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Kinchana

★ 4.9 · 94 reviews San Diego Opened Opening date unknown

Mole and kimchi on a burger, plus an artist lounge, on El Cajon Boulevard

Kinchana started in 2023 as a pop-up tent at Modern Times in Point Loma and at Harland in Bay Park, then took a double storefront at 5712 El Cajon Boulevard in the College Area. One half is the kitchen and dining room, the other is retail and an artist lounge.

The name came from a regular who kept asking owner Smith how he was really doing. Smith worked in mental health for over a decade before this and wanted a room where people could sit without having to buy anything. The cooking pulls California comfort food toward Mexico and Asia, which in practice means mole and kimchi land on the same burger.

What guests say

Reviews by Google
  • Jon Herrera 9 reviews 7 August 2026

    Don’t question—just come. So many delicious options, with staff ready to provide recommendations based on what you’re feeling. Healthy portions, really flavorful, and all-around great vibes. It feels every bit like a hometown burger spot, with a very cool living room space, where you can relax for a bit, play some music, play some video games (!!! They have an N64 and Guitar Hero!!), read—just enjoy some time in a good spot with good people. I look forward to coming again soon.

  • Brad Erisman 7 reviews 26 June 2026

    We love this place! Great burgers, wings, and fries. We’ve tried all the flavors and can’t pick a favorite. Great food, cool atmosphere, clean establishment, good vibes and friendly service. We go weekly. They have GF buns and other celiac friendly options too.

  • Jennifer Davies 39 reviews · Local Guide 16 May 2026

    This place is legit. I can’t believe we didn’t even check out the game space, but it was our first meal together after my spouse’s recent work trip so we were enjoying the food and each others’ company. And wow was the food enjoyable! I ordered the Kimgogi burger and my husband had the Highland burger. Both were amazing. We also split some elote mac salad and mac & cheese nuggets. None of it was disappointing in any way. It’s been ages since we’ve been somewhere local that wasn’t at least lacking something. We hardly left a crumb. Service was perfect. The folks there were super friendly and conversation was great. We talked about a bunch of stuff, but most relevant was the shared experiences of being mixed Asian. Pretty appropriate considering the menu. I’d give it 6 stars if I could. We will be back!

  • Nicholas P 1,332 reviews · Local Guide 15 May 2026

    I found this place online and wanted to check it out. This is from 3/28/26. You can find free parking in the neighborhood. You order at the window and then they bring the food out to you. They also have water available that you can refill yourself. There is a room where you can play video games while waiting or when you’re done. They also have books and physical media (movies and music). There are some merchandise for sale as well. We ordered yuzu lemon pepper wings, horchata bites, oyama burger, and diego burger. Fair prices and good size portions. They have restrooms in the back. Overall, this is about a 4 to me. It’s worth checking out if you’re in the area. -yuzu lemon pepper wings 5 - these were very tasty, no complaints. The lemon was not overpowering at all. I also liked that the wings were very meaty. -horchata bites 3.5 - they were not bad. Since they were called horchata bites, I wanted more of that horchata flavor to hit my taste buds. -oyama burger 5 - I only had a bite of this since my girlfriend ordered this. I actually prefer this over the diego burger. -diego burger 3.5 - this one was okay. I had plenty of sauce on mine, but I felt like the burger was overshadowed by the arugula. The burger should be the star of the show but I had too much arugula. It masked the flavor of the burger.

  • Alex Diaz 23 reviews · Local Guide 9 May 2026

    BEST WINGS EVER!!! My wife and I came here 3 DAYS IN A ROW! My favorite so far are the yuzu lemon pepper wings! I definitely recommend them! They’re also super affordable! I had to keep telling my wife let’s go get wings😂 and she would just agree every single time. The restaurant is also very clean! They have some cool stuff in the side too like the Nintendo 64 you can play! They also have clothing for sale! I bought a Hawaiian shirt and a hoodie from them. Super awesome place to come and eat!

5712 El Cajon Boulevard, San DiegoOpen in Google Maps
Fusion · BurgersKitchen and style
$-$$Price range · $10-20
kinchana.comWebsite

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