Cinco De Mayo Specials Around San Diego
Get ready to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in style with specials from your favorite restaurants and bars across San Diego!
Puesto
Cinco falling on a Tuesday this year is either a coincidence or the universe doing us a favor – Puesto‘s weekly Taco Tuesday deal means half off all tacos for dine-in.
The Filet Mignon taco with crispy melted cheese, avocado, and pistachio serrano salsa is a regular go-to, but Chef Raul Casillas has added some new reasons to order more: a Surf & Turf Héroe with filet mignon, Maine lobster, and crispy onions, and a Passionfruit & Mango Shrimp Ceviche on blue corn tostadas.
Pair either with the Passionfruit Mule or a Cadillac Margarita and call it a night well spent.
📆 Tuesday, May 5 | 3 PM – close
🎟️ Book via OpenTable
Quixote
Quixote, the mezcalería tucked inside North Park’s Lafayette Hotel, was built from a decommissioned Mexican Catholic church. Dark wood, cobblestones, stained glass, and all. It’s a setting that earns its menu.
Executive Chef José Cepeda’s Oaxacan-influenced kitchen is putting out things like a Crab Corn Doughnut with blue crab, caviar, and burnt chili emulsion, Braised Lamb Belly with chichilo mole and grilled cactus leaf, and a Memelita loaded with duck carnitas and black mole.
The cocktail program leans hard on agave – the Motomami with Oaxacan rum, mezcal, and smoked pineapple is worth the trip alone.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
🎟️ Reserve your spot
Valle
Cinco de Mayo plans? Valle is doing it right with a one-night Maestro Dobel bar takeover that feels equal parts festive and elevated.
The evening kicks off with a tequila master class led by a Dobel brand ambassador, diving into the craftsmanship behind one of Mexico’s most celebrated spirits. Then Chef Roberto Alcocer teams up with Chef David Rocha of Comal in Ensenada for a bar bites collaboration rooted in corn, clay comal cooking, and live-fire flavors.
Each bite is paired with Dobel tequila cocktails designed to match the mood and the menu. It’s spirited, flavorful, and a pretty great excuse to head north for the night.
📆 Tuesday, May 5 | 5 PM
📍 222 North Pacific Street, Oceanside
🎟️ Reserve your spot
City Tacos
City Tacos turns 12 this Cinco de Mayo, and the North Park original – the one that started it all back in 2014 – is marking the occasion with a deal worth knowing about: any two gourmet tacos plus a bottled Mexican beer for $12.
With nearly 20 tacos on the menu across meat, vegetarian, and vegan options, picking just two is the hard part. Six locations across the county mean there’s no real excuse not to show up.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 3028 University Ave, San Diego
Moonshine Beach
Pacific Beach’s Moonshine Beach is doing Cinco de Mayo the way it does most things – loud, fun, and with room to move.
Four street tacos for $12 (Carne Asada, Carnitas, Pollo Asado, or Pork Adobada, all topped with cilantro, onions, lime, and salsa) pair well with $8 house margaritas, $8 Mexican Candy shots, or two-for-one Buena Cerveza lagers. Then at 8 PM, the line dancing lessons kick off. No experience needed, just a willingness to commit to the boot scootin’ boogie.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 1165 Garnet Ave, San Diego
barleymash
barleymash on 5th Avenue is running its Cinco de Mayo lineup across both the bar and the kitchen. Three tequila cocktails anchor the drinks list at $15 each, all built on Cazadores Blanco: the Pepino goes cucumber, jalapeño, lime, and agave; the Coco keeps it to coconut and lime; and the Sandia brings watermelon, lime, and agave.
On the food side, the Surf & Turf Quesadilla ($18) combines grilled shrimp and carne asada with salsa fresca, pepper jack, saffron lime crema, and Spanish rice. The Enchiladas ($17) come with Michelada-braised chicken, pepper jack, and a three cheese blend rolled in corn tortillas, finished with lime crema and guacamole.
Free swag gets handed out all day.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 600 Fifth Ave #6916, San Diego
El Chingon
The Gaslamp’s El Chingon is getting the Cinco de Mayo weekend started early with a mariachi brunch that checks every box. Live mariachi sets the tone while the Padres game plays on the big screen – a combo that’s hard to argue with on a Sunday.
Reservations are $10 per person and come with one brunch item and one mimosa, so the barrier to entry is pretty low. From there, mimosas, margaritas, and micheladas are all flowing. It’s the kind of afternoon that starts as brunch and turns into something more, which is exactly the point.
📆 Sunday, May 3 | 11 AM – 4 PM
📍 560 Fifth Ave, San Diego
Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails
Gaslamp views, $10 margaritas, and $5 tacos – Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails at Hotel Indigo is making Cinco de Mayo pretty easy to plan.
The margaritas are made with LALO tequila and come in classic, spicy, strawberry, mango, and peach. Tacos are mix-and-match: carne asada with onion, cilantro, and roasted green salsa; fish with locally sourced fish, mango slaw, and avocado crema; or chicken with onion, cilantro, and roasted green salsa.
Nine floors above the Gaslamp with drinks and tacos at those prices – it’s a solid way to spend a Tuesday.
📆 Tuesday, May 5 | 4 PM – 10 PM
📍 509 Ninth Ave, San Diego
Union Kitchen & Tap – Encinitas
Right on Coast Highway in Encinitas, Union Kitchen & Tap is keeping things chef-driven for Cinco. The Pork Chili Verde Plate ($28.95) comes loaded: cheese quesadilla, Mexican rice, bacon fat refried beans, pickled onions, and fried jalapeños all on one plate. If you’re starting with something to share, the Jalapeño Poppers ($17) are the call.
On the drinks side, a $6 House Mexican Lager keeps it simple, or go for the Stone Fruit Tequila Sour ($16) with Leucadia Blanco, white peach purée, and a Szechuan peppercorn finish.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 1108 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas
The Blind Burro
East Village’s The Blind Burro runs Baja Tuesdays every week, and Cinco landing on a Tuesday means the timing couldn’t be better.
The taco lineup covers a lot of ground – Carne Molida and Veggie at two for $11, up through Asada, Macha Angus Short Rib, Coffee Rub Salmon, and Cilantro Lime Grilled Shrimp at two for $14. Drinks are just as easy: $8 house margaritas, $5 beers, and $8 Espolon shots keep things moving without a lot of math.
📆 Tuesday, May 5 | 6 PM – close
📍 639 J St, San Diego
Union Gaslamp
Downtown’s Union Gaslamp is running Cinco de Mayo specials all day, so there’s no wrong time to show up. Street food highlights include Elote on the Cob with cotija, Tajín, and lime ($10), Short Rib Birria Street Tacos with guajillo consommé and corn tortillas ($18), and a Roasted Pork Chili Verde Plate with bacon fat refried beans and jalapeño ash ($26).
Drinks run $5 Mexican lagers and Mexican Candy shots alongside $12 Oaxacan Old Fashioneds – a solid range whether you’re stopping in for lunch or closing the place down.
📆 Tuesday, May 5 | 11 AM – midnight
📍 333 Fifth Ave, San Diego
The Smoking Gun
The Gaslamp’s The Smoking Gun is going all in for Cinco de Mayo with a lineup worth showing up hungry for. The Street Corn Skillet – grilled sweet corn, roasted garlic aioli, cotija, Valentina Hot Sauce, and micro cilantro – is the move, though the Brisket Flautas with salsa fresca and avocado cream are a close second.
Wash it down with Teremana Tequila margaritas, Mexican Beer Buckets (Modelo Oro, Dos XX, Coronitas), or a boilermaker special if you’re committing to the night.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 555 Market St, San Diego
Pacific Beach AleHouse
Few spots set the scene for Cinco like Pacific Beach AleHouse. Ocean views, beach energy, and drink specials running all day. The lineup keeps it straightforward: $5 margaritas and beers, $8 Mexican Candy shots, and $10 Caddy’s Margaritas if you’re upgrading.
It’s the kind of place where the afternoon stretches into evening without much convincing. Grab the crew, claim a spot, and let the coastal vibes do the rest.
📆 Tuesday, May 5
📍 721 Grand Ave, San Diego
See you there, San Diego!
