THE FOODIST / OAXACAN COOKING IN NORTH PARK

SWEET. Churros & French Toast--all day, includes churros, banana, berries, carmel sauce, dulce de leche ice cream. $17.95.

There’s no shortage of Mexican restaurants in San Diego's North Park. But walk into Cocina De Barrio, and you’ll know this one isn’t built for tourists or tequila shots. 

It’s built for people who understand that mole isn’t a sauce—it’s a state of mind. 

Inside a mid-century storefront that once belonged to Saiko Sushi, Cocina De Barrio opened in the Fall of 2024, reclaiming the 1948 building for something more ambitious. 

North Park is no stranger to new openings, but this one came with a soft launch, a liquor license (a rarity for Mexican joints in the area), and the kind of confidence that doesn’t need neon. 

Chef José J. Flores, along with partner Jaime Osuna, has planted his flag in the soil of Oaxacan cooking—and not the gentrified kind. You won’t find TikTok burritos or lobster enchiladas here. 

What you will find: a tlayuda the size of a hubcap, mole negro that hums with 30 ingredients and no apologies, and enfrijoladas so rich you’ll stop mid-bite and nod to no one in particular.

 If you’ve only ever heard of Oaxaca in passing, the menu is a crash course. The quesillo, a stringy white cheese folded into tortillas, is there. Chapulines may or may not make an appearance, depending on the week. The corn is hand-pressed. The beans are smoked. The flavor is earned. And then there’s the mezcal. 

Let's get back to Cocina De Barrio's liquor license that they use with a flourish. The mezcal selection is deep, regional, and largely unpretentious. No sparkler-studded nonsense—just strong pours and neat flights that pair well with the house’s quieter ambition. 

The space isn’t loud. Art-forward walls, clean lines, no gimmicks. It doesn’t look like a fiesta—it looks like a place that’s going to last.

 Cocina De Barrio is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and works as a late breakfast spot, a lingering lunch, or a mezcal-slicked dinner date. 

It replaced a good sushi bar, sure. But what it offers in return is something the neighborhood didn’t know it needed—a regional Mexican kitchen that respects tradition and still dares to serve it hot. 2884 University Avenue, North Park, San Diego @ Granada Ave.