.
Nachos supreme: This can be shared between 4 people. You get a huge portion and the balance between meat, cheese, and guac is great (I requested no beans). I only wish they added more fresh salsa but I can always ask next time.
Shrimp burrito: Huge burrito with a good distribution of shrimp, in addition I substituted rice for beans. The sauce they add is soooo good but I’m not sure exactly what it is. It was creamy and tangy which I think made the burrito even better.
It’s a bit dark in the parking lot so just be wary of your suroundings if you tend to go late at night like me.

Say it with me now. It’s coh-​TEE-​han. Not CAW-​tix-​ahn or coh-​TEX-​an. Also, these snacks are \dee-​LIH-​shus\ and effective for dealing with cravings any time of the day.
Somewhere in Anytown you can find greasy spoons, diner cars, or other 24-​hour short order kitchens to prepare hot food for graveyard-​shift workers or other hungry night owls. Around these parts, there are a plethora of taco shops. Folks can easily get a hefty California burrito and a piled-​high plate of carne asada nachos (or fries). Want breakfast rolled up in a warm, flour tortilla? Go for it. The menu permutations can be mind boggling.
There is no drive-​thru window service available here. This place isn’t even within walking distance to any major nightclubs or concert venues. It doesn’t even matter. The dining room gets packed after neighborhood bars close down. Some students gotta get their Coti’s fix, but campus is a drive away. Others like me just escaped the PB bar scene beyond the watchful sentry of sobriety checkpoints set up outside the partying beach community.
I’m not here for ambiance or expecting great customer service. The gal working the front lines probably deserves a medal for dealing with the number of drunks and other amateurs holding up the 4^th meal line. I’m just happy that the order is served up right and that we got the correct change. The kitchen works fast and we’re usually good to dine in the small restaurant itself because the covered patio can sometimes get chilly.
Have you ever noticed the soft drink cup with the Cotixan logo? I think it’s a production error, but the man’s left thumb is colored like the green shirt he’s wearing. Just seems odd that the dude has a green thumb. You can make your own enlightened inference as you see fit.
I know there are several locations around San Diego county, but this is my go-​to Cotixan, and one of my favorite taco shops that doesn’t actually have a drive-​thru. They’ve been well established before the strip malls remodeled and a bunch of new restaurants decided to help complicate the traffic congestion around Balboa Ave and Genesee Ave. If you live or play nearby, it could also be yours.