“Existential Threat”: San Diego Critically Low on Random Shit to Throw in Tortillas, atop Fries

I’m in Southcrest at Sayulita’s on 43rd Street. The air is thick with the stench of overused fry oil as I take a look at the wall-mounted menu separate from the more conventional offerings.

“Bionic Fries. Bolt Fries. Longanisa Fries. Salchichon Fries.” The list goes on. They even have a fries dish named after former Philippine Senator Emmanual Pacquiao. But Sayulita’s is among the last of a dying breed in the county.

Not long ago, taco shops that threw literally anything into a burrito or on fries roamed the region. As of 2026, they have become “critically endangered” according to the International Union of Creative Noshing, or IUCN.

IUCN president Shirley Eaton described the possible extinction of these innovative eateries as an existential threat facing the lifestyle of San Diego as a whole. “Without these holes in the wall, there will be basically nothing distinguishing San Diego’s culinary scene from that of any other sprawling American city.”

The population has declined dramatically in just the past few years. In 2024, Ice Box, a self-serve boba shop with a location in National City and near SDSU ceased operation. Their menu boasted thirteen different options for topped fries, including Spicy Mayo Poke, Sisig, and Kimchi Carnitas. Just last year, La Posta Acapulco in Hillcrest shuttered, no longer doling out onion ring burritos. For Crest Taco, the shop that took its place, the most innovative thing on the menu is a breakfast burrito that only costs six dollars.

The IUCN is attempting to stimulate the sustenance of the fry-topping population by airdropping packets of toppings for taco shops to use in their dishes. “We’re trying everything. Earlier this year we dropped a million almonds on Mission Valley, but there was no discernible difference in burrito activity.”