Tio Chino

I am fajita fanatic so when it comes to Mexican cuisine its 99% of the time gonna be fajita’s of some form. Burritos are a close 2^nd but I have my go to spot for those so will leave that be.
These guys do a good lunch service on weekdays based on my Friday 2pm visit. Seated quickly, not very busy inside. Placed my order and I was able to sub white steamed rice for the spanish rice and you can pick corn or flour tortillas. Corn all the way in my book. My meal came out in about 10 minutes sizzling hot. As my pictures shows it comes with guac, pico, refried beans in a mini tortilla bowl and some house made salsa with a nice kick. Portions good, flavor good, service good. Prices a little bit high in my opinion relative to other Mexican places in San Diego.
This place is less then a mile from my home so even during the mad rush our I can walk on down and grab a bite and a drink during happy hour or an early dinner and that makes the slightly higher prices worth it to me right there.

Mommy/​daughter date plus my Groupon was about to expire… location kinda obscure/​dark looking because of the hotel taking up so much space. Pretty empty inside but welcoming.
Friendly service was provided by Katie.
They gave us complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa was nice and spicy and the chips were freshly fried which is always good.
They have a pretty big menu with a range from straight mexican items to a mixture of Japanese and Chamorro items (Guamanian, I believe?) so it was hard to decide what to order. We ordered karage fish tacos for an app, kiddo ordered the carne asada plate and I had the carnitas plate. Clearly we were more in the mood for straight mexican, but it doesn’t make sense that we wouldn’t choose a fusion dish in hindsight-​DUH.
I like the crispiness of the karage fish as I love chicken karage so the tacos were pretty tasty. The entrees were decent, not great and not bad, just good enough-​A-​Ok, if you will. The carnitas had ok flavor and crispy bits that I love, the rice was rice and the beans were beans and I mean that in the nicest way. Haha.
Anyway, I probably wouldn’t go back just because there are so many other joints to try and nothing about this one pulls me back in.
The wow factor just isn’t there…

My husband and I were in the area running errands last weekend and checked out this place for lunch based on the Unilocal reviews. I was rather skeptical because I think combining Asian and Mexican cuisine is an inharmonious flavor match. Here’s my assessment on the food:
— Complimentary chips and salsa: chips were greasy and tasted like they were a day old. Salsa was watery and bland
— Teri-​carnitas fries: the fries were battered well and were topped with salsa, guac, cheddar cheese, and some toasted sesame seeds and seaweed mixture. This proved to be the best thing we ordered but it still isn’t of excellent quality
— Chicken taquitos: not bad but not memorable either
— Kalbi tacos: the name is misleading because the do not use kalbi beef but carnitas that have been marinated with the sauce normally used to marinate kalbi beef. So it was a mismatch for my expectations. The soft meat paired nicely with the crunchy slaw.
— Chicken tortilla soup: this was unlike any chicken tortilla soups we’ve had before which are normally creamy and robust flavored. This one was more tomato broth based and was too sour for our liking.
Also, the dish cleaning service is extremely subpar. My glass of water came with red and yellow particles in the water, and these were also caked on part of the rim. My husband’s glass of water looked a lot better in comparison but we could see a few specks of food stuck on.
Even with the noble attempt to serve Mexican-​Asian fusion food, the lack of cleanliness combined with the mediocre food will make us not return again. Save your tummy and money for somewhere else.

I was disappointed in the food because instead of it being Guam food, its more favors Mexican food. I don’t have a problem with Mexican food, its delicious, but if you have the Guam Flag, Mariana Island Flag and pictures of Guam posted all over the rest. you would think it would favor more Guam food. overall its OK. :-)

This place is garbage. Somehow they managed to take down my previous lengthy review. Suffice it to say that they ruined a previously great Mexican restaurant named «Tio Carlos» by trying to infuse it with crappy Asian food.

My first time here since the ownership change years ago and mixed reviews here. First off, the chips and salsa rocked and the folks were friendly. I ordered the soy ginger beef, it was good but not what I expected. I didn’t taste any soy or ginger. It was more like a little carne asada served with pasta alfredo. Again, it was good, but not what I expected. Would have liked to tasted the soy/​ginger though. Hope to go back and try their various fusion tacos.

While in town for my cousin’s wedding, my cousin was craving some Mexican and we decided to Unilocal a good place near the Hotel on our drive out. The vibe here was super friendly! We were a bit thrown off since we were expecting a typical Mexican Eatery, but very shocked when we ran into a few Asian/​Pacific Islander Looking people who resembled Guamanian — and sure enough, the owners here are Chamorro! Me & my sisters felt right at home, especially since we’re Islanders (Samoan) so we received a warm welcome. The service is superb and the staff is awesome! The food is great too! When in San Diego, do not miss the chance to come dine here! It’s a nice little divey place with a hip islander feel to it. Loved our experience here!

My bf is Chamorro and we went to PIFA earlier this year where we tried their delicious tatiyas! Man, was it good! I was in the area and saw Tio Chino’s across the street so I stopped by to pick up some Tatiyas. BF is always on the search for his beloved Chamorro style corn chowder. So, we picked up a large chowder too.
BIG MISTAKE! The corn chowder was SO salty, the saltiest food I have EVER put in my mouth. It is repulsive. It simply tastes like salt water! You know how you gargle salt in your mouth to get rid of a sore throat? Imagine THAT taste and that is EXACTLY how this chowder tastes. What the crap?! Who serves this to people AND charges $ 7 for it?
The Tatiyas? Man, how disappointing. So different from the ones I tried at PIFA.
I don’t know WHAT the deal is behind this place, but it is exactly the type of place that should be on Kitchen Nightmares.

Kristina was our server and she went out of her way to make us happy! Brought me everything that I asked for and more! Plus I’m really picky.
The food is always good and everyone is very friendly. The chips and salsa is awesome. Great spot :)

came with a group of 6. We ordered many dishes to try, there were hit and misses, and some that I’d definitely order when I return.
The service was good. There was live music on Wednesday nights: it is a bit too loud IMO only because I couldn’t hear the conversation at the table and we almost had to yell at each other. That’s just me though… but their music was good.
Chicken kelaguen with titiyas: titiyas are I think a reminisce of tortillas — it’s thicker, and softer because of the coconut milk, and also sweeter too. Chicken kelaguen reminds me of chicken salad. I despise coconut shreds and at first I hesitated trying this dish. However, the portions of coconut shreds seemed minimal and upon tasting this was very delicious with the titiyas. Turned out to be one of my favorites here.
Teriyaki carnitas fries: this was one of my favorite dish here. Their fries had such a delicate crispy texture, reminds me of biting into tempura batter crunches. The toppings are also delicious.
Picoso tacos: 4 mini street style tacos, very flavorful and delicious; has a serious spicy kick to it, watch out!
Boneless braised short ribs in kalbi sauce: this is my other favorite, melt-​in-​your-​mouth meaty texture. It’s probably braised in the sauce for a long long time so the sauce is pretty thick. Very savory.
Wasabi mash: it came as a side with the short ribs. It was really delicious! A hint of wasabi (I could use more probably), and what a creative way to introduce flavors in the mash other than garlic, butter, cheese… lol.
Special kelaguen: it was octopus that night and I must say I didn’t like it as much as I did with the chicken version.
Empanadas: these lil guys are fried all the way through. It has a very unexpected texture in the filling — no apparent pieces of chicken or rice but fully pureed. The seasoning is a bit sweet for some reason. Not my favorite.
Kara-​age chicken dish: There was no seasoning, which is probably appropriate for traditional kara-​age. It reminded me too much of popcorn chicken at Boba/​Pearl Tea places, and I felt that it’s missing some seasoning. Despite that, the chicken was juicy inside with a crispy batter.
Chamoroo red rice: due to the Mexican influence, this is a variation like the Spanish rice. It’s not fully salty, got a bit of sweetness to it and much more sticky/​softer than the rice used in Spanish rice. I actually liked this after few bites, sorta grew on me.
Furikake fries: it was really just fries with seaweed and sesame seeds, I say skip this and go for the carnitas fries instead.
Fried ice cream: it tasted like churros ice cream. I’ve never had fried ice cream before so I don’t know what to expect. My fellow Unilocaler said it was not the best in her experiences with this dish. The crust has quite a bit of cinnamon with a vanilla ice cream.
Kalua flan: not very good IMO, it’s not smooth and unevenly cooked throughout. I wonder if it was cooked in too high heat.
A very interesting experience with Pacific Mexican style cuisine overall!

Went here on a Groupon or some such deal. Sorry, I belong to so many of these deal things I can’t remember which one I used! Groupon has become the generic term for these deals… kind of like Kleenex is used for tissues!
I wanted to order the flautas type dish everyone talked about and I even asked the server about it and I somehow pointed to the wrong thing on the menu and got something more like chicken salad and shimp salad inside of tortilla cups. Way too lemony… and I love lemons. I don’t know why I didn’t sent it back and get something I like, that’s not my M.O. I really liked the rice in the dish. I also got the mashed potatoes with wasabi, but like my friend Lyndsi W. said, you really can’t taste the wasabi.
I liked my bf’s fried chicken better, but it certainly wasn’t the best I’ve ever had.
I have to come back and try those flautas.

The location is tight and you have to either park on the street or at the hotel next door =/
It was a tad confusing when we first entered the building, cause once you go in you’re met with a wall lol but go up the stairs and it opens up into a comfortable, very friendly indoor with patio optional restaurant. Large booths, huge bar with anything you could want.
Their complimentary chips and salsa are addicting; the salsa is homemade, very fresh tasting, has layers of flavor balanced with a pleasant heat; it stings, but only briefly. Then you can continue enjoying the depth of taste :)
I got the Kalbi Braised Beef Tacos with a side of wasabi mashed potatoes ($ 8.00), and my friend got the Kalbi Short Ribs Entre ($ 15.00) and a side of Titiyas ($ 3.00).
The meat was melt-​in-​your-​mouth smack-​yo-​momma good :) Tender and sweet, it paired very well with the wasabi mashed potatoes; the taters aren’t hot and spicy like the paste that comes with sushi, but it has a nice earthy kick that balances out the sweeter kalbi.
The titiyas are basically thicker flour tortillas made with coconut milk, so you get a nice hint of coconut without it being too sweet.
My friend had 2 margaritas, the coconut one as well as the cadillac. She said the coconut margarita was on the almost too sweet side, while the cadillac is more of a sour drink. Both good, but catering to different palates.
Great experience here, fantastic food of quality for very reasonable prices. Oh, and loved the Raggae music. Looking forward to going back on a night they have Karaōke.

Shin!!! You were so awesome and just made our day! :)
Coming here based on the reviews was right spot on.
Atmosphere is very chill and looks like this place hops on the weekends.
Food: order the mushrooms delicious, soft n tender and melt in the mouth.
The beef tacos (small bites) omg bbqy sweet with the cilantro they make yum!
The fancy fries, very creative with the different seeds. love trying new things with hip
Free chips and salsa is my world and very tasty salsa
The coconut margaritas definitely get one and share! ! Lots of alcohol ha!
The fish tacos (small bites) were ok but wouldn’t get them again
The combo plate enchiladas suizis, was ok but my bf didn’t care for it.
The tortilla soup was not satisfying had to send that back. sorry guys
All in all definitely one of my new hip places to come back to and just hang out.
Shin thank you again for the wonderful experience and getting me chips every time I ask, we’ll see you again, we know where you work :)

Stopped here for dinner based on the good reviews & I was glad we did! Being a first time visitor, I asked for food and drink recommendations and was not let down!
We decided to order the Carnitas plate and the braised short ribs and ate off both plates. The ribs just melted in my mouth and the carnitas was nice and tender. The zucchini was grilled perfectly but the mashed potatoes were so-​so.
The drink order started with a coconut margarita and a rumchata ~ both were yummy! I was looking for a stronger drink and was recommended the chamorro punch ~ exactly what I was looking for!
The location looks a little sketchy & we weren’t sure we were heading in the right direction as we walked up stairs. Love this place, I’ll be back!

Nice patio area to dine overlooking the hotel pool. (Ho-​Jo)
There are some stairs to climb up to get to the restaurant. There are a dining room that have a bunch of TVs and is dimly lighted. The restroom is located inside the door at the top of the stairs.
The offer you free chips & salsa. The chips are served crispy and crunchy and the salsa has a chipotle flavor. They also have an extensive appetizer menu if you are in the mood.
The food is a fusion of Mexican, Japanese, Chomoro & American. Lots of flavorful favors to temp your tastebuds.
They have some awesome deserts if you have the room.
They have a full bar for your thirsty folks to enjoy and live music on Fridays.

I came here for an early dinner with my husband and daughter. We got to sit outside on the second floor. It took a few minutes for the guy to take our drink and food order. The guy gave us some chips and salsa while we waited for the waiter to take our drink and food orders. I decided to order an iced tea. For my main course, I went with carne asada tacos. It came with rice and beans. There was a side of guacamole, onions diced, cilantro and diced tomatoes. There wasn’t any sour cream. I got two soft tacos with carne asada meat. I took a bite and the meat was delicious and flavorful. The texture of the beans was good. The rice had excellent flavor. It was not spicy but had a more tomato flavor. I enjoyed my meal.
Service was great by the waiter. I asked for another cup of iced tea and the guy brought me a small pitcher of iced tea. How nice! He made sure we were taken care of. The guys there were super friendly and nice.
There was seating inside or outside. There is parking on the street and you can park on the left side of the hotel where there are signs posted. I was afraid my car would be towed but it didn’t. Whew!
I would definitely come again to try other stuff on the menu. I highly recommend this place!

its delicious. Well lately ive been craving ahi poke. This is the closest Chamorro food near my home.
I can’t wait to come back here this week with one of my good friend. Its been too long.
Anyways my first time here was during their grand opening. My friend was helping manage this place for Shin (owner) i think thats his name.
Its a pac-​mexi fusion type place — My friend and i ordered kelaguen tacos, and some dip type thing… deliciousness as well as their dessert.
They had a live band… whom i happen to know the drummer — Harry (one my tattoo artist). I love the casual ambiance very island/​homey like. Super friendly nice waiters, servers — makes you want to go back home to your island town.
Anyways see you soon Tio Chino!

Kind of kitchy! But who doesn’t like kitchy?
This place is just as the name suggests, a fusion of Mexican and guess, yup, Asian food! Tio Chino, get it?
This place is attached to a motel and I pass this place all the time but never thought to stop in until my cousin had his engagement party here.
It’s cool though. Fun entryway up a series of stairs. Dark in the inside with a quaint bar, but a nice open patio is available, and that is where we had the engagement party.
The food was good and they offered karaōke.
So all in all, check it out! If it’s a nice night, try out the patio.
Met the owner too, Felix, nice guy!
So, if you frequent Point Loma and want to try something new and cool, this is one to try. Enjoy!

I really really really wanted to love this place more than 3 stars, but sadly the food didn’t really live up to the expectations.
I had the chicken and shrimp kelaguen duo with the flour titiyas and furikake fries. The kelaguen’s strong lime taste was just too much for my taste buds. Perhaps it was a little «too refreshing.»
I’m happy to report that the sides were very tasty. The flour titiyas just melted in my mouth and were sooo much better than your average flour tortilla. The furikake fries came out extra crispy and I loved the they weren’t just seasoned with your typical salt.
The service was attentive and friendly. Someday I would like to come back and try something else on this really interesting menu.

Fusion food, fun, and live music when we stopped by.
I’ve driven by often and only recently visited one time for a happy hour meetup, then for an actual sit-​down dinner. Don’t let the sketchy surroundings and motel, yes I said motel, frighten you at night. The wandering natives don’t care for bright lights and tend to keep to themselves.
Once you make your way up the winding staircase, you’ll leave the urban environment behind and enter the welcoming space of islander-​meets-​familia hospitality. It’s a cozy dining room and adjacent bar, with a separate covered balcony overlooking the traffic along Rosecrans below.
Food is tasty. Tio Chino’s Chamorro/​Japanese/​Mexican menu is interesting and the service is friendly and helpful. You really can’t go wrong here, whether you’re in the mood for kelaguen, karaage, or carnitas. Too ethnic? There’s a basic burger available for ya here as well. There was some live music for dinner which upped the festive vibe.
Tio Chino’s is a cool little spot to check out for food, a specialty cocktail, or a cold beer if you’re near the Rosecrans/​Midway and wanna change up from the usual tourist haunts around Old Town or are looking to get one last check-​in before boarding a flight to Anytown.