Diego opened in West Town in 2023 under chef Stephen Sandoval and Oscar Sotelo, built around Baja-Mediterranean street food paired with a cocktail program steeped in Mexican flavors. The name traces a line through Baja Mexico, San Diego, and Chicago — the geography that shaped the kitchen.
Sandoval grew up in San Diego at the crossroads of Mexican, New Orleans, and Spanish cooking, then traveled through Mexico, Argentina, New Orleans, and Spain to dig further into those roots. Along the way he cooked over open fire at Francis Mallmann's Siete Fuegos in Argentina and spent time working under Rick Bayless and Donald Link.
The cocktail program has built a following of its own alongside the food. The Infatuation scored Diego 8.7 out of 10.
Sandoval grew up in San Diego at the crossroads of Mexican, New Orleans, and Spanish cooking, then traveled through Mexico, Argentina, New Orleans, and Spain to dig further into those roots. Along the way he cooked over open fire at Francis Mallmann's Siete Fuegos in Argentina and spent time working under Rick Bayless and Donald Link.
The cocktail program has built a following of its own alongside the food. The Infatuation scored Diego 8.7 out of 10.