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The Taco Stand

4.3 (1.8k reviews)
Closed • 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Order The Taco Stand Takeout or Delivery

The Taco Stand Photos

Business Info

THE TACO STAND ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - The Taco Stand

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Reviews With Photos

Mariness D.

Every time I pass by this place, there's always a line. It's a pretty small and quaint restaurant and they sometimes have a few tables outside on the sidewalk. Today we came for their breakfast burrito, and though the line was pretty long plus roughly a 20 minute wait after you order, it was worth it. We ended up getting the Ranchero breakfast burrito and their infamous California burrito. Similar to taco spots, they have a salsa bar. Our fave is their habanero and pico de gallo. I also like the ambience and decor of the place, with its barstools, bright writing on the walls and high ceilings, making it look like a legit taco stand inside. If you want to skip the wait, you can also order online and pick up for a "to go" order. Next time I'll be coming back to get their Carne Asada fries, which looked amazing.

Mai H.

Stopped by the other day and had the carne asada burrito and a couple of tacos. The carne asada burrito was pretty small for $10+, and I feel like the meat doesn't taste as good as it used to. Don't get me wrong - the food was still decent overall, but it didn't quite hit the same as previous visits. The sauce bar is still a hit, per usual! There's a good variety of sauces to choose from, and I love the extra toppings like pickled red onions, pico de gallo, carrots, and jalapeños. Such a great addition and a must for me! The sauce bar was also clean and well-maintained. It's still a solid option for Mexican food downtown, but it's missing that wow factor it used to have.

Chicken burrito
Jackie L.

We ordered a chicken burrito, the asada tacos, & Al pastor tacos. Asada was little dry but still flavorful. The Al pastor and that grilled chicken in the burrito... delicious. We are asada people so we were a little disappointed that it came out somewhat dry, but the other proteins made up for it. Still so flavorful and smokey. They finish on time when we picked up & took it to-go. Good spot if you're on the go!

Carne asada volcano taco - delicious
Kate F.

I love the Taco Stand. My favorite are their carne asada or al pastor tacos volcano style which comes with melted cheese, onion and a generous helping of guacamole. They have a salsa bar in the back This place gets busy so if possible order ahead with DoorDash Enough people grab and go that I always have seen seats available when I have come in

Shan S.

So many wonderful options of delicious tacos. I tried the battered fish, grilled shrimp, steak, mushroom tacos as well as the guacamole. The chips were fried very hard and the guacamole could use some additional seasoning so I didn't finish either of those. The mushroom taco was by far my least favorite but everything else was great! Not lots of space inside and very long line but well worth it. Fish taco 10/10 Shrimp taco 9/10 wasn't a fan of the cheese on it Steak taco 10/10 Mushroom taco 0/10

CALIFORNIA BURRITO
Alex B.

Cute and colorful interior with clean bathrooms! Their Kitchen space is open and you can see the chefs making the tortillas from scratch! The food was phenomenal! I got the California Burrito and it's definitely one of my favorite CA burritos I've tried, it was so flavorful and juicy. Their Chipotle and Cilantro salsa is GOATED! Would definitely come back and bring friends :)

CALIFORNIA BURRITO
Dylan B.

Took a recent day trip to San Diego and as a lover of Mexican food, I needed to confirm with my own taste buds that SD does have the best California Burrito considering they are the birthplace of my favorite style of burrito. It was a bit overwhelming trying to pinpoint one spot to get one since so many locals online named several different shops testifying they are the best. Luckily we were stopping by Balboa Park anyways and that whole area around it is basically the centerplace of all the burrito spots folks online were talking about. We just chose the Taco Stand since it was first one we were gonna pass by. There was a line out the door and every table was taken at the time but by the time we got in and put our order in, a family outside was already leaving so we got seated as we waited. We only ordered one burrito to share because we were planning to eat other stuff around SD and didn't want to pile it on. It did take a bit of time (around 20 minutes to get our one burrito), but we were able to get settled with all of our salsas and acoutrements at the salsa bar they had. The amarillo and verde salsas as well as the cilantro crema were insanely good and they also had pickled red onions and peppers/carrots which was also nice. The burrito: my goodness it was perfect. I honestly don't think I have ever had a California burrito that balances the meatiness of the carne asada, the creaminess from the guac and sauce, and the crispiness from the fries as well as this one. The fries here seem like they were double fried as well cause it boggles my mind the satisfying crunch that you get from it (part of which also comes from the fried cheese INSIDE the tortilla which is also amazing). It was stuffed to the brim with carne and although I will say I have had better asada, it was damn near A tier. Ultimately this has made me more excited to try other things on this menu and also the other California Burritos around SD next time I am around.

Shrimp and al pastor
Aleksandar K.

Great tacos; the shrimp one is a gem In a city where taco competition is fierce and I already had so many local favorites, I decide to give taco stand a try. Usually every spot has a signature taco, where for any given style there is usually a spot. I had my fish, carne asada, lengua, cabeza and shaders spots all lined up respectively it now I found the shrimp spot and they make a great al pastor as well. Shrimp is 5/5 Al pastor is a solid 4 Try this out and get your tier list running

California burrito is huge (and the best thing I've eating this year)
Mark S.

I was told "when in Cali, get a California burrito" and when I saw them here for under $11 I was all in. Verdict: It was so good I was eating it like a starving man rescued at sea - the steak was so uncharacteristicly tender (not chewy) and whatever they stuffed it with was insanely tasty. After all the euphoria I wanted to see where else they have locations, and was shocked to see there are many locations in Miami. Please come to Orlando?

POLLO ASADO BURRITO
Steve S.

It's really all about the service at the Taco Stand. The staff create the vibe and elevate the experience. There's always a line so don't plan on eating here if you're the impatient type. Generous portions.

Danielle V.

Great tacos! I loved the mahi mahi one. Lots of options and very authentic. They also have a salsa bar so you can go get whatever salsa you want. The tacos were also decent size for the price. They have some indoor and some outdoor seating. All the tacos we had were really great. The burrito looked good too!

Sharon B.

Fun little taco restaurant in the San Diego downtown area. There's free street parking right outside that we were lucky though to snag. It's a small restaurant but there's plenty of seating inside and out front. Giselle took our orders and was great at recommending their favorites to us. The tacos were large and prices were very reasonable. Ordered the carne asada and the camaron tacos this time. Orders are made to order. Delicious! We will be back when we're in the area again.

Secret Menu
Winston L.

The Taco Stand in La Jolla was one of the best taco experiences I've had in my life, so we had to check out this location in San Diego. This location does not disappoint. We went twice last week. Once on a Wednesday night as dinner for the kids. There was about a 15 minute wait as most ingredients are made to order - fresh corn tortillas and grilled meats. While we waited, we watched the chefs make our food. Upbeat music was playing and the employees were having fun. Kids had trouble finishing their tacos even after me taking my obligatory dad tax. Friday morning, we stopped in as they were opening. It took them a while to get started prepping meats, so unless your order was egg based, you'll have to wait a bit. We waited about 25 minutes being the first customer to get our order in. The food? You have to get their tacos. The fresh corn tortillas, large portions of taco filling, and the plethora of salsa options makes for a very memorable and customizable dining experience. I will usually get some combination of Baja (fried fish), Asada, Camaron, Pollo, and Al Pastor. I don't think you can go wrong with the tacos. They are on the bigger side, so I think most people would be happy with 2-3 for a meal. One item that I thought was just ok was the Pollo Ranchero Burrito. By going burrito instead of taco, you lose out on fresh corn tortillas and get a premade large wheat tortilla. The chicken is the same as the taco - well seasoned with really good char-grilled flavor. The other things were fine - rice, refried beans. I believe there is a convenience factor in just having everything in one wrap, but this burrito was a bit flimsy and a bit of a risk if you're eating it on the go. The TLDR version is come here, eat their tacos, be happy.

CAMARON TACO (left). SONORA TACO (right) CHIPS & GUACAMOLE (above)

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9 days ago

Great experience at The Taco stand in Convoy. Great costumer service, fast and delicious tacos! Ordered carne assada and pastor! Thank you!

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6 hours ago

Val was amazing, i had the best meal of my life. I was in the company of greatness today

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The Taco Stand Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Taco Stand

Are there still gluten free options safe for celiac?

You should call them to confirm, but they should have quite a few gluten free options. Their standard taco is made with fresh corn tortillas made to order. However, the burritos looked like they were all made with a large pre-made wheat tortilla.

How many tacos per order?

You order the tacos individually. One per order

Do they have a Taco Tuesday deal?

They do not

Is there a long line?

There was nobody in line when we were there.

View All 6 Questions

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4.3(435 reviews)
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Really delicious food but the portions are so tiny! So just a fair warning. Quite busy on a Friday…read morenight but we luckily made reservations and got seated maybe ~10 minutes after checking in. Food: - Flat iron steak: delicious and super tendy with a nice crust. Came with an arugula salad - Fish of the day: today was rock fish with a creamy panang/thai sauce and it was DELICIOUS - Duck: my table's favorite dish. You can make your own tiny tacos and the macha chili was seriously the best thing ever - French fries: nice horsestring fries, cant go wrong - Tuna crudo: super light and citrusy and flavorful, but only like 5-6 pieces - Chicken skewers: this honestly fell really flat. Would not recommend, i'd say it's the worst thing on the menu and surprisingly fell short. Doesnt feel like it belongs on the menu. - Brussel Sprouts: really good and unique with a peanut butter sauce - Mac and cheese: yummy but nothing special Overall was a great experience but I'd probably only come here on special occasions. Their drinks were also fantastic - the cantaloupe was super tasty. Shoutout Ola for being the best waiter!

Overview: 3.5/5 food hit or miss, service phenomenal, atmosphere beautiful…read more ---- Wednesday is all day happy hour! We got a large variety of dishes at a fraction of their usual price. The happy hour stand outs for me were the: - lamb meatballs $12 - this was the unanimous favorite amongst us, the flavors and juiciness of the meat was great ($4 per ball) - pork belly bao buns 3 for $16 - succulent and tender meat that basically melts in your mouth bc the fat in the best way, and the buns were super soft as well I enjoyed the flavor "crispy" brussel sprouts $10 but the texture was no where near crispy, they were cooked thoroughly but kinda mushy. The steak $25 was ordered as medium rare and was a bit too rare for our liking. But the fries were nice and crispy. The worst thing about the meal was the mac and cheese $8. We all tried it and agreed that it had issues with it being bland and having no depth of flavor, and the cornflake crumble tasted like old oil and stale cereal. Everyone's least favorite item of the night. ---- Notes: - we sat inside and there's not much air flow, it got pretty stuffy and hot during our meal - service was very attentive and charismatic, Dalton did a great job helping with allergy concerns - They were kind enough to split the bill in 3 but unfortunately charged me for an extra beer and I didn't notice it until after we had left - parking was okay, able to find paid street parking around the area ---- Overall: I reallyyyy wanted to like this place more, and I will probably give it another chance in the future bc I see such great potential. The food was just inconsistent btwn dishes with some being amazing and others subpar. If you want to try this place out definitely go on a Wednesday for their all-day happy hour bc their food at their regular prices wouldn't be worth it in my opinion.

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Books & Records - Interior

Interior

Books & Records - Table setting

Table setting

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Cocina 35

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4.2(2.3k reviews)
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I had recently went to this restaurant a few days ago and loved the service. I had the server, Mr…read more Victor, and he had the most welcoming and the funnest energy ever. He had recommended the corn tamales and quesadilla de cholorio, which was amazing by the way, and the jamaica's. Having service like this makes me want to come back even more!

One of the most disappointing dining experiences I've had recently…read more I read a lot of reviews from months back saying that they ran out of water cups, and you would think that they would have figured that out asap, but on the day that my friends and I dined here, none of us got any water throughout the whole course of our meal. We said we would wait for water but it never came around and they never checked up on it. I ordered the sampler that came with chilaquiles, beans, huevos rancheros, and corn tamal. When I ordered it, the server asked "and what would you like for your meat?" Her wording made it sound as if there was a protein that came with the chilaquiles. I was caught off guard at the end of the meal when I saw that there was a hefty (for the small portion) additional charge for the tough and flavorless carne asada. Maybe it wasn't intentional, but I think it would be better phrased as, "would you like to add protein?" for it to be less ambiguous. Nobody likes to be surprised with a higher bill than expected. I did not think the chilaquiles lived up its claim to be the best. It was pretty good, but the carne asada actually hindered it rather than helped it. Definitely get something else if you want to add protein to your dish. I was unhappy with the level of service, and the price didn't match the quality of the food. There are so many better spots in SD for Mexican food.

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Cocina 35
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Dining space.

Breakfast Republic - Eggs a plenty !

Eggs a plenty !

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The Taco Stand - mexican - Updated November 2026

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