Family-run for more than nine decades, Las Cuatro Milpas has long been a beloved institution in San Diego’s Barrio Logan neighborhood—a place where tradition and community came together over a simple but unforgettable menu. Opened in 1933 by Petra and Natividad Estudillo, the humble restaurant quickly gained a loyal following thanks to its comforting plates of tacos and burritos with the best homemade tortillas in town. Over the years, not much changed. Las Cuatro Milpas remained stubbornly and charmingly old-school: cash-only, with a menu true to its roots, featuring rich, lard-cooked beans good enough to be a last meal. Lines of hungry patrons have continued to wrap around the block everyday, a testament to the restaurant’s staying power in a fast-changing world.
But now, after 90-plus years of feeding generations, the Estudillo family is preparing to say goodbye. The property is officially for sale, and the tortilla press will soon come to a stop. The current generation is aging, and the next has chosen different paths in life, leaving no one to carry the torch.
Though it may close just shy of its centennial, Las Cuatro Milpas leaves behind a legacy. It was featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles and earned its spot atop pretty much every Best Mexican list in town. This is the end of an era, not only for the family but for San Diego’s entire culinary landscape. The baton—or perhaps the tortilla press—shall be passed.
