Fred’s Mexican Cafe, also known as Casa de Fred’s, has permanently closed in Old Town San Diego after 25 years of business. The decision, announced on social media and confirmed by a notice posted on the restaurant’s door, marks the end of one of the neighborhood’s most familiar dining institutions.
In their farewell, owners cited rising operational costs and a significant decline in tourism as factors that made it impossible to keep the restaurant open. They also pointed to challenges with city regulations that created unexpected roadblocks during a planned remodel and facelift. Despite hopes that reinvestment would sustain the restaurant’s future, the project was never completed.
Fred’s opened in Old Town in 1999 and quickly became a mainstay for visitors and locals alike, known for its lively patio, oversized margaritas, popular Taco Tuesday, and casual Mexican-American fare. Over the years, the brand expanded to multiple San Diego neighborhoods, including downtown and Pacific Beach, though those locations eventually shuttered. With the closure of the Old Town flagship, Fred’s presence in San Diego is now over, leaving only two sister restaurants operating in Huntington Beach, California, and Kihei, Hawaii…