Italian
$$Marechiaro's Italian Restaurant
Old-school red sauce, family portions, been feeding East County for decades.
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East County
Santee is East County's most affordable family town: seven fishing lakes at Santee Lakes, the paved river trail, Mission Trails on the doorstep and 20 minutes to downtown when the 52 behaves.
Last updated
The best-known restaurants in Santee are Marechiaro's Italian Restaurant, BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse, Tacos El Panson. Most sit-down meals run $15–$35 per person, and the taco shops and delis below are under $15.
Population
~60,000
Median home
~$800K
2BR rent
~$2,500 (2BR)
To downtown
20–30 min by car, ~40 min on the Green Line
Schools
Santee School District (K–8) + Grossmont Union HS
Italian
$$Old-school red sauce, family portions, been feeding East County for decades.
American
$$The reliable Trolley Square table when the group can't agree.
Mexican
$Adobada and birria that hold up against anything in the city.
Vietnamese
$Big steaming bowls, fast lunch service.
Steak/BBQ
$$$Locals' steak night without driving to Mission Valley.
Pizza
$$The East County outpost of the Little Italy institution.
Brewery
$Homebrew-shop-turned-taproom with rotating small batches.
Sushi
$$Strip-mall sushi that punches above the ZIP code.
Tacos El Panson for adobada, Marechiaro's for Italian, Butcher's Cut for a steak night and Bear Roots for beer.
Yes — the taco shops along Mission Gorge Road and Cuyamaca Street are cheap, fast and consistently better than the chains at Trolley Square.
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