Hands down the best tacos I have had in San Diego. I was actually blown away by this place. I have driven past it countless times and was always intrigued by the cute mascot and the outside decorations, but I was also confused why there was almost never anyone inside eating or grabbing food. The parking lot looked exactly how it always does. Barely any cars and no one inside when we arrived. There is plenty of seating though with booths inside and some outdoor seating as well. The menu is posted above the register and has a ton of options that all sounded really good. They also have bottled aguas frescas like horchata and jamaica. Another reviewer mentioned they are house made. They also offer canned sodas, bottled drinks, and juices. I ordered three tacos: the New York steak taco (their version of carne asada), a cabeza taco, and a carnitas taco. My husband ordered the flour quesadilla with asada and two al pastor tacos. There is a salsa bar with hot sauce, red salsa, limes, radishes, grilled onions, and grilled peppers. My favorite thing there was the grilled onions. They were a little cold so I'm assuming they had been sitting there for a while, but they were still so good. Our food was brought out to our table. Service was pretty neutral. Nothing amazing but everything was smooth. I asked for no salsa on my tacos because the employee mentioned the same salsas were already at the salsa bar so I could add what I wanted myself. When the tacos came out they looked incredible and smelled even better. The New York steak taco was a thin slice of steak laid on the tortilla topped with guacamole, onions, cilantro, and beans. My husband got the quesadilla version of this and it was honestly amazing. The cheese was that perfect melty quesadilla cheese. I have never had beans on an asada taco before but it added such a nice touch of flavor and saltiness. The steak itself was sliced thin enough where every bite was tender and full of that rich beefy flavor. The al pastor taco really stood out too. Unlike a lot of places that use ground pork with seasoning, this tasted like real al pastor. The pork was juicy in the middle with a crisp exterior that made every bite really satisfying. The cabeza taco is what really sold me though. It was incredibly tender and packed with flavor. You can tell it was cooked slowly. The carnitas taco was different from what I'm used to but in the best way. Instead of shredded pork it was large chunks of carnitas. It was juicy, flavorful, and made me rethink how carnitas tacos should be done. Every bite kept confirming the same thought in my head that this might be the best taco spot I've tried in San Diego. I still have a lot more places to explore around the city but this place definitely set the bar really high. read more

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First time try this place place and probably last last We ordered Adovada burrito and 2 carne asada burritos paid $56 Very little meat with a lot of beans and LETTUCE ( that's right they put beans and lettuce in burritos read more

The food was cold love the portions but the meat in tacos were cold. Once I got home I had to throw the meat in the skillet. They put an entire slab of carne on your taco instead of chopped which I loved but the downside the meat was like it was leftovers read more

Tacos El Gallo -- 2 stars Yo -- rolled up to this little hole-in-the-wall on Second Street in El Cajon 'cause we're big taco-shop heads in SD and drove by it all the time. Was really hoping for more but, truth be told, got less. Place didn't feel very clean, the flavors were kinda out of balance, and the pricing didn't match what was on the plate. With so many solid spots around, not sure I'll be coming back. Bummer, bro. -- Captain 619 read more

Tacos El Gallo - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

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This place is incredible. At this point Ive tried their tacos de Asada, carnitas, birria, al pastor and consume. I would be willing to drive down from north park every day of the week for this place. I've tried almost 100 taco shops in San diego and this is the best. I promise. read more

The food was delicious! Great condiment bar. Fresh veggies and salsas. She literally cooked it right in front of us!!! Not just prepared...cooked. Great drink choices. Refrigerator could be a little colder. Both of the staff members were so friendly. We were chatting about there recent 7th anniversary. I was gonna try for my first time that weekend but there was NO getting in without a loooong wait. Waited a week and stopped by. Soooo good! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Flat top grilled fish ! - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

I've been wanting to check out this taco spot for a while and it did not disappoint. I got the New York steak taco, Al pastor taco, fish taco and cabeza taco. My favorites were the New York Steak and Al pastor. They use really good store bought yellow corn tortillas. The New York steak was a well seasoned, very savory thin piece of steak that was not chewy. I still prefer my asada al carbon, but this was a nice change up. The Al pastor was thinly sliced with the crispy charred pieces all steeped in their savory marinade. They have a small salsa bar with one salsa verde, one pico, grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, radishes and limes. Overall I'd give this taco spot a solid 7.5/10. Solid tacos that will more than satisfy your TJ taco craving. read more

Tacos El Gallo - Fish taco - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

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I travel throughout San Diego for work so I get to try some random spots here and there if I stop for lunch. I was craving tacos today and these guys REALLY hit it home for me. You can't go wrong with anything you choose but I went with the steak, carnitas, cabeza and pastor. They even hooked it up with a birria taco just because they wanted me to try it and that gesture alone made me feel welcome. Like family. each taco had a unique flavor, but the meats were all very tender and very delicious. The location is small and feels like one of those hidden gems, but glad they couldn't hide from me lol. Next time I'm in the area I'm coming back to try the rest of the menu! Thank you to the owners for the good food and the welcoming vibes! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Left to right: carnitas, cabeza, steak - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

Best TJ style tacos! We come here all the time now because I crave the El Pastor and the Crispy Tripa tacos! Everyone there is so nice too! The BEST! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Crispy Tripa! Yummmmmy - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

I found this place on doordash and it's never dissapointed. I always get the al pastor tacos and it comes with a avocado salsa and red salsa that are tolerable for someone who likes spice. I went in person and it was SOOOO good! Super fast service and the meat was super juicy and seasoned well. I am really picky about my tacos and won't just try places if they don't look authentic, so just know this place is really good. Ambiance was chill, music playing. read more

This is a nice shop that makes a variety of tacos; with my favorites being the NY Steak (carne asada) and Chile Relleno. I believe the NY steak taco is at least 4 dollars each now, and the Chile Relleno is 7 dollars each. They are much larger than a typical TJ taco so its not bad value wise. The other ones like the adobada are good as well, but they are on the smaller size so the value is not so great at around 4 dollars each. BB loves the churros here, they make them fresh upon order. They also have a small but useful salsa bar with red and green sauces, radishes, and fresh slices of whole jalapeno. A pretty solid 4 star establishment that we have picked up from a handful of times, and would return to if we were in the area. read more

Tacos and customer service is EXCELLENT!!!! I would definitely eat there again and again!

Found this hidden gem on a drive from LA to Tucson passing through El Cajon. The tacos were amazing. Chill vibe, cool owner - make it a stop or if you're lucky enough to live near, enjoy! It's tucked back a couple of buildings from another taqueria in a converted Weinerschnitzel on the corner - look for it. read more

Tacos El Gallo - Front - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

I got the El Pastor taco. The flavors were amazing. The taco is fresh, however I was bamboozled by the place next-door. I thought it was the taco place I wanted and it was horrible. Don't be tricked. read more

I popped into this place yesterday because we were craving some good Mexican street tacos, and this place definitely satisfied that. They were so friendly and helpful, they had a big selection on tacos and other food items . I got the birria tacos and al pastor. The Al pastor was a little more on the crunchy side but it had really good flavor. There was also a lot of locals who stopped by. If you want some quick good, cheap, authentic tacos, this place is it! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

Bummer - this place heavily increased their prices. They're now the most expensive taco shop in El Cajon. Time to go elsewhere folks. read more

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Delicious tacos and great customer service. I walked in and asked if they had restrooms for their customers... the gentleman responded yes. I then looked up at the menu and he told me that I can go ahead and use the restroom first. I've noticed that a lot of places lately want you to buy something before they even allow you to use the restroom which is completely ridiculous and lacks hospitality. I really appreciated that about him :) . He was very friendly and professional. I ordered three steak tacos and the meat tasted very good, flavorful. The beans were yummy! Everything was well portioned. Definitely will be coming back. read more

Great Adobado and Tripa tacos so good!!!! I would definitely recommend this place if haven't already been!!! Great service and friendly staff!!!! Try the quesadilla on corn tortillas.. Fire there made different!!!! read more

Amazing food and very friendly service! The homemade horchata was incredible! We got the Al pastor, carne asada, and birria tacos. We wiped our plates clean. You can order corn or flour mulitas, nice to have the option here. 20/10 for this place! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

We came by 2 weeks ago and to our surprise found a True Gem! From hospitality, to fresh ingredients and tasty tacos I was left wanting more! Love its authenticity while holding space to the locals shows they're listening to the customer. Wish I could have taken photos, but it wouldn't serve justice then swinging by to enjoy. I'll be swinging by soon, well worth my 30mins drive. Thank you! read more

Small quaint local taco shop. They serve Tijuana style tacos. The food was amazing and came out quickly. The Al pastor was well seasoned and the carnitas were even better. Has self service salsa bar with grilled onions and peppers. We also ordered tortilla chips and they were fried fresh for our order. Would definitely come again and recommend this spot if you're looking for delicious tacos! read more

Tacos El Gallo - Taco al Pastor - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

Amazing tacos--Al pastor is all I get and they taste like the ones in Mexico--my favorite taco spot in San Diego!

AMAZING FOOD! Carnitas were cooked PERFECTLY! Moist and flavorful! The Birria is perfection. Perfectly seasoned. Not greasy. The adobada taco is EXACTLY as I remember in Mexico City. Customer service was Outstanding! Eat here. read more

Wow! Just wow! My coworker recommended this place, and I'm so thankful she did. This place is authentic and delicious! Tacos El Gallo is conveniently located on 2nd, and there is plenty of parking. Luis helped me right away and was super friendly. We got the Al pastor mulita and an Al pastor taco, Chile relleno taco, New York steak taco, birria taco, and a carnita taco. Everything was incredible, but my favorite was a tie between the carnitas taco and the Al pastor mulita! This is going to be my new go-to spot for tacos in El Cajon. The prices were fair, and the food was delicious...what's not to love?! read more

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The food here is generous portions, and delicious Their New York steak tacos are the best I've ever had Great customer service read more

Best ever Al Pastor Tacos . Very good Birria tacos. Looking for a quick pick me up on the way home from work? Try Tacos El Gallo read more

Tacos El Gallo - Refrescos, sodas - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

Excellent! Absolutely delicious Ask for the top 3 and you're gonna want to make this place your new favorite taco spot Omg more more more muchos gracias Gracias! read more

Other taco shop are just there taking ur money there's no love or passion for the food there cooking just selling a name but not here you can taste the love and passion in every bite I will drive past 15 plus taco shop that are trash just selling a name just to eat here I leave full belly b on flex real talk this is a bomb as taco shop hands down read more

Absolutely amazing! My family and I drive all the way from Clairemont to El Cajon just for these tacos -- that's how good they are! The New York Steak tacos are on another level... juicy, flavorful, and hands-down some of the best we've ever had. A huge shout-out to Andres for his incredible customer service. He always treats us like family and makes every visit feel special. Places like this are rare -- great food, great people, and a great atmosphere. If you haven't tried Tacos El Gallo yet, you're missing out. 100% recommended! read more

This place is so good!! Had the Al Pastor and the Tripa and it was heaven. Meat was seasoned very well and the tortilla was soft but toasty (idk how to explain it lol). I never finish my food but I left no crumbs on that day. Only downside is that it appears they don't have a hot salsa. The salsas at the bar were very fresh though. Will definitely be back. read more

BEAT TACOS IVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!!!! I went here everyday for a week . These were the best prepared and best tasting I've had and it was so great to stumble into This establishment . Great advice from the cashier and ordered the tacos I did and I won't ever eat any other type when I come back again . I love the fresh product and the amazing service plus it's a cute little restaurant inside . read more

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I moved to El Cajon about 6 months ago and I was nervous about finding a good taco spot. I always saw Tacos El Gallo so decided to stop by one day and it was easily the best decision I've ever made. Andres welcomed me in and even gave me a free taco to try out. I can say they have the best tacos I've had in San Diego by far! Cabeza? FIRE! Al Pastor? FIRE. Very welcoming and clean restaurant, we always stay and eat there to enjoy the tacos fresh. read more

Food service is amazing I'll give the place a good 10/10!!! Amazing food just no restrooms but there's a place next door! Very delicious food read more

The tacos and burritos are amazing!!!! Authentic TJ style tacos el Gordo nor Frank are as good as el Gallo. Best tacos in town!!!!

This place is as authentic as you can get just legit street tacos and burritos made with fresh ingredients and great service. The birria and Al pastor are favs and I'd also recommend a crispy tripas taco, it's honestly the best tripas I've ever had. read more

Best adobada tacos and horchata this side of the border. The horchata is homemade and the service was excellent.

Best tacos I've had since moving to SD. Super delicious, fresh just so much flavors. I ordered the chile relleno, al pastor and carne asada tacos just delicious. Everyone is super nice and will be back very soon. Highly recommend this place!!!!!!! read more

Everyone was super friendly and very helpful. They went above and beyond for us. The birria tacos are really good! Happy 5th anniversary! read more

This place is a hidden gem with some of the best Al pastor tacos cut off the trompo. The beverages are cold and the staff is very friendly. read more

Tacos El Gallo - Tacos Near Me - El Cajon, California

Great drink selection, customer service was great and the El Pastor tacos were great! Will definitely be back to try the other meat options they have read more