Karina's Cantina Gaslamp

Had a great experience at Karina's downtown San Diego. We sat at the bar for a couple of cocktails — the drinks were amazing and the service was super friendly. The Spanish reggaeton music gave the place a fun, energetic vibe. Definitely recommend if you're looking for good drinks and a lively atmosphere!

I came to Karina’s Cantina for dinner with a group and really enjoyed their drink menu. Great flavors, though they go a little heavy on the chamoy rim. The food, however, wasn’t the highlight. My salmon was dry, the calamari wasn’t my favorite, and my friends’ steak was overcooked. That said, the ceviche was solid, and the drinks were great. I’d probably come back for drinks and appetizers or try more of their Mexican dishes to see if that’s where they really shine. The abuelita chocolate mousse cake was really good too!

I just had a delicious Michelada and some tacos at Karina‘s Cantina in the gaslamp district of San Diego! Delicious!! They have excellent Mexican food, a really fun atmosphere, and check out the rim job on these Micheladas!!! #FoodieSanDiego

Marcella was incredibly attentive, friendly, and helpful—as always—when we dined at the bar. She’s truly a joy to be around and offered excellent suggestions for both food and drinks. We had the marlin fish tacos, and they were really good! Thank you for the outstanding hospitality—can’t wait to come back again!

Awesome ambiance made up of the restaurant's decor, lighting and music. All of the staff were friendly and helpful and the food was amazing.

This was our first time coming to Karina’s Cantina Gaslamp. My husband and I were looking for a place to eat and have some cocktails. We had a wonderful experience. The food was delicious and had great flavors. We enjoyed the atmosphere and vibe. We also got to see someone celebrating their birthday and they had live music. When we are back in San Diego, we will definitely come back.

Amazing place. Great vibe and specials. Tom is one of the best bartenders in town. Do yourself a favor and swing by. 👍

The Karina's guacamole (not the tableside one) was amazing and delicious! Better than the fish tacos, which were good and fresh. Was in town for business and was dining solo. It was great for that because I got a table across from the bar and got to watch music videos and sports the whole time. The place is beautiful and comfortable, but a bit expensive. I would go back.

Karina's Cantina is a great spot if you are in the mood for some amazing Mexican food in downtown San Diego! It has a spacious inside and outside and a great menu with a ton of options. We got chips and salsa to start which was delicious. For my entree I ordered a Pescado Burrito with the fish beer battered. After the first bite, I knew this burrito was going to be incredible and it was! The guacamole and sauces within really complemented the fish fantastically. The shell was also extremely fresh and tasted homemade. I would 100% come back and order the exact same burrito that's how much I enjoyed it. If you are in the area I can't it recommend enough

We stumbled upon Karina's Cantina while walking around town for my bachelorette party, and the music immediately drew us in. Despite it being a busy Friday night with no reservation, we were seated right away, which was impressive. However, after sitting at our table for about 10 minutes without being greeted, I asked a busser nearby if someone could help us. A server came shortly after that, and since we already knew what we wanted, we quickly placed our order. We got margaritas for the table, along with chips and salsa, both of which were delicious. As the only vegan in the group, I asked if the rice had chicken broth (it did) and if the beans contained lard (they did). I ended up ordering vegan tacos, which were tasty but quite small for $15. Overall, Karina's is a great spot for drinks and a lively vibe, but there aren't many plant-based options. I'd definitely come back for the drinks and atmosphere, but not so much for the food.

Opening hours: Sunday 8am-11:30pm Sunday Brunch 8am-1pm Monday- Wednesday 12pm-11:30pm *Kitchen closes 10:45pm Thursday-Saturday 12pm-2am *Kitchen closes 11: 45pm Live Music Friday, DJ Daily Happy Hour All Day Monday and 3pm-6pm Tuesday-Sunday Parking Validation Horton Plaza Parking Lot (4th & F St entrance) $12 for 3 hours I copied and pasted this from your website... We came on Thursday night for dinner for 2 around 9 PM or 930 and we were told the kitchen was closed... We also were expecting some dancing and just hang around the place and eat and drink because it says open till 2 AM... This was also incorrect... The link for open table allows you to make a reservation until 11 PM as well. I just wanted to bring this to your attention other than that, the staff was great and we were able to at least make the last call for drinks and the tequila Shots were good!

We loved Karina's! It was such a fun experience, great music and DJ, amazing ambiance I was ready to dance! Such a fun restaurant I would definitely go back to. We also loved the Lonja de Pargo, very delicious.

Delicious ceviche but this establishment is the epitome of a disaster. We got here and told them that we had 11 people in our group, and that we wanted bottle service. Over the course of two hours, we were offered a family discount, told we couldn't get a family discount, told we needed to buy two bottles because of our party size even though the bar was empty, told we could buy one bottle if we stood at the table top, told we could buy Don Julio, and then they eventually brought out Herradura. The servers weren't very nice and the experience was distasteful.

All I can say is Wow! (Barrio Logan location) We were greeted with a smile and seated immediately. The ambiance let's you know that you are getting the best seafood possible. Fishing nets as decor tucked above the multitude of seafood for sale in freezers for clientele. I had the pescado tostada, lobster taco and fish taco. The pescado reminded me of the cevixhe I had in Peru! The tacos were by far the best I have had in a long time in San Diego. The prices are more than fair and there was even parking available (small lot). I will definitely be back and I suggest you get here immediately! Side note, I had a bite of my friend's poke and it rivals all the poke I had in Hawaii. It was juicy and had a beautiful kick to it.

Service was great, got there around 10pm on a Friday night. We ordered food & got served right away, got drinks served right away. The DJ was playing great music. Our bartender was soo nice!! Will be coming back again with my girls

I'm late with this review.. but went here for brunch a birthday brunch a couple of weeks ago. Honestly I don't know why so many mediocre reviews. Our experience was great! Service was awesome. The vibe was cool. They played music and had videos playing. We were enjoying ourselves. I ordered the garlic shrimp and it was honestly the best I ever tasted! The sauce was so good that I ordered extra to take home. The table side guacamole was also super good and I don't even like guacamole! I definitely recommend this place for a weekend brunch.

We went here for new years eve early dinner and it was delicious. Walking in I wasn't sure how things would come out, but everything was pretty awesome. Our hotel was right next door so...definitely a place worth checking out.

1. The only saving grace was the bar area. 2. Food was okay. Mediocre at best. 3. My friends and I (group of 4 girls) initially got seated at a table and were ignored for 15 minutes. The table of GUYS who were seated AFTER us were taken cared of before we were. I had asked the waitress if anyone was going to help us or take our order, she acted like she went to go check and thats when she went and took the order of the GUYS after us. Clearly she was only interested in them... we got up and walked over to the bar. I let the bar manager know. (Friday, 2/23 around 7pm) 4. At the bar, they immediately tended to us! I would not recommend coming here unless you are a guy! Clearly that waitress was only interested in serving them. I wonder why.

TL;DR We were sat, and didn't receive any acknowledgment or service (not even water) for 15 minutes and left. And no one cared. I was very excited to come here and enjoy the happy hour and food. The place has a gorgeous aesthetic and vibe. It took a minute to be sat but once we were, we settled in and viewed the menu. On Mondays, happy hour is all day. Great selection. It smelled so good inside and we couldn't wait to order. We waited, tried to make eye contact with several people to get someone's attention. No one came over to get a drink order or anything. We weren't sure who was the assigned server. It had been at least 15 mins. The amount of disregard was disappointing so we left and went elsewhere. If I'm ever in the area and think about going back, I'm hoping the customer service will be better. Was so excited to try the things but alas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

We stopped into Karina's in the Gaslamp for a Happy Hour recently and really enjoyed it. The bartender/server was fantastic and the drinks and appetizers were delicious. We tried the Bacon Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp and the Camarones Enchilados for the apps. While the shrimp were our favorite of the two it was a close competition. The cucumber martini was pretty good and the beer was refreshing. Atmosphere inside was festive with great music playing. Next time maybe we will go for a full meal.

Highly recommend checking this place out if in the gas lamp area and craving some seafood/mexican food. My bf and I both tried some of their tacos and we thought they were so good. All full of flavor and a good portion for each taco. We both decided to get sides of rice and beans and they did not disappoint. Price range was good. We both felt like 2 tacos each was enough, especially for a late night dinner. Decor inside is very nice. We went on a Friday night and they had DJ but it stopped playing at 10pm, not sure if it picks back up later. Our server was attentive. They weren't super busy so it made for a nice dinner date.

The atmosphere was amazing. The service was terrible. Last night, June 10, 2024 my husband and son and I arrived at around 4:30 p.m. There was 1 other table seated, it was slow. Our server was nice, but she was slow to take our order, slow to get our drinks, and would disappear. My husband and son ordered chicken taquitos. They told her twice chicken, not seafood. 25 minutes later (which seems like a long time to me), she finally brings the taquitos out. My husband took a bite and discovered they were seafood taquitos. Same for my son. We sat there waiting to see our waitress to ask for chicken taquitos. There were only 3 tables with people at this point, so the restaurant was still pretty empty. She was gone for so long that my husband had to flag down a young male employee to ask for help. After a while, she comes back, and my husband tells the waitress about the issue and requests chicken taquitos. She was apologetic and said she would get the order in. 20 minutes later, she walks up to the table and says that they are out of chicken. Well, that would have been nice to know from the get-go. We wasted all of that time because of the lack of communication and terrible service. We paid $36 for a salad for me and 1 beer and a waste of time. Such a bummer because the restaurant atmosphere is so neat.

It was wonderful! We were only in town for four days and ate there twice. The tamarind martini and ceviche

came here today for cinco de mayo and had a great time! we ordered the margarita flight and the flair was a welcomed surprise .. highly recommend ordering the pescado ceviche as a shared plate. the steak/shrimp/chicken fajitas were delicious .. we also ordered the camarones en salsa and chicken verde enchiladas. all portions are generous and will fill you up! Sunday afternoons are a great time but the place will get busy as the day progresses .. sat in back booth area which was spacious, comfortable with great view into the bar area with big screen tv's.

Went in for a cocktail with some friends last night our bartender Barbara was nothing short of amazing. She recommended the mezcal passion. It did not disappoint. She was such a sweet bartender we all really enjoyed our experience because of her. P.S. her dance moves were a 10/10 haha. Will definitely be back.

This place is cool, trendy with great upbeat Latin music, a nice ambiance with high quality fresh seafood dishes like a variety ceviche, shrimp aguachile, and the famous pescado frita which is huge, yummy and fresh. I highly recommend this place and will go back again and again!

Outstanding! Get the bacon wrapped shrimp & the mercado salad. Drinks are fantastic. Sit @ the bar. Tom is the best!

Fantastic interior, great happy hour and friendly, kind service. The lobster and fish tacos were delicious & Monica was so nice! A lovely spot.

Came here for dinner and drinks before a concert at Petco. Extremely impressed by the micheladas, extremely disappointed by the service. As a party of two, we ordered the $70 surf and turf plate along with a $30 carnitas plate and several expensive drinks. We didn't receive the tortillas that were supposed to come with both meals or any water refills until we got up and tracked down our server. She only came back to ask if we were ready for the check when we still had plates full of food and full drinks. She asked again if we wanted the check when we were going to order more drinks. It was not busy when we went since it was an off time between lunch and dinner. The food was alright but very overpriced especially when considering the level of service.

Not your typical Karina's Cantina. Super high end, progressive and entertaining restaurant with a huge bar and big screen TVs. Great selection of food and they were happy to accommodate my inkling for fried oysters. We also ordered the three ceviche appetizer that was tasty and huge. Amazing seafood with fresh fish and shrimp Couldn't finish it all. Waitresses weren't as friendly as I would have hoped and seemed too busy trying to look good than service customers. Worth a visit in the Gaslamp if you have an inkling for higher end Mexican food. Love the chips and salsa.

Delicious food to bad service is horrible. Silver wear was not provided for us. We received our food and waited 10 minutes for silver wear to be provided for us. The second person we asked for silver wear showed us a plate of used silver wear from a table that was getting picked up and asked us "do you want this ones". I found this extremely rude as we were waiting for a while to eat.

My go to place to eat when I find myself in downtown San Diego. You have to know when to go because if you're caught in a rush you'll definitely have to wait. The waiters have always been nice and kind although they don't always have the best service. My go to order is Ceviche Karinas, a michelada with Modelo Negra and recently tried the Camarones Enchilados. Price to serving ratio is fair for the plates I've chosen countless times. The ceviche in my opinion is the best item in the menu. It's very citrusy and has a tangy taste with a small hint of spice. The tostadas they provide are so crunchy which compliments the ceviche. I'd like to add that the ceviche plate is place on top of a bowl filled with ice making sure your ceviche never reaches room temp, I love that. The micheladas are so good which compliment the ceviche as well. The camarones enchilados were unexpectedly delicious with a sweet and spicy taste (kinda reminding me of orange chicken)! It's always a great time here and the vibes are always right whenever I visit.

While staying in San Diego we stopped in here for lunch, as we had seen this restaurant on a food channel and it looked like it was worth trying. We arrived and since it was a beautiful day, we sat outside and our server was Grace. She was helpful and very pleasant; in fact, all the server/staff were pleasant, and beautiful too (Interesting - we watched the manager interviewing for new servers while there and they all looked like models). Their menu is loaded with lots of great options and a nice amount of ceviche, so we opted for their house ceviche and it was outstanding! We planned on getting it as a starter and then moving on to tacos, but this appetizer was HUGE, enough for 4 - 6 people. Made with fresh avocados, shrimp, peppers, and cucumbers, it smelled, looked, and tasted great! Unfortunately, we were rather full after eating that and noshing on their amazing chips and salsa, so we cashed out, as we didn't want to ruin our appetites for dinner later on. Highly recommend stopping in... They also have a huge bar and a nice tequila list and lots of great cocktails.

The service was good and the drinks were good (a solid amount of alcohol). The restaurant was clean and our server was efficient though not terribly polite. It was the middle of the day on a Monday. I loved the decor and overall ambiance. It was a fun place to take our East coast friends. We all thought the food was good but not great.

Been here twice and the food is really good, our favorite is the aguachiles, grilled squid, and carne asada plate. Definitely would be coming back again. Servers are nice, they do get busy on a Saturday night so if you have a big group highly recommend to make reservations. It is located in gaslamp so parking may be difficult, there are parking lots blocks away & cost $15. But you're steps away from bars, great spot for a date night.

Karina's fits the vibe in the heart of downtown and is a go to on a night out! I've gone to other Karina's locations in SD and the Gaslamp location is my favorite and the most lively in my opinion. During busier weekends they may give you a time limit. We had our table for only 90 minutes max but it was good timing for us. We love complimentary chips and salsa and the drink flights came with a fun sparkler! I really wanted some food so I just got taquitos. It came on a bed of shredded lettuce, guac, and some sweet sauce was drizzled on top. I wasn't a fan of the sauce so I would omit that next time. They were cut in half so the portion size of the plate would probably equal 3 taquitos total. I'd recommend any of their seafood specialties like ceviche! The service was really efficient and I had a fun experience here!

Food was excellent! Service was great. The portions were massive definitely worth checking out!!!

This place is a must for happy hour and upscale Mexican food. The atmosphere is upscale, full bar, and turns out a great selection of delicious dishes. The waitress was beyond helpful and knowledgeable of the menu.

Food was great, service was awesome, and the photographer named Leo took some awesome pictures of us and framed them for a great price. One is free! Would recommend having him take pictures of you and your loved ones. I loved ours.

Bomb af.. I'll be coming back soon. Great bartender and absolute babes in this joint. Pescado Ceviche was good but the bacon wrapped shrimp taco was made for the gods

Let me start this with 5/5 Stars hands down! Everyone | Everything is exceptional at this Karina's. Obviously this isn't the first Karina's we've been too and it certainly won't be the last. We'll be back for the Ambiance - the decorations alone make this a must visit location. You know you eat with your eyes first. And I was almost satisfied until I tried the green ceviche and ohhhhhhhhh myyyyyyyyy goodness (go there immediately) Thank you for a feast of epic proportions.

Dined at Karina's Cantina for the first time a few weeks ago and was impressed with the food and service. We were a party of three and came in on a very busy Saturday night for the Gaslamp District as a whole. Karina's Cantina was the first place we stopped that didn't have a line out the door or a wait time. We were hungry and tired and just needed a place to sit and eat after a long day. Karina's Cantina gave us more than that. Definitely a pleasant surprise for us. As noted, Karina's Cantina is located in the Gaslamp District in San Diego. I imagine parking can be a challenge since it seems that street parking is the best option. Upon walking up to the hostess stand outside the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by the staff. Before entering the restaurant, we were IDed to verify we were 21+, and the men in our group were checked by security. The experience was a little over-the-top for dining in at a restaurant, but I appreciate the extra safety precaution. Once inside the restaurant, the lights were basically off and the room was being illuminated by party/dance lights. The room was thumping with party music, though it didn't seem like there was an area to dance. Just a bunch of diners trying to talk over the bass. Service was attentive from the second we sat down. Our waitress was quick with requests and checked in with us frequently. The kitchen staff was efficient with pumping out orders quickly as the restaurant steadily got more busy as the evening progressed. The food was delicious. We ordered several items to share. Our order consisted of the - Queso Fundido - Calamar Frito - Surf & Turf Burrito - Carne Asada The food was fresh, plentiful, and delicious. The Surf and Turf burrito had a generous amount of protein and fixings. All proteins were tender. All food was flavorful and packed with tastiness. Karina's Cantina exceeded our expectation of food by far! Don't sleep on Karina's Cantina. It is definitely a more than viable option for elevated Mexican food while in the Gaslamo District. We will definitely visit again when in town.

HAPPY HOUR EATS (3.25 stars) Gaslamp is not a place I frequent but we were aimlessly picking a place to eat (out of hunger) after an event. All other restaurants were packed because of the FanFest event so chose this place because 1) happy hour prices 2) no line. By default. - FOOD: ok - PRICE: happy hour - SERVICE: good - AMBIANCE: chill :: HAPPY HOUR FOOD :: CHIPS & SALSA (complimentary) - spicy sauce and chips seemed kind of stale. But it's free so, it is what it is. TRES TAQUITOS ($10) - went with carnitas. Uhm. I thought taquitos were rolled up tacos? Not here. It was mini crunch tacos. Or unrolled taquitos tacos. Carnitas was a good choice, it came with radish, pickled onion, cilantro and guacamole. However.. so did wish they provided limes and some sauce in the side because it was kind of dry and needed a little more something to it. Probably the best of the things I ate here. Honestly, this is probably the best thing listed on their HH menu. RECOMMEND BACON WRAPPED JUMBO SHRIMP ($10) - this would have been better IF it wasn't slathered with hella spicy bbq sauce. There was no description so you would think it's only bacon wrapped shrimp. The sauce ruined it for me. I wish they would leave the sauce on the side and allow the customer to control how much the put on. The shrimp was way over cooked, I get it, that has to be done to get the bacon cooked. Overall, this was Meh. Jumbo Shrimp Ceviche Martini ($10) - this was served with Mexican saltine crackers. I never eat ceviche with saltine crackers?! Used the complimentary chips to eat with the ceviche. The ceviche came in a martini glass and the mix was plentiful and flavorful. RECOMMEND I don't hate the place nor love it. I don't care to come back or not. I feel mediocre about this. Until the next review...

I'm giving it a 4 for the drinks, which is all I had, and the service. Also, good music with the Dj. The bartenders are attentive and I appreciated their friendliness.

The bomb. If your looking for fantastic ceviche and street tacos in this are give Karina's a try. Nice patio area as well to take in the weather. Service was outstanding.

The decor is beautiful. The food, however, is very mediocre to put it nicely. The drinks weren't good either. To sum it up: Food: 2/5 for taste Portions: 5/5 Price (happy hour): 5/5 Drinks: 3/5 Would not return unfortunately.

When in San Diego it's only right you walk around gas lamp and just figure it all out. We stumbled across Karinas on a beautiful Sunday. I mean come on the outside of the place was gorgeous! We went inside and it was like I was transported to Mexico. The bar was phenomenal and so was happy hour! The tamarindo martini was so delicious I made it a thing to drink at least 3 before we left... yes they're that good. The food was 10/10 and I was so surprised at how yummy the carnitas were. We ordered all this and walked out with a $65 bill 100% would recommend The place was clean and so where the bathrooms and that's so important to me.

I stopped by Karina's for Irish4ADay bar/club hop! We had got free tequila shots with our pass, the bartender was super sweet! Loved the vibes and music I would definitely come back again.

Service was great. Food was amazing. Did have a margarita and wish I was a little more tequila in it. Great location would highly recommend.

So happy I found this place when I was visiting for a conference . With so many places to choose from it can be a bit overwhelming, but this place ---both food and service---did not disappoint . I chose the seafood enchiladas ---creamy and smooth and delicious crab and shrimp ---with side of rice (so good) and beans just how I like them ---smooth and rich. I had a spicy melon margarita that I would certainly recommend ---it's spicy just only order if you like jalapeño. Atmosphere was bright and a little quirky and fun! Salsa wasn't my favorite but salsas vary with region so just wasn't my fav ---too tomatoe-y for me. But I loved everything else !

Ceviche trio was the highlight! Big portion, great flavors. Thought I had ordered the surf & turf tacos but received the steak tacos instead. They were pretty plain and bland. Not sure if there was miscommunication while ordering since it was rung up at steak tacos. In general, service was underwhelming.

Came here with some friends for a birthday weekend and it was cool. The server was nice and there were some hiccups with my groups orders but nothing that wasn't corrected immediately. Drinks 10/10 food 8/10.

We read reviews regarding the not so good service. They were right. Even though our server was nice, we had to ask for a couple of items twice. Chips and salsa didn't come out until literally a minute before our food. The ambiance was great. Me and two of my friends ordered three different combinations of the fajitas. I got the steak and shrimp and they were delicious. I just wished I had a few more shrimp added in. The flavor was really good and the char on the onions and peppers made it taste even better. Between my other friends getting steak and chicken, they loved theirs too. The sides, simple refried beans and rice were served lukewarm to cold. We don't know if the plates had been sitting waiting for the fajitas or if the warmers didn't work. The rice in my plate, which was also cool to the touch looked more like white fried rice with a couple of peas in it, not really to my liking. Could have asked to have asked for beans and rice to be warmed up, but didn't know how long it would take so I just added some beans to my fajitas. I would go again bur see if I could get the fajitas al acarte.

Mario is simply the best this was the best experience ever thank you again Mario you are amazing food is really good try the ceviche

We came here Saturday night for dinner and some drinks. The wait was about 45 minutes which was understandable being a busy Saturday night in the Gaslamp. The drinks were really good. I had the cucumber jalapeño margarita and a michelada, both were great. The cons were the service and food. My gf and her dad got the grilled lobster which for $42 was not worth it. The lobster tails were tiny and a bit dry without drowning it in butter. The shrimp plate that I had was good but again small portion size. It only came with a small amount of rice and some salad on the side. Finally, the service wasn't great. It took the wait staff 3 reminders to bring tortillas and our server disappeared for 15-20 minutes. Maybe she was on break but still, another server to check up on our table would've been appreciated.

WOW, out of all the tacos in Gaslamp this really outshines the other spots. Stellar service and just an incredible taco. Bacon wrapped shrimp best salsa in recent memory!

Amazing food, service was great , Sonia and Tom were amazing and we also got some great photography from Leo on the way out. What a great retirement party for our loving coworker. Will be back soon!