About little bit about us

Jimmy Carter’s is has established itself, not only as a restaurant, but as a place where locals and out-of-towners, friends and business associates, food lovers and fans of authentic Mexican comfort food can eat, drink, relax, and feel welcomed. Hence, customers become friends and keep coming back year after year – for the food, the service, and the people who make up Jimmy Carter’s.

It’s especially difficult to talk about Jimmy Carter’s without talking about Jimmy Carter. This San Diego native and former-print-shop-owner-turned-restaurateur has a personality that is as welcoming, authentic and eclectic as his menu. Come by on any given day and you’re likely to see Jimmy in his Hawaiian shirt, greeting customers, sharing his latest wine find, discussing a crossword clue, or reinventing some aspect of the place like only Jimmy can.

A fourth-generation San Diegan, born and raised in historic Hillcrest, Jimmy’s roots in San Diego are deep, feeding into his passion for giving back to the community. From his long-time loyalty to local vendors, to sponsoring local organizations to helping several employees further their education, Jimmy has woven his restaurant into the community fabric over the last 18 years.
The story-book opened in 1991, when Jimmy’s love of food, wine and cooking inspired him to open Jimmy Carter’s Café, offering an eclectic menu including popular American breakfast items and great burgers. After many successful years with the restaurant, it would seem Jimmy had achieved the dream. But those who know Jimmy soon realised that there was still more he wanted to accomplish, and this time it would involve Mexican food. His appreciation for “real” Mexican food began many years earlier when Jimmy worked at Ramona’s Restaurant and Kitchen in Old Town. Along with this Jimmy soon realised that a good tamal was hard to find in San Diego, and he often searched for red enchilada sauce as good as he’d tasted at the Old Town Tamale Factory, plus he lamented at not being able to find Menudo like Bea’s Rancho Chico served. All this served to formulate Jimmy’s dream: to offer that caliber of Mexican food in one comfortable place at a reasonable price, and see people returning regularly to assuage their cravings for good food. This brought about the opening of Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Restaurant on Washington Street. It was so successful that Jimmy eventually moved it, along with the menu, to the Fifth Avenue location, replacing most of the old menu, but retaining the ever-popular traditional American breakfasts and Jimmy Burgers.

As she helps Jimmy fulfill his dream, in addition to the tamals, menudo and enchilada sauce, talented chef Dulce Huicochea has created a range of regional Mexican dishes not often found this side of the border. And she has perfected a repertoire of soups and sauces, some of which have a near-cult following. These authentic dishes, crafted with care, affection and Jimmy’s exacting standards (nothing from a can except the chipotles) set Jimmy Carter’s apart from other Mexican restaurants in San Diego and are beloved by many happy regular customers of Jimmy Carter’s.
So, the story here tells us that Jimmy has finally achieved his dream in Jimmy Carter’s Café. The Mexican menu, larger eating area, full bar (serving a number of local micro-brews) and colorful décor have reinvigorated the place and for Jimmy, and he tells us that running his restaurant is as fun as ever.