Family-managed Restaurant McDonald (36 Juárez, tel. 323/285-0432, 7 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $3–7), half a block west of the plaza, is one of the gathering places of San Blas. Its bit-of- everything menu features soups, meat, and seafood, plus a hamburger that beats no- relation U.S. MacDonald’s by a mile.
As an option, step across the street to the TV-free Wala restaurant (tel. 323/285-0863, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Sat., $3–7) for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Its long menu of offerings—tasty salads, pastas, seafood, and fish fillets, crisply prepared and served in a simple but clean and inviting setting—will never go out of style. Everything is good; simply pick out your favorite.
Another good sit-down option is the airy plaza-front Cha Cha’s (tel. 323/285-0041, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $3–8). Here, you can choose from a sandwich or full dinner, such as a professionally prepared and served fresh fish fillet or spaghetti à la Bolognese.
For TV with dinner, the Restaurant La Familia (H. Batallón, lunch and dinner Mon.–Sat., $6–8), half a block south of plaza, is just the place. American movies, Mexican curio-hung walls, and leafy garden patio supply the ambience, while a reasonably priced seafood and meat menu furnishes the food.
The Tijuana-trained owner/chef of Wacame Gourmet (Yucatán 18, cell 044-311/105-5382, noon–10 p.m., closed Wed. $4–6), two blocks north of the plaza to Canalizo, then turn right, puts out delicious soups (hot and sour), chicken chop suey, pork chow mein, stir-fried broccoli, and much more. He named his establishment Wacame (wah-KAH-may) in honor of the home town in Japan of his Tijuana employer/mentors.
Cross the adjacent corner and enter the refined marine atmosphere of Restaurant la Isla (Mercado, tel. 323/285-0407, 2–10 p.m. Tues.–Sun., $6–10). As ceiling fans whir overhead and a guitarist strums softly in the background, the net-draped walls display a museum-load of nautical curiosities, from antique Japanese floats and Tahitian shells to New England ship models. Davy Jones notwithstanding, both local folks and visitors choose this place mainly for its good fish and shrimp entrées.
San Blas’s class-act restaurant is 
El Delfín (at Hotel Garza Canela, Cuauhtémoc 106, tel. 323/285-0112, 8–10 a.m. and 1–9 p.m. daily, $4–14). Potted tropical plants and leafy planter-dividers enhance the genteel atmosphere of this air-conditioned dining room-in-the-round. Meticulous preparation and service, bountiful breakfasts, savory dinner soups, and fresh salad, seafood, and meat entrées keep customers returning year after year; credit cards accepted.