Most seafood in the desert has had a long, tired journey. Chula’s has a shorter one: the Heflin family fishes swordfish off their own San Diego boat, the FV Chula, and sells it from a market case and lunch counter at Hayden and Roosevelt. No nautical props, no resort raw bar, just very good fish at neighborhood prices.
Eat the poke or a sandwich at the counter, then shop the case like you live somewhere with a coastline. The staff will tell you how to cook it.
When to go: off-peak, mid-afternoon on a weekday, for first pick and no line. The noon rush moves fast, but March spring training traffic stretches it.