Jimmy Carter’s

Mexican Cafe
Hours of Operation:
~~~~~~~
7 days a week 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Closed on select holidays

Dinner Menu

3172 Fifth Ave. (5th & Spruce) San Diego, California 92103
295-2070
Dinner Soup
*Split orders, substitutions or meat combinations… 3

Chicken Tortilla
Green Pozole
Albondigas
Cream of Black Bean
Ask for our Soups of the Day!
Cup (8oz)… 5 Bowl (16oz)… 8

Grande (24oz)… 10

Àppetizers
Taquitos
Chips and Dip We serve one order of complimentary
chips and salsa fresca per table with orders
An order of 3 hand-rolled
greater than 7 dollars.
chicken or beef taquitos
garnished with lettuce, pico de
Chips and Salsa Fresca… 2 gallo, cotija cheese, sour cream
and guacamole… 7.5
Flight of Sauces Sample 4 of
our most popular sauces… Guajillo,
Verde, Norteña, and Tlaquepaque.
 Small… 3 Medium… 5.5
Large… 9 Quesadillas
Guacamole
 Small… 1 Medium… 3
Large… 5 Original A grilled 12 inch flour
Carrot Caddy 2 types of
marinated carrots… one spicy and
Jalapeño Poppers tortilla with melted jack cheese.
Garnished with lettuce, pico de
one mild… served along with our gallo, cotija cheese, sour cream and
salsa fresca and salsa verde. guacamole… 8
Comes with a bottomless basket of An order of 4 jalapeño with chicken, carnitas, ground beef,
chips… 2.5 poppers stuffed in-house, veggie, or soy ground beef… 8.5
these are not like any other with carne asada, pollo asado,
popper you’ve had!   shredded beef, or shrimp… 9.5
Served with a side of ranch.
 cheese… 5.5
  pork and cheese… 6.5
Nacho Supreme

Nachos Supreme A mound of chips

Calamari Strips
on top of a layer of beans and smothered in Corn Quesadilla 1 quesadilla
nacho cheese. Your choice of chicken, ground with melted jack cheese inbetween
beef, carnitas, veggies or soy ground beef. individual… 1.75 2 corn torillas… 6.5
 Small… 9 Large… 11 3 Strips … 4.50 with chicken, carnitas, ground beef,
*Substitute shredded beef, carne asada, 5 Strips … 7.50   veggie, or soy ground beef… 7.5
  pollo asado, or shrimp… 3 Serrved with Tlaquepaque with carne asada, pollo asado,
sauce and a wedge of lime   shredded beef or shrimp… 8.5
 Build Your Own Plate
Served á la carte.
Add 2 dollars for rice and beans or – OR – Mexican salad.
*Split orders, substitutions or meat combinations… 3 extra
Homemade Tamal Masa stuffed with pork, beef, Homemade Chile Relleno A poblano strip
chicken, or corn and rolled in corn husk. Steamed and stuffed with queso fresco, breaded and pan-fried.
served with your choice of any of our house sauces. Smothered with your choice of Ranchera or Norteña
Garnished with lettuce, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, sour sauce.
cream and guacamole… 8.5   Queso Fresco… 8.5
  Queso Fresco and pork… 9
Burrito A large flour tortilla stuffed with lettuce,
pico de gallo, jack cheese, and your choice of filling. Tostada A crispy corn tortilla topped with a layer of
Topped with guacamole and sour cream. beans, your choice of filling and garnished with lettuce,
Smothered option add … 1 cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.
Bean (pinto or black)… 7 Pinto or black bean… 6
Ground beef, soy ground beef, chicken, Ground beef, soy ground beef, chicken,
veggie or guacamole… 8.5   veggie, or guacamole… 6.5
Carnitas, pollo asado, or shredded beef… 9 Carnitas, pollo asado, or Shredded beef… 7
Carne asada, fish, calamari or shrimp… 9.5 Carne asada, fish, calamari or shrimp… 9.5

Enchilada A soft corn tortilla rolled with your choice

of filling and smothered with any of our signature sauces.
Garnished with lettuce, cheese and sour cream.
Tacos
Pinto or black bean…6.5
Soft - corn tortilla with your choice
Ground beef, soy ground beef, chicken, cheese,
of filling and garnish on top.
  veggie, or guacamole… 7
Crispy - shelled tacos garnished with Carnitas, pollo asado, or shredded beef… 7.5
lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese, and sour Carne asada, fish, calamari or shrimp… 8
cream.
Garnished with onions, cilantro and a small
Mexican salad on the side.
Black or pinto beans… 5.5
Soy ground beef, guacamole or veggies… 6
Garnished with onions, cilantro, spicy red
sauce, and avocado salsa.
Chicken or ground beef… 6
Pollo asado or shredded beef… 6.5
Garnished with onions, cabbage, spicy red
sauce, avocado salsa and cilantro.
Carnitas… 6.5
Carne asada…7
Garnished with onions, cilantro and
Tlaquepaque sauce on the side.
Calamari… 7
~ JCMC Sauce Guide ~
Because they are made in-house with fresh ingredients on a
Garnished with tomatoes, onions, cabbage, regular basis, our sauces vary in heat.
spicy red sauce, avocado salsa, sour cream Guajillo (Red): Guajillos are one of the most popular dried chiles in
and cilantro. Mexico. Our guajillo sauce is mild to moderate in heat with a pleasant
Fish… 6 Shrimp… 7 flavor.
Add beans and rice or Mexican salad… 3 Green: More subtle than the Chile Verde, this sauce is thick and spicy!
Chipotle Cream: Chipotle chiles offer a unique balance of sweet and
smoky in this creamy sauce. Medium in heat.
Mole (Mild): A rich, dark brown sauce made with roasted chiles, a
hint of chocolate and the perfect balance of spices. Mild in heat.
Ranchera: A chunky tomato based sauce made with onions and bell
peppers and is mild to taste.
Norteña: A spicy sauce with a special texture that accents each of the
key ingredients: serrano, tomato and cilantro.
Tlaquepaque (tlah-ke-pah-ke): By far the most popular sauce
on the menu! Tlaquepaque sauce is a perfect creamy combination of
roasted jalapenos and cilantro. It’s a spicy sauce that has captivated
many customers!!!
 Favorites
Taco Salad Crispy tortilla bowl filled with beans, Jimmy’s Burger
lettuce, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, sour cream and Five-ounce lean beef patty with lettuce, tomato,
guacamole. Your choice of chicken, ground beef, soy onion and mayo. Served with your choice of fries
ground beef, carnitas, or veggies. or cottage cheese… 8
 Small… 9 Large… 11 Add bacon, cheese, jalapeño or guacamole for 50
  *Substitute carne asada, pollo asado, cents each
  shredded beef, or shrimp… 3    - Substitute a cup of soup… 4

House Specialties
All meals served with rice, beans and tortillas and Mexican salad.
*Not served with tortillas or Mexican salad
*Split orders, substitutions or meat combinations… 3

Carne Asada or Pollo Asado Comida del Mar Enchiladas Shrimp

Grilled beef or chicken in our chef’s own and krab smothered in either chipotle cream or
special marinade… 14 Tlaquepaque sauce… 14
*Garnished with lettuce, cotija cheese, and
Carnitas Lean pork, seared to a crisp golden sour cream
brown. Garnished with onions, cilantro,
and lime… 14 Mole Lean pork or chicken in a traditional
deep, smoky sauce with a hint of
chocolate… 13.5
Camarones Rancheros o ‘A la Diabla’
Shrimp sautéed and smothered with your choice Fajitas Your choice of chicken or steak
of Ranchera, Guajillo or Norteña sauce… 15.5 marinated in a Guajillo sauce and grilled with
green and red bell peppers and onions… 14
Chile Verde Lean pork or chicken simmered
in our spicy tomatillo chile sauce… 13.5 Calamari “Al Mojo de Ajo” Calamari
strips sautéed in butter and garlic. Served with
Chili Colorado Lean pork or chicken a side of Tlaquepaque sauce… 14
smothered with a spicy red sauce made from a
calculated mixture of guajillo chile, ancho chile, Tlaquepaque Lean pork or pollo asado
and chile de arbol… 13.5 smothered in our famous Tlaquepaque
sauce… 13.5

Side Orders
Beans and / or Rice Large… 3.5 Small… 2
Cheese… .75¢ Sour Cream… 50¢
Queso Fresco… 1 Jalapeños… 50¢

Mexican salad
Pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole, cotija cheese and sour cream… 4

Locally made tortillas (2) Flour or Corn… 1.5

Sauce
Small… .75 Medium… 1.5 Large… 3

Pico de gallo… 5
French Fries…4
 Drinks
We have a full bar!! Please ask to see an Adult Beverage menu for current offerings.

Coffee Dark roast: regular or decaf… 2.50 Hot, Iced or Raspberry Tea… 2.50
Café de la Olla Coffee brewed with cinnamon… 2.50 Juices orange, apple, cranberry, tomato or milk (whole)
  Small… 3 Large… 4.50
Hot Chocolate… 2.50
Homemade Agua Fresca… 3.50
Soda… 2.50

W
elcome to our authentic Mexican café. Over the years we have created a
family of loyal customers from near and far who return time and again to
reunite with our dedicated staff. Our talented chef, Ivan Cruz and su chef
Alvaro Munez, has created a range of regional Mexican dishes scarcely found this side
of the border. Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Café is where friends, family, colleagues, and
foodies come together to savor the flavor of Old Mexico.
Jimmy Carter’s Café was originally an American eatery located in this very building.
Following on his inspiration for “real” Mexican food, which began in his youth when he
first ate at Ramona’s Kitchen in Old Town, Jimmy opened the original Mexican Café on
Washington Street. Now at the larger Fifth Avenue location, Jimmy merged the two menus and offers the
ever-popular traditional American breakfasts alongside the authentic Mexican food dishes. With a cult-like
following, Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Café is a mainstay in the Banker’s Hill/Hillcrest neighborhood.
Jimmy Carter, a third generation San Diegan born in the Hillcrest neighborhood, has a personality as inviting,
authentic and eclectic as his menu. Jimmy’s San Diego roots are deep, fueling his passion for giving back
to the community that raised him. Jimmy honors a long time loyalty to local vendors, sponsors community
organizations and has a passion for helping employees further their education. This is how Jimmy has woven
his restaurant into the fabric of San Diego the last two decades.
Our colorful décor and friendly staff are sure to lift your spirits when you walk in the door. On lucky
occasions you can catch Jimmy in his Hawaiian shirt at the bar doing the daily crossword puzzle and chatting
with customers. Join us seven days a week for leisurely breakfast or brunch (served until 2:30 pm) that offers
a healthy selection of both American and Mexican dishes. Or, enjoy a local microbrew at our full bar during
happy hour and stay for dinner. Bienvenidos!

Desserts

Churro… 2 Cajeta Churro… 2.5

Homemade Tortuga Pie Nieve Frita… 6
Shortbread crust with a layer of pecans
and caramel topped with a layer of
Homemade Flan
  (traditional, coconut, cajeta)… 6
chocolate. Served warm with a scoop of
vanilla ice cream… 6 Vanilla Ice Cream
  1 scoop… 2 2 scoops… 3.5