Hacienda Khalo Bringing Authentic Mexican Cuisine To Former Por Favor Restaurant & Cantina Space In San Diego's La Mesa

August 3, 2024

Hacienda Khalo will bring an authentic Mexican dining experience to the space that long housed Por Favor Restaurant & Cantina in San Diego's La Mesa. 

At the end of June, Por Favor Mexican restaurant & cantina shuttered in the heart of La Mesa after five decades in business. Guadalupe, Gabriel and Lupe Marrujo opened the original Por Favor in 1974. They eventually opened a second location in El Cajon. The family-run restaurant gained a loyal following for its menu of classic and regional Mexican fare. The El Cajon branch remains in business.

The 3,500 square-foot space at on La Mesa Boulevard was quickly taken over by Alberto Morreale's Alba Restaurant Group, which also operates area eateries like Farmers Table La Mesa, Farmers Table Chula Vista, Smokey & The Brisket, Limoncello La Mesa, The Seventh House Speakeasy, Cacio E Pepe Trattoria Romana in North Park, Farmer’s Bottega in Mission Hills, and the soon-to-open Piedra Santa Argentinian Steak House in Little Italy and Acqua E Farina Trattoria Romana in Chula Vista. The unit is currently receiving a full remodel to become Hacienda Khalo restaurant. 

Designed like a traditional hacienda in Mexico, Hacienda Khalo will feature authentic Mexican cuisine, including a tortilla lady making handmade tortillas, a rotating adobada trompo, a variety of steak cuts, and traditional dishes like enchiladas, moles, ceviches, and more. The bar will focus on the conventional  preparation of margaritas and mezcalitas, along with classic cocktails served in jarritos clay mugs. Customers can also enjoy table-side margaritas.

Hacienda Khalo aims to open by the end of September at 8302 La Mesa Boulevard in San Diego's La Mesa.