Chef&#x27;em Mariscos

Five stars all the way!!! Amazing food, fresh chips and salsa oh and service that cares the taco…read moreplate was full of flavor and the portions were spot on! Everything tasted good

I'm so mad about this place!! Hubby and I headed down to SD…read moreto get away from the heat in the OC. On the drive, I decided I wanted Mexican food. I picked a place off Google but when we landed there we were not comfortable stopping to park, so we looked again and decided to check out La Puerta not realizing it was in the Gaslight District. I am not a fan of the Gaslight District, which is why I am so mad!! I'm going to HAVE to go back to the Gaslight District!! The food was AMAZING!! I HIGHLY recommend the Potato Flautitas. It's the kind of dish I'm going to dream about, I'm salivating now just thinking about them. I also did the Pick 3 Street Tacos (and actually ordered a 4th). The Ranchero Shrimp and Grilled Veggie were top notch. The Conchinita was recommended by our waiter, and it was interesting, tasty but different. It could have used a little more pickled onion. The only one I would not recommend (shockingly, I thought it would be the easy pass) was the carne asada. It was too greasy. My husband ordered a carne asada quesadilla and said the same, it was too wet and soaked through the tortilla. But there were no many other delightful options, I would say just don't go traditional. But honestly my favorite thing on the plate was the side dish rajas con crema, seriously, that alone is going to drag me down to the Gaslight District. I'm even considering going to a Padres game just for the excuse. I'm salivating again! As for our waiter, Colin, he was fantastic. Very informative, made great suggestions and seemed genuinely pleased by our satisfaction. He was smiling the whole time, friendly and stayed very present. I highly recommend you get yourself through the door at La Puerta and sit down for a meal ASAP. (We ate the food so fast I forgot to take pictures.)

Restaurant

Chicken with fried cheese tacos

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Harland Hazy IPA

Oscars Mexican Seafood

4.4(3.7k reviews)

8.1 mi•Pacific Beach

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 :)

Juan making my delicious tacos in the back!

Fish Ceviche on a tostada! Yum!

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Marlin taco! Awesome!

RED O

4.2(2.4k reviews)

3.3 mi

This was a great location. I think it was hidden which prompted to it being closed. Sad as we had…read moregreat happy hours here but delicious food was definitely enjoyed while it was open. Service was always great and the ambiance was enjoyable.

Stopped for a drink and a snack. Not many people here on the day went visited…read more Sat at the bar because the patio was too warm. Was told by the waiter that they no longer offer free chips & salsa. But that there was a small charge. We agreed on the chips & salsa because it's usually really good there. Had a spicy jalapenos Mule. Which was really good.

Red O Tablita

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Passion Fruit Butter Cake

La Puerta

4.4(605 reviews)

9.4 mi•Mission Hills

George was great. I will give him 5 stars. The food was delicious. Thank you for the service. The…read moregirl in the front wasn't too friendly.

We were looking for somewhere to go that was dog friendly, and La Puerta came up. We drove by one…read moreevening and it was packed! So we came in for brunch, about 30 minutes after they opened. It was very busy which was nice, and the front patio was perfect for Cako. The staff is really friendly! I ordered When Doves Cry...paying homage to the Great Purple One, Prince. DJ decided on a house margarita. Both very refreshing on a still summer Sunday morning! The brunch menu has a nice variety to choose from, but choosing one can be a little hard. I ordered guacamole to start. It came with two delicious salsas. For breakfast, I ordered the pancakes and carnitas. I would say this would be the equivalent of chicken and waffles. This was really good! Especially when you drizzle the syrup on the carnitas and eat it with the pancakes. I also added a couple of scrambled eggs. DJ had the breakfast carne asada potatoes and eggs. Came with guacamole and pico de gallo. Soooooo good! The portions are huge which, in this crazy world of cutting back and charging more, is how it should be. I could only finish half, and had the rest the next day. Love when you can do that! Again, the staff is great! And the patio is well laid out for owners and their dogs. Cako Approves!

Weeknd HH drinks (half off)

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Taquitos

Quixote

4.0(709 reviews)

9.0 mi

•$$$

Quixote is connected to the side of the Lafayette hotel in a deconstructed church with stained…read moreglass, heaven and hell rooms. Super dark and I mean dark, it'll take a minute for your eyes to adjust. Tapas style menu, we were a party of 4 and ordered: Squash blossom Relleno - it's the flower part of a squash plant and stuffed with mushroom duxelles which resembles a meat mixture with squash succotash. Outside is a corn tempura with a tomato base sauce. Pulpo-grilled octopus, one of the best texture and perfectly grilled skin with a chewy yet soft interior. The sauce has a slight kick and crunch from the corn nuts. Crab corn doughnut- this is their specialty and we were about to skip out but glad we didn't. The brioche bun had a donut batter with lumps of crab salad and corn mixture on top. El Festin- perfect for our party of 4 because it was a platter full of 4 Cheese quesadilla, 4 shrimp, 4 chicken slices, 1 jalapeño bacon wrap, ribeye. Flan-we should have each ordered one ourselves! Great flavors and texture, the top had ancient chocolate soil and had crispy corn nuts. Different but yummy. Overall, delicious food that came out so quick, great ambiance, we celebrated our birthdays and were each gifted candles with our names on the label. Truly amazing from beginning to end. Street parking only. The spots on the same block are metered but if you drive down to the second street towards residential, it's free.

Honestly, I really wanted to love this place. My friends and I were visiting from LA for a birthday…read moretrip, and my friend specifically wanted to come here because she loved the aesthetic. We had a reservation and were really excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, the experience just did not meet our expectations. We ended up being late to our reservation because we were told that the Lafayette parking valet was full and that we would need to find parking elsewhere. We drove around trying to find somewhere to park and literally could not find anything, so we eventually had to Uber from a couple of blocks away. Obviously, some of that was out of the restaurant's control, but it definitely made getting there more stressful than expected. Once we were finally seated, things didn't really improve. We sat there looking at the menu for around 30 minutes and no one came by to check on us, ask if we wanted drinks, see if we had questions, or even acknowledge that we had been waiting. We were honestly just sitting there wondering if someone was going to come over. Eventually, we started talking about leaving because we had been waiting so long. Our waiter finally came over and basically said that it seemed like we weren't ready to order and that he assumed we still weren't, so we could let him know whenever we were ready. My friend explained that we actually had been ready and had just been waiting for someone to come help us. At that point, we decided to be honest and let him know that the experience really wasn't meeting our expectations. Unfortunately, the overall interaction left us feeling like we weren't really being taken seriously. I don't want to assume that it was because we were a group of young girls, but that was genuinely the impression we got from the experience. It felt like we didn't really belong there or weren't being treated with the same level of attention as other guests. We also mentioned that we were celebrating my friend's birthday, and there really wasn't any acknowledgment of it, which was disappointing considering that was the reason we were visiting in the first place. I will say that the aesthetic is beautiful and definitely what originally caught our attention, but unfortunately, the service completely overshadowed that for us. We came in excited to celebrate and try somewhere new, and we ended up leaving without even ordering because we felt so overlooked. Maybe we caught them on an off night, but unfortunately, based on our experience, I wouldn't return or recommend it. The atmosphere may be beautiful, but the service needs to match it.

Dramatic dining space!

Chamoyada dessert, the mango sorbet was the highlight!

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Sangre Santa. Taste like a sangria. It was delicious.

Cocina de Barrio

I have not been here in a while. Lo siento! I have missed it so much! Ordered the house…read moremargarita to start off the evening!They have changed the menu a little, but they still have my favorites. The big tortilla with beans and chorizo...sooooo good! I can never pronounce the name of it...LOL! But I also ordered the taquitos, another delicious starter! I then had the green mole with ground pistachios over chicken...oh sooooo good!!!!! I love coming here! The staff is always friendly! The server said it had been a while. The outside patio is always welcoming!!! They are also dog friendly! Cako Approves!

Was in the area and needed a quick bite before an event. Stopped by at 4pm and was surprised to be…read moreone of 4 people at the restaurant. Two at the bar, one outside, then me. Given the minimal patrons, service was excellent. Was here during happy hour and the food was great! Server said birria or fish tacos are best, so I opted for birria. Tacos didn't come with consumé but they were juicy enough without it. Good flavor but tortillas did start to fall apart. Margaritas for $5 are a good deal and tasted fresh. Ambiance is upscale Mexican and I think it hits, at least for happy hour! Guac and salsa prices were too high for my liking ($13 and $10, respectively) especially as a happy hour item, but to each their own. Overall 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 with a $5 marg as the kicker to round up vs down (for guac and salsa prices).

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Mango-Tajin Popsicle Margarita

Coasterra

4.0(4.1k reviews)

11.3 mi

•$$$

I don't normally write Yelp reviews but I was truly blown away by the service I received at…read moreCoasterra this past weekend! Our server Ari (Ariana?) was so welcoming and kind to my husband and I. She recommended we order the Ahi tuna tostada and it did not disappoint!! The calamari was incredible as well- so delicious!! She was truly one of of the best servers I've ever encountered- gave us the full run down and recommendations based off the vibe we wanted for the night :)

We stopped by Coasterra during happy hour on a weekday and had a wonderful experience. We were…read moreseated outside, and between the perfect weather and breathtaking waterfront views, it was hard to ask for a better setting. We only came for drinks this time. My husband ordered an IPA and said it was one of the best he's had in a long time--refreshing, flavorful, and exceptionally good. I went with the espresso martini, which was delicious and hit the spot. A special shoutout to Stephanie, our server, who was incredibly friendly and checked on us regularly throughout our visit. Great drinks, outstanding service, and unbeatable views. We'll definitely be back.

Located on Harbor Island, Coasterra offers stunning views of the San Diego Bay, downtown skyline and Coronado Bridge.

View from patio

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Main dining room

Oscars Mexican Seafood

4.2(2.2k reviews)

9.4 mi•Hillcrest

Hands-down the best seafood and fish taco place in San Diego! A must order is the Taco Especial…read morewith smoked fish, shrimp, scallops, tomato, cilantro, onion, melted cheese and avocado. I highly recommend pairing this with the chipotle sauce, which is offered along with all of the other sauces. The Battered Fish Taco and Tuna Ceviche Tostada is also a must. Every time I have visitors to San Diego and they want authentic Mexican Food I take them to Oscar's. I won't eat my fish tacos anywhere else! This place is definitely a local establishment. Note that parking is tight in the parking lot, but you can also park on the street around the corner. The food is worth the search for a spot if the lot is full. This eatery is legit!

food 8.5/10 ambiance 8.5/10…read moreservice 9/10 i got their fish tacos which I absolutely loved!!! my friend got the ceviche which is the reason we came sooooo tasty. the vibes are good and service is quick. will def go back!

Inside | IG:@socalsnomnoms

Battered Fish Taco

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Fish Ceviche

California Burritos

4.3(1.4k reviews)

6.3 mi

A solid California burrito!…read more I called ahead and was ready for pick up in 15 minutes. It came piping hot and was huge, definitely worth sharing. The fries were crispy, the meat was flavorful, and it had everything a California burrito should have: guac, cheese, and sour cream. The red sauce gave it a nice kick while the green sauce was a good citrusy addition.

When i saw that there was an actually spot called California Burrito, you bet that I had to try a…read moreCalifornia burrito at California burrito lol Got the California burrito, carne asada taco, chicken taco and menudo. Portions were massive but unfortunately there was not much flavor, and im not too keen on hot salsa since i cannot handle spicy. It was ok but unsure if this would be a go to spot. The staff here are friendly and at the time i came, a Wednesday night around 5pm, there was a steady stream of people ordering to go and also eating there The place itself isnt that big. Theres counter space with about 5 stools inside and 4 tables outside. This is more of a take out spot. Parking may be limited depending on the time of day/night you go.

Sausage, Eggs, Cheese, and Potatoes Burrito

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Puesto at the Headquarters

4.1(5.7k reviews)

12.1 mi•Downtown

Locally owned & operated

Private events

Ali is the most incredible server ever. She was so tentative to my mom and I. We had not been back…read morein years and she made sure to take the best care of us. Her kindness, energy, and service was truly such a gift!

I'm shocked I haven't written a review yet for Puesto. I…read morehave been numerous times to multiple locations and The HQ is no exception. What I love about this location is the outdoor seating patio. Almost any time of year, the weather is perfect to sit out there and enjoy the great ambiance and of course the food and drinks. My go to is always the street tacos. They're the perfect size to try 2-3 and let me tell you there are some great options. Tonight I enjoyed the grilled shrimp and the carnitas. The grilled shrimp taco was just a little spicy but not too bad. I think I'm just extra sensitive to spice. The carnitas had avocado on top and basically melted in my mouth. If you are enjoying drinks, they're on the stronger side and really good! I shouldn't forget the servers. Top notch and super friendly. Not just ours either. I was observing how attentive and friendly other servers were also...and there were some big groups seated around us and we all were getting nothing but 5-star treatment!!

Ribeye Taco

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

7 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Hasan Ç.

6 years ago

I was tired of waiting in line of Walmart on Imperial and saw this place on the corner of Imperial and 22nd. I had their Gobernador Taco, Shrimp Ceviche and ice cold Jaritos Guava. It is literally amazing taste for very affordable price! They said they just opened and they give little Chef's Special soup portions for free to their customer. Absolutely a must go! read more

Bil B.

125

442

6 years ago

I've driven by hundreds of times and never stopped. Today I made it a point to actually stop. Chef'em has the absolute best fish tacos I've ever had bar none. Absolutely outstanding and at $1.99 a bargain. Absolutely outstanding. read more

Stephen R.

6 years ago

Great service! The marisco's were fresh & cooked perfectly. The prices are amazing for gourmet style tacos! Will definitely be back for more as this will be a regular spot for me. Look forward to trying the whole menu. read more

Fırat K.

6 years ago

the best street burrito ever ! This food truck is amazing with their menus and employees ,Thank you guys , see you for next time.

Muhammed Ali B.

6 years ago

İt was delicious. ı recommend here to all of you Keep going this taste . everyone need this delicious food

Seçil Ç.

6 years ago

Fish taco and shrimp taco.. extremely delicious and cheaper than others, recommend it.

Michael Y.

5 years ago

Their fish tacos and carne asada fries are great! Thanks guys!! read more

Chef'em Mariscos - foodtrucks - Updated September 2026

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Jarocho’s Birria

4.0

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We came in on a Taco Tuesday around 6:00PM for some dinner. It was our first time here and it was a…read morealright experience. The experience of waiting was about 1hr 20mins from waiting in line to waiting for the food. I haven't been to a Taco Tuesdays in a while but I assume that it's usually busy. $1.50 per taco in this economy is literally a godsend. They also did have a sign saying that they make things to order so I knew it would take a while. Food: We ordered 4 al pastor street tacos, 3 carnitas tacos, and horchata. They actually ran out of carnitas tacos and so we replaced the meat with al pastor. The horchata was one of those that had a bit of a powdery taste so it's not my type I like. The tacos overall tasted good but idk if it's because we waited so long for the food. Service: Staff were good. Nothing much to say since they looked like they were busy with the long line of customers. Ambiance: Typical food truck tacos with outdoor seating. Parking: There's plenty of parking in the area. No trouble at all.

This is some of the worst birria I've ever had, funnily enough. The consommé lacked depth and,…read moreconsequently, the meat was a bit flavorless. But the al pastor is so ridiculousy delicious that I keep coming back! Their taco tuesday deals are insane- where are you still getting $1.50 tacos in this economy? Portions are big, especially the quesadillas. Seating is quite sparse (3 tables that seat 4), but folks are in and out pretty fast. Line gets busy around 7PM on Tuesdays but staff works very hard and fast. One of my favorite taco spots in SD!

Don Lucio's Taco Shop II

4.2

(226 reviews)

Today, we decided to try Don Lucio's Taco Shop II. It did not disappoint. We went there for lunch,…read moreplaced our order and brought it home. The portions are very generous. It's a tiny hole in the wall, a few tables to eat at but other than that there's not much to say except it is very CLEAN. Their focus is definitely on the food. We ordered two ala carte fish tacos and the carne asada chips. The fish tacos were amazing. Very lite batter, no old oil flavor and you can actually taste the fish. The it comes with is very spicy. I don't remember but we might have been a choice of mild or spicy. I always go for spicy. Well today, I met my match. It was very tasty, really good and most definitely brought the heat. Carne Asada Chips - Oh my! When we opened the container we were looking at MASTERPIECE. The box was completely full with plenty of everything - chips, beans, carne asada, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, guacamole and sour cream. They are very generous with the carne asada. I am anxious to return very soon as their breakfast burrito along with several other items looked really good and I am certain they were calling my name. Salsas, carrots, jalapeños were also incredibly good. At Don Lucio's mild definitely means mild, spicy means spicy and hot means hot. Staff was friendly, fast and we received our order in no time. I might have to go back for dinner tonight.

Awesome hole-in-a-wall for a California burrito! We usually have a checklist of food items to hit…read moreup when in SD - for me, it is carne asada fries, and for S, it is a California burrito. There are great Mexican food options in LA, but there's something about these 2 specific items that feels extra special when in SD. The burrito came out to be about $17, and it was hefty and jam packed with meat, fries, guac, cheese, and sour cream. S said it was missing an acidity component (pico?) but overall, very solid. I'm normally not a burrito person but definitely stole more bites than anticipated. I usually hate flour tortillas, but this one tasted more homemade. There's not much for atmosphere - couple of tables, no public bathrooms. We took ours to go since we were staying at a hotel across the street. Beware that there is a credit card surcharge (I think 3%) that was not disclosed ahead of time. Parking: small strip mall lot

El Rapido Y Sabroso

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Delicious $1.50 al pastor tacos on Tuesdays! Where else can u find a deal like that?! The wait can…read morebe alittle long but the tacos are pretty good! I love that they don't double the tortillas! Located behind the Best Buy!

Got to try this place on Tacos Tuesday, where they featured $1.50 per Al Pastor taco. It was such a…read moregood deal, and the tacos came out fresh and packed with lots of meat. The al pastor was the perfect texture, not too chewy or dry, and very flavorful. It even came with pineapples! I will definitely come back to try their other menu items!

Mariscos La Reyna del Sur 3

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Quick service and good tasting food. They park right off of Scranton rd at the Americana Gas…read morestation/Carwash so they're easy access to SD Tech Center! Laid back ambiance if you want to eat standing in front of the truck. I had the Gobernador taco and one of those specials. Well served portions!

Super fast fresh food while I wait for my car wash. The food truck is parked right at the entrance…read moreof the car wash station. I ordered the seafood mix taco and fish taco. Both were delicious and very reasonably priced.

Isabela’s Mexican Food

4.0

(39 reviews)

We stopped here for a quick taco each as an afternoon snack. There are great deals in combination…read moreplates, which include rice and beans. The place was empty inside, with 2 teenagers from Scripps Ranch High School sitting outside in the front patio seats and finishing up their sodas. I walked in and the place was clean and seems to be recently renovated. The chairs and tables were clean and inviting. I also like the wall art of Mexican Food Dishes that they had. The menus were very clean and clear, making for an easy ordering experience. We ordered: 1 carne asada regular size taco, and 1 pollo asado regular size taco, to go. The gentleman that took my order was older and he has good customer service. After I placed my order, he showed me the salsa bar to the left of the counter. I thanked him and proceeded to get the salsa verde (tomatillo). One other man came in to make a to go order while I waited for my food. I was able to catch a Women's UEFA Soccer game on the television inside the dining room; this was convenient. After about 10mins, our 2 tacos were ready. We ate them in the car while parked in the lot. The tortillas were a bit tough and had an authentic flavor, just too tough. The carne asada was also tough meat to chew and the flavor was just OK. My Husband's pollo asado taco was also OK. We remembered why we had not been back here after visiting about 5-6 years ago when we lived in the neighborhood. It's just not our taste style to eat here. The flavors are not as bold as we like and the tortillas are tough. The tomatillo salsa was decent and the customer service and location condition is great.

Hidden gem that I found after doing Pilates upstairs! It's quiet, seems very low key... produces…read morereally really good food. I'm pretty picky about my Mexican food, living in San Diego after all. I got a potato taco, birria taco, and nopales taco. All good! The potato was a bit not crunchy enough but I ate it last so maybe that's why, but flavor is still there!

Zoe's Place

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$16 for a small flat bread. Small and soggy. No crisp to it. Nothing special about the flavor…read moreeither. I also didn't understand the soggy lettuce underneath. I could've gotten a full-size crispy pizza for that price. Won't be getting anything from them again. Kinda pathetic

Caliente Mexican Food

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I've driven by this place so many times and my husband and I rode our E bikes and stopped by to eat…read morehere. It was so good. It was excellent. We've always wanted to come here to eat and I'm so glad we stopped by today. I had a bean tostada my husband had a beef crunchy taco and three beef rolled tacos. It was excellent!

I had a good first experience here. There is patio seating on both sides of the duel business…read morevenue. I got the 5 chicken rolled tacos and a pollo asada burrito. Each entree or order here is made to go. You can eat there on the deck or the patio table section and/or conveniently head out to eat elsewhere. I imagine this take out design venue is very busy at breakfast and lunchtime hours as it's very close to the local transit and many local businesses. I came after the corner business was already closed so there was plenty of parking. Many locals come here as regular/repeat customers. I'd consider coming back here again too.

Habaneros Mexican Grill

3.5

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Can't believe I have never been here. Literally in our backyard…read more We visited Habaneros on a Wednesday right before the lunch rush. Walked in at 1145am and there was a handful of people. 10 minutes later, the place was packed! Definitely and hot lunch spot, so keep that in mind. Menu is pretty basic, compared to a regular taco shop. But they have all the main things you expect to find. Tacos and burritos. I had a steak and egg breakfast burrito that was huge. I'm 300lbs plus and I could not finish my burrito. My wife had fish tacos that were amazing. Instead of traditional white sauce the tacos had a chipotle sauce on it. Fantastic! They also had bags of Chicharron for $2 which were made fresh and very tasty! I bought an extra bag for the road! Lots of indoor and patio seating! Highly recommend this spot! This could be our new regular taco shop!

I'm honestly shocked at the value here. I paid $15 for my meal, and they only included three tiny…read morepackets of sauce. For that price point, you expect a bit more generosity, or at the very least, enough salsa to actually finish the food. Most other Mexican spots in the area offer a full salsa bar where you can grab what you need. This place feels incredibly stingy by comparison. Definitely not worth the price; I won't be coming back.

Donato's Taco Shop

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I skipped lunch and was absolutely starving, so I decided to grab something quick. My spouse works…read morenearby and is always talking about how good the burritos are at Donato's, so I thought it would be the perfect place to meet up. He ended up getting tied up at work and couldn't make it, but I'm so glad I stopped in anyway. The service was warm and welcoming from the moment I walked in. I ordered the shrimp tostada and draft beer combo, and everything was made fresh. Almost no one else in the area that's quick has beer! So I was so surprised. The tostada was delicious, loaded with flavor, and exactly what I needed after missing lunch. The cold draft beer was the perfect addition. Now I completely understand why my spouse is always recommending this place. Great food, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere. The next time I'm on Miramar Road and need a bite to eat, Donato's will definitely be my first stop!

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