Las Cuatro Milpas – a San Diego Mexican food institution for 91 years – has been temporarily closed by county health officials due to major violations.
A December 30 inspection conducted by the Department of Health identified the following six compliance violations:
- Vermin – Major
- Surfaces not in contact with clean food – Non-compliant
- Storage and use of equipment, utensils, household linens – Non-compliance
- Plumbing – Non-compliant
- Premises, vermin protection, personal/cleaning items – Non-compliant
- Floors, walls and ceilings – Non-compliant
A sign on the window of the Logan neighborhood The restaurant said Thursday morning: “Closed, by order of the Ministry of Health.”
Throughout the day, potential customers on foot or in cars hoping to grab some food from Las Cuatro Milpas didn’t expect to leave without eating. Within 10 minutes, NBC 7 saw customers stopping by and saying they weren’t aware of the temporary closure and were “very disappointed.”
Lorena Guerrero de Campillo knew something was wrong when she drove up and didn’t see the normal crowd outside.
“There’s always a line of at least 20 to 30 people,” she said. “I was surprised to see it closed.”
The closure is the latest in a long line of problems for Las Cuatro Milpas. In 2022, similar health violations prompted a temporary closure. Most recently, according to a San Diego city spokesperson, Las Cuatro Milpas homeowners owed sales taxes to the state and were behind on their property taxes.
The restaurant’s owners say the rumors are false. They’re here to stay, but costly challenges lie ahead. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada reports.
Las Cuatro Milpas was founded by Petra and Natividad Estudillo in 1933 and is still owned by family members.
Attempts to contact the restaurant’s owners about this latest closure were unsuccessful, but in October 2024, Sophia Estudillo, a sister of one of the owners, told NBC 7 that speculation about the restaurant being sold was false.
“Everyone thinks it’s going to sell. But no, not yet, for years,” Estudillo said.
The family-owned restaurant is famous for its simple and delicious Mexican cuisine, with its beans, rice, chorizo and homemade chorizo constantly praised for their authenticity.
Customers who weren’t able to eat Thursday at Las Cuatro Milpas are hoping the iconic restaurant reopens as much for its food as for what it means to the San Diego community.
“I think it means home,” Guerrero said of Campillo. “A lot of people come here to settle down and find a better life, and it feels like home.”
As for the steps needed to reopen, a county spokesperson sent the following to NBC 7:
“The location was closed because cockroaches were present during a routine inspection on Dec. 30. Inspectors recommended the business contract with a pest control company and provided educational materials. Milpas has not yet contacted the county to plan to reopen Once the establishment verifies that it has removed all vermin and has properly cleaned and disinfected all food preparation surfaces, it will call health. environmental planning reopening once county staff have inspected and verified that there are no vermin present in the facility will be approved to reopen.”