El Rincon Cocina, a family-owned Mexican restaurant specializing in Guadalajara cuisine, is working on a second location in Chula Vista at 651 Palomar St, Suite 23A.
The restaurant recently submitted documents to the San Diego Department of Environmental Health and Quality for the space, which is currently home to Mariscos La Perla Negra. Head chef and owner Silvana Alaniz tells What Now San Diego that there is no exact opening date, as renovations will be needed before the restaurant can open. Alaniz says the new location will closely resemble the original, including the same menu and aesthetic.
Founded by Alaniz and her family in 2017, El Rincon Restaurante opened at 119 W San Ysidro Blvd and has grown through word of mouth. The restaurant’s website describes San Ysidro as its home base and highlights its connection to the surrounding community. The business also donates food to neighbors and features local artwork through a colorful mural.
The menu focuses on dishes associated with Guadalajara, including menudo, chilaquiles, carne en su jugo, and caldo de res. Other offerings include fresh tortillas, house-made salsas, beans, and rice, with much of the menu prepared from scratch. The restaurant also serves customers in both English and Spanish.
El Rincon’s approach is centered on traditional Mexican cooking rather than Americanized versions of the cuisine. The company describes its food as similar to what customers might find in a mother’s or grandmother’s kitchen, reflecting the family’s own culinary background.
Once renovations are complete, the Chula Vista restaurant will carry the same menu and aesthetic as the San Ysidro location. The second site will expand El Rincon’s presence in the South Bay while maintaining the concept Alaniz and her family established nearly a decade ago. The new location will sit near several shopping centers, including Genesis Square, Palomar Square, and Palomar Trolley Center.
