Tony's Jacal

Whether Tony's Jacal (or Tony's as it is affectionately called by locals) serves some of the best Mexican food in North San Diego county is beside the point. Eating here mysteriously transports you to a time in the past.

Tony's is as much about the story as it is about the food.

Located in barrio La Colonia Eden Gardens in Solana Beach, just north of the Del Mar Fair Grounds and race track, off Stevens Street, in between Via de la Valle and Lomas Santa Fe Drive. You are welcomed to La Colonia Eden Gardens (one of the areas oldest neighborhoods in Solana Beach) by two rustic pilons telling you that you are entering the historic neighborhood where Mexican migrant workers settled in the 1920s to work the farms of their wealthy neighbors in Rancho Santa Fe. The side streets of La Colonia are named after the families who settled there like Castro, Hernandez, and Gonzalez.

Tony and Catalina Gonzalez opened Tony's Jacal in 1946, after World War II. There's a wall of portraits opposite the cashier illustrating generations of Gonzalezes, telling a story of family pride, while also showing how the close knit clan has worked together to keep the family business thriving, even though the Tony and Catalina are gone.

The ambiance at Tony's is a combination of Mexican nationalism and race track tributary, throwing in some historical elements about the hey days of Solana Beach tying the two together. It makes you imagine what it must have been like when Tony and Catalina were still around and the place was humming with betters, racing forms in hand, before heading off to the track liquored up on Mexican beer and tequila on a hot July afternoon. Because the family has kept things pretty much the same, your imagination doesn't have to work too hard. Tony's is still a pre-race track favorite spot.  

Tip: Don't miss the parakeets! The cages of birds twittering surrounding the bar add to the campy, tropical feel.

While Chili Rellenos are a house favorite, the turkey tacos are another very popular dish. Turkey is an available option in almost everything from tacos to tamales. Most platos (plates) and platillos (little plates) are prepared in the traditional manner served with traditional refried beans, rice, and tangy Mexican cabbage salad.

Menudo is on the menu everyday with a sauce so rich that it's more like a stew rather than a soup. With a side of Fresh tortillas, which are a key ingredient to any Mexican cooking (and Tony's tortillas taste like they've just come off the comal), and you've got the perfect Mexican meal to eat in a charming nostalgic  setting. An ice cold beer is the perfect compliment.

There are other Mexican restaurants on Valley Avenue that might say they serve better Mexican food, but in terms of atmosphere, historical significance, and family pride, no one can beat Tony's.
 
Tony's Jacal
621 Valley Ave.
Solana Beach, CA
858-755-2274
Closed Tuesdays
Open daily during racing season