50 Best Fast Food Restaurants in San Diego

“I visited from Scottsdale, Arizona was looking forward to enjoying the true essence of your establishment in California. The food and SERVICE were on point as usual. The french fries were hot and crispy, and were quite good, although they felt that a pinch of salt would have elevated the taste even further. nevertheless, you’ll always be my favourite.“

“Right on the main strip in Pacific Beach, you've got quite a bit of choices to eat, but this is definitely the burger spot to choose. The price point is a little high, but the food is absolutely worth it. They greet you with a warm welcome, and it's a nice cozy little location, they also have a few seats on the patio out front. They have some massive burgers that hit the spot! My two personal favorites are the Billy Cheeseburger! It's a double smashburger. And if you're feeling like a big massive monster burger I highly recommend the Spurgeon Infit Burger... It has chicharron on it!! They also have incredible milkshakes. Highly recommend the mazepan milkshake! They also have some really tasty chicken tenders with some good dipping sauces. Parking is a little bit of a pain, and Pacific Beach recently added parking meters which makes it even more annoying.. but if you don't mind parking a few blocks away it's a nice short walk and it feels good before you go into grab a bite! Side note, they also have a restroom you can use if you ask for the code.“

“I went to this tiny, hidden, establishment on a whim.I love fried chicken and Cluck 'n' Sip had a M-F, $7.99 lunch Special which caught my eye, 2 pieces, 1 side, and a drink. These days that's a great price for a lunch so in I went.Cluck 'no Sip was very clean inside and had about 8 tables. The young lady who took my order was very nice and knew about the different items they had. Which nowadays is quite surprising.In any event I received 2 Large pieces of chicken, a leg and a thigh. And when I say Large I mean LARGE. NOT those wingsized pieces that they claim are Large at the more popular, well known, and Much MoreExpen$$$ivve fast food chicken joints.I also got a decent sized side of jambalaya, a piece of maple buttered toast, and a drinkIt Was Delicious! The chicken was lightly battered and fried perfectly. Not greasy at all. The jambalaya was spicy without being So spicy that it detracted from the flavor of your chicken, and the toast was really tasty.They also offer about 10 different dipping sauces. I tried the Hillcrest dip which was spicy but Not Too.Cluck 'no Sip also has sandwiches, chix tenders and some really good specials that they offer throughout the week.Do yourself a favor and seek out thisnew, great tasting fried chicken spot.You will Not be disappointedI Will Definitely be going back toCluck 'n' Sip.“

“I forgot what I liked and the kid was super awesome and helpful even while I was having a stressful day. Kudos to him lol.Parking: 7-11 keeps bad company also. Leaks into the parking lot.Kid-friendliness: Ask for a hat!Wheelchair accessibility: A few handicap spots“

“The food here absolutely amazing! The quality and amount of food you get is so worth it. The salsa absolutely 10/10 the breakfast burritos 11/10. Not only that the customer service tops the whole experience off everyone was so kind. If you're in the area make sure you stop in you won't regret it.“

“Yesterday I was greeted with a friendly smile, by a cashier, by the name of Lilian. Lilian was extremely helpful, patient, and she really listened to my needs. I didn’t feel rushed, while I was putting my order, and I felt very welcomed. I will totally come back again“

“Always fresh and tasty. Everything made from non-frozen beef, buns baked daily. Fresh fries from potatoes peeled during day. It makes the difference. Your taste buds c will tell you.Vegetarian options: Bun-less burger. Patty with lettuce leaf on both sides.“

“I've been here about a dozen times and it's always been a great experience. I'm not even vegan. I come here because the food is always fresh and stable, no surprises. Their have cane sugar sodas which I really value. So far I've tried one of everything and while I'm not a fan of imitation meat, I really can't tell the difference here. A chicken sandwich tastes like a chicken sandwich. Fast friendly service, no mistakes or issues. Honestly that's the thing that sets them apart from everyone else.“

“Came here for lunch today and was blown away how good my meal tasted. Ordered a loaded Philly without bread and it was the perfect lunch and portion.You can really taste the quality and the owner was extremely nice. Bathrooms also very clean and it’s a great location in GasLamp. Will def come back. 5 stars ♥️Wheelchair accessibility: Accessible“

“Love The Halal Shack!! Best middle eastern street food in all of San Diego! Better than Cava and Chicken Over Rice in my opinion ? would absolutely recommend. The staff are also great and the manager or shift lead on Thursday 4/18 was so kind“

“In from out of town where we don't have In and Out. Excellent service and burgers were great! Thanks!!! In and Out please add a "tip" option to your POS system. Your team deserves it. Every time we have gone to a location the service has been excellent.“

“Very impressive Banh Mi sandwich here at Bale French Sandwiches! Their price is unbeatable, all the Banh mi are under $6.5, and their size aren’t too small. It’s like a 6 inch sandwich, perfect for one person. The sandwich has a lot of stuff inside, it’s filled with veggies and meat. I ordered a BBQ pork and a beef Banh mi, both are awesome. I highly recommend this place, plus their service is so friendly!“

“Amazing service me and my boyfriend wanted to grab a quick bite and we tried pollo loco for the first time and the service was great we got our food in less than 2 minutes the customer service was great the one that helped us out her name was Ericka and she was very friendly and very fast“

“Was at Belmont Park and was craving some seafood. Saw this restaurant right across the street and the environment was welcoming. The server was very attentive and helped recommend what to eat! I was expecting street tacos especially because of the pricing, but boy was I wrong. The portions were MORE than generous! Definitely hit the spot and the other customers all seemed to be enjoying the vibes. The margaritas I ordered were nice and sweet and definitely went well with my meal! I HIGHLY recommend the pineapple marlin taco and the Diablo shrimp taco! Definitely will visit again during my next trip!“

“Amazing food!!! Super buttery and tasty. The chicken Marsala and butter chicken are our favorites with The Garlic Naan which is to die for. We also highly recommend the Mango Lassi. Best Indian food in San Diego. Hands down!!!! The owners are so kind and helpful in choosing and explaining the dishes from the huge selection that they have.“

“Consistently good, but I've noticed a difference in taste compared to the Mission Valley location. As a cook, I have sensitive taste buds. At Mission Valley, I could easily devour 3-4 burgers, but here, I'm satisfied with only 1-3 before feeling full. Not sure if it's different ingredients or an added element, but that's been my experience. I've frequented both locations extensively over 40 visits. Still enjoyable, but there's something about it that fills me up faster here.“

“Embracing the cozy rainy weather a day longer, we decided to order some dinner from shack shack. Highly recommend adding the roadside onions to your burger, it's a must! It added so much flavor to my shack burger. I also ordered a side of fries and their oreo milkshake. I made my milkshake a malt, because why not! It's literally one of the best milkshakes I've ever had! My friend ordered a smokeshack burger, which comes with bacon, along with some bacon cheesey fries. Both options looked great for any bacon lovers out there! Great place for burgers, fries, shakes, and more! Our order traveled well and was delivered pretty quickly as well.“

“Met Vanessa, the owner, working the counter. From the jump it was a great experience. She was so friendly and helpful. And then my sandwich came out...my good lord...Popeye's has *nothing* on this sandwich. The chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was crunchy and delicious with a soft bun to go with. If you like spice, may I suggest the Peri Peri sauce...spicy, but not overly so, and the flavor was divine. Unlike anything I have ever tasted. I would give this place 6 stars if they let me. GO TO CHICK'N'CONE NOW!!!“

“My California burger was amazing! The bun was soft and buttery, the bacon was crispy and delicious, overall 110% satisfied! My husband got the veggie tots and he absolutely loved them, he doesnt even like mushrooms but he said they were great with the veggie combination. We are definitely be coming back! Highly recommend ??“

“I came here searching for some good Indian food and I definitely found what I was looking for! The food was delicious and did not disappoint. The food came out quickly and the service was great. Definitely would recommend this to anyone looking for good food!“

“Had a good breakfast croissant and watched Football training camp,while i enjoyed the food. Lloyd Tarazi has a great personality and obviously the longevity of their business speaks for itself... ☆ See ya soon! #lashguy #goodtimes #yummy #sandwichstopdeli“

“Best quesatacos de Birria I’ve had in a long time, the consomé was incredible, the ratio of meat and cheese was perfect and everyone was nice and patient to a group of hangry tired people. Just what I needed after a long day. My friends got the beach loaded fries and I shamelessly ate half of their food too, the carne asada was perfect.“

“I don't normally review fast food locations but I left this Waba Grill extremely happy. I enjoy ordering takeout with Waba through the app due to the convenience of having your food ready for pickup when you arrive but have noticed they often neglect the small requests. I frequent the veggie bowl but don't particularly enjoy steamed carrots and have lately been asking them to be omitted from my order. At my local Waba, they ignore it and I disappointingly open my order to see carrots present. But here, they nailed it! It may seem like something trivial to be so pleased with but it's the small things that set aside chains like this. I could have gotten lucky with my order but I like to be optimistic and think that this team cares.Either way, this Waba nailed my order. I'll have to frequent it since it's on my way home to check for consistency. As of now, I'm a happy camper.“

“Loved our experience at this place from the food to the professionalism! The owner was very hands on with helping us with our order and answering our questions. The staff was also really amazing! We really enjoyed the food, and the portions and prices are unmatched here in San Diego! Highly recommend and they’ve earned a loyal customer.“

“So impressed! - spicy 'chicken' sandwich, chocolate peanut butter shake, sweet potato fries, chicken salad, all fantastic. Access to the store was a little interesting but worth it, beautiful shop, great staff. -my favorite part was that after I had fast food, I actually felt “

“Kind staff. Went inside to order and eat. Recommend mustard fried burger and cheese fries. Get peppers too.Vegetarian options: They make grilled cheesesDietary restrictions: You can customize your order, sub bun for lettuce, tomatoes or onions.“

“What more needs to be said about in-n-out that hasn't already been said? Everyone knows it's off the hook. This location is brand new though so the wait isn't that long, the seating is huge, and the staff is super on point and extremely courteous and helpful.“

“Best best best taco shop in PL. Family owned and operated, so I’d highly recommend supporting this small business. The family gives their employees like 2 weeks off for Christmas and I can definitely get behind that as well. Well deserved. Don’t go anywhere else. You can taste the quality and pride of ownership here.“

“I've been meaning to write a review for this place, but I was too busy enjoying the food that I got distracted! Please give this place a chance. The few times we've been here it has been very slow. I'm hoping this place picks up traction and is here for a long time.The sliders are huge in my opinon. To me they are very much sandwich size. Mac and cheese is on point, everything fried to perfection, and the portions are generous! This will definitely be at the top of my go-to chicken spots in Mira Mesa =)“

“We stopped at the Old Town Urban Market specifically to try the spot next door but we had to stop in for Elote first! We ordered a few esquites, a loaded potato and a few jarritos. Service was fast and the food was fresh. Decent price for the size. You know this spot is popular because a long line ended up forming behind us and the lady there stayed busy.“

“I am back again! Second time I am ordering at this location. The food is good, reasonably priced & I have joined the app & getting the specials & have eaten at one of their locations about 5 X in the last two weeks. I will be back!Vegetarian options: I love their steamed cabbage, carrots & broccoli & brown rice.“

“Gaglione's cheesesteaks are (obviously) the best in San Diego. My mom's from Philly and I've been many times, and I still think Gaglione's makes the best cheesesteak I've ever had. It's a fairly small shop but the vibes are great, you're greeted with smiles and hellos when you walk in and the staff is just awesome. I wish I could remember the name of the gal who took our order (Feb 29 around 1pm?), she was just so sweet and helpful. She even came outside to bring us our food because we're not the brightest apparently and didn't realize we could not hear the orders being yelled out from outside. One of my favorite places to eat in San Diego and I will always recommend it!!“

“This is an excellent place for lunch or grabbing a quick and healthy bite! When I come here I usually get the Iron Man chicken sandwich. The ingredients are fresh and tasty plus they also have a ton of other options on the menu for whatever mood your in. If you want something lighter they have great acai bowls and smoothies as well. Thankfully this place is right up the street so I come here all the time!“

“Was very impressed with the burgers and tater tots . Cooked perfectly. Bonehead sauce is out of this world ??. Make sure you let them know how you like your burgers cooked . These are by far the best smash burgers I've ever had. . Prices are very good.Vegetarian options: They have the impossible burger! Scrumptious. Also they do have a wonderful chicken sandwich available.Dietary restrictions: Vegetarian options available.Kid-friendliness: Burgers available for the picky little eaters !Wheelchair accessibility: Indoor and outdoor seating. Staff is very friendly. Always very clean.“

“While driving south to La Jolla we looked for a place to eat and decided to try Shake Shack. We are so glad we did! Burgers were fresh, not frozen. Tasty and we wanted more! Sauce had a bit of a kick to it. Only complaint is there are no combo meals. Only ala cart. But we'd go back, for sure!“

“Que Sazon is a very small Mexican Torta restaurant which is perfect for takeaway or a quick snack. They have a very small patio area with just 5 seats so unless you get lucky plan on takeaway. I had the Mango Tostada with fish which was a reasonable size, lots of mango chunk, very tasty but a little to spicy for a lightweight like me. The Agua Fresca was very tasty and refreshing and helped counter the spicy serrano sauce.“

“So I've always heard the commercial for this place on sports radio. Passed it by many times and finally decided to check it out.First off its EXPENSIVE! However what isn't nowadays. To be fair. Its the first taco shop I've been to in a couple months.I ordered the carne asada fries with everything on it. And man I gotta tell you it was very good! The meat and the fries, banging! The only downside was the price. Location is fair and they have competition literally across the street.The staff was friendly. The establishment itself was fine. Just a regular shop with some TVs and salsa bar. Plenty of little cups with lids and jalapeños w/ carrots and baggies.Overall good food and nice people. Just expansive.Parking: Around 20 spots.“

“We had a delicious, healthy lunch today, but the best part of the visit was a young man working there named Vincent. His customer service skills were on point! He immediately greeted us when we walked in, he offered me a cup of ice for the canned soda I had brought in, he brought our food to our table instead of just calling our name out and was very friendly, attentive and polite! He just made it a lovely visit!“

“Just went there today because my husband was craving a chili cheese dog. I got the Monday special, which was a chicago dog for $3. He got a combo. The employees were super polite and the food was fresh and well made. My 7 year old daughter asked for a dipped cone in a cup and they surprised me when they said they could do it. They made the dipped cone then turned it upside down in the cup. Helped her be able to eat her ice cream in a cup but still get the dipped chocolate that she loves. It was nice to see the place was packed, specially because there aren't many around anymore.“

“I've dropped by a few hot chicken places in different areas and you do find many that just do it wrong. This is not one of those places. The first time I came here I went to order the supreme (as the only level above "spicy", assuming that "spicy" would not be hot enough) after which I was informed you had to sign a waiver to get that. I went with the two dark meat sandwich spicy combo and a drink. First thing: you do get good portions. Each sandwich is smaller- about half the size of the ones I've gotten at other hot chicken places- but you get two of them and it's roughly the same price after everything so it all comes out in the wash. Honestly it's probably better this way. The chicken is crispy and has great flavor, the fries are well-seasoned, and the sauce is great for dipping the fries in. The chicken also has a bit of a kick to it. That said, I will complain about the heat level later after talking about my second trip here in the two days I was in town. I had to go back because they have ube cheesecake there. This is something that people should not skip; ube in general should rarely be skipped but this was especially unskippable. Highly recommended and very much worth it. I also ended up trying the supreme since the spicy was not as hot as the hot at many of the other hot chicken places I've been to. I figured that the supreme couldn't be that bad given the heat level of the spicy and that they were just being overly sensitive with the waiver thing. DO NOT MAKE MY MISTAKE. It is at the lower level of spicy food challenges but it is definitely at the level of a food challenge. I ate most of one of the sandwiches with difficulty at first and got a box for the tender (white meat this time) and consumed that later. The cramps and nausea came in waves starting about ten minutes after eating the tender and lasted at least half an hour. Luckily nothing came of it except for looking like I was having medical issues while walking around town later. Now the complaint. I personally don't think that the spicy is a good "hottest realistic" spice level for a hot chicken place. I think they should shift the supreme up to level six or seven and make a new level five (and six in the case of putting supreme at seven) between the old spicy and supreme, still keeping that big jump up from there to the hottest. The ube cheesecake keeps that from costing the place a star.“

“I’ll start off my review with saying great customer service . It shows the owner has put in a lot much of his/her time to train their employees properly . Every time I walk in I am always greeted and never rushed when ordering . I personally love there fruit waters and making my own chip bowl. All prices are decent and affordable so they fit everyones budget . It can get busy from time to time but totally worth the wait . I definitely recommend visiting this location to grab something for your sweet tooth or salty craving:) . Most importantly this location is always clean and sanitized ! You will never see a mess.“

“LOVED IT! Chicken was so juicy and the medium spice was just the perfect amount of spice! I think the coleslaw was a perfect addition to the sandwich. The fries were also delicious and well seasoned! I would ask for extra sauce though, because it's very good (the sandwich has plenty, but it's great with the fries). I would definitely come again :)“

“The fries are so delicious! You can’t go wrong with any of them but the bulgogi fries, Hawaiian chicken chipotle, and the poke fries are to die for! The fries are nice and crispy and hold up really well through the sauce, which they don’t skimp out on! Build your own boba is so easy and they have a great amount of teas, slushes, and toppings. The staff is hands down the best part! They’re always super friendly and helpful! Can’t rave enough about this place!“

“I used to live near UTC mall in La Jolla so I visited this Shake Shake location a couple times. I have ordered a Shack Burger (Angus beef cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun), fries (crinkle cutl) and herb mayo. I've also ordered Cheese Fries on its own as well. The food is a bit pricey but the quality is always really nice. I haven't tried a shake but I need to soon, make the Cookies and Cream one next.“

“Had a great experience here. One of my favorite places to go. If you’re looking for genuine Mexican food on the go this is genuinely the perfect place to go.Parking: Very easy parking. Restaurant shares lot with other stores, so it’s a pretty big lot.“

“At the 7710 Clairmont Mesa Blvd., San Diego, CA 92111, a lady with glasses at the Drive thru waited on me; she was so nice, mannerly, pleasant "yes sir, no sir"!! Gave me my receipt, asked me if I needed anything else -- this lady is a team player & deserves a raise & promotion!!! “

“So glad this is still around because a lot of them are closing down. Reminds me of my childhood. It is a bit pricey but everything is expensive now. I would definitely utilize the coupons online!! Other than that can't go wrong with this comfort food. Delicious as always. Staff is very kind all the time. Plenty of parking.“

“El Pollo is one of my main go to places, and I have been going to this El Pollo Loco since they first opened. (And yes I'm old). Food is constantly good, the price is reasonable especially if U can get Ur hands on some coupons. Restaurant is always clean, and I totally recommend.“

“Staff is very friendly and they do a great job! They (Jimmy and one other person but I don't know his name) have even take the time to learn my name so when I walk in to pick up my on-line order they greet me by name and then quickly retrieve my order before I even have to ask for it! Wonderful location! And the food is excellent too!“

“A simple good little place to get a quick bite. Had a bean, cheese, potato and egg burrito that was enormous for less than 10 dollars! Didn't eat anything the rest of the day, didn't need to. The salsas were tasty. Very good deal. Can't beat it.“