Craving the Best Tacos in San Diego? Discover the Must-Try Spots
Do you love eating tacos? Then you’re going to love living in San Diego.
San Diego routinely lands near the top on lists of American cities with the greatest tacos. The taco shops in the city that serve up California tacos and other Mexican food make some of the tastiest tacos you’ll ever eat in your life.
You really can’t go wrong eating tacos from almost any of the taco shops in the city. But there are, of course, some shops that make tacos that are truly the best tacos in San Diego.
In this article, we’re going to shine a spotlight on several of the San Diego restaurants you’ll want to visit the next time you’re in the mood for tacos. Whether you order chicken, beef, or fish tacos from them, you’re guaranteed to walk away happy with your order.
Here are the must-try spots for those craving the best tacos in San Diego.
Lola 55
You aren’t going to find too many taco shops in San Diego (or any other part of the country, for that matter!) that have tacos that appear in the Michelin Guide. But then again, there aren’t too many taco shops out there that are like Lola 55.
The Lola 55 menu is filled with excellent traditional tacos, such as smoked carnitas and al-pastor pork. But you’ll also find some not-so-traditional tacos worked into the mix as well. Their squash blossom, cauliflower, and mushroom tacos are fantastic examples of this.
No matter what you order from Lola 55, you can rest assured knowing you’re eating some of the best tacos in San Diego. Both locals and tourists love this place equally.
City Tacos
While many of the taco shops on this list will have standalone locations, you’ll find six different City Tacos shops scattered throughout San Diego. People in the city have fallen in love with the tacos that these shops sell, and it’s very easy to see why.
City Tacos is known for taking traditional Mexican taco recipes and putting their own California spin on them. So whether you opt to go with a traditional meat taco, a fish taco, or even something like a paleo taco, you’ll find that you’ll be eating the best tacos in San Diego every time.
Tacos El Gordo
San Diego is only located about 20 miles from Tijuana, Mexico. As a result, taco lovers might be tempted to pop down for some Tijuana-style street tacos when they have a hankering for them.
But why do that when you have Tacos El Gordo right in San Diego? It’s the next best thing for those who’d like to eat tacos that taste just like the ones routinely served up in Tijuana.
All the corn tortillas used to make tacos at Tacos El Gordo are always handmade. They also use nothing but organic ingredients to prepare some of their staples, like a classic carne asada taco that features grilled steak and an adobada taco that includes tender spiced pork.
You’ll also have the option to build your own tacos at Tacos El Gordo. Who knows? You might be able to come up with the perfect combination of ingredients and get credit for creating some of the best tacos in San Diego yourself.
Mitch’s Seafood
As its name would suggest, Mitch’s Seafood serves up so much more than just tacos. Their menu is jampacked with all the fresh seafood you can handle. You’re more than welcome to go with one of their seafood options if you’d like.
But you should also give their fish tacos a try. Whether you go with tacos made with shrimp, cod, or calamari, you’ll be blown away by just how tasty their seafood tacos are. The homemade lime crema that comes on them really puts them over the top.
Plus, you’ll come to appreciate the laid back atmosphere you’ll find at Mitch’s Seafood. It’ll add to the experience while you’re enjoying some of the best tacos in San Diego.
Taco Surf
There has been a lot of debate in recent weeks over who should be allowed to use the term “Taco Tuesday.” LeBron James opened up a real can of worms by appearing in a commercial that calls the term’s origin into question.
Taco Surf doesn’t own the trademark for “Taco Tuesday,” but if you believe what the locals in San Diego have to say, it’s where Taco Tuesday first got its start. The taco shop reportedly started using the phrase back in the late 1980s to attract customers to its shop on Tuesdays for inexpensive tacos.
These days, Taco Surf doesn’t need any gimmicks to convince people to stop in for some of the best tacos in San Diego. They serve a menu filled with so many delectable options. They’ve also become a great place to celebrate the surf culture in San Diego and Southern California as a whole.
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Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria
The tacos you eat at Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria won’t be like the tacos you eat at most other taco shops in San Diego. These tacos will be Birria tacos that will look and taste a little different than what you might be used to. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still try them out!
To start, Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria will take slow-braised meats that are both very tender and extra seasoned and load them up onto corn tortillas with everything from onions to Oaxacan cheese. From there, they’ll flash-fry their tacos in piping-hot fat to lock in all the ingredients and flavors. And to finish things off, they’ll serve their tacos with a rich broth that you’ll be able to use for dipping.
The end result might not be exactly what you were expecting when you ordered tacos from Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria. But you’ll still find that they’ll be some of the best tacos in San Diego.
The Taco Stand
With five locations throughout the San Diego area, The Taco Stand has earned a reputation for making some of the best homemade salsa around. It’s also made a name for itself by serving up some of the most delicious burritos, quesadillas, and even breakfast options in the city.
But at heart, The Taco Stand is still, well, a taco stand that will provide you with the best tacos in San Diego and the surrounding areas. From classic carne asada tacos to mahi mahi tacos to cactus tacos (yes, cactus tacos!), there isn’t any shortage of awesome taco options on The Taco Stand’s menu.
The Taco Stand’s locations are also often set up in places that’ll allow you to enjoy the best tacos in San Diego while also enjoying your surroundings. The La Jolla location, for example, will put you in a position to take your tacos right out on the beach to eat.
Lucha Libre
If you want to try something other than tacos at Lucha Libre, you’re free to do it. They have all kinds of incredible Mexican food on their menu that’ll knock your socks off and leave you wanting to order more.
But taco lovers often flock to Lucha Libre for some of the specialty tacos that they’ve been known to serve up. Their surf and turf tacos, for instance, have become huge hits among both the locals and the tourists who are in town. There is nothing quite like combining the bold flavors that come along with steak and shrimp in a taco.
They also serve up birria tacos like the ones we talked about earlier while discussing Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria. These tacos are savory and sweet and have a little bit of spice to add an extra kick to them.
Not Not Tacos
If you’re a traditionalist who doesn’t think that things like, say, macaroni and cheese belong on tacos, you might not instantly love Not Not Tacos. But even you will eventually have to admit that this taco shop has got a good thing going on thanks to its outside-the-box thinking.
Rather than trying to compete with other San Diego restaurants that serve more traditional tacos, Not Not Tacos offers tacos that feature things like mashed potatoes, Korean short rib, cheeseburgers, and, yes, the aforementioned mac and cheese.
All of this might sound a little strange to you at first. But don’t knock it until you try it! Not Not Tacos has some of the best tacos in San Diego, even though they might not be the types of tacos you’ve come to know and love.
Eat the Best Tacos in San Diego
One of the best parts about living in San Diego is that you won’t ever have to look very hard for great tacos. The tacos that we’ve talked about here today are just some of the best tacos in San Diego. There are so many other places that also serve up tacos that you’ll come to love.
Are you looking to embrace San Diego living and what it’s all about? Browse through the other articles on our blog to learn more about what San Diego has to offer.
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