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To understand Barrio Logan, San Diego鈥s oldest Mexican-American neighborhood, you must first understand Chicano Park.

Chicano Park is the heart of Barrio Logan. On April 22, 1970, the neighborhood rallied to stop the construction of a California Highway Patrol station and demanded the area be given to the people. A year later, Chicano Park was formed. Ever since, it's been equal parts protest, history lesson and community space less than four miles from downtown San Diego.

With vibrant murals etched on nearly every concrete surface that makes up the Coronado Bridge above, Chicano Park is home to the largest collection of Chicano murals (over 80) in the world. To this day, the park serves as a haven for local artists.

That artist鈥檚 spirit runs through every inch of the mile-and-a-half stretch of Barrio Logan. The history of the neighborhood, its iconic residents and the fight for social and political justice is archived in bursts of colorful graffiti and paintings imprinted on the sides (and interiors) of buildings, fence paneling, delivery trucks and even concrete garbage receptacles.

Simply put, Barrio Logan is one large living canvas.

Image of a woman wearing traditional Mexican clothing and headdress is etched on a concrete underpass in Chicano Park in San Diego's Barrio Logan.
The art in Chicano Park often tell a story of the Barrio Logan neighborhood and its history 漏 Alicia Johnson / 香港六合彩即时开奖

鈥淚 think art comes from pain and struggle. It鈥檚 a way to express yourself,鈥 says Alexandra Perez Demma, owner of Sim贸n Lim贸n 鈥 a curated retail and creative space in Barrio Logan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for us to tell our stories and our experiences and for the next generations and other people to see that and take from that. It鈥檚 like a history book.鈥

But there鈥檚 more to do than just gawk at the art. There are clothing shops, art galleries, restaurants, bars and jewelry stores to visit.

If you happen to be in town for Dia de la Muertas (Day of the Dead) you鈥檒l spot 鈥嬧flor de cal茅ndula (marigolds) wrapped around trees or in vases on altars erected by business owners and residents throughout the neighborhood.

Here are the best places to eat, drink and shop in San Diego鈥檚 Barrio Logan.

Best places to eat in Barrio Logan

Want tacos? Mexican hot dogs? Burgers? Gelato? Barrio Logan is filled with spots to add a little heft to your gut.

El Carrito

Let鈥檚 begin with a classic. is homestyle Mexican fare. Resembling a traditional cable car from the 1930s, El Carrito can feed you in the mornings (try the Los Rancheros 鈥 a fried tortilla with ranchero sauce, cotija cheese and topped with eggs), or in the afternoon (try the Frida 鈥 creamy chipotle sauce, sour cream and Monterrey jack cheese).

When you want to feel fancy (try Santana鈥檚 鈥 shrimp and carne asada in chipotle sauce, cotija cheese, pico, rice and beans) or when the kids tag along (try Los Gabachitos 鈥 鈥渙ne pancake, sausage, strawberries and eggs).

Closing time is 3pm, so plan accordingly.

Exterior shot of a white-brick building with the words
Hayes Burgers is a no-frills, tasty spot for bugers 漏 Alicia Johnson / 香港六合彩即时开奖

Hayes Burger

Sometimes you just want a burger and fries, and at , that鈥檚 just what you get. Hamburger, cheeseburger or a double cheeseburger with a pile of fries, there鈥檚 really nothing better. This is a no-frills kind of place with outdoor seating to relax on a pleasant San Diego day.

Barrio Dogg

More than a few have made the trip to Barrio Logan just to come face-to-face with one of ultra-popular hot dogs.

There are no wrong choices here, but a few standouts include the El Smokey, a take on Texas BBQ made with 鈥渉ickory and mesquite smoked slow-roasted pulled pork, Tamarindo BBQ, Housemade coleslaw, pickles, crunchy fried red onion and paprika鈥 or El Gallo a 鈥渂reakfast dog鈥 split down the middle and filled with 鈥済rilled onions and melted cheese and topped with a fluffy omelette, sour cream, salsa verde, salsa roja and cotija cheese鈥.

Oh and save room for a side. You can鈥檛 go wrong with a serving of elotitos (Mexican street corn).

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Exterior shot of Neveria with a photo of Frieda's face in a cone.
Try the guava gelato when you visit Neveria 漏 Alicia Johnson/香港六合彩即时开奖

Never铆a Los Mochis

And because life isn鈥檛 truly complete without a few scoops of ice cream, head over to . The small spot, which also doubles as a gallery, offers a delicious array of ice cream and sorbet flavors like mazapan (tastes like peanut butter), pumpkin (tastes like pumpkin pie), chocolate and almonds and a big fan favorite 鈥 guava.

隆厂础尝鲍顿!

For tacos, there鈥檚 really only one place to go. Known as an OG of the neighborhood, is the spot for classic Mexican tacos with a Chicano twist. The interior sort of resembles a tattoo shop and is filled with striking murals, posters and other really cool knick-knacks on the walls.

But we鈥檙e here for the tacos, and 隆厂础尝鲍顿!鈥檚 menu is filled with mouth-watering options like the Azteca Tlacho (seared asada steak, topped with a jalapeno spear, sliced onion, seared notal, sliced avocado and tomato) or the Barrio taco (braised beef with onion, potato and bell pepper and topped with nopal, frijol and crema and wrapped in a flour tortilla). Oh, and always add ceviche to your order.

Mural of a beautiful woman with red hair, large silver hoop earrings. Her jaw is painted white and her lips are red.
Very few coffee shops in San Diego is as cool as Por Vida in Barrio Logan 漏 Alicia Johnson / 香港六合彩即时开奖

Best place for coffee

Por Vida

is cool...like, a really cool spot to get coffee. The artwork from top to bottom is stunning and takes up the whole part of the wall when you first arrive. Currently, there鈥檚 a mural of a beautiful redhead with big silver hoops and white paint on her jaw and around her lips to greet you as you enter. What鈥檚 not colorful is black (again, very cool).

Now, for the drinks, Por Vida serves up the classics like a cappuccino or an americano, but it鈥檚 the specialty drinks that set this place apart. Try De la olla latte made with an orange peel, cinnamon and clove or a Horchata latte made with condensed milk, rice and cinnamon.

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Best place to grab a drink

Border X Brewing

When it鈥檚 time for something with a little kick, Border X Brewing is where you head. Located right across the street from 隆厂础尝鲍顿!, Border X Brewery is known for its fantastic beer selection that highlights traditional Mexican libations but with a unique spin.

Among the most popular beer selections is the Blood Saison 鈥 a traditional Mexican drink made with hibiscus agave.

Other crowd-pleasers include Abuelita鈥檚 chocolate stout, made with Mexican chocolate and the Horchata Golden Stout, itself a concoction infused with vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks, is like dessert in a glass.

Oh, and they serve tacos too, straight off the grill.

Border X has been in Barrio Logan for eight years and has seen the neighborhood ebb and flow, but one thing has remained constant 鈥 the community.

Border X hosts various events like local artist showcases, Dia de la Muertas and Loteria (think bingo) nights in its large outdoor / indoor space.

Though not technically in Barrio Logan, 鈥 the sister bar to Border X 鈥 is just two minutes away and is a Latina-led operation not only serving up brews but educating residents about the craft brewery industry.

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Interior shot of the Simon Limon shop and its collection jewelry, coffee shops and other items.
Sim贸n Lim贸n is a curated shop that highlights Latinx artists 漏 Alicia Johnson / 香港六合彩即时开奖

Best places to shop

The first thing you鈥檒l notice about many of the shops in Barrio Logan are how small the spaces are. That was intentional. In order to promote smaller, local businesses, larger lots were divided into smaller sections to provide the opportunity for a small business to rent a brick-and-mortar spot.

But trust us, these businesses make excellent use of every bit of space to showcase some truly unique yet distinctly Chicano designs.

Sim贸n Lim贸n

This , located right next to Border X, sells jewelry, candles, bags and totes and even some items for the kiddies. Each of the pieces showcased in the shop are from independent (and largely local) Latinx womxn.

Exterior shot of the Sew Loka shop. There a sign in the shape of a pair of lips with fangs hanging from the store front. On the side you can see clothes rack with clothing and you can see inside the store.
Sew Loka is a unique, quirky shop that sews handmade, upcycled goods 漏 Alicia Johnson / 香港六合彩即时开奖

Sew Loka

If you鈥檙e lucky enough to visit in October, there are pair of bloody fangs dangling from the sign. That kind of edgy, quirky vibe flows throughout the small store (no matter the time of year) thanks to owner and fashion designer Claudia Rodr铆guez-Biezunski.

Using reclaimed fabrics and upcycled materials, Rodr铆guez-Biezunski creates unique, handmade clothing. Her sewing studio is located in the rear of the shop.

A few favorites are a flannel button-up shirt (or jean jacket) with a large Virgin Mary Patch and the words 鈥淟a Renia鈥 across the back and a small tote with the words 鈥淏rown AF鈥 stitched on the front.

Beat Box Records

, located right next door to Por Vida, is the kind of record store music heads love. On any given day, you can grab classics from Gil Scott-Heron to Motley Crue to Martha Y Los Ventura. Concert posters tacked on the walls and the stacks and stacks of vinyl to browse.

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Alicia Johnson traveled to San Diego with support from . 香港六合彩即时开奖 contributors do not accept freebies in exchange for positive coverage.

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