my search for the best taco spot in sd is finally over. im a big tacos el g hater and tj tacos blew them out of the park. tacos el g used to be good, don't get me wrong. but the quality went down, salsa tastes like water, meat is tough, dry, and chewy, and expensive. tj tacos did everything right. tacos were huge and full of meat. 10/10 no notes. we ordered adobada, carne asada, lengua, tripas, and cabeza tacos. everything was insane. adobada was juicy, flavorful, and addicting. my brother looooved their carne asada and he's picky with his tacos too! the smokiness and char from the grill gave it the absolute best flavor. it was also super tender and juicy. my lengua and cabeza were just perfect. cabeza wasn't too fatty like some places. i enjoyed how carne asada was paired with a fresh flour tortilla while the others came with corn. they had the best tortillas! i'm just a girl who loves salsa and i need them spicy. that's where a lot of tacos spots here fall short. their salsas, especially verde, were spicy and soooo good. i was so impressed! lots of seating inside and outside. you order first and pay after. don't forget to ask for grilled onions, jalapeños, and extra salsa. can't wait to come back for drive thru! read more

TJ Tacos - adobada, carne asada, lengua, cabeza tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Looooooove this spot. I used to dine in and the workers were kind and quick. I now come mainly for the drive thru and the service is just as kind and quick. Their asada is super juicy with bits of fat and cartilage. Has a nice charcoal taste. The adobada is nicely seasoned and tender with bits of fat. Cabeza was like a super tender and juicy pulled meat. Tripas was super crispy and their quesadillas are super creamy and slightly salty. I've asked before to get tripas and quesadillas more seared and it made a huge difference! They have good red and green salsa. Spicy but not super hot. read more

I came here over a decade ago, remembering how good it was, but forgetting to write a review. Plus there are hundreds of Mexican joints all over Escondido. But only a few that specializes in making fresh tortillas and adobada tacos. Here's what I loved: ~ Parking / Dining / Service ~ Nothing special about parking, other than it can get packed here with only one row to park along. Otherwise, it's street parking, or just opt for take-out. Dining in seemed clean, as I didn't see a dirty table. Looks well maintained, I'd say. Service was decent, no issues. Fairly easy to manage as you go from station to station to order. Meaning, you order a burrito on one side, speciality tacos and quesadillas in the middle, and adoboda tacos near the entrance. Different from your standard ordering style, but arranged well. ~ Tacos & Burritos ~ What I ordered: - Taco de Adoboda ($3.99) sliced straight from the skewer onto a freshly flattened corn tortillas, mmm mmm mmm!!! Definitely al pastor street worthy in flavor! - Taco de Chorizo ($3.99) aww man, so good! Marinated and seasoned well, but wasn't my favorite of all, because that goes to the... - Lengua Taco ($5.15) and just seeing the tongue getting pulled out of the pot and onto the cutting board was tongue dropping in itself, literally! But the first bite was just soft and beefiness that I enjoyed tasting! - Burrito de Carne Asada ($15.99) was OK. The carne cuts weren't as big or flavorful as I had wanted. Or maybe I was just overwhelmed with how good the tacos were. A solid burrito in size, but I had to keep adding sauce to give it a kick. Their salsa roja and salsa verde were excellent too btw! Overall, I was debating between a 5 or 4-stars, and it pains me to give it a 4, but I do consider this taqueria a solid 4.5 kind of place! The tacos meats and tortillas are legit! If anything, as I'll be honest, I don't like paying extra for salsa, but I get it in these rough times. I mean, there's good reasons as to why these guys have been open for so long all these years. And that, I'll give them credit for. Highly recommended to try, as I shall be back again soon some day! read more

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Kept hearing good reviews about this place and finally got to try them out. I got the asada and al pastor tacos. The tacos were good sized portions and the salsas were yummy. The green one had a good spice to it. My favorite was the green creamy sauce. It is extra for the sauce. Will definitely come back to try more tacos. The service was great and didn't have to wait in a long line. read more

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It's been a few years since our last visit and the adobada meat is still packed with flavor and tenderness! A must visit when we're in the area :) read more

TJ Tacos - Adobada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

First time here- the food was good. The all time favorite from what were ordered were the adobado and cabeza tacos. There is parking but limited. Downside is that sides are extra sides (had to pay for avacado). read more

TJ Tacos - Adobado, carne, tripas, and cabeza tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

TJ Tacos My family and I absolutely love this place! We don't live nearby, but whenever we're in the area, we always make a point to stop by. Our favorite tacos are the pork, beef, tripe, and beef tongue. The meat is always fresh, hot, juicy, and full of flavor--never dry. Every time we come here, the tacos taste amazing and consistent. The restaurant is clean, and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. They work with such a cheerful attitude that it makes the whole place feel comfortable and relaxed. Even though we're not very good at speaking Spanish, we never feel awkward or nervous ordering here. The only small downside is the parking lot. It's a bit small, so it can be hard to find a parking when it gets busy. Overall, it's definitely one of our favorite taco spots, and we're always happy to come back whenever we're nearby. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 read more

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Hands down the best tacos I ever had in San Diego! Really authentic Mexican food and options that you don't find in other places, like beef head and tongue. My favorite is the Al Pastor tacos. You can choose corn or flour tortillas for the tacos and they come with condiments, such as salsas and radish. There is drive through as well which is great for when the place gets crowded. Limited parking is available on the side and the back of the restaurant. The interior is nothing fancy but trust me you want to try this place! read more

TJ Tacos - Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

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This place reminds me of Tacos El Gordo but the lines are significantly shorter! The meat selections are essentially the same and the tacos here are DELICIOUS! The ambiance is very lively and the place is busy. But since it is a smaller establishment, I can actually talk to and hear the workers when I'm placing my order lol Their asada and al pastor are wonderful. Perfectly cooked. Tender, lightly salted and savory. We also got their tripa and lengua. Both are wonderful as well if you're into those types of protein options. Another thing that I liked about this place is their drink options. Just like Tacos El Gordo, they also have a fountain for Bang! You can get Orange Bang here!! My meal was complete when I saw it lol Highly highly recommend this place!! I'm planning on coming back the next time I'm visiting Escondido. read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

The adobada was sooooo good honestly comparable to Tacos El Gordo in the quality and execution of the tacos *chefs kiss* a hidden gem in Escondido for sure!! read more

Maybe it's just us, but we found the beef a bit bland. I say this because there's so much positive reviews and the place had people in and out all the time. The drive through was constantly busy, but for some reason, it was a let down for us. We got the asada fries and while the actual fries were good, the beef seemed meh. We've had more flavorful marinated meat from some deli than this. But again, maybe it's just us, because this place clearly has a lot of fans. I do appreciate how fast and straightforward the whole process is. Interesting how others comment on the pricey tacos, cuz they're actually pretty cheap compared to San Diego city tacos. Perspective. Overall, I'm glad I got to try the spot for myself. read more

TJ Tacos - Carne asada fries. $17.99 - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Good burrito but PRICEY Food -California burrito ($16.99) - It tasted good 4/5, the ingredients were good quality but paying $18.47 (with tax included) for a burrito that's a 4/5 is pricey in IMO. -The tacos did look really good, I would come back to give them a try. Their tortillas are handmade. Service: no issues everyone was friendly. You order at the stations then pay at the cashier. They have a drive thru which is convenient! Ambiance: Gives off proper Mexico food vibes. Overall good spot but beware of the price point read more

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This is the legit taco destination. No frills but clean. You walk up, wait in line and order by what you want. ie carne asada and adobada on 1 side and cabeza and Lengua on the other side. Then after you get your food you walk to the cashier to pay. Everything is made fresh. I love the carne asada and adobada but my family loves the Lengua and cabeza. They load up the corn tortillas with the meats, onions, cilantro, and guacamole. It's so good! If you want authentic tacos come here! read more

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Very authentic and delicious street tacos! We have expected to come try this one for a long time because we saw some local food bloggers really recommend here. And it is very impressive and the meats are very tasty. The price is nice and service is good as well. Restaurant is clean and comfortable. read more

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Decent food. Not the best tacos I've ever had in my life, but it's good and in the style that I like. I really like the adobada fries and the burritos. Would be nice if it were a little closer in price to the hole in the wall taco spots I go to in LA, but hard to get those prices these days if you want good Mexican food. read more

adobada, cabeza, tripa, buche, carne asada, lengua, suadero, and whatever else your little heart desires in a street-style taco or burrito as long as it's beef or pork. TJ TACOS in Escondido sets a high bar. the place is always busy. lines are organized in cues for maximum efficiency. these guys turn out huge volumes of food in a hurry. little disorienting at first, but if all else fails, follow directions. for this visit I had CABEZA (slow-braised and shredded cow face) and ADOBADA (grilled pork that's been marinaded in a red-chili adobo) tacos and both were perfect. open till 11 pm, Sunday through Thursday and till 12 am on weekends for when you get late-night cravings. great excuse to make every day of the week Taco Tuesday. read more

TJ Tacos - CABEZA (braised beef-head) taco -- can you ever get enough head? - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

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The lines to order are divided according to the type of meat you want. It's organized, but it can mean that you don't get your food at the same time... The tacos are def worth the wait though! Especially with their homemade tortillas. So good! My favorite is the adobada (con todo)! read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

This location can get quite busy but the staff seems to be ready to pivot and respond to the lines for each station. Parking is hit or miss, they do have drive thru and small parking lot, as well as variable street parking pending construction situation that day. Operationally, you get in line for the station with the meat you want. My favorites here are the al pastor and lengua. Generally, the taco style here seems to be on the wet and juicy side (they literally do a sauce pour over for the lengua taco), so be prepared for a slight mess when eating but it's worth it!! Needles to say, lengua is my favorite here - soft enough to feel like fat but still has enough hold to chew. Their tortillas are freshly made in house (you can see them making it behind the meat stations). The al pastor here, similar to the other tacos are on the juicer side, but also possibly the sweetest al pastor I'e had. I wish I got a slice of pineapple but it was still good. Overall, I would make the drive out from san diego proper to get these tacos! read more

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Great food. You order first in line and then you go to the register and pay. I had the adobada fries and they came FULLY loaded. The meat was heaped on the fries and the sauces were amazing, such a great find! read more

We stopped by TJ Tacos during our last trip to Escondido and were very happy with our choice. You basically walk up to the counter and order from 4-5 serving stations. For example, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc. After you receive your food, you checkout at the cashier. The service was very efficient and the food was very tasty. My boys each got two tacos and a quesadilla. My wife and I each ordered a carne asada burrito. My brother in law ordered the carne asada fries. The burritos and fries portions were large. The pricing was on the higher side. The decor was nothing fancy but very functional. There was also a condiments bar. read more

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One of our favorite taco shops in San Diego for legit street tacos. Honestly better than tacos el Gordo... it does get busy and sometimes there isn't enough indoor seating so dress warm as they have plenty of outdoor seating just no heaters. Lengua and adobada is our fave! read more

My second visit to this place and it did not disappoint. The positives...tasty tacos, all you can drink "agua frescas" ( fresh waters=Tamarindo, Horchata & Jamaica) as well as the usual offerings of sodas, unlimited slices of fresh radishes which compliment the spicy tacos, comfy booths, clean restrooms and plenty of parking. What kept is from a 5-stars...guacamole is only standard on the carne asada tacos and theses only come with one tortilla...all the other tacos we ordered came with two tortillas which were great to split the meat into two tacos. They add oil and lightly fry the tortillas which makes the tacos "greasy" and add no enhancement to the tacos which are already nice and fatty . See pics for more info...Enjoy !!! read more

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Adodaba Tacos are good! You order first, get all the food on the kitchen and place them in tray, then pay at the cashier (they will give you cup for the drink) read more

TJ Tacos - Tacos Adodaba & Mulas Adodaba - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Drove out of our way to San Diego to try this and boy was it worth it. Some of the best tacos I've ever had. The meat is so juicy and tender, and they don't skimp out on it either. The prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. It's a must try for anyone who loves authentic tacos. read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

If you're in Escondido or if you pass by Escondido on the way to SD or back, this is an absolute must try. The tacos and burritos are top tier and I personally think they have the best to offer. My husband and I shared 3 tacos and a burrito and we were impressed by how juicy the meat was on every item. From the asada to the lengua and pastor, we loved it all. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating at the restaurant and you order at different lines for the different meats. We can't wait to go back on our next drive down to SD! read more

TJ Tacos - Tacos and Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Adobada is super tasty here. Lots of flavor, good Smokey charring, juicy. The bright green cream sauce balances with the marinated pork and the spicy tangy salsa. You can get extra green and red sauce at the cashier. Asada tacos were a little dry, but comes with a healthy portion of guacamole. The Tripas was also very tasty. I liked how it didn't have a strong oil taste. Very crispy and didn't make you feel heavy afterwards, great with red sauce. Would come here again for adobada! read more

TJ Tacos - 2 Tripa, 2 Asada, 1 Lengua, 2 Adobada - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

The staff here is hard working and considerate. I was waiting for the adobada fries my boyfriend ordered on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, there was a delay. Luckily, the cashier took the initiative and checked on it for me. Now that's service! read more

I really do believe this place is comparable to TEG and it has way shorter lines and is much closer to me so I'm very happy about that! The winner for me were the Mulas de adobada which you can ask in flour tortillas. It was amazing, will definitely be back for that. I loved that they loaded the meat on everything, even the fries. The fries were honestly more meat than fries. Everything tasted great, there wasn't a long wait, and reasonably priced! Can't wait to come back read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

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TJ tacos is amazing, great adobada tacos. Tacos are very flavorful and juicy made to order when you come up. There's adobada, asada, cabeza, tripa, etc. Tacos are about 3.99 each so it isn't the most budget friendly but by all means their portioning and quality are top notch. read more

TJ Tacos - Adobada Taco Cabeza Taco - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Pretty solid tacos! Tortillas are freshly made in-house and they give very generous meat portions. They garnish with cilantro, onions, and salsa for you so you aren't able to do it yourself. However limes are self-service so you can help yourself. Each taco was $3.85 and they offer various cuts of beef (asada) and pork (adobado). There's a drive-thru and plenty of parking to enjoy inside. read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

We always try to stop by TJ's tacos on the way down to San Diego! Service is great and efficient. You simply stand in line under the specific meat line that you'd like and order. Its easy to divide and conquer if you have multiple people in your party. Definitely recommend the al pastor and cabeza! The toppings are simple but well done and the meat is the star of the show read more

Great tacos and fast service. A little confusing but wasn't too bad. Would have liked a beer with my tacos but no beer just soda.

Probably the best taco place in North county!! My partner and I come here at least once a month for the adobada burrito. There's a lot of meat in their tacos & burritos and service through the drive thru is pretty quick! It's on the pricier side but the quality and amount of meat align with their price in my opinion. I have never been inside of the restaurant but my partner has, and he says it gives off tacos el gordo vibes! read more

TJ Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

Hmm this place is good but I wouldn't say it's the best nor my favorite. However, the service was good and it was pretty fast. I ordered through drive-thru and it came out right away. I would say to come here if you're looking for Mexican food that's close by but if you're willing to make the drive to tacos el gordo then do that instead. Their carne asada and adobada was good and would most likely order those again. I like that they put a lot of guac on the campechana fries but the fries themselves were a bit on the soggy side. Their tacos are decently big too and well worth the money. Ambiance is nice and modern. There's a drive thru and a parking lot! read more

TJ Tacos - Tacos and Campechana Fries - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California

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I heard that TJ Tacos was as close to tacos in Mexico so I wanted to try it out. When we arrived I realized that this place looked exactly like Tacos El Gordo and it took me back to all those times when I was there over the years. They have a small parking lot as well as indoor and outdoor seating. They have different lines for the different meats that you might want. Along with tacos they also have fries and burritos. I ordered the asada ($3.85) and adobada ($3.85) tacos. The asada meat was good and the guac made the taco way better. However, I preferred the adobada taco way more. The meat was tender and flavorful and the green sauce was addicting. My favorite has always been the adobada taco and it's the favorite of many others based on how much longer the lines are for adobada than the other meats. Salsas are an extra cost but you really don't need them because the tacos are already so flavorful. This is a great spot if you want this style of tacos but don't want to drive so far south for Tacos El Gordo. read more

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Great food great people. Exactly what a taco should be and then some. Well done my people

I came right before noon. Service was quick and tacos were delicious. There was lots of seating inside but we chose to sit outside, it was a little more peaceful. I would definitely recommend. Pricing was at 5.15 for a lengua taco and 3.99 for the other meats. The only feedback I would say is more variety at the condiments bar. read more

First time here. Order taking was a weird process with a hostess whose English was so broken I had a hard time understanding her. We had to pick up our menu items in different lines for each item we ordered. My wife got two soft beef tacos and I got one soft beef taco plus one casiadia which was $3.75. They all were very tiny on 3inch tortillas. There was no eating utensils. The soda drinks were only 8 ounces including the ice at $3.50 each. For a Mexican restaurant they did not serve rice and beans. They had no sides. After finishing our tiny servings we left and our bill was $28.25 and we left hungry. What a disappointment!! We will never go back. read more

SoCal is where it's at when you want good Mexican food. From where I'm from (Central CA), they have stepped up their cuisine but SoCal still has an edge, slightly. Service: The restaurant employs a lot of staff, approximately 10-15, so the lines are always moving. You get in line to order your food, head over to the cashier to pay, then find a seat. There is also outside seating as well. Staff cleanup right away as soon as patrons are done. 5 of 5 stars Food/Offering: They have almost everything that you would normally see at a taco shop EXCEPT they don't serve Chicken/Pollo here! So be mindful if you are chicken only patron. They have mostly beef and pork meats like carne asada, cabeza, lengua, buche but their most popular meat here, without a doubt, is their ADOBADA (marinated pork). There is always a line for adobada; at times the line gets too long that staff divert customers to the asada line and prep the adobada orders from the drive thru station. There is a station to get your limes, radish and salsas. 5 of 5 stars Overall: During the 3 years my kid has been going to grad school in nearby San Marcos, he has been on a culinary tear around the SoCal area and this was one of his recommendations. We do have some good places here in Central CA but SoCal is still where its at when it comes to good Mexican food. I'll probably not be coming here anytime soon :( but this place does hit the spot; it's always packed whether you're dining in or just driving thru. Parking is limited but you can always park on the street. Should I return to the area, I will most definitely come back here again. read more

Adobado is weird now with almost want to say a food coloring seasoning! Overall the prices are ridiculous. $3.85 for small plain quesadilla, $3.50 for a small fountain drink, $18 for adobada fries (20% increase since summer). read more

TJ Tacos - Adobada fries - Mexican Near Me - Escondido, California