Named Chula Vista, Spanish for beautiful view, this city on the extreme southern tip of California is one of the largest in all of Southern California. With a blossoming population that is pushing 250,000 residents, Chula Vista has quietly become a fully fledged city located smack dab in between downtown San Diego and the Mexican border. Due to its beautiful Southern California weather and an ever expanding entertainment industry, Chula Vista is starting to become a major tourist destination season-wide. Attractions in the city include Knott's Soak City USA, a seasonal water park, the Chula Vista Nature Center, and the proximity of local beaches. Chula Vista carries a growing sports legacy with it as the city's Little League correspondent won the Little League World Series in 2009. In addition, the city is home to one of the nation's only year-round US Olympic Training Centers. With all of these attractions, both man-made and natural, it is easy to see why Chula Vista has seen such a spike in growth over the past 50 years.

Chula Vista Restaurants
Given its close proximity to the Mexican border, Chula Vista restaurants draw a strong inspiration from Mexican culture and cuisine. Out of any city in the United States, there may be no better or more authentic set of Mexican restaurants than the ones you'll find in Chula Vista restaurants. Many of these Chula Vista restaurants showcase the skills and expertise garnered by longtime residents of Mexico who have come to the States to share their cooking prowess. However, not all Chula Vista restaurants are about Mexican food. You'll find any type of cuisine you could possibly desire in Chula Vista restaurants, giving more and more credo to Chula Vista's growing claim on independent city status.

American Restaurants in Chula Vista
Manna Restaurant – A highly unique restaurant that advertises both a hearty American breakfast and authentic Chinese food, Manna shines through as one of the best breakfast spots of Chula Vista restaurants. Manna offers incredible deals, breaming with both flavor and value. For under $4, one can consume 2 eggs, 2 pancakes, and a good portion of sausage or bacon, a truly extraordinary value.
Big Daddy's Restaurant – Big Daddy's features an extensive menu of American-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals with a little hint of Mexican food mixed in for good measure. Big Daddy's lives up to its name with its enormous serving sizes, large enough to satisfy any sized hunger. For a delicious and filling American meal served in a comfy, casual atmosphere, Big Daddy's is the place to go.
Souplantation – A chain restaurant that does everything in a family run restaurant style, Souplantation offers customers hearty helpings of delicious and nutritious salads, soups, pastas, and baked goods. Everything at Souplantation is in constant rotation, with menu items changing for the seasons. Every Sunday morning Souplantation serves a smorgasbord of delectable breakfast items during its weekly brunch buffet.

Italian Restaurants in Chula Vista
Italy Express – Everything you could ask for in an Italian restaurant is provided at Italy Express: delicious and creative entrees, whopping portions, fair prices, and an attentive staff. Italy Express is a great destination for a lunch meeting, with its numerous lunch specials and combos. With its combination of all the essential ingredients needed to perfect a high-quality Italian restaurant, Italy Express has become one of the best Chula Vista restaurants.
Napa Pizza, Wine Culture & Cuisine – Napa Pizza, voted best pizza in Chula Vista, is San Diego's only authentic brick oven pizza. Napa cooks up their pizzas East Coast style, bringing the taste, cuisine, and culture of the Eastern seaboard to Chula Vista. Napa does it all: whether you want a party catered or come in for lunch to enjoy one of their plentiful lunch specials, Napa has you covered with exquisite food.
Mangia Italiano on Third – Located in the heart of vibrant downtown Chula Vista, Mangia on Third offers customers an authentic taste of Cosenza Italy. Everyone at Mangia on Third, from the owners to the chefs to the wait staff, believe in the long-standing Italian tradition of celebrating great times and good friends over a wonderful meal. It is this shared belief that raises the food and ambience experienced at Magia on Third to the next level.

Mexican Restaurants in Chula Vista
Pescados y Mariscos Hector's – Back in 2000, just a year after opening its doors to the world, Pescados y Mariscos Hector's received an on-air review from a local television station that sung its praises. The reviewer was delighted by the immensity of the choices provided by Hector's, especially the seafood and exotic sauce combinations. With Hector's flair for the maritime cuisine, along with other traditional Mexican favorites, this fine establishment has earned its place among great Chula Vista restaurants.
Mariscos y Birria Los Tokados – Known throughout the city for its fantastic tastes and enormous servings, Mariscos y Birria Los Tokados is a wholly authentic hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Chula Vista's Otay District. As one could assume by its name, this restaurant specializes in birria, a deliciously spiced piece of goat meat. As authentic as it gets, knowing your way around Spanish will help you greatly in your trip to Los Tokados.
Mariscos Mazatlan Seafood – Nominated for best Mexican food in all the San Diego vicinity by a local TV station, Mariscos Mazatlan has garnered a loyal local following. Being a “Mariscos” restaurant, this gem specializes in Mexican seafoods, such as oysters, scallops, shrimp, octopus, and a variety of fish fillets. Enjoy their food with an ice cold Mexican beer and you'll soon find out why this place is so popular.

Japanese Restaurants in Chula Vista
Kanpai – A traditional izakaya restaurant, Kanpai has been serving the same great authentic Japanese cuisine for the past 18 years. Kanpai offers an extensive list of offerings such as robatayaki, appetizers, sushi,  and bento boxes while specializing chanpon, a noodle dish that includes options of 4 succulent types of ramen noodles. One of the top Chula Vista restaurants, Kanpai will make you feel right at home, while eating food from half the globe away.
Gunco Ramen – Gunco Ramen serves some of the most deliciously spicy ramen dishes in all the San Diego area. Take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the this uniquely authentic restaurant as you slurp down some of the region's most delectable ramen. Having built quite the loyal following for itself, it would be advised to arrive here early to avoid what sometimes can be a sizable dinner rush.
Hogetsu Bakery – Hogetsu Bakery is an authentic Japanese-style bakery hidden away in a crowded strip mall. The delicacies served here are prepared with the utmost precision and care from only the most authentic of recipes. A must try is their mochi, a Japanese rice cake that will make you come back for more time and time again.

Chinese Restaurants in Chula Vista
Mandarin Canton Restaurant – Mandarin Canton Restaurant is a marvelous dine in and take-out Chinese restaurant that has established itself as one of the best Chula Vista restaurants around. Locals rave about their salt and pepper chicken wings that cannot be topped anywhere else. For a quick lunch with friends, a date to catch the Chargers game, or a call-ahead take-out order, Mandarin Canton Restaurant will cater to any occasion.
China China – Serving delicious Chinese food in whopping portions for rock-bottom prices is China China. China China is a great lunch restaurant, with numerous options to choose from for under $6, all including an entree, a small salad, an egg roll, and soup. One of the favorites that locals rave about is their House Special Chicken.