El Chingon

From all restaurants in the Gaslamp areas I picked to eat here. Me and my husband chose to eat outdoor dining because we could hear the music from outside already so it would be too loud for us to be eating in indoor dining plus the weather was not that bad at the time. Sergio was our waiter and he was really helpful and friendly. The food that we got was good. I got myself a “la típica torta” and the size of the sandwich was little too big for me I wish I knew I would’ve order something else with smaller portions. My husband he had birria taco. Overall everything was good.

Having visited from Hawaii, we definitely wanted our fill on Mexican food. Is this authentic? I dont know, but it was good and plentiful. Located in the heart of the Gaslamp district, it's lined up with eateries galore surrounding it. However, the food as we passed by looked outstanding. And it was. The energy was contagious, they have a DJ inside if you dine in. We dined outside and as it was Labor Day weekend, pumped with people all over. Having checked in on Yelp, we received a free ceviche!! It was packed, flavorful and delicious. Thanks Yelp for allowing us a free item to try! My friend and I both got enchiladas. I got cheese, she got chicken. The rice that came with the plate was just ok and I'm not huge on beans so left them behind. I also ordered a veggie taco. Ok that I could have done without. It was i believe deep fried (the tortilla) but chewy when i got it. Bleh. Plus the amount of chips w salsa, the free Yelp ceviche and our entrees was more than enough that we could not finish. By the time we were leaving, there was a carded line forming. Maybe with the DJ, it becomes a dance party too. lol. My high score is for service, atmosphere and amount of food. Again, the ceviche wAs bomb and enchiladas filling. If you don't like loud and fun, this is not a place for you. If in the area again, I would definitely return.

We actually were trying to go to Havana 1920 but they were full so we were seated in El Chignon which are connected to each other. Can order from both menus. In addition to cuban sandwich and empanadas we got carna asada street tacos. Very good and fresh. Excellent chips too and salsa verde is awesome. Excellent Mexican. Watch out for the bill though. They pass on the credit card surcharge to the customer!! Can't give them top rating for this reason. Tell the customer BEFORE you run their card El Chingon! See pic.