Honestly, Taco Centro is way overpriced for what you get. The tacos are fine, not terrible, not amazing, but the pricing is straight up Gaslamp tax with nothing to justify it. Portions felt small for the cost, and once you add a couple tacos + a drink, you're suddenly paying "sit-down restaurant" money for a quick counter-service meal. Flavor-wise it didn't blow me away, and the whole experience felt more like convenience than quality. If you're hungry and it's right there, sure, but if you're looking for value or anything memorable, this isn't it. Rating: (2/5) Bottom line: Average tacos, ridiculous prices. read more

Came here around 2 am, and it was delicious. We ordered tacos de pastor, asada, and a mulita. It did take a while to come out, but it was well worth the wait. I would recommend trying the tacos de pastor you can't go wrong with them. Place was a cute vibe with inside and outside seating. read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO AL PASTOR y MULITA AL PASTOR - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was amazing. Recommends to friends and family! The service was awesome they were very kind and consistent.

I love the tacos best! Best in San Diego The sauce bar YUM. I got the chicken, mushroom and carne asada. All my favorite lol. read more

TACO CENTRO - My fave tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Small place with delicious tacos. Order at the counter and pick up when ready. There is open seating inside and outside. There is even a sauce & salsa counter on the side where you can pick from many different flavors and spice levels! Loved the tacos here, and ended up going there a few times while in San Diego. (Walkable from the convention center) read more

TACO CENTRO - Sauce & salsa counter bar - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

What I Got..Sublime harmony in my head It could have been solid veggie tacos. I would have given it four stars. Only two veggie aka vegetarian tacos on the menu so that's what I got. I went with the Nopal and Mushroom tacos. Good flavor. I had them customized vegan by omitting the cheese and one of the sauces that came with dairy. The tortillas came with avocado, grilled onions, and were quite good. The salsa bar was nice too with pickled carrots and various salsas. The reason for one star is found a piece of steak in my mushroom taco. Aghori moment biting into and finding a piece of steak in the mushroom taco. Being a longtime vegan of 25 years didn't appreciate this hence one star as that ruined the meal. read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ok, I recently went to the new Little Italy location forgetting I was at this location 3 years ago. Not bad , but not my thing. The salsa bar was awesome! Same large beef chunks in the Carne Asada tacos (kind of dry). Tried a Carnitas taco and found no seasoning and no crisp to the meat. The salsas definitely saved the day. The place is new and clean, the service was cordial. I would definitely recommend that you check them out! read more

I ordered the birria nachos. They forgot to include the salsas I asked for in my take out order and the birria had a different flavor than the traditional flavor. I would not recommend ordering any of their birria menu items. They did not have the traditional flavor. read more

TACO CENTRO - Birria Nachos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Y'all do not go. Do not waste your time!! As soon as I was done with my first taco my stomach was hurting very bad!! Had to use their own bathroom no bueno stay away folks not worth the hassle! I'm pretty sure I caught something from eating there. Never again! read more

Grabbed a quick bite after leaving the convention center. Had the carne asada taco & it was one of the best tacos I've ever had!

Delicious! We split a breakfast burrito that will live in my memory. We walked from Manchester Grand Hyatt, about 14 minutes. Adorable place. read more

Amazing! We have been wanting to try this place since it opened and it did not disappoint! The service was fast and the staff were friendly. My wife is a vegetarian so it was great that she had a lot of options. I tried the chicken burrito and my wife got the vegetarian burrito. They were both amazing. The ingredients are very fresh, and the salsa from the salsa bar was top notch. I think this will become one of our go to's as we live just down the street. read more

Best freakin takos in downtown hands down. Everything is made to order with fresh ingredients. No long lines. No hype all real tacos TJ style with a flare. I had the Mar y Tierra and asada and it was fire. Close to the ball park for that post game munchies victory snack. Save your money at the ball park and eat real tacos at a good price here! Adrian is the owner is on hand serving with pride. Arriba Tacos Centro! read more

TACO CENTRO - Tacos baby - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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My 11-year old son loves the Deftones. We flew from San Jose to San Diego for Día de Los Deftones 2025. We stayed at the Residence Inn in the Gaslamp. We know that the best Mexican food in the world outside of Mexico is in San Diego so we decided to get tacos. I found Taco Centro on Yelp and we walked over before the show. I had a California burrito because of course I did. He had a carne asada taco and an al pastor taco. We both had horchatas. Listen. It was perfect. My mouth is watering just reminiscing on that delicious burro. And it's affordable. We watched the tía make tortillas and the line was out the door but the service was fast and polite!! We loved it so much that we went back for breakfast the next day and split an order of carne asada fries. I also had a carnitas taco and a birria taco. Don't judge me. It was so damn good. This is our spot now. Please go. Thank me later. read more

TACO CENTRO - Tortilla creation. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

What a good night time spot! We stopped by between bar hopping and got some tacos! Everything was really yummy and smelled really good. Not gonna lie, the blue lights outside had us thinking we were going to a club. Definitely a good pit stop. We ordered off a tablet and the food came fast. yum! read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Excellent spot for quick tacos and open late night. Overall I found them to be just so so. The salsa bar is divine however! Literally every type of salsa or condiment imaginable (at least to go with a taco) varying from bland, mild, to spicy. They also have some pickled options and fresh radishes. I got the shrimp tacos and the reason I wasn't a fan is the sauce overpowered the shrimp so I couldn't taste them at all. Maybe the other tacos are better. They also have plenty of other non taco options. read more

I recently had a really sour experience at this restaurant. Saturday night (4/25) I went to the restaurant to ask if I could use the restroom or if I had to make a purchase first which I was totally fine with but the cashier who was the only one at register at the time told me that it was fine and just to get in line to use it. I get in line and I'm waiting for a few minutes because someone in there takes a while. This other employee, a Latina with big blonde curly hair (yes I'm Latina myself), comes out from the back and joins the line. After waiting for a few more minutes that same employee proceeds to tell me "the bathroom is for customers only" and I tell her "oh the other employee said I could just get in line" just to explain myself and then she looks at me straight in my face and accused me of lying. Mind you this girl had just come from the back and wasn't there to hear my interaction with the cashier. I was honestly so shocked that I just replied with "I mean you can ask her, she'll tell you" and she immediately says "well I work here and I know the restroom is for customers only." At this point I'm not looking for any sort of altercation and just told her that she didn't have to be so rude and could've just led with that and that I'll leave. Imma be honest and say that I think she just needed to use the bathroom more than I did the way she was dancing around and arguing for it. I was more than willing to make a purchase just like I had asked in the beginning so I was disappointed with the recent interaction especially since I had been a repeat costumer. I guess I'll still be coming by just with less nicer friends lol! read more

Pretty damn good! Ratings below: Quality: 4/5 Tacos are a little greasy but that's the only thing holding it back from a 5. Al Pastor is flavorful and cooked well. Quantity: 5/5 These tacos are huge! No skimping on meat at all Salsa: 5/5 Their salsa bar is legit. At least 6-7 different types of salsa, (plus chili oil!). My favorites are the avocado salsa and the habanero salsa. The chipotle an cilantro salsas are pretty good especially if you enjoy more of a crema type salsa. read more

Amazing food. Their flavors are unique and addicting! I wish I could just come and order the Baja and Sonora tacos and leave, but no. I always have to order som churros to because they're so f*cking good that if I don't order them, I'll just be thinking about them while I'm trying to sleep that night. Everything's good read more

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Food 5/10 Service 1/10 Price on menu 0/10 They charged us 60 dollars for 2 tacos one burrito corn and rice at this hole in the wall Way over priced and not outstanding quality. Rude people at the counter during night. read more

Food was delicious! I recommended the place to a bunch of my colleagues as well. The shrimp and pork tacos were my favorites

This is for the service. Came in and ordered a burrito BOWL and I confirmed with the cashier. She gave me a burrito and so I had to flag her back down. I let her know that I had ordered the bowl and her response was, "well they made you a burrito. I repeated back what you said." And I said, "yeah, I know and I said burrito bowl." Then she responded with, "yeah, but they made a burrito." So, I said "yeah, but this isn't what i ordered, bro." She got offended, but she's going back and forth. Seems like she didn't wanna make the bowl. Luckily a cook with glasses came out and I think he has the concept of customer service. The cashier was rude. I have never had this issue in the evening as I come by here pretty often cause I work 1 block up and 1 down over, but whatever. The cashier was a rude bimbo and maybe you should turn the music down if you can't hear customer's orders. Shitty attitude from your cashier. Y'all can do better. I won't be coming here while she's working the cashier with her ugly ass attitude read more

This spot is setup real well, especially being where all the gaslamp SDCC shenanigans are during the con week. They have ample seating, outdoor seating, a good order system, good PA system to call your number for your order and a sauce and salsa bar etc. Fountain drinks, bottled sodas, ginger beers and beer! The service was good we have no issues with that servers were nice order at the counter and come pickup your food. The staff were nice. Now to the menu, there is an inflated pricing menu for comic con. I get it make your living it's a business capitalizing on the busy con week, no issues there and glad to support! Now the issue we had was the tacos took a bit to make, it wasn't crazy busy during the time we stopped by (between lunch and dinner) mid afternoon. We opted for some items but were told it's not on the convention menu, but had signage on the walls at the register. Okay no problem. Got the tacos 3 for 20 bucks (if paid cash a bit more if credit) The tacos came out and were cold the meats each one was cold, the chicken had a weird aftertaste to it not sure what seasoning it was. The other two were a bit better in sense of taste being beef and pork but also equally cold. Maybe just a misfire or put together using meats cooked earlier. Not sure but was a bit disappointed in that regard. Ended up going up the block and buying 8 tacos for 30 and being happy as a clam after back at the telly. Cheers. And have a good con week! read more

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Food is awesome. Authentic. Loved every thing we tried. Should have better reviews. Way better than the other taco places in the gas lamp. Do yourself a favor and go here. read more

Plenty of outdoor seating (not sure if they had high chairs available but with outdoor seating, it was big enough to fit the wagon the toddler eat from). Was craving fish tacos so tried both a grilled fish taco and fried fish taco and enjoyed both... but was surprised how much we enjoyed the chicken bowl (got it for the toddler but it was too much for her so we helped) and it was well balanced (not rice heavy like many other places we know)--would return to try their other items read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO GRILL/BAJA - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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A lot of restaurants were closed before 9pm on a Friday night in the area. Came across this place and I'm glad I did. Everything was amazing! Quality meats used and large portions. Lots of salsas to choose from and I tried them all. Michelada was great, fries were crispy, street corn was big. Staff was friendly and I also like the option to order on a touch screen. I can't wait to go back and try more items and also taking family members to try it out. read more

Stopped here for a quick bite and was NOT disappointed! The tacos I ordered had homemade tortillas and tasted authentic! Loved the area also because of the seating and vibes. Great burritos also considering that they pack it with meat! read more

Came here because they serve Pacifico (husband's favorite beer) and surprisingly hard to find in Gaslamp apparently but definitely will be returning for the food! Delicious carne asada and al pastor. Vampiro was excellent and carne asada on point. My husband is very picky about the quality of meat restaurants use in carne asada tacos and he said he could've eaten 2 more if he wasn't already full. That's saying a lot From him. We sat outside on the patio during Sunday brunch. Good music, good food, cold beers - people watching on market street what more could you ask for! Stand Out Dishes: Al Pastor Vampiro Sonora Taco Their Salsa Bar is chefs kiss - at least 12 different options of salsas and accoutrement Better be ready with your order because the lady behind the register ain't got time for you read more

Was craving tacos so I walked over to taco centro and placed an order to go. I ordered the al pastor and carne asada tacos with only onions and cilantro and some chips. Tacos were great! And a hefty portion. Although they feel kind of spendy for almost $5 each, there is a large portion of meat so was worth it in my opinion. Great flavor on both. There is also a salsa bar where you can pick your liking, overall great place for some quick tacos! read more

Food was delicious. Definitely coming back when going to a Padres game. Great location and the staff were attentive and made us feel at home. Thank you!! #Ohi8Here read more

TACO CENTRO - FRIES MAR Y TIERRA - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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1. Food okay. 2/10 2. I visited this place 1/17. Service sucks. The girl with black wavy or curly hair at register is rude around 7:30pm. You order at the kiosk and they don't even call your name or number that it asks for. You have to wait to get your drinks till your food is ready. 3. Not a friendly environment. Will not return or RECOMMEND! read more

Best fish tacos I've had in San Diego in almost 15 years living here. My daughter had the California Burrito and that looked amazing. Fountain soda, always great for free refills. Good salsa bar with plenty of hot spicy options. Indoor seating or picnic table seating outdoors. Highly recommend, would bring tourists here. Great pre-game dinner option! read more

BEST TACOOS EVER!!! These tacos beat the ones at home. We came here twice. We got the flour tacos with carne asada and al pastor with cheese! The tacos are huge, meat inside is super juicy, flavorful, and seasoned well. They have a salsa bar with so many to choose from. Our go to was the green salsa, cilantro lime, chipotle salsa, and the house salsa. Be careful because some of the sides can be very spicy if you're sensitive to spice. They have outdoor and in door seating. It seems like people eat quick here so easy to find a seat. It can get really pricey but it's worth it. read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered 4 birria tacos; they were delicious . The meat was a little dry but the EXTRA consommé made up for it . I really wanted to highlight one employee in particular. It was a female server working the register today at 12pm Saturday February 7th. Without me saying or noticing; she herself noticed it wasn't enough consommé and asked the cook for more . I could tell he wasn't too happy; but she made it happen . THIS IS EXCEPTIONAL service on her end and I URGE ownership to recognize this and highlight this . The details in service are what make restaurants great . I will absolutely be back and I hope the same service is provided across all members of the team and to all customers! read more

When I come to San Diego and am near the Gaslamp, I always find a way to come to Taco Centro. I enjoy watching the fresh tortillas being made while I wait for my food. I usually get the Mar y Tierra Taco and the Sonora Taco, which is made with a flour tortilla. read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Sprayed ambience. Great flavor. Friendly staff. I really enjoyed my meal there. It's a solid four stars for what it is. I would definitely go back. The food was good. read more

My favorite taco restaurant in East Village. It's not the cheapest, but tacos, burritos and salsas are all outstanding. Mar y Tierra burrito is my go-to favorite! Service is consistent. read more

Conveniently located near the gas lamp district, this was close to my hotel for a quick bite to eat. I've eaten both in the restaurant storefront and ordered for delivery. Nice it is open somewhat late. I enjoyed the Al pastor tacos and if I had only ordered this, it would've been a 4 star review, close to 4.5. Tasted great and tacos were loaded (though somewhat pricey) three tacos is enough for a solid lunch. Love the pineapple on it to balance out the pork. However the carne asada tacos were terrible. Meat was dry, tough, and chewy. Had to spit out half my taco because it wasn't edible. There are better taco places out there but the location and hours were convenient. read more

We've walked by this place many times and hadn't stopped. Walked in for lunch today and there were quite a few people sitting inside and outside. Service was fast - we got our food in 5 minutes or so. Specifically the tacos which came out quick. We were pleasantly surprised with this place! I got three tacos - carne asada, al pastor & spicy shrimp. All three were packed with fillings, well seasoned and juicy. I love that they're street tacos style but dressed up. The flavor profiles remind me a little of Puesto. Would definitely stop by here if you're visiting from out of town and are looking for tacos close to 5th or the convention center! read more

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So good! I like how they shave the meat off vertical rotisserie, and they make the tortillas fresh. Service was fast and friendly read more