Walked in expecting counter service but was shown a table and ordered via a server. This was just one of many food stops of the day (sampling the local fares) so we ate light. We tried three tacos, the Asada, Pollo & Cabeza. All felt authentic to Mexico and had great flavor, especially the Cabeza. To us $4.59 each was more than a fair price. They came out quick as well. The place was clean. The restrooms are outside requiring a code which was provided to us by the server as we were seated. All around service was fantastic. Only drawback at the end was apparently no one ever pays by card here as it took a bit to find the machine and an employee that knew how to use it. Didn't tarnish a great outing. read more

04/18/2026 My friend introduced me to this place. Here is what I had: -Lengua Taco ($5.39) 5/5: Tender and juicy; I would definitely order this again. -Birria Taco ($4.59) 3/5: Tasty, but the meat was a bit dry and nothing really stood out. Service: 4/5 The waitresses were pleasant and checked on us often to see if we needed anything. Would I return? Not really--it is a bit too far from where I live. read more

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This place is a 5 minute walk from my home and I wish it was good. The staff and their service sucks and I generally always have a poor experience if I order and sit down. So we always order out with just the entrees to avoid any problems. The food is fairly bland, yet always seems to upset my stomach quite a bit. Me and my wife have written this place off, hopefully something drastically improves in both the food and service areas. On top of all of this the food costs an absolute fortune compared to most places. You are guaranteed to have a better experience, better food, and better service at somewhere such as tacos el Gordo or other competitors. Plus you will likely pay less as well and they won't be asking you for tips or trying to get you to sit down. read more

Overall the service was top notch with awesome food! Ambience feels authentic with music playing in the background. Thank You Esmeralda! Great Service definitely coming back read more

Las Ahumaderas - Ambience - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

This place is great The food here is amazing, the servers are very attentive! as well as Álex the manager who came and checked in on us multiple times great service, very cool spot to go to if you want a lot of options read more

Famously known from TJ now they here in San Diego. Of course it's not the same exact taste or price of TJ, it has its pros & cons. First I like to say the customer service is good, attentive, fast & it's pretty clean inside & the vibe is good. Menu is very extended from tacos, Tortas, menudo, burritos, crepes, baked potatoes & a good bar with TV's. Let me start with what everyone loved, the Crepes, the kids loved it so much we got 2 & Baked Potatoes with carne asada, Chipotle with the trimmings were also very good & the tripa here is very good. The tacos were ok, Tripa was my fav but the others needed more seasoning, Birria, Asada & especially the Adobada were a bit bland & thier guac they use was a bit bland too & the Cabeza was a bit dry to my liking. Tho they probably have some of the best handmade corn tortillas I've had & kind of made up for some of the bland meat, those tortillas are very good. They are a bit pricey compared to other taco spots, about $5 a taco so if you a big back like me & eat alot it can get pricey. Menudo was ok but you come to a taco shop for the tacos not menudo but hey if you bring your Tata & Nana they may want a bowl with a taco. Overall it's ok, a bit pricey but a good vibe & good to have a family event especially if they like drinking with the bar they have. If I was invited I go again & get a few Tripa tacos. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos, beers & laughter & celebrating my pop's EL Jefe's 71st birthday, Salud :) - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Me encanta venir a comer a estos tacos aparte de que son los mejores tacos de San Diego, Sara siempre nos da un muy buen servio Gracias read more

Las Ahumaderas - 2 tacos de asada y un quesataco de adobada - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Mexican food Street tacos Jugos Adobaba Al pastor. Asada Fast service Restroom outside with code Amex accepted Small parking lot. Good for large parties Limited vegetarian options Table side salsa Large menu selection read more

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The food here, along with the customer service, is ALWAYS a hit or miss... tonight it was a miss. I ordered a pick up order through Uber Eats, because you can't phone in your order in advance. Sure, you can call it in, but they don't stay preparing it until you come in, in person to pay. Anyway, I ordered two orders of adobada/carne asada fries, and the guac was nasty and brown. Not only that, they only gave me the spiciest salsa I like spicy, but daaaammmmnnnnnnn! I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Adobada fries - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

The food and the ambiance are amazing! It's all the good of a taqueria plus friendly staff that make you feel welcomed. Loaded potato with arrachera is the best (arrachera melts in your mouth) Kechona quesadilla with hand-made corn tortilla is premium And the elote en vaso was the best way to close the meal read more

As a parent of a child with food sensitivities/autism, I was really disappointed by this restaurant's strict no outside food policy. My partner and I were purchasing food from the establishment ourselves, and we even bought a drink for our child. The outside food we had was only to accommodate our child's sensory and dietary needs. For many families, bringing safe foods is not about preference -- it's a necessity. Children with sensory issues, autism, or food sensitivities often cannot simply eat from a regular menu. Unfortunately, there was little understanding or flexibility offered, which made the experience feel stressful and unwelcoming. It's unfortunate that as parents, it feels like you can't even go grab some tacos without needing to arrange daycare for a child with sensory issues. I hope the restaurant reconsiders its policy or allows reasonable accommodations for families navigating these challenges. read more

My family and I visited this place to check it out. Parking is limited, so on busy days you might need to find a spot elsewhere. Once inside, the host or hostess is friendly and acknowledges you right away. If there's availability, you're seated promptly. The food is served quickly, and the flavors are genuinely delicious. However, I gave this place 3 stars primarily due to the pricing. I spent $80 for dinner for three people, which included four small tacos, one burrito, one corn, and one kids meal. That's pretty steep--definitely not Tijuana prices, and it's not fine dining either. Just too expensive for what you get. read more

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I should have known better than to come here. The restaurant has 3 stars and now I know why first hand. I went last week and ordered the family meal which was front and center on their menu, this is where all of the problems started. 1. The family meal says it comes with 32 tortillas. They gave us 15.. Yes 15 and said they were double tortillas.??? We had to argue with the server and they gave us 10 more. 2. The family meal comes supposed to come with 6 tostadas. Those were nowhere to be found. 3. One of our drink glasses was very dirty and had some sort of blueberry residue on it. 4. When we got our bill there was auto gratuity of 18% which was not deserved at all. They also charged the credit card fee three times and had to refund after we asked for an itemized receipt. The tacos weren't even that great. I don't see the point in even going here when Gordo is down the street or unica is right next door. Live and learn I guess. My hope is this review convinces and saves someone their time and hard earned mo​ney if they are considering going here. read more

I was recommended this spot by my friend who grew up in SD, so I had high expectations. You walk in and order first, then you pick up at the counter in the back. There was a wide variety of options and the ordering process is pretty straight forward. I liked how the inside was clean and well maintained. The tacos were ok though. We got the carne asada, cabeza, and adobada tacos which weren't that flavorful. Even with the sauce it felt kind of bland. I have had more fatty and flavorful tacos elsewhere. Not sure if I would come back... I would probably go to Tacos El Gordo instead if I was down here and wanted tacos. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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I used to frequent Tijuana quite a bit we would always stop by the famous "Taco Alley" before crossing the border back to the US. My boyfriend and I were surprised to see that they opened it here in Chula Vista. This place is huge but confusing. I was expecting it to be similar to Las Ahumaderas where you sit down in front of the cook and they give you the tacos right then and there. However, the experience is far from it. We had to order at the bar where we then received a buzzer that let us know when our tacos were done. I feel like one of the key components of a taco from Las Ahumaderas is the charcoal taste. That was missing from these tacos which then makes these tacos mid at best. Not to mention the prices are way more pricer per taco compared to other places. The concept of this place is interesting. I can see they're trying to make it like a food court situation where you could get dessert, tacos, and drinks all in one place. While the concept is cool, there are definitely better tacos down the street. Overall, I wouldn't come here expecting it to taste like just like the Las Ahumaderas in TJ. I'm glad to say I tried it but I personally wouldn't come back. read more

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The food is delicious. I had the baked potato with al pastor and Carne Asada. I like the al pastor a little bit better. The potato was huge plenty of seasoning and very filling. I had to take half to go. I was super happy that they had Happy Dad here the death row grape flavor. It's one of my favorites is actually the reason why I stopped in. I will be back to try the taco Tuesday and I will try some desserts and more Happy Dad had it with a rim of Chamoy and Tahin highly recommend! My server was Laura. I sat at the bar and she was very helpful with recommendations. I love that they have happy hour here and that the food comes out perfectly hot and full of flavor. It feels like you're in Tijuana. The vibe is loud like Mexico, but still fun and warm with music. read more

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To start off the food there was amazing, reminds me of og street tacos from TJ which is something very rare to find outside of Mexico. The adobada was on point and birria was just as good. On top of that, our server Esmerelda was awesome, very friendly, and attentive to whatever we needed. 10/10 recommend! read more

There was a alive fly in the cilantro Cup and thats nasty. the carne asada fries were to much. This place is a cash and grab read more

Las Ahumaderas - A fly in the Cup of cilantro - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I visited Las Ahumaderas in Chula Vista, CA on Thursday, 1/23/25, around 11 PM. For dinner, I decided to order one Carne Asada Burro & two Birria Quesatacos. The food was quite tasty and flavorful. The carne asada in the burro was seasoned to perfection. It was delicious, especially paired with the hot salsa. The Quesatacos were also delectable. The inside of the restaurant was very lively and inviting. I liked the nice decor and entertaining music. The customer service was very friendly. The parking lot was spacious. Overall, the price point of the food may be just a tad high. However, the food from "The Original Tijuana Taco" restaurant is appetizing. I recommend trying this place out. read more

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Neon lights, tacos stacked, micheladas & margaritas rimmed with chamoy this place does not play around Every taco was loaded and messy in the best way. The adobada and asada were top tier, and the salsas had me sweating (but like... happily). Came hungry & left full & buzzin Loud, chaotic, and delicious; 10/10 would come back. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Excellent service very friendly and welcoming, fast service food was served hot, tortillas were fresh the salsas are flavourful 5 stars for Alexa read more

Service was fantastic!!!!! We had a great time! The Food was absolutely delicious! The overall vibe of the place was quite enjoyable! Definitely recommend! read more

This place was honestly the worst tacos I've ever had in my life. No flavor, and very expensive. 2 tacos and a soda for almost $20 dollars is outrageous. I did want to try it and now that I have I will make sure that I never go back. Waitress was very nice so we did tip her $10 but other than that me personally the worst tacos ever read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos de adobada - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Well. My Mexican wife liked it so that's good enough for me. But here is my input. Good carne asada, great adobada, lengua was uhh. Average. Salsa was great , agua fresca was great. Verdict 5 stars read more

When I'm in the area, I have to stop by for their delicious food and great selection. The service is good and easy to contact your server. Pretty cool place. read more

We decided to try this place because I wanted tacos de cabeza. I was not too happy with my tacos but I was not disappointed either. They have such a variety of food to choose from. From tacos to crepes to corn. Everyone liked their tortas, tacos and crepes and we all were very happy with the service. Usually when you sit outside, you get forgotten but we were not and they checked on us often as well. We will come back again and happy to know they are on UberEats as well. It is really uniquely decorated as well. read more

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This food is delicious You have to try the loaded bake potato.. Soo good Everything was clean, tons of space for eating in. The atmosphere was fun and casual. Service was friendly and quick Will definitely be back Parking is tight. Restrooms are outside and small. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Crepes menu - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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I've been here 3x and have not experienced the poor service that is in other reviews. It is definitely pricey as previously reviewed but I like the food. Their carne asada is the closest I've found to Tacos el Gordo (I haven't been able to eat there since covid but I'll spare you the details. Los Ahumaderas salsa is very tasty as well. I love that they put beans on their carne asada chips too! read more

Las Ahumaderas - Asada chips - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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The food is good, but the pick up service is bad, they tell you thr time and most of the time you hsve to wait 45 minutes more. The last time we got our order 45 minutes after the 15 minutes they told me my food will be ready. After i got my food i drive to my house for 5 minutes, and when i was reqdy to eat i notice the guacamole was like if the food was prepare for for alot of time, the guacamole was very dark. The employes are very nice and welcoming. When i eat in the restaurant is a total diferent experience but for pick up my experience id bad. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Bad guacamole - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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To the owner please fix your ordering and your pay process it's getting ridiculous here. I came in today las ahumaderas , and the overall experience is a little bit confusing. I don't think they know how to take orders properly. It's been over two years, and I think at this point they should have it locked in. Unfortunately, it's still a confusing process. Other than that, the food is great, but the service is starting to go downhill. They need to step up their game. read more

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Bro thank you too my dear friend danny for telling me about this place. This place is a hidden gym seriously you walk in it's not just one restaurant you have other restaurants in this restaurant from fresh juice to Menudo to Lidia to tacos to baked potatoes with Carnitas on top. Oh my gosh, where do I start? read more

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Yo creo que es un lugar muy amigable y la comida es buena me gustó más que otros lugares me gusta comer bien y rico y el Ambiente es bueno los tacos muy buenos y más que como los keto tacos read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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First time trying them out here in the San Diego, had them plenty of times at their original location in Tijuana, food was great lots of meat on the tacos the only difference is the prices , I came in early right when they opened so there was not a lot of people, I got served quick. Nice clean place and spacious. Bathrooms were clean and the parking lot is big. Overall food tasted the same as in Tijuana, like I mentioned before the only difference was the price. I will definitely be back. Thank you the employees at Las Ahumaderas in Chula Vista, GRACIAS . read more

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Always looking for a taco spot with good street tacos. I got a few adobada and carne asada and the tacos were delicious, and so was the salsa. They also have crepes in the same building so that's awesome! On food, this place is definitely a 4-5, but I'm giving it an average rating because the service wasn't great. The cashier was distracted, not very friendly, and took a few minutes before actually taking my order (not work related things) and she kept looking at the person I was with, not paying any attention to the actual customer she's taking the order from. When we went to sit down, there was someone cleaning the tables who just started staring at us when we tried to find a table. So I asked if we were allowed to sit in that section and she says "no, sorry". Rather than letting us know before we sat down, or blocking off the section, she just stared at us until I said something so I found that to be unprofessional. The food is great but just a tad bit pricy, which I'm happy to pay, but not when the service isn't great. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

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Loved everything about this restaurant the service, the food, and the ambiance. We got the carne Asada tacos and they were amazing. Definitely my new favorite taco spot in Chula Vista. read more

I was super excited to try out the SD version of Las AHUMADERAS, drove 30 mins down. Food was Disappointing. For the price, they didnt have fresh hand made tortillas and the asada and adobada were dry and lackluster. Decor is clean and good ambiance but the food definitely not worth the $3.95 per taco. read more

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I've been to las Ahumaderas in Tijuana and thought about checking this place out. I walked in and ordered at the front. When your order is ready, you pick up at the winder on the left. Not on the right window, I guess that's for something else, I think elotes. I'll have to go back and try it . They had the Canelo fight on the TVs. I noticed a waitress walking around and handing menus out. I'm not sure how they decide if you order yourself at the front and m/or when they send you a waitress. The tacos were pretty good. I think I'd like to go back to try the other food options. The horchata wasn't the real horchata , it was really sweet. read more

Las Ahumaderas - Pretty good tacos - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California

The keto taco was great, I had it with tripas. Sadly the birria was awful. I had the burrito, they managed to squeeze out all moisture and it was dry and flavorless. Even consme didn't help. Go elsewhere if you want birria. read more

We came by as there were a few people who recommended this spot but will more than likely not be returning. Aside from prices being a bit "up there", the food had little to no flavor, in our opinion. We felt as if everything was super plain. Sure the portions are a good size but we didn't find anything unique or "special" about the tacos/meat. We did order a michelada and that was tasty. This location has a little bar area that looks like a nice spot to hangout at. read more

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I'm from out of town and stopped by to visit family. I figured I'd stop off and grab a quick bite to eat while I wait. I ordered a chicken quesadilla and asada taco, the quesadilla was over salted and the asada taco was bland. I'm very disappointed in the quality. I probably wouldn't come back to this place if I ever visited the city of Chula Vista again. BTW, I've been to TJ and have tasted better tacos by street vendors read more

Las Ahumaderas - Chicken quesadilla - Tacos Near Me - Chula Vista, California