Soto’s Mexican Food

Ridiculously happy DH saw this joint from the road as we were on our way to get his truck smogged. Roberto’s, which used to be just across the street, had been our go-​to for eons; then their quality all around had declined… now Donato’s is there; nicer employees, but they could not get DH’s machaca plate right. It was getting rather frustrating, the lack of a reliable, consistently good quality Mexican hole-​in-​the-​wall on freakin’ Miramar…
Enter Soto’s.
The silent, petite gal at the register could use a personality boost but the dudes are friendly enough. Food is fantastic and I love that you can serve yourself fresh chips and salsa while you wait (and pack a plastic baggy of chips to go). A perfect place to pick up dinner on your way home from work.
if you are in that area, happen to glance over next to you while waiting at the stoplight and notice someone holding a tiny cup of salsa, munching away… it might be me.

The bad news first… this is a small hole-​in-​the-​wall joint with small dining room and the parking is tight, too. However, once you get inside and see the menu, you will be amazed. They have tons of different tacos, burritos, and other items. I had the Del Mar burrito and it was massive. It was loaded with shrimp and fish! We also had the gigantic chicken burrito and carnitas. Everything was very tasty and super-​sized. They also offer free chips and salsa. If you want excellent and authentic Mexican food, this is the place for you!

Excellent! As soon as I walked into the small restaurant, I went from mild hunger to starving. I knew this place definitely handmade their food by the delicious smell. I’d been craving Huevos Rancheros. This meal was incredible. From the rice to the eggs/​tortillas to the beans and the 15 ½ inch wide handmade tortillas. I highly recommend this place! I discovered it by a «happy» accident

Solid choice… Food is fresh and good, and you get a lot for a low price. The shredded chicken burrito and pork pozole were good.

A great mexican joint on Miramar that doesn’t only cater to the 12am and after crowd! Rigoberto’s is great and all, but Soto’s tastes and feels like a significantly fresher joint. I’ve had their carnitas, asada, and adobada burritos. The adobada is the only one I had a small issue with, as the meat was fairly dry. I’ve also had the fish taco and breakfast burritos, both of which have been great.
Always down for fresh salsas and free chips. Also am willing to eat here with visitors, with comfortable seating and a warm décor (there is a TV playing most of the time). And did I mention, doesn’t feel like the late night drunk crowd is about to stumble in.

A good Mexican food place that really hits the spot. The meat tastes freshly made and so does everything else. A wide selection of choices that are not just regular old tacos and burritos. You get free chips with a good and spicy salsa to make the wait easier (which really isn’t that long of a wait unless you go during lunch hour). Definitely my go to spot now that I’ve recently moved to the UTC area (better than the surrounding taco shops).

They has delicious burritos and I love that they have free chips and salsa by the soda machine!

Excellent Mexican food for this area. Food is fresh and the restaurant is clean. I think this place is giving Rigoberto’s a run for its money, imho. Plus free homemade chips!

Went here for the first time. Didn’t have any expectations and was pleasantly surprised. Best Mexican food I’ve had in a long time.

Being born and raised in SD I have had my fill of Mexican food. This place is among the best and hands down the best around miramar. Chips and salsa are good, their spicy carrots are AMAZING. I swear they are different than other places.
I got the Texas burrito as it was something new that I haven’t seen before. This was one of the biggest burritos I have ever seen! I thought I was going to eat half and take the other half home. Howeve, it was sooooo good that I ate it all. I wanted to go to my car and sleep I felt so full!
I will be back!

Their chicken beats most other shops because it’s well grilled and seasoned too. Most other shops have dry, unflavored chicken that isn’t grilled unlike at Soto’s. Great prices too. :)

One pretty lady in this mexican food very polite with customers. Me and my friend had a couple buritos, wich was amazing. Very delicious and fast. I would recommend for seafood and mexican food lovers!

Hands down the worst food I have ever tasted! O would not recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Living in San Diego, I have had my share of Mexican food. Until recently, though, I was not an enthusiastic Mexican food eater. It was more like I’d go Mexican because there was no other choice (unless I was in San Felipe, which is a whole different world).
Then I discovered Soto’s. I agree with everything people here say. Free chips and salsa are inviting appetizers, but be warned that the portion of your main dish is HUGE. And delicious. And cheap.

Omg. Like you, I know Mexican food and this place is utterly amazing! I have tons of allergies, totally picky for presentation and want a cheap casual place with a nice vibe. This place solves all my woes.
Delicious, clean and professional. I love it!!!

Love it! Always good food with excellent service. Free chips to get crazy with. The salsa is great to. They have daily specials that are an even better value. Highly recommend the veggie burrito.

Quite possibly the best Mexican Food joint between the 52 and 56. I usually go to Rigoberto’s until this place opened. Now it’s my to-​go joint for my Mexican food cravings. It’s too bad they don’t have extended hours for those late night bites.
Cliff Notes: Carnitas and Al Pastor are amazing.

Wow!!!
Seriously some fantastic food here!
Staff is very nice and the place is so clean it’s amazing.
I had the veggie chips and a shrimp taco both were amazing and the surprise was the grilled shrimp taco, just fantastic!!!
My new favorite!

I think Miramar Rd has a new leader in the Mexican fast food category. I have long gone to Rigoberto’s which is right down the street and the food is good there. I think the staff and the cleanliness have deteriorated over time so I decided to try Soto’s today. WOW! I’m glad I did.
Typically, my first order at any Mexican food place is the carnitas. How well they do their signature pork dish is often very telling and Soto’s didn’t disappoint. In this case, I had their carnitas burrito and it was great. It was large and expertly rolled and folded. The ends were tight which made eating it very neat and nearly drip free. The pork was well browned and very tasty without being overly salty (sorry Rigo’s, your carnitas are so salty that I end up with a cotton mouth for about 12 hours after eating them). PLUS… and this is key… Soto’s offers free self-​serve chips & salsa.
Admittedly the location isn’t as convenient to me as Rigo’s is, but the food here is better and, in the case of my burrito, it was less expensive than Rigo’s. and I got free chips. This place is great and I will be here often.
Adding to my review: so I’ve been returning periodically to try various items on the menu:
I’ve had the adobada/​pastor burrito twice. The first time it was good enough to make we want it the second time. Unfortunately the second time was far worse and I won;‘t order it again. It had far too much spice on the meat the second time. Not that it was spicy hot, it just had too much of whatever spice mixture they use. I couldn’t taste the meat, just the spice blend.
The carne asada they use in their burritos is great. It has that grainy texture to make me think it’s either skirt steak or flap meat; tender and flavorful.
Another handy tidbit of info: many of their popular menu items are priced so that, after tax, the total cost is an even dollar. So the carne asada, pastor, and carnitas burritos come out to an even $ 6 after tax. Very handy and convenient.

Hands-​down the best Mexican food on Miramar Road. I’ve been to every Mexican restaurant on Miramar and nothing compares to Soto’s.
There Pollo Asada is second to none. Store is also an excellent choice. Carnitas tacos are the bomb! A generous heaping pile of guacamole on my tacos every time. I’m not a big ceviche fan but my friends crave this here. Beans are fresh and homemade.
It’s the size of the taco shop that has The menu of a finer Mexican restaurant.
Free salsa and chips with your purchase. I highly recommend this quaint and family-​run taco shop.