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    El Jefe

    3.5 (32 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    El Jefe Photos

    EL JEFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Touristy
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Jefe

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    Shrimp ceviche (chips included)
    Ryley S.

    The tacos are really small (only $3) and yummy, I loved the grilled fish! The shrimp ceviche was okay - the shrimp itself was good and the avocado too, chips were salty, it just wasn't super strongly flavorful/amazing but not bad. Next time I want to try Carne Asada but the Al Pastor was alright too.

    Sign on but told they are closed. This is silly!
    Brent R.

    Me and my husband came here today, traveled from Arizona just to have their tacos and they are closed. A complete joke this place is. No hours posted, no sheet, nothing on their website. They even have their screen on.

    Carne Asada tacos with a view!
    James C.

    Great tacos, great view, fairly fast service. Can't ask for better on the beachfront. Walk up and get some for yourself.

    What a view.

    Ashley greeted me with an awesome smile and a clean environment, the service was quick and the seating outside is the view that I look for when cruising the boardwalk. Lifegurad tower 14 is the place for a cold IPA.

    Carne, fish, and el pastor taco

    Tried all three types of the tacos and they were very good! The fish taco did have a slight fishy taste towards the end but still good. The worker at the window helped us choose items based off of popularity, very helpful. We got to sit right in their little table area which is right in front of the beach, perfect for people watching!

    Carne and chicken tacos
    Sophia M.

    Went on a Friday afternoon and there wasn't a long line. Food came out quick. They were very generous with the meat!

    Carne Asada Fries (without the guacamole)
    Jazmyn V.

    On a Friday afternoon, place was poppin! Right on the beach next to Belmont Park, no seating but we were able to find a table around the corner to eat! Took a minute to get the food but the fries were really good and the toppings and carne were so fresh it was like I was back in Arizona!! (These were able to feed 2 people)

    Carne Asada fries. Shareable with 2 or 3 people. Its salty.
    Zack D.

    Probably one of the worst places to get a taco or carne asada fries. For a city called San Diego why are they putting out tacos so far from their origin flavor. I ordered both trying to cut my losses and the fries were a 5/10 and the tacos a 2/10. The fries were salty and so was the steak. The only cheese was cotija and that is naturally salty. The portion was too large for the environment and should be a portion about half its size. Who needs an entire order of these fries in a beach setting? At least offer a half order because they are too much and too salty for one person. I order one of each taco and at one bite into the carnita i put it down. It was the driest carnitas ive ever had. I travel to Mexico a lot and make my own as well and these were pretty bad. All 3 tacos were just horrible. Period! To add they were too big. I doesnt usually complain about a serving size too large but if they shrunk the serving size to a normal street taco while making the food taste better w these prices. The fries were $11 and the 3 tacos were $8. Most any Mexican restaurant will serve you a fantastic meal at these prices. This place just isn't it.

    Suns out waiting for it to open at noon.
    Laura N.

    I have to start with the positives. The fish tacos were amazing and for the price the size of the filets and the quality it was top notch. Throw in a soda and some salsa it was a perfect 5 star lunch for about $9. I'm deducting 2 stars because the carne asada taco I got on the side to try was the worst I've ever had. Zero stars. The meat was cold, tasted a day old and was fat and gristle. I couldn't even finish one bite. I wish I'd stuck with just the fish tacos and when I go back that's what I'll do.

    Carne Asada Tacos with lime crema and pico de gallo
    Amanda S.

    These were some of the best tacos I've ever had, minus what I ate in Mexico of course. I got the pollo tacos, my husband got carne asada. We both added different add-ons and shared. This is located on the beach side of the boardwalk, we had to ask for directions to get here because we came in the Belmont park side. There aren't any convenient tables to eat at, we walked back around to the Belmont park side and sat at some tables over there. We would definitely come back for more tacos!

    The picture shows: "Hours: 12PM-Sunset"

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Terrible. They mixed all the tacos together and they all fall apart. Horrible. Bad service and bad food.

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Not clear about what time they close. We came here twice before closing and they shut the place down. This place sucks ass

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great food amazing service you are missing out if you don't visit this spot. You must ket tacos

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    These tacos hit the spot! Had two Carne Asade tacos and they went great with watching the sunset at Mission Beach.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    I really love coming here with friends! Food is great and our server Ramon is awesome! We will definitely be back soon

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    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa

    Mike's Red Tacos - Clairemont Mesa

    4.6(1.7k reviews)
    5.4 miClairemont
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    Halal
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    Got the Red Quesadilla and it was so good!!…read more Super large portion size, the birria was amazing and the quesadilla was packed with so much flavor. A solid 10/10, will order again. First time at this establisment and had a very pleasant experience. I really loved the vibe of the place. Casual, yet hip (the splashes of red color really pops!) Service was friendly and there is a salsa bar too with lots of options. Will definitely be back!

    I was really excited to try Mike's Red Tacos. The website bragged about all of the different…read moreflavors of homemade salsa. But I didn't realize that just about every dish was based on birria. But okay. I love a good, flavorful birria taco. I guess I just didn't order right. I grabbed the Mikes Meal Special, but I was really craving some nice crunchy, cheesy and Jalapeno-hot Nachos. So I thought I would try a half-order of Mike's Nachos. Man! They were horrible. The huge pile of shredded beef tasted okay, but the red gravy got all of the chips that it came into contact with really soggy and unpleasant to eat. Maybe it would have been better if I had eaten it in the restaurant, but it should not have degraded that quickly. And to claim to be Nachos? Why? What was Nacho about this messy, uninteresting dish? The only suggestion of cheese that I got was one stray pipe of yellow processed cheese that could have been mustard for all that I know. There were NO Jalapenos whatsoever. The guacamole was just one spoonful plopped down in the middle of the order. There was really nothing red hot about the food at all. So the sour cream just made it taste incredibly bland. My advice? Always go with as authentic to real Mexican food as you can find. If you really want "Gringo Sonora," I would heartily recommend Del Taco over this restaurant.

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    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma

    Mike's Red Tacos - Point Loma

    4.8(1.2k reviews)
    3.1 miLoma Portal
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    Halal
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    Friendly service and food came out pretty fast. They have a kiosk, you can order from or directly…read moreat the counter. Plenty of parking spaces and very easy to find. Bathrooms were very clean. One of the best tasting birria stops I've ever had. The birria is super flavorful and not dry at all. The consome that comes with the birria had a good flavor and not salty or greasy like other places. The chips had really good flavor but some pieces were super salty. The fries in the birra fries could have been a bit crispier. They have a self serve salad bar with every type of salsa possible. You can't skip the loaded churros!!! It's the best!!!

    Seeing several Mike's Red Tacos pop up recently, I decided to stop in for a late dinner at the…read morePoint Loma location. It's located within the large shopping complex close to the freeway. There's ample free parking so no issues there. Great customer service. The workers were friendly and helpful when you need something. It's a casual Mexican restaurant that specializes in birria. They have one vegetarian taco, otherwise this is definitely for the meat lovers. They have both indoor and patio seating. You can order at the self-serve kiosk or at the register. While you wait for your order, you can pick out your complimentary salsas. Overall, the food was good. It leans on the heavy side so come with your stretchy pants on! Surprisingly, the best thing we ate was the mini churros! Seriously the best churros I've had in a while and I dare say, it may be better than the ones at Disneyland!! It's perfectly chewy, crispy, and light, comes out hot, and just melts in your mouth. I felt the prices were a little high. You will definitely end up spending around $20-25 with a drink per person. Therefore this won't be a regular food spot for me but worth a try for sure.

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    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

    4.7(393 reviews)
    6.6 miGaslamp
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    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 feel that I was misled by the 4.7 rating. We had a 20 minute walk to get here in the heat. Then…read morethere was no air conditioning at the place. I had a grilled fish burrito. It looked good, and I liked the chilled and covered salsa bar, but the burrito had no cabbage or pico de gallo. It tasted like a kind of salty egg burrito. The flavor was off. My son had a few tacos. He liked the Birria taco. I purchased a horchata for him, a small water bottle for myself. After our meal in the heat, we both wanted more water. The cashier said that the small water bottles were $3.90 each. (Something I missed the first time around) We left without the water bottles to walk blocks in the heat with a weird taste in my mouth from the fish burrito. The prices were the same as a nicer place with decor and air conditioning.

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    Chula Tacos - Asada vampiro

    Chula Tacos

    3.8(300 reviews)
    15.8 miNestor
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    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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    La Puerta - Combo Tacos

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    4.2(4.8k reviews)
    6.7 miGaslamp
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    We had a great experience at La Puerta! The service was excellent, and the atmosphere had that…read moreperfect mix of chill and lively -- definitely a popular spot without feeling too hectic. They also had some really great vegetarian options. The tostadas, veggie tacos, and flautas were all awesome and full of flavor. The margaritas were reasonably strong, which was nice. And definitely save room for the churros -- they were so good! The only thing that wasn't quite our preference was the queso fundido. It was a little more solid than we like; we prefer ours to be extra melty and gooey. Otherwise, everything was fantastic. Great food, drinks, service, and vibes!

    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.)

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    El Jefe - tacos - Updated September 2026

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