This is all about San Diego's Best Tacos.
Each one is different, each place serves
the most delicious tacos you've ever had in your life.
I'm posting them as I go, with prices and photos.
If you have a favorite Taco Spot, don't worry.
I'll be going there very soon.
4676 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
(858) 483-9756
These are so far the best tacos I've eaten ANYWHERE. Always an incredibly busy, clean, and friendly restaurant. In a great part of town, easy to order with a fast drive through window. But here's what's great about these guys, and this location in particular; the smokey dark red sauce which has no equal in Southern California, the Chicken Fajitas taco or burrito made to order, pretty much any of their huge double wrapped fresh tacos, and their Flying Saucer. These Flying Saucers (giant tostadas) used to be big in San Diego; one by one taco shops have stopped serving them, but Cotixan is still loud and proud about serving them, and they are incredibly delicious.
Check out the photos below, and remember that these are being served on a giant black plate - you can barely fit two on it at once.
Cotixan's Adobada Taco (in front) $3.25
Cotixan's Chicken Fajitas Taco $3.25
Cotixan's Carne Asada and Polla Asado Tacos, $3.25 each.
They're hiring! Where did they get this sign, anyway?
A local favorite, this place is hidden in the middle of a hipster neighborhood, not too far from Balboa Park and the Zoo. Seafood tacos like shrimp, salmon, scallop and lobster! Blazing hot fresh battered fish tacos for only 99 cents! The best creamy green sauce on Earth at the busiest salsa bar in San Diego. Specials like the Aloha Burrito and the Chicken Caesar Burrito. Fully stocked with Mexican beer selections. Take some friends there, wait for one of the tile covered tables out front, and have a Mexican Fiesta.
It's hidden behind a tree.
The El Zarape Carnitas Taco, $2.75
The El Zarape Fish Taco, 99 cents!
Karina's Mexican Seafood
916 N. Highway 101, Encinitas
(760) 633-3300
Every time we eat here, we're just astonished at how great these tacos are and why we'd even consider going anywhere else in North County, especially because these tacos are about two bucks each! Karina's specializes in fresh fish and shrimp tacos, double wrapped and heaped up with a freshly chopped cabbage and salsa salad; who says tacos are unhealthy, the best ones have a FRESH SALAD and GUACAMOLE on top of them!!! But everybody knows that Karina's meats - like the Carne & Pollo Asado, and their Al Pastor, are incredibly delicious; bite these first, ask questions later. I might actually have to weigh these next time and post the results.
Nonbelievers can check out my photos, WOW...
Karina's Giant Pollo Asado Taco, $2.19!
Karina's Al Pastor Taco, only $2.09!
Karina's Smoking Hot Fish Taco, $2.29!
Super Cocina
3627 University Avenue, San Diego
619 584 6244
If Superman ate Mexican food he'd go to Super Cocina. Basically this is the best homemade style Mexican food in town. You can order individual tacos here, but the real deal is the two-item combo with rice, beans and fresh tortillas. Everything is hot, sloppy, spiced perfectly, and plentiful. They give you three tortillas with everything, so you can just heap everything into them and still have plenty left over. The Chicken Mole is perfect. The menu changes every day. You will lick the plate clean. The restaurant itself is laid back and comfortable. They have flan for dessert. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it...
Tacos El Paisa, Inc.
3097 National Avenue, San Diego
619 231 0622
El Paisa is a local legend on National Avenue. The first time I went here there were 3 police cars and a police motorcycle outside. They weren't there to arrest anybody - THEY WERE EATING THE TACOS! Their meat is fresh roasted, which is easy to check on because the guy is BBQing it right outside your window all day. They also give you a complete Mexican condiment tray with every order; salsa, cucumbers, spicy carrots - the works. A full selection of beers and the best homemade Horchata I've ever had. They have a big screen TV inside playing Mexican soap operas. It's not like Taco Heaven, it IS Taco Heaven.
And oh yeah, Taco Tuesday & Thursday here! $1 for everything!
Calvin the BBQ guy:
The tacos are kind of like street tacos but chunkier,
served on a moist warm tortilla
and covered with tasties from the condiment tray:
THE TRAY.
Lolita's
Various Locations; Original at 413 Telegraph Canyon Road Chula Vista, but they're all just as good.
(619) 585-0232
Known all over San Diego for their slow baked Carnitas - it tastes like juicy, soft, non-greasy chunks of home baked turkey. Lolita's also has a generous salsa bar and the most amazing Carne Adasa Fries anywhere. Also try the Carne Asada Nachos & the Pollo Asado (roasted chicken.) Call your order in for pickup, they take their time on every counter order.
Lolita's Carnitas Taco with salsa bar toppings, $3.25
Lolita's Famous Mountain of Carne Asada Fries:
Oscar's Mexican Seafood
703 Turquoise Street, La Jolla
(858) 488-6392
Oscar's is legendary with the local surfing crowd, serving mouth-witheringly great Smoked Fish Tacos, Ceviche, and the spiciest Spicy Shrimp Taco you're going to taste anywhere. They're almost impossible to find unless you know exactly where to look. Just follow the street numbers; you'll see what I mean. Make sure you have these tacos as soon as they're served, they should be eaten smoking hot with a giant glass of Oscar's fruit drinks. They all come in little french fry boats, which is exactly how all tacos should be served.
Oscar's Battered Fish Taco, $1.99. (At Happy Hour - 99 cents!)
Oscar's Smoked Fish Taco, $3.75.
Oscar's Spicy Shrimp Taco, $3.65.
948 North Coast Hwy. 101
(760) 436-4973
The Market Taco. Mexican meat and produce groceries sometimes have food-to-go counters inside where they make freshly roasted tacos with homemade salsa. El Torito, set back off the street in Leucadia, is the King of the Market Taco. They make giant, heaping double-wrapped tacos fresh to order with a big bin of salsa ready to abuse. Super hot smokey sauces, parking out front, two picnic tables for your dining pleasure, this is as close to Taco Heaven as you can get. At El Torito EVERY DAY is Taco Tuesday, because they're only $2.19. Probably the best traditional meat tacos in all of San Diego County.
El Torito's Two Al Pastor tacos, $2.19 each! WOW!!!!!
El Torito's Two Chicken Asada tacos, $2.19 each!
La Tiendita Mexican Market
3851 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
(858) 270-2221
La Tiendita only makes tacos on weekends and it's a zoo on Saturdays trying to snag these. Freshly cooked marinated meats mixed with your choice of salsas, served one to a plate. Their "911" sauce is legendary. Butter-soft carne asada that tastes like chopped-up medium grilled steak. (Which is basically what it is.) Some of the best adobada tacos I've ever had. They're incredibly delicioso!!!
La Tiendita's Carnitas Taco & Salsa Fresca, $2.89
La Tiendita's Carne Asada Taco with Diablo Sauce, $2.89
2489 San Diego Ave.
(619) 297-4330
There's a reason why this is the busiest Mexican restaurant in San Diego. They serve the biggest, best, tastiest Tourist Tacos in town, wrapped in thick chewy freshly-handmade flour or corn tortillas. Locals love them; slow roasted meat served with heaps of colorful toppings in a renovated sprawling adobe home. Ease back in their big covered patio or stroll around the dark, bustling restaurant, it's a pretty interesting place. Try their Rotisserie Chicken Mole, the Ceviche, Lobster Rolls (***I SAID LOBSTER ROLLS!!!!***) or the Mariscada Plate - marinated shrimp & halibut to be shared with the whole table if they can wrench it out of my hands.
****** NEW: $2 Taco Tuesdays! ******
President Bill Clinton ate here.
He ate and ate and ate and ate here.
The girls pat out the fresh tortillas all day:
Old Town Mexican's Chicken Taco in a hard (deep fried) tortilla, $4.50
Old Town Mexican's Carnitas Taco in a soft handmade corn tortilla, $4.50
4277 Genesee Ave.
(858) 569-6945
I don't know about their regular tacos, but the rolled taco plate here is basically the crispiest you've ever had, heaped with sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and smothered in classic Mexican cheeses. Pour their hot sauce all over them and you got a meal. It's a fact that wide-eyed, drooling rolled taco obsessed people have driven for hours in the middle of the night to get these.
5 Rolled Beef Tacos, $4.80
