El Prieto is hands down some of the best authentic street food you'll find in San Diego. I had the Pollo Torta, and it was straight up mouth-watering, loaded with guac, perfectly seasoned pollo, onions, and bold flavors that hit from the first bite to the last. Nothing dry, nothing bland...just done right. We also shared the Birria Tacos with a bowl of Birria Consomé, packed with shredded beef and rich, flavorful broth. Dip, bite, repeat, unreal. Every bite was juicy, savory, and insanely satisfying. The food here reminds me of TJ, authentic, full of flavor, This is not your average drive-thru spot with thick, cold tortillas and cheap meat. This is the real deal. If you're visiting San Diego and want legit street food, do yourself a favor and come here. Skip the chains. Skip the bland spots. El Prieto is top-notch. read more

Amazing El Pastor burrito. Fast service and fun ambiance in downtown, especially during a padres game. Wasn't too busy but there was a crowd as the game went on for a Thursday night. Would comeback! read more

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Came across this small place before going to a concert at Petco Park and the food was excellent! The adobada burrito was the best that my partner had in a very long time, and my lengua taco and pollo asado taco were delicious! Definitely give it a shot if you're in the area. read more

El Prieto - Pollo asado and lengua tacos - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

El Prieto has opened in a suite diagonally across from Petco Park in the East Village section of downtown. There has been a revolving carousel of businesses at this corner which may reflect the challenging situation when baseball is in its off-season. The inside space was shared with a seafood taco vendor (Mariscos Beto) under the same ownership that closes two hours earlier. You ordered with the cashier at the service counter to the right of the entrance. They gave you a numbered pager that buzzed when your order was ready. The menu listed the standard items you would expect from a taqueria. The unusual aspect was that they used the English names for the cuts of meat instead of the Spanish terms (e.g. marinated pork vs. adobada or al pastor). The exceptions were birria and suadero which could have been labeled as stewed beef and beef shank, respectively. The tacos were priced at either $3.99 or $4.29 each. Since my visit fell on a Taco Tuesday, a special of two for one marinated pork tacos was in effect. I chose that along with a grilled beef taco and a beef tongue taco. A window gave a clear view to the kitchen preparation area where you could see the marinated pork cooking on a spit. On the far side were containers of different agua frescas. I purchased a small cup of the jamaica flavor to go with my meal. A self-service salsa bar was across from where the agua frescas were set out. The number and variety of hot sauce bottles placed on the shelf above the bar were impressive. As for my food, the best taco was the beef tongue. It had good moisture and a mild flavor. The marinated pork was salty while the marinated beef was ordinary. The two beef cuts were dressed Sinaloan style which had shredded greens and salsa. The pork tacos contained the typical cilantro, onions, and guacamole. The agua fresca was refreshing and necessary to help rinse the saltiness of the pork from my palate. My dining experience at El Prieto was worthy of 3.5 stars. read more

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This place was super close to my job site, hence I was on foot. There is street parking and a few parking garages nearby. I ordered the adobada and carne asada tacos. There were many hot sauce and salsa options, I mean they had all the hot sauce bottles displayed on top of the salsa/condiment selections. The service from the staff was wonderful, no complaints. There were a handful of customers during peak lunch hour so I waited a bit for my order. Stool seating and outdoor seating were available. read more

El Prieto - Specials Menu: 3pm-Cl - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

El Prieto gives great customer service & my fish tacos were promptly delivered. The tacos were moist & crunchy. El Prieto serves tacos, burritos, vampires, and quesadillas. ONLY wish they served menudo! read more

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El Prieto makes some pretty good tacos. I had two Sinaloa style tacos which came with simply with seasoned carne asada, shredded cabage, and salsa. Sometimes you can get these with freshly sliced avocado. The tacos were $3.99 plus tax each. The tacos were good and the meat was tender. It was lightly seasoned. A little more salt would of been nice. I just added some myself. The hoot sauce that came on each taco was simple but very tasty. It packed a mild heat. These style of tacos are simple but they generally have more meat in them, like they did here. The two gents working here when I came in were friendly and have good humor. They offer a nice salsa bar, and cevicheria that opens up at 11 am, and a good amount of inside seating. They also offer tortas, burritos, quesadillas, birria, and aguas. read more

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Honestly giving 5 stars alone for the amount of guac on my tacos. I couldn't have been happier as their guac was fresh. For $3.99/taco this slapped. I ordered the carne asada and pollo tacos. The asada was a bit dry but again still great because of how much guac. The pollo was super juicy. Definitely needed double layers of tortillas since these were filled to the brim. My husband had the carne asada/al pastor quesadilla and loved it too. I was lucky enough to have a few bites and I quickly understood why he devoured it. The flavor of the al pastor was just perfection. He was jealous of the amount of guac I got but still would choose his quesadilla over my tacos. To each their own. Honestly I love how this location is right outside Petco Park as it's a great stop for a quick lunch/dinner before or after games/concerts. read more

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Brand new taco shop in East Village, sandwiched between Swagyu and the upcoming Bobby's Pizza is Tacos El Prieto. Also note, there's a Mexican seafood menu under the name Mariscos Beto in the same space. Once inside menus and ordering are directly to your right. After your order is placed they'll hand you a buzzer to alert you to come pick it up. Meanwhile, help yourself to their salsa bar while you wait. Inside is pretty much standing room only however there is outside seating if you prefer to sit while you eat. I got mine to go. Food wise, it's pretty good. I got a Suadero taco and a Cabeza taco. Each had ample fillings and were kind of heavy given their compact size. Both were tasty with juicy meats that drip down your arm and onto your shirt, be warned. I also tried a Carne Asada Burrito, again crazy juicy, maybe even a little greasy. Steak had a nice char with slightly crisp edges and lots of guacamole that helped to keep the meat from falling out. Overall a solid taco shop and of course a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Looking forward to trying out some of their more interesting offerings, looking at you Chorreadas! read more

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New taco spot that took over the former El Puerto spot, across from Petco Park. You order at the counter. There is bar type seating inside and tables outside. They have a little salsa bar inside as well. There is also a seafood menu, but apparently they operate separately and that side was closed at 6pm on a Saturday night...not sure what their hours are. Food came out fairly quickly. We ordered the Carne Asada, Al Pastor and queso taco with suadero. TJ style tacos come with guac, onions and cilantro. The cashier told us they also come with salsa on them, but they did not. Tacks themselves were decent. I liked the Al pastor the best from what I tried. Carne asada was a bit greasy. Suadero was not what I was expecting from the cashier's description, but it was ok. I liked the melted cheese on the queso taco. read more

El Prieto - Menu - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

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Buy one get one free shrimp ceviche. Can't beat it. 2 large orders for $18. Made fresh, tastes so good, great portions. Friendly service too. Love the daily deals!! read more

El Prieto - Shrimp Ceviche - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was okay it lacked flavor to me. I ordered the Carne Asada fries, but I haven't tried anything else. The service was good and the restaurant was nice and clean, but I don't know if I'd go out of my way to go back. read more

El Prieto - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

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Popped in before the Padres game, since there was no line to order. From the outside, doesn't look like much, however the food is delicious and the staff were nice. Huge salsa bar with lots of extras. Look for their daily specials, tonight was 2 for 1 quesadillas. read more

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This place was just okay for me. The carne asada was kinda dry, the cabeza had good flavor but was a little cold, and the lengua was pretty solid. I feel like when there's a game in town and things are busier, the food probably comes out fresher. Service was good though, and there's plenty of seating. read more

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Solid lengua, cabeza and suadero tacos. They fry their chips to order and have some good guac as well. I saw others noting lack of salsa, I thought the same, but there is a salsa bar hidden by the register with some tasty and spicy options. They also advertise Mariscos and I came to try fish tacos or ceviche but note that operation closed that day at 7 pm. read more

Birria was pretty good. I like mine a little more salty. The tortillas were a bit tattered. But I would go back for the quality. read more

El Prieto - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

Ceviche was so fresh and so delicious. Ordering was easy and service was fast. Great customer service and the salsa bar chefs kiss had a big variety of different salas. Love it will be coming back here regularly read more

El Prieto - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

Went for lunch today. Had to wait nearly 40 minutes for our food with only two people ahead of us. When we finally got the food, it was cold, there was a hair on the food, tostada shells were extremely stale and overall just meh flavor. The setup and flow of this place needs serious help. There was zero hustle from the staff. Such a disappointment. The place that was there before was way better read more

Carne asada fries and birria were flavorless. East Village desperately needs a legit Mexican spot because this ain't it.

Great Mexican food. The carne asada is perfectly crispy. They also have a salsa bar which is great. The workers were very nice and the inside is pretty cool too. read more

El Prieto - Carne Asada Burrito - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

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Green Aguachile tostada was not good .. shrimp was not cooked with the lime .. not spicy at all .. tostada was really extremely hard .. too much pepper just tossed on top ... i should of took a picture in the beginning but thought mixing it and have it sit for a while shrimp will cook but nop sad about it ..oo well Dont recommend the shrimp al mojo de ajo taco not good as well .. bummer read more

El Prieto - Green aguachile tostada - Tacos Near Me - San Diego, California

Al pastor burrito was not super impressive. Meat texture was overly wet and macerated and taste was just alright.

Good Lord has this placed done a 180 for me. The Birria taco, the adobada and chicken quesadillas are . Super nice service, everyone has always been friendly. And I love their guacamole in the quesadillas. read more

This is our new favorite taco shop / Mexican Food eatery, by far. My wife and I discovered this spot a few weeks ago and have been VERY pleased with both the friendly service and, moreover, the food. (Which includes their fantastic 2 x 1 Sunday taco deal.) Filling our bellies with their yummy tacos has become our Sunday routine. Thus far we have only had their tacos, and they are well prepared. They're fat, with lots of well-made guac, and the carne asada is done right. It has that nice, steaky flavor, and I think last time they might have been homemade tortillas, or some that are very close to homemade. And they are presented well. There's a nice salsa bar that also includes a variety of store-bought bottles of hot sauce. The place is clean, bright, and inviting with indoor and outdoor tables. 5-Stars for sure! read more

Talk about mediocre food. How disappointing when your tacos are sub par. Absolutely nothing special. Had the beef and the chicken TJ style and neither was anything I would come back for. Just want a good taco in this neighborhood. Truly disappointing. If Lolittas was a 4 this is a 1. Wont be back. Sad that this place offers nothing special and likely another short term venture in the East Village. Your food has to be better than this or you won't get my repeat business. read more

We had a large party and ordered our food in bulk to go. There were plenty of sides, condiments and utensils with the order. The chicken and beef for the tacos were a solid average but the tortillas were not good. The flour tortillas were burnt and the corn tortillas had a funky taste about them. The guac and salsas were adequate but not eye rolling delicious. What was exceptional was the size and uniformity of the onions...just perfect for tacos. At first I was thinking I would not order there again, but after writing the review I might give it another try...maybe eat on site to see if I get a different experience. read more

Great surf and turf burrito and large selection of salsas to choose from. Nice people too, I would recommend for sure.

Very nice man behind the registrar! Food came out pretty quick, hot and FRESH. IT WAS DELICIOUS. I'm only here for a weekend but I might come back! It was clean and lowkey, would recommend! read more

I got the half birria, genuinely life changingly good, I've been to Mexico and had some really good authentic birria and that's exactly what I got here. The flavor was so good and the meat just melts in your mouth, absolutely delicious. I will give warning that not everyone there speaks the greatest English but the service was still so nice and respectful. I also got a asada taco too that was quite good but nothing compared to the birria, get the birria. read more

Quesadillas Al pastor was so good especially before a padres game. I'd get a Mexican drink to go along with it too

The cabeza was fire and carne asada hit hard too I'm definitely going to go back when I go back to one of the padres game

One of the best Cali burritos I've ever had, the tacos of course are amazing to! I was sad to see the Mexican restaurant before leave, but El Prieto honestly is way better! read more

Came in the other day for some tacos walked in there was no cashier no one behind the glass wall acknowledged me only a white guy on the seafood counter saw me and welcomed me in while everyone ignored me on their phones as well finally got a cashier and was very difficult to order with them because they did not speak English very well he just kept nodding his head saying yes anytime i asked him about the menu , I clearly asked him for no guacamole but it came on the tacos anyway read more