I've been reading, in such places as USA Today, that there's a lot of online interest in places that serve good food at low prices. I found such a place in the Mission Valley area of San Diego and it's called Sombrero Mexican Food at 8590 Rio San Diego Road. This is one of at least eight locations in the San Diego City area, with more outlets nearby in other southern California jurisdictions from Riverside to Imperial counties.
I happened to fly into San Diego on a very early morning when I'd skipped breakfast and was starving by the time I arrived at the Marriott, Mission Valley (a very nice hotel, by the way, where I've stayed on two occasions). This Sombrero location is northwest from the hotel and only about an extra-long city block away.
As I walked in, this Sombrero appeared to be a mix between a mom-and-pop restaurant and a fast food outlet; it's a bit of both. The posted menu is a simple, basic and minimal one and the staff was fine with serving the food as plain as I like it. I ordered the two beef tamale plate, no cheese, with rice and beans and a large beer - make that root beer. The tab came to all of $7.60. Suffice it to say that the portions were big enough to constitute both lunch and dinner without argument.
I subsequently hiked back to my room at the Marriott to take an afternoon siesta, purring like our cat Munchy. Sombrero reminded me of both a similar restaurant in Reno that's no longer open, the Alamo, and of Emma's Taco House in West Sacramento. The latter has been in operation - depending on whom you believe - since either 1949 or 1951.
On a five taco scale, Sombrero of Mission Valley gets 4.5 for the food and 4.85 for the value. As California's governor might have stated, I'll be back.
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