San Diego is home to many of the important things in life: sandy beaches, warm sunshine, and everyone’s favorite invention – carne asada fries.

While in San Diego, the eating of said fries is something of a religious ritual. And, similar to how New Yorkers feel about their pizza, what people are looking for when it comes to the presentation and taste of this divine delicacy varies from individual to individual.

Whether you’re venturing from out of state or down the street, we’ve rounded up seven favorite spots to find the best, wildly tasty carne aside fries.

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Even better, they’re half price during happy hour, which runs daily from 3 to 5 PM. Wash them down with a Bark at the Moon margarita – named one of America’s best by Travel & Leisure – and you’ve got yourself a pretty perfect afternoon.

If you’re feeling adventurous, the Surf ‘n’ Turf fries – arrachera steak and sautéed shrimp with ranchero sauce and chipotle crema – are another serious contender.

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Lolita’s Taco Shop

No respectable roundup of carne asada fries in San Diego would be complete without Lolita’s Taco Shop on it.

Since 1984, this family-owned operation has been serving authentic Mexican food made entirely from scratch, with locally sourced produce and proprietary spice blends. Now with five locations across the greater San Diego area, they’ve clearly been doing something right.

The carne asada fries are loaded with Choice Black Angus beef, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar, and cotija cheese – everything you want in a plate of fries, done the right way.

Wanna go crazy? Order the Tsunami fries. Same great base, but with grilled shrimp thrown in for good measure.

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Tacos El Gordo

Tacos El Gordo has been serving authentic Tijuana-style tacos since opening their first San Diego location in 1998, and with roots going back to 1972, they know a thing or two about doing Mexican food right.

Everything here is made the proper way – handmade corn tortillas, top-grade meats, and guacamole and salsas made from scratch daily. The menu goes deep, with taco options ranging from carne asada and adobada to suadero, lengua, and tripa for the more adventurous among us.

But we’re here to talk fries, and Tacos El Gordo delivers. Choose your meat, pile it onto a bed of fries, and top it all off with their fresh toppings. The adobada fries are the move – that spiced pork on fries hits different – but honestly, any of their meats on fries is a solid choice.

While you’re there, get plenty of tacos too. With a menu this good, it would be a shame not to.

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Cotixan

Cotixan Mexican Food has been a San Diego original for over 25 years, and if you’re a night owl, you already know this place.

With hours running until midnight on weeknights and as late as 3 AM on weekends, it’s one of the go-to late-night spots in the city.

The Cotixan Fries are the draw here. Golden fries topped with carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. There’s a simplicity to them that people love. They’re the kind of thing you can order without thinking twice.

Before you dig in, swing by the salsa bar and load up – hot, mild, or green, whatever you’re in the mood for. It’s the kind of detail that keeps people coming back.

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Sarita’s Taco Shop

Sarita’s Taco Shop has been a Spring Valley institution since 1992, and for good reason. The San Diego Union Tribune has rated them within the top five taco shops in San Diego County for years. Open from 5 AM to 2 AM daily, this is your round-the-clock option when the craving hits.

The carne asada fries here come in at $14.99, served in that iconic white styrofoam box with a layer of thin yellow paper – basic, glorious, and ready to be demolished. If you want to go all out, the Sarita’s Fries at $16.99 are the house version and worth every penny.

The menu runs deep, too. Surf and turf burritos, birria fries, combo plates, and a full seafood section that holds its own. There’s something for everyone here, no matter what time of day you roll in.

If you can’t decide, the Surf and Turf burrito at $15.99 is always a solid call alongside your fries.

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Rigoberto’s Taco Shop

Rigoberto’s is a San Diego staple with eight locations spread across the city and surrounding areas, from La Jolla and Pacific Beach to La Mesa, San Marcos, and beyond. Open every day, all day, it’s the kind of place that’s always there when you need it.

The carne asada fries are fresh and made to order, the kind of thing that’s become a Friday night tradition for more than a few San Diegans. Not in a carne mood? The pollo asado fries are always an option, too, and nobody will judge you for it.

Don’t leave without hitting the salsa bar. Fresh house-made salsa is part of what makes everything here taste the way it does. And if you’re there on a weekend, the menudo is worth adding to your order.

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The Taco Stand

True to their slogan “Let’s Taco,” The Taco Stand has grown well beyond their San Diego roots, with locations now spanning across California, Nevada, Texas, and Florida.

But for us, it’s always been about the five San Diego spots – Downtown, Encinitas, North Park, Convoy, and La Jolla – and the fries that keep us coming back.

Everything here is hecho a mano – salsas, guacamole, and tortillas made from scratch daily. It shows in every bite, and nowhere more than the carne asada fries: flame-grilled Angus steak piled onto fries with guacamole, sour cream, and cheese. Simple, dialed in, and genuinely hard to stop eating.

Want to take it up a notch? The Mar y Tierra fries add grilled spicy shrimp to the mix, and the result is exactly as good as it sounds.

With five San Diego locations and a menu that runs breakfast through dinner, there’s really no excuse not to make this a regular stop.

See you there!

We hope these seven options prove that a good dose of carne asada experimentation is in your near future.

From all of us at ThereSanDiego, we wish you happy eating!

See you there, San Diego!