Having been exposed to authentic tacos in East Los Angeles, I was excited to try this place in San…read moreDiego as I heard good things about it. Let me tell you that I was super impressed at the flavors that were bursting in my mouth! The lengua, adobada, and al pastor were cooked to perfection. Pair it with radishes to add to the tacos or as a refreshing "chip" to clear your palate. We ate here multiple times and I can't wait to go back. Located in the heart of Gas Lamp, this place is located on the corner of of a busy street. I love that they are open till 2am so it's a great spot to have some hearty tacos after a long night exploring the town. Service is friendly and fast. It gets super crowded and tables fill up fast but luckily we secured a table either upstairs or in the outdoor area. Definitely would recommend trying this place if you're in San Diego... they also have a Las Vegas location as well.

Quick service , the cashiers aren't enthusiastic at all kinda left us there waiting for a bit with…read moreno Greeting or I'll be with you shortly hotter than hell Upstairs taco's were fire got the Al pastor food good Ambiance is whatever busy spot packed people like this place

Great food, fresh and made to order. Recommend the adobada and lengua options. Service is fast,…read moremany tables available for lunch. Ambiance is what you'd expect from a fast food spot. Bathrooms were decent.

Taco El Gordo is hands down worth the hype. The line was…read moreover an hour long. While waiting, I overheard someone next to us say, "We only eat here, otherwise we go back to Mexico." That alone made me feel like the wait wasn't wasted. We tried a variety of tacos, and everything was solid. The spicy pork (which actually isn't that spicy) was super flavorful and easy to eat. I will highly recommend even if you don't handle spice well. The beef tongue was another standout, it is tender, rich, and really well done. Ordering can be a little confusing at first since you line up by meat and then pay separately, but once you figure it out, it's part of the experience. If you're in San Diego, this place is pretty much a must-try. I'd come back again just for these tacos.

Amazing tacos! I always come here when I'm in the area. The ceviche and tacos are outstanding…read more Despite the line, the order came out fast. The seafood is fresh and i really enjoyed the battered fish taco. Seating is very limited.

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Busy place but it's thankfully quick! Also had to wait in line but not for too long. The guac is so fresh and delish - just need an extra squeeze of lemon. Sauces and condiments are up for grabs and a lot of it is self-service so it can feel more chaotic. The fish tacos, shrimp tacos, octopus tacos, and ceviche were all good! Not a 5, but a solid 4.5 :)

The tacos and the crunchstack were good :) I liked the…read moresalsa variety too. Mike's mix salsa is my go to

Best fucking tacos & churros ever ! And they sauce options is fire . I eat this place maybe 3-4…read moretimes a week

I absolutely love Mike's Red Tacos! I crave it all the time and get so happy when me and my…read moreboyfriend stop by for a quick meal! The service is great and the ambiance is amazing! Rate it overall at 10/10!!

Found out about this place on TikTok, it was honestly really good although kind of greasy but it's…read morenormal for a quesadilla. I will be coming back.it every family friendly and ambiance is chill.

Wanted to try some tacos while out here and this one had good reviews. It was also near our hotel…read morewe were staying at in Gaslamp. They have drawings all over their walls which was fun to look at. They have a few specials which are a good deal if you're going to get a drink anyway. I love c that c they had a self serve salsa bar. Must get the chipotle shrimp taco! 10/10 with flavor. Battered fish taco was ah ok.... Salmon taco was great too 10/10. Service was prompt. We had chips and salsa while we waited so it was cool. Overall, I recommend checking this out and trying the chipotle shrimp and salmon taco!

This spot is such a fun find in the Gaslamp District! With so many great taco options around, this…read moreone still manages to stand out. The staff was friendly, quick with our order, and the food came out fast. The salsa bar is a bonus, tasty salsas plus free carrots, onions, and pickled radish. The colorful wall art adds a playful, welcoming vibe, and the daily taco specials don't hurt either. We ordered the carne asada tacos and loved them. The meat was flavorful, generously portioned, and served on homemade tortillas. They top the guacamole with a little scoop of pinto beans, and the melted cheese comes included at no extra cost. Overall, a solid taco. We'd definitely come back to try more of their menu.

Been here multiple times, but came in honor of Cinco de Mayo and love that it actually landed on a…read moretaco Tuesday ! They had the buy 2 get 1 free deal which pushed me to try new meats since I always stick to adobada. ADOBADA HANDS DOWN FIREEE! I love me a good al pastor taco and they make it just right. Super flavorful, juicy and packed w/ meat. I'm always hesitant to try asada because I haven't found a good spot here in SD, but this one was bomb! The meat had great flavor, a smokey taste and was loaded with guac. I'd order one again. The lengua was perfect too, super tender and fell apart just right. They don't skimp on the meats either. Most of the salsas were tasty and had great flavor and the habanero had the perfect kick ! I heard of this spot because my friend had them cater her baby shower and I had to come try the actual spot. Def brought the same energy. Inside is nice and has a good vibe, love all the decor. Service was super sweet! Horchata was bomb too, not to sweet and they said it's homemade! Parking.. good luck, but def worth trying. 10000/10

Little taco spot that I decided to try, and it a no frills type of place. I decided to get a…read moreburrito instead of the tacos. The ordering process was simple enough, quick and friendly service. However I took mine to go, and it was a mess. It was literally dripping oil from the burrito and made such a mess that I didn't even want to eat the 2nd half after eating the first. To be honest it wasn't very tasty either. I didn't even take a pic of the burrito because I was so focused on it not ruining the counter space in the hotel. It served it's purpose of fueling me, but definitely wouldn't recommend it or go back.

Trust me, the line at the Taco Stand is worth it. The food and service is amazing ! Isabel was very…read morekind and helpful :) We brought a friend from Europe having Mexican food for the first time and he is thrilled.

This establishment is amazing the service and ambiance is great. Some of the freshest and best…read moretacos I've ever eaten the chips and guacamole were amazing good too. The Al Pastor taco was amazingly juicy packed with flavor grilled to perfection and had a nice char flavor. Also the Carne Asada taco was amazing it was obviously marinated and seasoned very well it had a great sear tons of flavor also it had a smoky flavor and the toppings they put paired so well. Overall this is one of the best restaurants I've dined at in San Diego I will be coming back sometime soon.

Some of the best tacos in San Diego! I loved everything about it. The tortillas are so yummy! The…read moremeat is perfect! I absolutely love the avocado and the different types of tacos they have. It was way more food than I expected! I expected to be small little tacos but they were actually big and delicious! The agua de Jamaica was so delicious and refreshing. Service was welcoming and fast! They have a parking lot. Definitely coming back!!!

"Adobada looks very disappointing"…read more People on TikTok have been really hyping this spot up lately, so I went in expecting it to be one of those "best in San Diego" type places, but honestly that's exactly why you can't always trust food influencers who base everything off one bite and a good angle. First thing I noticed was the parking situation is rough there's basically none, and you can't even risk street parking because it's marked red, so right away it already starts off inconvenient. When we got there, the tables weren't clean, which kind of kills the vibe before you even order, but I will say the carne asada mulita actually surprised me in a good way, it was solid, flavorful, and probably the best thing we tried. They also have a bigger version called the keka that I didn't get, but I could see that being more filling if the mulita is any indication. Customer service was decent, nothing special but not bad either, just kind of there doing their job. Overall though, even with a good item on the menu, it's not enough for me to say this place lives up to the hype TikTok is pushing. In my opinion, in San Diego it's still hard to beat Tacos El Gordo, and I've seen people online try to downplay it saying places like Chula Taco are better, and I just don't think that's accurate from a real first-hand experience standpoint. At the end of the day, TikTok food reviews can be entertaining, but a lot of times it feels like people are just chasing views instead of consistency or credibility, and you really have to try places yourself before believing the hype.The adobada was a negative 5 stars just look at it adobada is not supposed to look like :( #Tacos #SanDiegoFood #TacoReview #FoodReview #StreetTacos #CarneAsada #TacoLovers #FoodTok #EatLocal #TacoLife

Amazing cocktails and lively ambiance. The tacos and chips…read morewere fresh and tasty. The chicken fries were not so great though - too much potato, too less chicken.

Parking is limited but it was totally worth parking a little further away. The outside is pretty…read moreunassuming but magic happens inside. Their happy hour menu is pretty big. All appetizers, quesadillas, and drinks are 50% off. I ordered the mix and match tacos with carne asada and shrimp. The first thing I noticed when my food came was how it smelled. It smelled fresh and authentic. It's hard for me to describe but iykyk. Everything was delicious. The carne asada was juicy and flavorful and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. The tortillas were even freshly made.