Best restaurants for 11 cuisines in San Diego

America is often described as a melting pot, a place where different cultures have come together over the centuries to form new customs while maintaining the ones their ancestors have long held dear. For many cultures, a major part of their identity is food.

Walk down any main street in the United States and you're likely to see the cuisines of many countries—despite being nowhere near each other on the globe—sitting side by side. You could start in Egypt with some falafel, get a taste of Taiwan with a cup of bubble tea next door, pick up a side of fries at an old-fashioned American diner down the block, and finish it off with sopaipillas from the Mexican restaurant in town.

Of course, we all have our favorite dishes—a juicy cheeseburger from a local pub, a savory bowl of tempura udon at a beloved Japanese restaurant, or some chicken tikka masala from your nearby Indian spot. But maybe you're looking to get out of your comfort zone a little, whether to try a different restaurant that serves your favorite food or to taste a new type of cuisine entirely.

To help point you in the right direction, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the San Diego area using data from Yelp for various cuisines: American, Chinese, Cuban, Greek, Indian/Pakistani, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese. Data is as of July 13, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 50 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of San Diego, were considered.

Read on to find out if your favorite restaurant made the cut and to get inspired for your next dinner out.

Bottle Rocket Bar & Grill

1 / 11

American: Bottle Rocket Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.9/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 805 16th St San Diego, CA 92101
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Fish With You

2 / 11

Chinese: Fish With You

- Rating: 4.8/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3904 Convoy St Ste 101 San Diego, CA 92111
- Categories: Chinese, Seafood, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

Havana Grill

3 / 11

Cuban: Havana Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2018 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5450 Clairemont Mesa Blvd Ste G San Diego, CA 92117
- Categories: Cuban, Caterers, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

Shawarma Shack

4 / 11

Greek: Shawarma Shack

- Rating: 4.8/5 (432 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2015 Garnet Ave Ste 102 San Diego, CA 92109
- Categories: Mediterranean, Greek, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Himalayan Spice & Savor Indian Cuisine

5 / 11

Indian: Himalayan Spice & Savor Indian Cuisine

- Rating: 4.9/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 1768 Garnet Ave San Diego, CA 92109
- Categories: Indian, Himalayan/Nepalese
- Read more on Yelp

Pazzos Italian Ocean Beach

6 / 11

Italian: Pazzos Italian Ocean Beach

- Rating: 5.0/5 (58 reviews)
- Address: 2163 Abbott St San Diego, CA 92107
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Sushi MARU

7 / 11

Japanese: Sushi MARU

- Rating: 4.9/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 1345 Third Ave San Diego, CA 92101
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Sue's Korean Kitchen

8 / 11

Korean: Sue's Korean Kitchen

- Rating: 4.8/5 (369 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6755 Mira Mesa Blvd Ste 109 San Diego, CA 92121
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Cali Craft Tacos

9 / 11

Mexican: Cali Craft Tacos

- Rating: 5.0/5 (97 reviews)
- Address: 2707 Boston Ave San Diego, CA 92113
- Categories: Caterers, Food Delivery Services, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Oishii Thai Japanese Cuisine

10 / 11

Thai: Oishii Thai Japanese Cuisine

- Rating: 4.8/5 (170 reviews)
- Address: 7030 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, CA 92115
- Categories: Thai, Japanese, Sushi Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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Thanh Tinh Chay

11 / 11

Vietnamese: Thanh Tinh Chay

- Rating: 4.9/5 (1280 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4591 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, CA 92115
- Categories: Vietnamese, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 284 metros.