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    The Taco Stand

    4.4 (5.5k reviews)
    ModerateFood Stands, Mexican
    Open 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order The Taco Stand Takeout or Delivery

    The Taco Stand Photos

    Business Info

    THE TACO STAND ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Taco Stand

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hotel Del Coronado
    George C.

    Our family came down to La Jolla for 3 days 2 nights of fun in and around La Jolla, Point Loma & San Diego while staying at the historic & iconic Hotel Del Coronado. Day one we come across The Taco Stand & decide to have it for brunch, after the cave store, walk along the coast & checking out the tide pools. A short drive & we get get 2 asada burritos, 6 handmade tortilla tacos (with a huge scoop of guacamole) 5 Jarritos & 2 orders of churos, man! They did not disappoint! The service was quick, Ivan who I struck up conversation with over which was the hottest salsa is as friendly as they come. I was taking the habanero when he handed me the chili oil from behind the counter (I forget the oils name) . My burrito was great, fresh, clean. My picky wife & kids Loved it so much they asked for it again the second day, I was happy to oblige but will draw the line if they ask for a third day I a row. Ha! Go see Ivan & his family working The Taco Stand in La Jolla, you will NOT be disappointed!

    BAJA TACO
    Aiperi A.

    I had the best tacos EVER! house made tortillas, extremely fresh ingredients,so juicy and delicious. Must visit! Afternoon is longer line. The best service

    Outside restaurant view
    Sonia Q.

    I came here with a friend who saw this place on TV. I was excited to try their tacos. It's a small taco restaurant with a little bit of seating inside as well as outside. When we got there the line was out the door, but not too long. We probably waited 10 minutes in line. When I first saw the menu I was worried that 1 taco was $3-5 dollars because I assumed the tacos were more like street tacos. They were bigger than a street taco and filled with meet and guacamole. So I ordered 3 pollo asado tacos with a side of churros. These tacos were BY FAR the best tacos I've ever had. The tortillas you can tell were made fresh from scratch. The chicken was so tender and had a lot of flavor. They put a lot of guacamole, but it wasn't too much or too little. It was also very fresh. As I was eating all I was saying was wow, wow, wow. I was at a loss for words. The churros also wow! They had to make a fresh batch by the time I ordered one so it did take awhile, but honestly so worth the wait. They were hot, fresh, moist and very tasty. I'm usually not a fan of churro because they are typically greasy and crunchy. These were soft like a donut. By far again the best churros I've ever had. If I could rate this place higher than 5 I would. I HIGHLY HIGHLYYYYY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

    NOPAL TACO and CARNE ASADA TACO
    Luis E.

    I saw a long line at this restaurant 2 years ago and figured it was worth a try. I visited The Taco Stand recently and was honestly a little underwhelmed. The restaurant was small but very lively. There is limited seating inside and out. You can see the whole staff hustling and bustling. They have a soda dispenser and self serve condiment bar in the back. It gets congested quick back there. The decor is fun and colorful. Overall, the inside is small but inviting. I ordered a bean and cheese burrito, 2 tacos de carne asada, one Al pastor taco, and a taco de nopales. The tortillas are hand made. That's always a plus. The nopales taco was cold. I was hoping that it would have been grilled because grilled nopales are fire. The nopales happened to be my least favorite item that I tried. The Al pastor lacked flavor. I also thought it needed to be cooked a little longer. It wasn't under cooked but needed more time. It came with sliced pineapples but it was barely drained and the juices made the taco very wet and sweet. The al pastor taco and nopales taco was served with their cilantro lime dressing which was flavorful. The bean and cheese burrito was good and hearty. It paired well with their chipotle sauce. The carne asada tacos were the best. The carne asada was rich in flavor and the meat was cut into good sized pieces. Served with a good helping of guac and cilantro and onions. A little messy but it was a hit. The churros are good. Good size and seasoning and not overly oily. Overall, I would revisit The Taco Stand. The tacos I would order them basic as possible. Just meat and cilantro onion toppings while adding the sauce myself. If the tacos weren't messy I'd give it a higher rating. One thing that caught my eye were the asada fries. Those looked good.

    Less than a 10 minute walk down the street
    Anthony D.

    The Taco Stand serves incredible tacos just up the street from the beach, and that perfectly captures what makes SoCal such an amazing place to live. We tried almost every taco and the standouts were the Baja and Sonora. The fish in the Baja was perfectly fried. It tasted so fresh and airy. The steak in the Sonora was fatty deliciousness and the melted cheese brought things to another level. We waited in line for 30 min and close to another 10 min for our food to come out. The long wait made our expectations even higher than they already were, but the food still managed to impress us. I highly recommend The Taco Stand! Can't wait to come back!

    CALIFORNIA BURRITO, BAJA TACO, CARNE ASADA TACO
    Sarah P.

    As my first visit to SD in a long, long time, I felt it was necessary to visit one of the most iconic stops in the city! We have The Taco Stand in Las Vegas, but there is truly something special about getting delicious tacos by the water. The wait could get very tedious. The line wraps around the building into the parking lot with cars pulling in & out. You also wait a bit for your food. Compared to the location here in Vegas where I could be in and out in 5 minutes, spending nearly an hour standing around is less than ideal on a trip :/ But....... the food is unfortunately very very delicious. AND THE CHURROS! so yummy and sweet. My favorite is the Baja Taco. An absolute gem.

    MUSHROOM TACO
    Krissy W.

    3.5 The small restaurant had a long line that moved quickly. Even the wait for the food after ordering was not long. I had the mushroom/vegan taco. The tortilla was great. The mushrooms were sautéed with garlic and were flavorful. What was missing was the spices and freshness of a sea side taco stand. There was a bit of cilantro and a dollop of avocado - but no salsa nor chili powder. I didn't mind the messiness of the presentation. Overall a solid taco choice.

    Deepti A.

    Decided to try the taco stand on a Saturday morning after a walk in downtown La Jolla. The spot can be a little walk from the downtown. The spot was busy in the morning so recommended getting there early. The service was speedy. My burrito was good though it could use a little more flavor. The salsa bar had plenty of salsa options depending on the spice palate. The prices are good for the portions. Overall a good experience!

    Kaci C.

    Tasty tasty tacos that took about an hour to get. Self serve salsa and toppings bar which is awesome, the different sauces all added something yummy. Had the fish and beef taco which were so much better than a few other places during my trip. My complaint mostly is the wait. I get it, we came on a Saturday but the line barely budged, although when you're inside you can see they're producing tacos and packing them really quickly so what it looks like is they're doing a lot of mobile orders in between standing customers which to me isn't great. Maybe turn off mobile ordering on busy days and treat the people waiting in line first?

    AL PASTOR TACO CARNE ASADA TACO PESCADO TACO (MAHI MAHI)
    Becca J.

    I'll start out by saying the line is always long at this place... but I can confirm.. that it is SO worth the wait. Once you order your food you don't wait more than 10-12 minutes, even with how packed it is. Workers are friendly, seating area available inside and out, and the food it to die for. The pastor tacos were the winner for me and my boyfriend, with the carne asada being a CLOSE second. The juiciness and sauce on the pastor was crazy. The guac on the asada was also so delicious. All in all, PLEASE TRY IT!!

    Exterior
    Michael R.

    This location is still one of my favorite Taco Stands! So close to the beach, you can get a great meal to go (seating inside is very limited) and have a great day in La Jolla! The Mar Y Tierra fries are my favorite thing to get there - super generous portions of shrimp and steak on top of some deliciously crispy fries and topped with a heap of cheese and sauce! For the price it's honestly a great deal. The food does take a while to come out especially when busy since they have to make everything to order it seems but workers are all pretty nice and seem to try their best to get you your food as quickly as they can. Honestly the burritos are a bit on the smaller side but they are priced lower than a lot of the other burritos in SD, so I guess it's proportionate. Highly recommend trying all the sauces from their large sauce bar as well!

    CARNE ASADA FRIES CARNE ASADA TACO AL PASTOR TACO
    Uyen L.

    Went on a Sunday around dinner time and this place was POPPING. We ordered online for pickup and still had to wait about 15 minutes when we got there, but honestly good thing we did because the line to order was literally out the door and down the block. The workers were BUSY. Not a ton of seating inside, but we just took our food to the beach and had a mini picnic, which made it way better anyway. They also have a self-serve sauce bar, which I always appreciate. We got carne asada tacos, al pastor tacos, and carne asada fries. The carne asada was solid. Good flavor, decent sized pieces, not dry or chewy, actually pretty tender. The al pastor was kinda underwhelming though. A little dry and just didn't hit the same (flavor-wise). Also not a huge fan of raw onions and they cut them pretty big, so it was a bit overpowering. The fries were really good texture wise, and the steak was just as good as the tacos. Only thing is the nacho sauce on top was a bit much for me. Made everything kinda soggy toward the end. One thing I will say, they are VERY generous with the guac, and it actually tasted really good too. But I still can't get over the price... ~$5 per taco is kinda crazy. I get that they load them up, but still.

    Lily T.

    the taco stand: they have a few locations down in oc and sd, but we went to the la jolla one. i rlly liked the tortillas and they pack her up!! it is like $4 for a taco but def worth it. meats were juicy and tender + they have a sauce bar in the back w unlimited sauce, pickled onions, and pico de gallo. i def wanna come back for their cali burrito bc ive seen so many videos abt it. warning tho, seating is limited inside and no bathrooms. service was efficient but come early bc lines can get long.

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    17 days ago

    Best location in San Diego everything is so flavorful and cooked to perfection! Customer service is awesome too, Ivan was so helpful!

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    The Taco Stand Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Taco Stand

    Are the carne asada fries gluten free?

    NO. Fries have wheat in the ingredients and are in a shared fryer. They are very accommodating for other items and happy to answer any questions. Great spot.

    What is the parking situation like?

    Uh, there isn't one. Parking is super tight. Go a block away, and just park on the street somewhere. If you see a spot within 2 blocks, grab it. The lot next door is for Mitch's Surf Shop (which is a great local surf shop - must visit), so they're… 

    Do they sell deep-fried tacos? -fried the corn taco shell

    Just soft shell, but they do have deep fried house made churros and chips!

    Where do you park?

    There is a very small parking lot shared by other restaurants and shops. You're better off finding parking on the street. We parked around the corner in a neighborhood.

    Is it cash only? and do they have an atm machine?

    I'm pretty sure I paid by credit card.

    Are they open for lunch?

    Yes

    Do you use any nuts in your food?

    Only deez nuts.

    Are there restrooms?

    I don't remember. Please call them.

    Any daily specials or Taco tuesday deals?

    I haven't seen any.

    Any taco Tuesday deals?

    No, updated 2/4/25

    Is there a long wait when pre-ordered online pickup?

    No just tell the restaurant workers you're here for pick up and they should have it bagged and ready to go

    But do y'all have consume?

    No they do not have consome

    Is your chipotle sauce and cilantro sauce dairy free?

    Hello, Both sauces contain dairy. The chipotle sauce has mayonnaise and the cilantro sauce has… 

    Are the tortillas homemade?

    Yes👍🏾

    Do they have vegan options?

    Very limited. Cactus Taco or Bean Burrito. Not a great place for a vegan.

    Do you guys offer takeout?

    They do take out, but keep in mind that they don't do phone/online orders on weekends because of how crowded it gets.

    Gluten free items?

    Hi Karen, Our tacos are gluten free, with the exception of the Baja and Sonora. Our quesadillas… 

    You guys going tonfranchise?

    Not at the moment. Thank you!

    Are there any recommend times to visit during the day that's the least busy?!?

    I have been there once when visiting San Diego, the family and I got there around 6pm and sat down to eat around 7:15pm. A long wait, yes! But damn was it worth the wait. We cannot wait to stand in line for a long time to eat there again! 😉

    Is it safe to eat here for someone with a peanut allergy?

    Be sure to let them know beforehand, but I believe you should be ok. I’m almost positive nothing in the menu contains nuts.

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    Found this Pastrami place at the Poway farmer's market. There are very few places in San Diego that…read morehave a quality pastrami, either made in house or from RC provisions. This place does it right, its boiled and smoked which makes it so tender and tasty. I got the Number 18 which is a little more fatty than the Pastrami dip which is leaner and smoked a little longer. I basically asked which has more pastrami which is why I went with the Number 18. The meat was tender and flavorful and the rye bread was also very soft yet had the chew that you expect from a good rye. I'll probably try the Pastrami dip next time just to try it dipped in jus and the smoked pastrami. They both sound amazing. They are also at the La Jolla farmers markets and also a few breweries so check out their website to see where there at. Definitely one of the top places in San Diego for pastrami.

    Delicious, well made food from a charming family-owned business…read more I love the #18, substituting the smoked pastrami - it's one of my favorite sandwiches of all time. The smoked pastrami is unbelievable. When your sandwich has 3 ingredients, there's no where to hide, and every ingredient delivers. Don't sleep on the Chicago dog - it's the real thing, served with sport peppers and Chicago style (neon!) relish. This is the only dog I've found outside of Chicago that tastes like the real thing. It's fun! My wife loves the pretzel, and orders a side of pastrami to accompany it. The pickles are great!

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    Number 18 - classic NY-style piled pastrami on rye bread with deli mustard
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    Pacific Pizza completely made our baby shower! The pizza was SO good, and I genuinely didn't hear…read moreone bad comment all day. Every slice was a hit. The staff was incredibly friendly and brought such great energy. Sean was wonderful to work with from the start. He responded quickly, answered all my questions, and made the whole booking process stress-free. You can tell he runs his business with pride. I would give more than 5 stars if I could. We'll absolutely be using them again!

    I cannot say enough great things about Sean and his team with Pacific Pizza! I used their services…read morefor my rehearsal dinner this past weekend and I'm so glad I made this decision! Everyone at the party was very impressed with not only the quality of food, but their excellent service, punctuality, and fantastic set up. Many of our guests said that this pizza was some of the best they've ever had. The crust, sauces, and different recipe combos were absolutely exceptional. Sean was communicative, kind, professional, and SO friendly! He was talking to some of our guests at the party in between making the pizzas/bringing them to our party area and was happy to answer any questions we had for him, which everyone absolutely loved! He truly made it a well-rounded experience. He also was very flexible when we needed to make an adjustment to the timing which we appreciated so so much. I hope to use Pacific Pizza in the future for other events and I highly recommend others do the same. Thanks Sean and team for a great party!

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    Shawarma Guys

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    We heard about Shawarma guys from YT featuring best food spots in San Diego. We went to their South…read morePark branch. We were initially aiming for the crispy shawarma however only Mira Mesa and La Mesa does it. So I guess that's next on our list! The wraps were unexpectedly big! This is probably the biggest wrap I ever had! Generous with meat and veggies. Their wagyu egg rolls are definitely must have! Falafel fries is really good too! All of these perfectly paired with their garlic sauces. My favorite is spicy lemon garlic! The staff are very knowledgeable about their menu. It's a food truck set up and there's mini standing tables for alfresco dining. SG was definitely lived up to the title #1 restaurant in the country on Yelp!

    Came here on a Wednesday night around 8:30pm. I ordered online in advance and just waited outside…read morefor my order. There were plenty of parking spots around this time. Not really an ambience since there's not much as far as a dining room. There are a couple of cocktail tables where you could eat. After ordering online at 20:20pm, my estimated pick up time was 8:39pm and got the order at 9:03pm. The cashier informed me their chicken is taking a while and added extra time to the wait. It probably would've been faster if they weren't so backed up. I ordered the Wagyu beef and chicken shawarma plate for me and my wife to share. I added 3 falafels and pita bread on top of it. The food was still fresh when I got home 15 mins later. Everything was good and just enough for us two. Also, I'm not sure why there's a range of where they may be located on Yelp since this is just a food truck that seems to be permanent at this location.

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    Shawarma Guys
    Falafel Plate ($13) comes w/ yellow rice, hummus, tabouli and pita bread
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    Southern Fried Vegan

    Southern Fried Vegan

    2.3
    (161 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    Got food with my wife and daughter at Trophy Brewing Pop Up in Raleigh. They're vegetarian, I'm…read morenot, but always looking for good vegetarian/vegan spots we can go together. Food was fantastic. We all loved all of our food and would eat it any day. It's not cheap (but food truck and pop ups never are. There was a ton of food in our trays so we all had leftovers to take home after eating until we were stuffed.

    Update: After seeing the business owner's response, I went to their IG and looked at pics of the…read morefood they advertise. It looks nothing like what we received. I wish I had taken pics to show the vast difference. If the food in their pics matched what we were served, I assume my review would be much different. That said, I stand by my comments and still think $25 for one small scoop of "beef" is not a great value. For future events, please prioritize quality control and maybe market your menu differently? For example: - Sandwich Combo (1 sandwich and 1 side for $XX) - Southern Platter (choose 1 meat and 3 sides for $XX) - Meat only (1 meat for $XX) - Sides only (3 sides for $XX) It would be more straightforward and less confusing for customers if the menu was written that way. I'd also like to add that the price would be less of an issue for me if the food was actually good. ________________________________________________________ I tried their food at Vegfest Santa Cruz today. I was really excited because they had a long line, we were only about sixth in the queue, not at the end. The people ahead of us mentioned that they were at another event in Berkeley and completely sold out before they got to the front, so they wanted to make sure they tried it today. The line moved extremely slowly; they eventually felt bad and went around offering free cans of kombucha for the wait. When I finally got to the front, I asked a question about the menu. They had brisket listed for $25, I wanted to know if it came with a side or if I had to buy them separately. The woman confused me. At first, she mentioned that I could get three sides with the brisket for $30, but then she clarified that it was actually $25 for brisket only and that I would have to pay $10 extra for three sides. I explained that I only wanted brisket and mashed potatoes, not three full sides. I needed more time to think, so I let my friend order first. My friend ordered a spicy fried chicken sandwich, which was also listed at $25. They told her that it came with one side, so she chose mac and cheese. Then, she asked why I wouldn't be able to get brisket and mashed potatoes for $25 instead of paying $35 for brisket and three sides. They told me that I could get one side and brisket for $25. After 40+ minutes of waiting, we were excited to eat. Unfortunately, the food was extremely underwhelming. The brisket was dry, and some pieces had way too much char. The mashed potatoes gave boxed mashed potato vibes, they were unseasoned and bland. I wish they had some sort of sauce to help flavor the meal, but since it was sauceless and bland I only had 3 bites and gave up. My friend enjoyed the chicken sandwich, but she said her mac and cheese tasted like nothing. It was basically plain pasta with no cheese flavoring or seasoning. I sampled it and agreed that it was really bland. They could at least add some salt, pepper, and paprika if they're going to call themselves Southern Fried Vegan. By the time I got to the other spots I wanted to try, both the Omakase and corn dog were sold out. I'm so sad that I wasted so much time waiting in line for overpriced bland food that I didn't even finish. Since the only flavorful item was the chicken sandwich, I can't recommend this place to anyone and regret waiting in line.

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    Southern Fried Vegan
    Country dinner with fried "chicken," mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, & jambalaya

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    The Taco Stand - foodstands - Updated August 2026

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