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    La Playa Taco Shop

    4.4 (1.5k reviews)
    ModerateTacos
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    La Playa Taco Shop Photos

    Business Info

    LA PLAYA TACO SHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - La Playa Taco Shop

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    Bacon breakfast burrito
    Trevor T.

    Tried going to Juice Wave, but they sold out of Açaí so had to improvise. I opened the Yelp app and looked for a high reviewed place and La Playa Taco Shop popped up. Walked over and ordered the bacon breakfast burrito with a peach Snapple(I love the Snapple facts). Definitely have order regret because the diners next to us looked like they had the best dishes with a humongous order of carne asada fries and yummy tacos. The burrito had beans & rice which is unique for a breakfast burrito. The bacon was just little bits that they probably bought from Costco. Bummer. They made an omelet which was supported by the tortilla and all hugging the beans/rice. Would probably give 5 starts if they used slices of bacon. Everyone was super nice. They provided salsa n napkins. Sitting outside there were flies but that isn't their fault. Snapple Fact: Emus can't walk backwards.

    Jann B.

    Walked over from Pacific Beach on a fine Saturday. Staff were kind. I got the Surf and Turf Burrito - price was fair, all the ingredients blended well together. The indoor portion of the restaurant was a bit warm but they had a nice patio which was a great alternative.

    carne asada burrito + wet burrito

    This has to be one of the best mexican places i've ever been to! Sooo good!!! Please try

    Fish tacos
    Stephanie S.

    Was walking on the beach bike trail and got hungry so I made my way over to this taco shop. The fish tacos were pretty good, but I was surprised to see they were served with rice inside the taco. It wasn't bad, but it was different from what I'm used to. They also have red and green salsas out on the tables that had good flavor. Sadly, no chips were provided. The prices were reasonable, and the service was fast and friendly. A good quick stop to satisfy my fish taco craving!

    Shrimp Taco & Carnitas Taco
    Vicky Z.

    I was very excited to try this taco spot after reading all the great reviews. Sadly, the food was disappointing. I ordered the shrimp taco and the carnitas taco. The carnitas taco was alright. The meat had some flavor. It came with avocado and salsa. I added plenty of salsa verde to it to add some more flavor. The shrimp tacos were probably the worse I've ever had. Zero flavor. I don't think they had even seasoned the shrimp. Plus, the shrimp was old and it had absorbed the smells from the freezer. It came with rice, which was odd, and a ton of lettuce. I do not recommend the shrimp tacos at all. Just don't order it. There are plenty of other taco spots in the area that are far better than La Playa.

    California Burrito with sour cream added
    Denise M.

    I've been eating California burritos for over 15 years and this one is the best one I ever had in my life. My family is from Mexico and I look for authenticity when eating at a Mexican place. This place has it! The service is also 10/10. The lady's who took care of me made me feel like I was family visiting which is out culture. The Ambiance was so cute a colorful and very clean! I'm not from this area and I'm so glad I stumbled across La Playa :) I will be back next time I'm in town!

    Carne asada and fish tacos. Chips and guac.
    Olivia C.

    This is probably one of the best tacos I've ever had. The service was fast and amazing! I would come back here all the time.

    Chicken burrito
    Rusty P.

    Kind and quick service, and a perfect burrito. The meat and beans were delicious, and the tortillas tasted homemade.

    California Burrito
    Jason T.

    The best CA burrito I've ever had! We spent four nights at the Catamaran hotel and ate this for dinner 3 out of 4 nights! The carne asada is so tender, the balance of the fries and guacamole and cheese is insane! I will be dreaming about this until next time.. go here and enjoy! The play is red and green salsa in each bite!

    Cross section of super California burrito with carne asada
    Jenny F.

    Bomb dot com. The end. Okay, but for real though - legit so good. You ever reminisce about a place, hype it up in anticipation, and then you finally get to experience it only to be let down? Well, this ain't that. Places like La Playa are the reason why I think so fondly of my college-hood memories, and this place did not disappoint. The tacos are pricey compared to most places, but you get some legit bang for your buck. These things are massive 6-inch diameter behemoths. The fish taco has an incredible crunch and a delightful juicy bite. The carnitas taco was so flavorful, made me wish I got more than one each. Also had a super California burrito and the carne asada inside was delicious - usually at other places I'm used to meat just being a chewy protein diluted among all the other fillings and not adding too much to the actual burrito, but you could really taste the meat in this one. My husband got loaded chicken nachos and he went to town. Like most family-run taco places, this spot will let you customize your order any which way off of the menu, so let your imagination and your heart go wild. Only downside is that this spot has very limited parking. A tiny lot that was packed when we visited at 3pm on a Wednesday, and a few street parking that was also occupied. We clandestinely parked at the hotel nearby, and my husband ran in to order and get the food while I sat in the car with the kiddos, prepared to move the vehicle at any given moment. After husband came back, we got to drive across the street right over to Mission/Pacific Beach and enjoy a late lunch with a stunning ocean view. Fantastic gem of a place, worth every penny and stellar Yelp review. Thanks for filling my heart (and my stomach) again after all these decades.

    California burrito was massive

    This place proudly qualifies for hole-in-the-wall status. It's located right on Mission Blvd, making it perfect for a sit down meal after the beach or take out to the sand. The menu is large - the challenge is choosing, especially based on the other great reviews. My wife and I did burritos - she chicken and California for me. They were fairly huge and stuffed with flavorful meat. My only critique is that the guac could have been spread more uniformly on mine - it seemed to be all at one side of the rolled tortilla. Service was fast and friendly and prices were good for the quantity received.

    Fish taco and veggie taco

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    2 months ago

    Went twice on my trip to Mission/Pacific Beach! Great, friendly service and yummy food!

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    3 months ago

    Consistent, amazing & delicious tacos. The carnitas are the play. Staff is so kind. Always a go to on MB

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    3 months ago

    Insanely good fish tacos, California burrito, and guac. Was the first stop on our trip and not sure we can beat it!

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    Tacos El Gordo

    Tacos El Gordo

    4.1
    (1.6k reviews)
    7.5 mi
    $$

    If you can figure out the chaos of the line situation when you walk through the doors, then you'll…read moredo just fine. It looks like madness but really there's a method. It's tight but it all makes sense once you've gone through it once. Walk in, read the signs of which meat you'd like to get, then stand in that line. Order what you want, then go to another meat line. You can either get your tacos to-go or eat in. Then, you make a U turn and stand in the pay line. Lol. Don't forget to pay for your drink if you're getting one. If you're eating in, go back toward the front door and turn left. Get your drink, then head on upstairs where there are lots of tables. If you get lost, there's a security guard to help direct you. Hahaha. Tacos were amazing!!!! They're all good. We had the adobada (or al pastor) on a rotating spit complete with a pineapple in the center. The asada was delicious. But our favorite, surprisingly, was the lengua. Tender and full of flavor.

    ​This is one of my favorite spots to visit when I am down here for Comic-Con every July. I came…read morehere for dinner on a Tuesday night and was surprised there wasn't a long line. ​If you are not familiar with how this place works, there are different lines for the different meats. If I remember correctly, there are three different lines: one for Adobada (pork), one for Carne Asada (beef), and one for all the other less popular meats like Cabeza (beef head), Lengua (beef tongue), etc. Usually, the lines for Asada and Adobada are really long. ​My favorite meat here is the Adobada, which kind of tastes like Hong Kong BBQ pork (Char Siu). Since the Adobada line is always so long, I usually just order the Adobada fries so I can bypass that line. You just need to go to the cashier, pay for the fries, and hand the receipt to the people all the way to the left of the Cabeza line. The taco lines work differently, you will need to pick up a tray, order the tacos, pick up the tacos, then pay for it after. I also like the Lengua and Cabeza tacos, so lucky for me, the line for those is usually short. ​Something I noticed this visit was that they removed all the outdoor seating, so we took all our food to go and ate at our hotel. They also have seating upstairs but its usually hot and muggy inside. They provide tiny Ziploc bags for you to pack the radishes and limes at the self-service station.

    Photos
    Great Service!
    Great Service!
    Carne asada fries
    Carne asada fries
    Adobada tacos

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    Adobada tacos
    The Waves Taco Club

    The Waves Taco Club

    4.7
    (382 reviews)
    7.5 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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    The Waves Taco Club
    Surf Turf Burrito
    Surf Turf Burrito
    Shrimp Burrito

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    Shrimp Burrito
    Chula Tacos

    Chula Tacos

    3.9
    (287 reviews)
    16.9 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!

    Photos
    Chula Tacos
    Keka (carne)
    Keka (carne)
    Outdoor seating

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    Outdoor seating

    La Playa Taco Shop - tacos - Updated July 2026

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