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    El Jefe

    3.6 (30 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 6:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    El Jefe Photos

    EL JEFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Jefe

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    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 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.

    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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    11 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

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

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    9 months 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

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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

    Business owner information

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    Customer Service Manager B.

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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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    6 years ago

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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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    4 years ago

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    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

    4.7
    (380 reviews)
    6.6 mi
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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 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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    The Waves Taco Club
    Shrimp Burrito
    Shrimp Burrito
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    Surf Turf Burrito
    Taqueria Los Chuchys

    Taqueria Los Chuchys

    4.3
    (638 reviews)
    6.7 mi
    $$

    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

    This place was a recommendation from a long time SD native friend and did not disappoint. We were…read morevisiting from Hawaii and craving authentic TJ tacos. They service was excellent. They were so attentive and kind - patient with our order and precise with repeating it back. There was an above and beyond to it with a feel of aloha or welcoming to their home. Food was boooooommbbbbbb and the michelada was on point. I had three tacos - pollo, asada, and birria. Birria was so good. Just taking it down a star because I've had better salsa... however, it was not bad, at all.

    Photos
    Salsa bar
    Salsa bar
    El Al Pastor Fries
    El Al Pastor Fries
    Front

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    Front
    Chula Tacos

    Chula Tacos

    3.9
    (271 reviews)
    15.8 mi
    $$

    The food was great! Good Tijuana style tacos with lots of flavor and all the right ingredients. I…read moreordered a keka. It was really good and it's meant for good appetites. The portion was huge. The service is attentive and casual with the girls that help you very friendly and specially a girl taking the order always smiling to everyone. The ambiance is casual, non stressed with everyone enjoying and listening to regional Mexican music. I thought the efficiency of logistics to serve could be improved. They just yell and walk around looking for the name on the order. Other than that observation, I think the place delivers what it promises with good tacos, decent prices and awesome attitude

    I kept hearing about this place from friends and decided to try it out today…read more I ordered a Vampiro Carne Asada, Vampiro Al Pastor, and an Al Pastor taco. Everything was delicious. This was my first time trying a taco Vampiro style (crunchy and cheesy), it was great. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you. The location of the menu vs the counter didn't work well - you couldn't see the menu when ordering so everyone had to keep looking back and forth just to place each order (they need to fix the signage or layout). Service was super fast. It came with a small plate of cucumbers, radishes, and limes. They also dropped off 2 salsa bottles - a super spicy habanero salsa, and a medium spicy salsa verde. They had plenty of seating inside or outside on picnic tables. I sat outside to enjoy the weather and smell the carne asada being cooked on wood fired grill. Side note / tree hugger comment: They were a little wasteful with the plates... each taco came in its own separate basic.

    Photos
    Al pastor
    Al pastor
    Keka (carne)
    Keka (carne)
    Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    El Jefe - tacos - Updated June 2026

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