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    BAJA RICK'S Cantina

    3.7 (118 reviews)
    ModerateTacos
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

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    Comic con special
    Deb N.

    This is the only spot that's respectable by the convention center during comic con Stop in for a taco and a smile

    3 fish taco sampler with salmon bowl behind.

    Amazing fish tacos. The trio was my favorite. I loved getting a mix of grilled and fried fish. Huge menu with lots of choices for everyone.

    Birra Tacos
    Connor Y.

    Baja Ricks is a really awesome Mexican food spot that sits in the heart of San Diego's entertainment center. So it was packed because we went on survivors weekend, so everybody was eating here, but the service was great. We got our food relatively fast and it was pretty affordable. Great pricing for good food. So I got the Beria tacos. The beer was nice juicy flavorful. I wish it would've came with a consume on the side to dip my tacos in, but it didn't, but it was pretty good. I also got the shrimp taco and I love that it was full-size shrimp inside of the taco like that's so important to like mention nice juicy shrimp flavorful seasoned well. Enjoy the taco. The beans and rice were both a little dry didn't finish them. If I'm being honest, they definitely needed something more. My cousin got the steak quesadilla and he let me try it. Nice juicy steak flavorful lots of cheese great pull on it. and you get a lot of quesadilla.. He also got the chicken taquitos with the chicken taquitos were OK. It felt like the taquitos themselves lack effort like they had decent flavor, but nothing special. Overall, I would definitely go back to Rick Cantina the next time I'm down to San Diego for an event. It's just it's in prime location so convenient good pricing good food would definitely recommend.

    Linda W.

    I came here for a conference and the food is very solid but definitely not the best tacos. Lots of seating and service is fast and friendly. I got a margarita which was good and what they're known for.

    Drinks
    Kristi P.

    My hubby loves Mexican food so we stopped here a couple of times while visiting San Diego. Sat at the bar once and on the outside patio the other time. Patio gets a lot of sun, at least during lunch hours but they do have umbrellas to help. Hubby liked his tacos. I got a dessert sampler which was really good. Server / bartender was good. No issues.

    Outside sign
    Paul K.

    We came here before a Padres game awhile back when this place was the Tin Fish and loved the location. It's great for people watching especially when the Trolley comes in on game day. As my first time at Baja Rick's I love that they kept the outside seating the same and now offer some wonderful Baja fare. We had the Birria Gnarly Nachos and a large fish and chips. The nachos were super big and very filling. I couldn't eat it all and took it to go and tried to give it to a homeless person but that didn't work out. The beers are abundant with two outside bars and probably one inside but I never went inside as all the action was happening outside. The staff I interacted with were very nice and attentive. A great place pre or post game right in Gaslamp and with the Hard Rock Hotel literally across the street, you can party all you want here and have a place to stay if so inclined. Great job BAJA Rick's! I'll be back!

    Michael L.

    I cannot speak to the food because we only ordered drinks on the outside patio, but I highly recommend this casual restaurant in a great location. The outdoor patio is very nice and comfortable and is conveniently located on the other side of the train tracks from the Convention Center and on the edge of the Gas Lamp District. Bartender Nick is awesome. Not sure how much this restaurant is paying him, but it is definitely not enough. Not only is he a great bartender and very friendly, but his customer service skills are amazing. He quickly and efficiently greeted and helped numerous Convention Center related customers as they walked up to the restaurant. Well done Nick!

    Three tacos
    Jim E.

    Comic Con Thursday night, service was good, food is good, prices average for the are $130 for 4 people with drinks, tax and tip. Not too crowded good choice after the convention. Three taco plate, poke bowl, burrito and taquitos.

    An amazing hotdog! Good waffle fries too!
    Rick D.

    An outdoor venue situated in perfect locale for Padres pregame and postgame beers and dogs. Went for pregame beer and hotdog. Average ambiance, service, beer, etc. ... BUT the memorable thing was the hotdog. Easily one of my best. You want a great hotdog go here.

    Mahi fish bowl
    Tom U.

    I really don't recommend this place because they don't know their ingredients. I'm lactose intolerant and I asked if it had any dairy. They removed coleslaw, but not everything dairy was gone. Yes. This is missing coleslaw, in the photo. It's a great view and music playing inside the restaurant. Staff is really straightforward about food selection and ordering was quick. Outside bar is awesome to have and you can order from there too. It was disappointing that my allergies were happening after eating there. It really messed up my mood. I would recommend this place, but wouldn't if you have a dairy allergy.

    Tres Amigos Tacos
    Daryl E.

    The Tres Amigos Taco sampler is absolutely delicious. Lobster Bisque soup had a gritty texture to it, wasn't too impressed by it, but still fairly decent. Would definitely get the shrimp or lobster tacos any time I come back, very pleased with them

    Outdoor seating at Baja Rick's Cantina at the Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown, San Diego, CA.
    Olga M.

    Got off the trolley to bar hop & dine at Gaslamp Quarter in Downtown, San Diego, CA. Our first stop was Baja Rick's Cantina. We liked the indoor and outdoor seating. The bar is near the Convention Center. We ordered a tall Coors Light beer for $10 & red sangria. My sangria wasn't the sweetest and was struggling drinking it, but Ivan the bartender gave me pineapple juice to make it sweeter and better. He was very accommodating and made sure I left bar with a good experience. Baja Rick's Cantina is a fun hangout not far from the San Diego Padres Stadium. Ivan indicated that during the home baseball games, the bar/restaurant has great specials on food and drinks. We'll definitely come back to check out the specials on game day! Happy Yelping :)

    Buffalo chicken strips
    George W.

    Watch out for their 5% fee to grab extra money from you. This is a good place for a quick bite. The restaurant is designed to get you in and out faster than in n out. The seats and tables are not very comfortable and packed tighter than an airline. The food is okay, everything is either deep fried or generously oiled. I'd probably be back here during a big event just due to proximity.

    Not a typical Mexican taste, wasn't a fan. Dried out lobster tacos and tasteless bean burrito.

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    BAJA RICK'S Cantina Reviews in Other Languages

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    Tacos El Gordo

    4.1
    (1.7k reviews)
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    Tacos El Gordo continues to be one of my favorite taco places of all time. I found out that…read moreMexico City was the place that originated al pastor tacos as they were inspired by Lebanese immigrants who brought Shawarma to Mexico; however, I appreciate that it worked its way to Tijuana and SD through Gordo. Gordo's adobada can compare favorably to al pastor anywhere; however, my experience at this "Gordo" location in Gaslamp has been inconsistent compared to Chula Vista and Vegas locations, due to their higher volume. The smaller space also has less seating, which is a bummer if you are coming here on a busy comic con day. The adobada here, though, is the taco to get. Consider yourself lucky if you get a nice portion of crispy and burnt bits as they offer nice textural bites. Their sauces/salsas are also equally good, and it sets it above and beyond another taquero from Tijuana, Tacos El Franc. Don't shy away from their asada tacos either, as the meat has a nice kiss of charcoal and it's topped with a generous portion of guac. I don't love that prices have gone up to almost $5/taco; however, I'll gladly pay it if they can give me my favorite taco.

    I want to say right off the bat, that this is probably a bit of an unfair review, because I ate my…read morefood after it got cold and then reheated it and it definitely did not taste as good as I know Tacos El Gordo to be, but it's all I have to go off of at the moment... I got a medium order of adobada fries on a Saturday night. This place was POPPING, like a sizeable line outside of the store. But it actually moved surprisingly fast, like 10-15 minutes and I got my fries pretty much immediately. Service was quick and pleasant. As I said the fries were soggy and did not reheat well, but that's not their fault. I absolutely plan on coming back one day to give it a more fair review. The prices for their tacos is a bit high at $4, but I know for the quality and with rising prices across the board + their location it probably makes sense.

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    Mike's Red Tacos

    Mike's Red Tacos

    4.8
    (1.1k reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$
    Halal
    Vegetarian friendly

    Coming from out of town. After a long day at SDCC we worked up an appetite! My cousin is local and…read morerecommended this place! It was the lunch hour on a Sunday they were busy, but it looked like majority were diners waiting on their food. As we arrived there was no line and they had self ordering kiosks available. I ordered half order of nachos and one birria taco and my husband had a cali burrito. The gentleman who took my order was nice. It took just alittle over 20mins to get our order. Everything was hot and perfect presented. The California Burrito to humongous! The birria taco was red and the tortilla was perfectly crunchy! The half nacho order was packed! Omg this place is AMAZING!! The birria was so flavorful!!! They provided a sauce bar with different level of spices! The portions huge and so filling! I do highly recommend the birria tacos!! I can't wait to revisit when visiting SD!

    We came here because of the handful of reviews praising the vegan meat options. To that I ask: what…read moreoptions? They had three veggie items on their menu (and one bean/rice/cheese burrito) and the "vegan option" was to remove the cheese. That didn't exactly leave us with answers about how their beans are cooked or if they used butter or crema in anything else. there are two self serve ordering kiosks and this place was open late and popping off so staff was busy/too busy to answer questions. it looked like people typically order a LOT of food too. i got one keto taco and a side of beans and my vegan bf got a veggie quesadilla w/o cheese. there is a salsa bar to the side with 5-6 available choices but all of them are marked as spicy. they called my name so i went up to the counter. there wasn't any food on it and the guy was busy talking to someone so i just waited. then he went to the mic and called my name again, saying my order was ready. i was like "hi..that's me!" and then he asked the kitchen for my order. like, what? you called my name twice and my order wasn't even on the window? baby, take a beat. the food looked pretty good! it came out on a tray with pickled onions, sliced red radishes, and a lime wedge. presentation was lovely. the table next to us got these dope looking nachos that immediately gave me fomo. the quesadilla was huge and had a bunch of chopped veggies in it. but of course, without cheese or any binding agent, it all fell apart with the first bite. i was more annoyed with my bf than the restaurant for that, but he said it still tasted good and filling if not difficult and disappointing to eat. mine tasted fine. i've had really great mexican food in sd and i get that birria is a specific vibe, but what kind of place does ONLY birria and then sells the consome separately?

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    Mike's Red Tacos
    Mike's Red Tacos
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    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

    4.7
    (385 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    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!

    I stopped by on a Wednesday after a fútbol game and found it to be a great late-night option…read more Ordering is simple. You walk in, place your order at the counter, and find a seat. There were a couple of groups dining in and someone picking up a to-go order, but there was still plenty of seating available. The employee working the counter was friendly. They also serve alcohol, and during my visit drinks were 20% off. Options included Pacifico, Modelo, Blue Moon, hard seltzers, and a selection of canned craft beers. I ordered: * Mahi Mahi Taco: the fish tasted fresh, and I liked the crispy onions on top. There was quite a bit of sauce, which made it pretty messy to eat. While the fish was good, it felt like a very heavy taco overall. * Surf & Turf Taco: this was loaded with steak and topped with two flavorful shrimp. The shrimp had an amazing flavor, and this taco was much more enjoyable and balanced. Overall, the service was great, the prices were very reasonable, and the protein quality was excellent. My only critique is that the tacos felt a little overdone with toppings and sauces when the quality of the protein could easily stand on its own. Still, it's a solid spot for an affordable late-night bite. One thing to note: there are no restrooms available inside the restaurant.

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    Chula Tacos

    Chula Tacos

    3.9
    (292 reviews)
    9.3 mi
    $$

    Sometimes, there are nights when only tacos can fix me. It's no secret that San Diego has tacos in…read morespades and being so close to the border, you'd think that a quest to find the perfect taco would be as simple as rolling down to the nearest taqueria. Except, it's not quite that simple. Many beloved staples have gone downhill, while some newer spots that might boast things like a Michelin mention or multiple locations ranging from TJ to Vegas contain more hype and gristle than tender meat and substance. Enter Chula Tacos. Chula is, and always was, the type of place that makes you forget that you're not actually in Tijuana. While part of me misses their OG Market Street location, seeing them with brick-and-mortars feels hard-earned and well-deserved. This location on Palm in IB is relatively easy to access from the freeway, but parking can be tricky. You can safely assume that it will be busy and you will either have to be very lucky or be willing to find a spot on the street. Out of all the times I've been here, it's always been crowded enough that I've never been able to find a table inside, but I enjoy sitting out on the patio next to the ahumederos. The first thing that hits you walking through the door is how amazing everything smells. The queue to the cashier takes you near a window showing the kitchen where you can see the Chula Tacos team making fresh tortillas, slicing meat from the trompos, grilling up jalapenos, nopales, onions, labio, and tripa. For me, it's not so much a challenge to decide what I want, it's more a challenge to keep myself from ordering everything. My usual is four tacos: two asada, two al pastor (but I've heard that I should also try their world famous keka). The tacos though? Perfection. Every time, the asada is the juiciest and most tender I've ever eaten, the al pastor is succulent and flavorful, and no taco in front of me is long for the world. At $3.50 each, every one of them is absolutely loaded. Three would honestly fill me up, but I always want four. After getting burned by spots that ask around 75% more and deliver anywhere between 25-50% less, Chula Tacos feels like an absolute godsend of a Tijuana-style taqueria and I can't see any other contenders being my go-to. So, when I say "Tacos will fix me," what I mean nowadays is "Chula Tacos will fix me."

    Chula Tacos in Nestor is definitely worth a visit if you're looking for authentic, flavorful tacos…read morewith generous portions. Every item we ordered was packed with delicious flavors and made fresh. One thing that stood out was their attention to detail with to-go orders--they provided plenty of condiments, including a variety of salsas, cucumbers, radishes, and peppers, which really elevated the meal. The highlight of the menu is the Keka Taco. It is incredibly delicious, loaded with flavor, and so filling that it can easily satisfy even the biggest appetite. The only downside to this establishment is the limited parking, which can make picking up your order a bit challenging during busy times. However, the amazing food and generous portions more than make up for the parking inconvenience. If you're in the area, the Keka Taco is a must-try!

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    Outdoor seating

    BAJA RICK'S Cantina - tacos - Updated August 2026

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