Las Cuatro Milpas

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Meaning ‘The Four Cornfields,’ Las Cuatro Milpas is the quintessential hole-in-the-wall serving traditional Mexican eats at dirt cheap prices. The long line is there for a reason. You will need some extra time but not a lot of money to eat here.

Modern times

Petra and Natividad Estudillo opened Las Cuatro Milpas in 1933 and it is now run by a third generation of owners. This is In-N-Out done Mexican style, serving only a few basic food items without a lot of extras. The small, old-school menu is still posted on a changeable letter board.

I remember a time when the inside of Las Cuatro Milpas screamed sketchy and outhouse bathroom chic. The large dining rooms have since been upgraded to look less like a bomb shelter and more like a place where you won’t be shot while eating your lunch.

These days, there aren’t as many pigeons hobbling around indoors where the tortillas are made and they’ve upgraded with fresh paint. The blue rain-tarp covers on the picnic-style tables are gone. The bars on the windows are still there, but the evolving gentrification of Barrio Logan makes it an up-and-coming area these days. I miss the character of the old neighborhood.

Simple food

Here, one (or several) of the perfect tacos can be ordered with chicken or pork. The hand-made corn tortillas are deep-fried to order, making these something like dorados-style tacos that give off a chewy, crispy texture with each bite. The lady helping you will drop your taco shells into a big steel vat behind the counter, bubbling furiously and filled with enough lard to harden your arteries while you watch.

The plump pork tamales can be served in a bowl of fragrant rice and stewed pinto beans if you so choose, a hearty serving that not only holds but improves if you save some of it for leftovers.

An order of shredded pork taquitos (also known as rolled tacos) comes fully smothered in crema, lettuce, and cojita cheese, each filled with meat and twice as large as what you’d find anywhere else. The burritos come with either chicken or pork and are the size of a small country. 

There should be an ode to the genius who devised of the glorious salsa, made by simmering pork fat with chopped chiles and spices in lard. This stuff is not for the faint of heart. One splash on the main dish is tasty; two or more will hurt, but are oh so good. It’s more hearty than spicy or piquant, and it complements the goat cheese used on most orders.

Guilty pleasure

This may not look like the food of the gods, but it is simple, satisfying, and tasty. The price for all of it is just right, too. A visit to Las Cuatro Milpas sets you back about $10, including a dozen flour tortillas, fresh, doughy, and delightfully fatty. Be sure to tip the busy ladies that run the place, easily some of the hardest working and nicest folks around.

And lard may not be what the doctor ordered, but it makes things pretty delicious. Even so, now that I’ve managed to crawl to the ripe old age of 40, I try to have some regard for my health. Despite the delights within, this is one of those ‘guilty pleasure’ places for me and lands squarely as a rare treat in my dining rotation.

Written by Joy

Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.

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