La Corriente Coronado

Where MooTime relies on nostalgic sweetness and the breweries lean into craft beer crowds, La Corriente earns its repeat business through sheer fish quality and Tijuana-style preparation. This is ceviche that tastes like it was swimming this morning, served by waiters who'll steer you toward the red snapper tostada without hesitation — because they know it's the move, and they're not interested in wasting your time.

The menu reads like a greatest-hits tour of Baja coastal cooking: ceviches that balance acid and heat, Tijuana tacos that honor the format without overstyling it, and that red snapper that shows up in reviews like a local password. The La Corriente ceviche platter comes recommended for groups trying to sample range, though solo diners camping at happy hour are common enough that nobody blinks.

Service runs warm and directive — Hector and Victor both get name-checked for knowing exactly what to order before you do, which on an island where half the restaurants coast on location alone, feels like actual effort. The outdoor seating works for post-beach lunches when you're still sandy but need protein, and the happy hour pricing makes sense for the kind of place where coworkers show up daily without getting bored.

It's not perfect — at least one reviewer suggests saving your money and going elsewhere, and the OpenTable ratings apparently tell a different story than Google's enthusiastic 4.7. But for a neighborhood that needed something beyond resort dining and brewery nachos, La Corriente fills the gap with the kind of straightforward seafood focus that doesn't require a bridge crossing to access. The ahi tostada and birthday cake ice cream represent two very different Coronado moods, but both have their place in the island's ecosystem.