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    Tacos El Gallo

    4.3 (253 reviews)
    Open • 9:30 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Tacos El Gallo Takeout or Delivery

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    TACOS EL GALLO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Seating Area
    Vivian T.

    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.

    Mark C.

    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

    Flat top grilled fish  !
    Chris M.

    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!

    Fish taco
    Gabriel W.

    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.

    Left to right: carnitas, cabeza, steak
    Fidel O.

    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!

    Crispy Tripa! Yummmmmy
    Jessica Scarlett B.

    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!

    Front
    Mark O.

    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.

    Lindsay C.

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

    Alejandra H.

    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!

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    2 months ago

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    7 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Food was delicious made to the order ! I would definitely be coming back and would recommend this place WAY better than tacos el Gordo

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    11 months ago

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    7 months ago

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

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 months ago

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

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    9 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Israel M.

    Israel M.

    Sorry but you guys were drunk, this review doesn't count lol

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    9 months ago

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    9 months ago

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

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    1 year ago

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    Page 1 of 7

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