I always have to stop at Tacos El Gordo on the way to a Padres game. Hands down the best tacos I've…read moreever had! The must try is the adobada, which is perfectly seasoned and tender pork. I like getting it as a vampiro (between two crunchy tortillas with cheese). The azteca (beef and cactus) was also very good. Nice contrast between acidic and salty. Also a big fan of the drinks -- orange bang is hard to find.

We got lucky and line wasn't crazy long during lunch hour in a Sunday. Things to know: there are…read moremultiple lines based on the tacos/ food you want: (1) fries, (2) lengua/cabeza, (3) carne asada, and (4) adobado. You wait in each line if you want multiple. Longest line is adobado, BUT lines move real quick. So even if the line is down the side of the restaurant, it goes real quick. After you get your food, you go to the cashier (so you can hit all lines then pay). For two of us, we ordered: 2 Adobada Tacos 2 Adobada asada Vampiros 2 carne asada Tacos Our favorite was the vampiro. Highly recommend to get those. There is seating outside as you will see waiting in line OR you can go upstairs. There is a small seating area upstairs too. We just had to wait for 5 minutes for someone else to finish up, then shared the table with someone else.

Taco El Gordo is hands down worth the hype. The line was…read moreover an hour long. While waiting, I overheard someone next to us say, "We only eat here, otherwise we go back to Mexico." That alone made me feel like the wait wasn't wasted. We tried a variety of tacos, and everything was solid. The spicy pork (which actually isn't that spicy) was super flavorful and easy to eat. I will highly recommend even if you don't handle spice well. The beef tongue was another standout, it is tender, rich, and really well done. Ordering can be a little confusing at first since you line up by meat and then pay separately, but once you figure it out, it's part of the experience. If you're in San Diego, this place is pretty much a must-try. I'd come back again just for these tacos.

Tacos El Gordo is an absolute beast of a business…read more Their team is producing thousands of tacos at lightening speed, all made on freshly crafted tortillas, featuring a variety of hand carved meats. How it works: you'll enter the business, grab a tray, go window to window collecting your choice of street style tacos. Once you're ready to eat, you'll purchase your final picks with the cashier. While this spot is affordable, it's not cheap. These tacos quickly add up and you could easily spend $20-30 a person depending on your hunger level. I tried a number of carne asada tacos, the cactus tacos, a tostada, quesadilla, and French fries. It's hard to choose a favorite since each item is so uniquely delicious.

Amazing tacos! I always come here when I'm in the area. The ceviche and tacos are outstanding…read more Despite the line, the order came out fast. The seafood is fresh and i really enjoyed the battered fish taco. Seating is very limited.

Food: 4.5/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 4/5 Busy place but it's thankfully quick! Also had to wait in line but not for too long. The guac is so fresh and delish - just need an extra squeeze of lemon. Sauces and condiments are up for grabs and a lot of it is self-service so it can feel more chaotic. The fish tacos, shrimp tacos, octopus tacos, and ceviche were all good! Not a 5, but a solid 4.5 :)

Mike's delivered as usual, food was excellent and the salsa bar was on point as always!read more

Delicioso todo sabor inigualable el mikes meal es mi favorito porque lleva un poco de todo y mis…read morepreferidas las quesabirrias

I absolutely love Mike's Red Tacos! I crave it all the time and get so happy when me and my…read moreboyfriend stop by for a quick meal! The service is great and the ambiance is amazing! Rate it overall at 10/10!!

Yummy tacos and excellent service! The kiosk was self serve and the restaurant itself was very…read moreclean.

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!

This spot is such a fun find in the Gaslamp District! With so many great taco options around, this…read moreone still manages to stand out. The staff was friendly, quick with our order, and the food came out fast. The salsa bar is a bonus, tasty salsas plus free carrots, onions, and pickled radish. The colorful wall art adds a playful, welcoming vibe, and the daily taco specials don't hurt either. We ordered the carne asada tacos and loved them. The meat was flavorful, generously portioned, and served on homemade tortillas. They top the guacamole with a little scoop of pinto beans, and the melted cheese comes included at no extra cost. Overall, a solid taco. We'd definitely come back to try more of their menu.

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

Little taco spot that I decided to try, and it a no frills type of place. I decided to get a…read moreburrito instead of the tacos. The ordering process was simple enough, quick and friendly service. However I took mine to go, and it was a mess. It was literally dripping oil from the burrito and made such a mess that I didn't even want to eat the 2nd half after eating the first. To be honest it wasn't very tasty either. I didn't even take a pic of the burrito because I was so focused on it not ruining the counter space in the hotel. It served it's purpose of fueling me, but definitely wouldn't recommend it or go back.

The service was fantastic! We were greeted by Ivan who was pleasant, kind, and super helpful…read more Between the amazing food and the great people that work here I would recommend this place to anyone who is in the area!

Trust me, the line at the Taco Stand is worth it. The food and service is amazing ! Isabel was very…read morekind and helpful :) We brought a friend from Europe having Mexican food for the first time and he is thrilled.

THE BEST TACOS hands down. (This is saying something). I'm from Virginia and i have always said…read more**"i don't like tacos" it wasn't until my recent trip to San Diego that i ate my words (literally). These tacos were delicious, juicy, packed, and crafted so wonderfully. The people were very nice, and i loved that they had the salsas at the table with chili oil. I had never thought that chili oil would be good with tacos? But it works! The carne asada here is the star of the show. We had a al pastor one and it was ok but not better than the carne. This place was so good we came twice on our trip (we had wanted to try new restaurants every day but this place was so good we had to come again) - now we did go to Tacos el Gordo and all I'll say is if you love carne asada go to Chulas, but if you like a pork taco go to Tacos el Gordo! **One of my main issues with tacos is that the tortillas are thin/dry? I'm a handmade kind of tortilla person don't like the banderitas brand style of tortillas - now they said they didn't make these by hand but they're definitely not the prepackaged ones.

Service - 5/5 Food - 2/5…read moreAmbiance - 3/5 Service was great. The food was not. I tried asada, chicken, and pastor. The asada and pollo were terrible. They were very wet and didn't even taste seasoned. Also they put way too much guac on the tacos. The pastor was the most flavorful. I've had better tacos even outside of San Diego. This place was overhyped and not worth the hour drive I made.

As a south Texan I am very particular about Mexican food being partial to Tex-Mex but damn, this…read moreplace delivered. Nick at the bar was amazing for both drink and food service. The salsa and verde sauce were truly amazing and the street tacos were some of the absolute best I've ever tasted. Can't recommend this place enough.

Amazing cocktails and lively ambiance. The tacos and chips…read morewere fresh and tasty. The chicken fries were not so great though - too much potato, too less chicken.