Tacos El Gordo is a whole thing. I don't want to say it's "a vibe," because I would never say that!…read moreBut you need to visit knowing that you will be waiting in a long line, and then you'll be waiting in a medium line depending on what kind of food you want, and then in a shorter line to pay. You'll be waiting in lines. And then, hopefully, you will find a table at which to enjoy your food. If you're smart like me, you will bring your children and make them sit at a table while you wait in all of these lines. You will bribe them with promises of great Mexican food. And if you're like me, your children will be sleeping in the booth when you finally arrive with tacos and quesadillas, and they will be feeling cross at you for bringing them to a place that's so crowded and requires them to wait so long to eat. The food is worth the wait, though. My tacos were amazing. I got the specialty, which is the taco de adobada -- spicy pork. You can see the pork on spits in the kitchen, and the people who work here shave it off little by little. I can see why it's the specialty, because it's delicious. The tacos are prepared simply: on corn tortillas with diced white onion and cilantro, and that's it. They have a few other things at the condiment bar, like sliced and whole radishes and lime wedges. I also got an asada taco and asada fries, but you need to get in a different line to get those. Seating is extremely limited. There are some tables in a dining room upstairs, and there are a few tables outside on the sidewalk, but that's it. Depending on how busy they are, you might just have to take your food to go.

Tacos for lunch?? Heck yes!!…read more This establishment is in a prime location, and since it sits on the corner, it's always busy. The lines are usually out the door. I've been to other Taco El Gordo locations before, so I came in expecting the tacos to hit the spot. Unfortunately... disappointment. The only tacos that were worth the wait were the Adobada tacos. The others Asada, Carnitas, and Buche were simply bland. The Buche tacos, in particular, were extremely salty. The salsa could also use some improvement. Overall, most of the food lacked flavor. We might come back for the Adobada tacos, but other than that, I don't see myself returning.

Great food, fresh and made to order. Recommend the adobada and lengua options. Service is fast,…read moremany tables available for lunch. Ambiance is what you'd expect from a fast food spot. Bathrooms were decent.

By far my favorite meat to get in tacos is right here! Everything is savory and well seasoned and…read moreFRESH! The smell alone makes your mouth water and then you take your first bite and it somehow is even better. Carne Asada is definitely my favorite meat but you cannot go wrong with any of the others here too. Line is always long but it goes fast. This is usually our go-to place when friends are in town and want to visit the Gaslamp. Everyone is always impressed by the flavors. I wish all Mexican food tasted this good. I also like getting a side of veggies here as well! The grilled veggies are gooooood. It can be pretty hard to find seating but they're also easy to eat on the go or get on the go and they wrap it in foil if you need. I also feel like the staff is kind and listens to your requests even when it's insanely busy. It's a well-oiled machine and I hope this business is always here and has much-deserved success!

Amazing tacos! I always come here when I'm in the area. The ceviche and tacos are outstanding…read more Despite the line, the order came out fast. The seafood is fresh and i really enjoyed the battered fish taco. Seating is very limited.

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Busy place but it's thankfully quick! Also had to wait in line but not for too long. The guac is so fresh and delish - just need an extra squeeze of lemon. Sauces and condiments are up for grabs and a lot of it is self-service so it can feel more chaotic. The fish tacos, shrimp tacos, octopus tacos, and ceviche were all good! Not a 5, but a solid 4.5 :)

Best fucking tacos & churros ever ! And they sauce options is fire . I eat this place maybe 3-4…read moretimes a week

I went in expecting something good, but these birria tacos completely reset my standards. The first…read morething that hits you is the aroma--rich, slow-cooked meat with deep chili and spice notes that already tell you this isn't rushed food. Then you see them: crispy, slightly oily tortillas, stained a deep red from the consommé, folded over generously stuffed meat.

Best birria I have tried in San Diego! I recommend the Cali Burrito And Birria Ramen.read more

I had never heard of MIke's Red Tacos until my recent trip to San Diego and I left telling everyone…read moreabout it. We shared the Mike's Meal and the loaded fries. The MIke's Meal is the best bang for your buck, in my opinion. Especially when paired with a side of rice and beans, you're eating happy. The Loaded Fries are for sure the most memorable thing we ate. Paired with a variety of salsas from their salsa bar? Game over. It's easy to see why this place is so popular. The bold flavors and quality food really make a lasting impression. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you give Mike's Red Tacos a try.

This place is amazing! Great food, service, and artwork. The staff were so kind and thoughtful. It…read moremade the experience wonderful.

Wanted to try some tacos while out here and this one had good reviews. It was also near our hotel…read morewe were staying at in Gaslamp. They have drawings all over their walls which was fun to look at. They have a few specials which are a good deal if you're going to get a drink anyway. I love c that c they had a self serve salsa bar. Must get the chipotle shrimp taco! 10/10 with flavor. Battered fish taco was ah ok.... Salmon taco was great too 10/10. Service was prompt. We had chips and salsa while we waited so it was cool. Overall, I recommend checking this out and trying the chipotle shrimp and salmon taco!

Been here multiple times, but came in honor of Cinco de Mayo and love that it actually landed on a…read moretaco Tuesday ! They had the buy 2 get 1 free deal which pushed me to try new meats since I always stick to adobada. ADOBADA HANDS DOWN FIREEE! I love me a good al pastor taco and they make it just right. Super flavorful, juicy and packed w/ meat. I'm always hesitant to try asada because I haven't found a good spot here in SD, but this one was bomb! The meat had great flavor, a smokey taste and was loaded with guac. I'd order one again. The lengua was perfect too, super tender and fell apart just right. They don't skimp on the meats either. Most of the salsas were tasty and had great flavor and the habanero had the perfect kick ! I heard of this spot because my friend had them cater her baby shower and I had to come try the actual spot. Def brought the same energy. Inside is nice and has a good vibe, love all the decor. Service was super sweet! Horchata was bomb too, not to sweet and they said it's homemade! Parking.. good luck, but def worth trying. 10000/10

Little taco spot that I decided to try, and it a no frills type of place. I decided to get a…read moreburrito instead of the tacos. The ordering process was simple enough, quick and friendly service. However I took mine to go, and it was a mess. It was literally dripping oil from the burrito and made such a mess that I didn't even want to eat the 2nd half after eating the first. To be honest it wasn't very tasty either. I didn't even take a pic of the burrito because I was so focused on it not ruining the counter space in the hotel. It served it's purpose of fueling me, but definitely wouldn't recommend it or go back.

Trust me, the line at the Taco Stand is worth it. The food and service is amazing ! Isabel was very…read morekind and helpful :) We brought a friend from Europe having Mexican food for the first time and he is thrilled.

This establishment is amazing the service and ambiance is great. Some of the freshest and best…read moretacos I've ever eaten the chips and guacamole were amazing good too. The Al Pastor taco was amazingly juicy packed with flavor grilled to perfection and had a nice char flavor. Also the Carne Asada taco was amazing it was obviously marinated and seasoned very well it had a great sear tons of flavor also it had a smoky flavor and the toppings they put paired so well. Overall this is one of the best restaurants I've dined at in San Diego I will be coming back sometime soon.

Some of the best tacos in San Diego! I loved everything about it. The tortillas are so yummy! The…read moremeat is perfect! I absolutely love the avocado and the different types of tacos they have. It was way more food than I expected! I expected to be small little tacos but they were actually big and delicious! The agua de Jamaica was so delicious and refreshing. Service was welcoming and fast! They have a parking lot. Definitely coming back!!!

"Adobada looks very disappointing"…read more People on TikTok have been really hyping this spot up lately, so I went in expecting it to be one of those "best in San Diego" type places, but honestly that's exactly why you can't always trust food influencers who base everything off one bite and a good angle. First thing I noticed was the parking situation is rough there's basically none, and you can't even risk street parking because it's marked red, so right away it already starts off inconvenient. When we got there, the tables weren't clean, which kind of kills the vibe before you even order, but I will say the carne asada mulita actually surprised me in a good way, it was solid, flavorful, and probably the best thing we tried. They also have a bigger version called the keka that I didn't get, but I could see that being more filling if the mulita is any indication. Customer service was decent, nothing special but not bad either, just kind of there doing their job. Overall though, even with a good item on the menu, it's not enough for me to say this place lives up to the hype TikTok is pushing. In my opinion, in San Diego it's still hard to beat Tacos El Gordo, and I've seen people online try to downplay it saying places like Chula Taco are better, and I just don't think that's accurate from a real first-hand experience standpoint. At the end of the day, TikTok food reviews can be entertaining, but a lot of times it feels like people are just chasing views instead of consistency or credibility, and you really have to try places yourself before believing the hype.The adobada was a negative 5 stars just look at it adobada is not supposed to look like :( #Tacos #SanDiegoFood #TacoReview #FoodReview #StreetTacos #CarneAsada #TacoLovers #FoodTok #EatLocal #TacoLife

Parking is limited but it was totally worth parking a little further away. The outside is pretty…read moreunassuming but magic happens inside. Their happy hour menu is pretty big. All appetizers, quesadillas, and drinks are 50% off. I ordered the mix and match tacos with carne asada and shrimp. The first thing I noticed when my food came was how it smelled. It smelled fresh and authentic. It's hard for me to describe but iykyk. Everything was delicious. The carne asada was juicy and flavorful and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. The tortillas were even freshly made.

Checking out taco joints in our hood and this Happy Hour piqued our interest!…read more Good sized guac! Crunchy chips and a mound of guac... I wasn't sure I'd have room for the tacos... Carne tacos were stuffed with meat and beans and rice were all good! Ambiance is rock club cantina, service was friendly, and prices are good for HH... Definitely hit this happy hour again!