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Tom Arnold's Old Places: Las Cuatro Milpas
A magical, mystical burst of flavor
The idea of writing about old places in San Diego County has been something I’ve been mulling around for years – but I kept putting it off because coming up with the parameters was a lot harder than I imagined. In the end, I decided to focus on businesses and restaurants that have been in the same place, with the same name and line of business, for at least 50 years.
This storefront diner was opened in the early years of the Great Depression by Petra and Natividad Estudillo, and has hardly changed in the 92 years since. The very basic menu of tacos, tamales and burritos belies some sort of magical, mystical burst of flavor that attracts throngs of people virtually every morning and lunch hour. I’m one of them: almost every time I find myself visiting Downtown for one reason or another, I head to the nearby Barrio, grab a tamale – served in a bowl with rice and beans – and walk two blocks to Chicano Park, where I take a seat in the bleachers and marvel at the murals. The tortillas are still made by hand, on the premises; everything’s fried in pork lard; and transactions are cash only. Saturdays are even more special, as menudo is added to the menu. It’s Saturday morning as I write this…I think it’s time for a break.
Editor's note: Last year, a story went around that this institution might be getting ready to close. Happily, San Diego Magazine put that rumor to rest. In 1988, intrepid Reader scribe Jeannette DeWyze included the place on a list of unusual spots for tourists to visit. Amazingly, Ed Bedford didn't take his Tin Fork there until 2020. And at the risk of repeating himself, Mr. Arnold included it in his recent Taxonomy of Tacos.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Tom Arnold's Old Places: Las Cuatro Milpas
A magical, mystical burst of flavor
Tom Arnold's Old Places: Las Cuatro Milpas
A magical, mystical burst of flavor
The idea of writing about old places in San Diego County has been something I’ve been mulling around for years – but I kept putting it off because coming up with the parameters was a lot harder than I imagined. In the end, I decided to focus on businesses and restaurants that have been in the same place, with the same name and line of business, for at least 50 years.
This storefront diner was opened in the early years of the Great Depression by Petra and Natividad Estudillo, and has hardly changed in the 92 years since. The very basic menu of tacos, tamales and burritos belies some sort of magical, mystical burst of flavor that attracts throngs of people virtually every morning and lunch hour. I’m one of them: almost every time I find myself visiting Downtown for one reason or another, I head to the nearby Barrio, grab a tamale – served in a bowl with rice and beans – and walk two blocks to Chicano Park, where I take a seat in the bleachers and marvel at the murals. The tortillas are still made by hand, on the premises; everything’s fried in pork lard; and transactions are cash only. Saturdays are even more special, as menudo is added to the menu. It’s Saturday morning as I write this…I think it’s time for a break.
Editor's note: Last year, a story went around that this institution might be getting ready to close. Happily, San Diego Magazine put that rumor to rest. In 1988, intrepid Reader scribe Jeannette DeWyze included the place on a list of unusual spots for tourists to visit. Amazingly, Ed Bedford didn't take his Tin Fork there until 2020. And at the risk of repeating himself, Mr. Arnold included it in his recent Taxonomy of Tacos.