Most “best downtown lunch” lists you’ll pull up are half-dead. SuperGood Kitchen closed per Yelp this February. Ozu Ramen’s old address is now Angkor Chef. Olla Cocina, Iguanas Burritozilla, Slice of Homage, and Vung Tau have all gone dark in the last 12 months per Yelp listings. These six are still open, still fast at the counter, and still worth the money downtown.
1. La Victoria Taqueria (E. San Carlos).
Open daily 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. since 1998 per the official site. Super tacos and the carne asada burrito run under $15. KQED covered the Orange Sauce; Hoodline did a 2022 deep-dive on its cult status.
2. Lee’s Sandwiches (E. Santa Clara, across from City Hall).
The 1983 birthplace of the now-60-plus-location chain per Wikipedia — there’s a sign on the wall. Banh mi $5–8, plus Vietnamese iced coffee and croissants. SJSU students get 10% off per sjdowntown.com…