Delicious food, friendly staff, reasonably priced. Thoroughly recommend this tacaustic.

Camarón Enchilado ($5.50) - This is may be my new favorite shrimp taco. It was bursting with flavor and the chipotle crema and cheese balanced the spice from the shrimp so well. Definitely their best taco! Carne Asada ($4.90) - The meat was perfectly grilled and very flavorful. Birria ($4.90) - The meat was tender but surprisingly lacked flavor. Their house salsas made up for it though read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO CAMARÓN ENCHILADO (Spicy Shrimp) , TACO CARNE ASADA , TACO BIRRIA - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Taco Centro was an absolutely terrible experience. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I visited Sunday night, August 30, and between the food, the portions, the customer service, and the ridiculous added "benefits" fee, I genuinely cannot understand the appeal. Food had no seasoning, tasted super bland, served stingy portions. Everything was wrong. The portions were shockingly skimpy. The taco was tiny, and the taco bowl looked half-empty. Everything was served so sparingly that it felt like they were rationing ingredients. For what customers are paying, the servings come across as petty, greedy, and embarrassingly stingy. Then, on top of those already skimpy portions, they add a separate "benefits" fee to the bill. If you are going to impose an additional fee on customers supposedly connected to employee benefits, you would at least hope the customer service would reflect some basic professionalism. Instead, the woman working the counter was dismissive and rude, with virtually no sense of courtesy, etiquette, or appreciation for the people actually paying to eat there. And none of this would be redeemed by the food itself. It was disgusting. Tiny portions, an underfilled bowl, poor service, and an additional fee on top of it all. There are far too many good taco shops in San Diego to spend your money somewhere that manages to make you feel ripped off and unwelcome at the same time. Tacos El Centro was hot garbage from beginning to end. I'm genuinely shocked by the positive reviews. Based on my experience, the portions are miserly, the service is rude, the added fee is ridiculous, and the food absolutely does not justify any of it. I will not be returning. Fire the girl working the register on August 30 around 10:40PM. She makes your brand look bad and lacks social interaction skills and behaves in a very condescending and arrogant manner toward customers. Doesn't even say "enjoy your meal" when serving as if she thinks she's too good to greet customers or say anything at all. I would say pay your employees more instead of charging customers a benefits fee but this lady deserves literally zero benefit from that benefit fee. No benefit fee and lower pay are more appropriate. When I asked that the size of the bowl was, she condescendingly referred us to the picture on the screen, as if we were too stupid to not tell the difference between a marketing image and actual product presentation. Just plain stupid worker and I hated eating here. Period. Bc read more

BEST Fresh Corn Tortilla ever tasted. Food & service are great. Ambiance seem like an american burger spot. Full Salsa-bar with MachaChili and mushrooms taco and Birria Pizza definitely try read more

TACO CENTRO - Indoor - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

After having Ice cream next door, we walked here to try some of their Tacos, chose the Carne Asada Taco, Mar y Tierra Taco and Coctel ( Shrimp Cocktail) w My son and I like the Tacos more compared to other taco places in the Area. The tortilla is nicely done and fresh , we took some condiments but we ended up not using them since their meats are well seasoned. They do have a good amount of tables inside and outdoors. About Parking night time is mostly hard to find especially on weekends; it's packed , we just always get lucky to find handicap parking. read more

See all

Funky taco and burrito place. Great music, outside and inside dining. Great service. Freshly made everything. read more

TACO CENTRO - Mar y Tierra Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Honestly i was expecting much more since i heard so many good things. It's possible we just came on an off day, but I was not impressed with the food. I ordered the Queso birria taco. It came with consumme and it looked good, but had zero flavor. The meat tasted as if they forgot to add any seasoning at all, and so did the consumme. The taco was also way too soggy from all of the juice, even without dipping it. The meat was tender, so that was a plus. My lunch partners food was the same way, no flavor on the carne asada meat. The rice and beans were good, i enjoyed them. They do have a salsa bar which is nice. They don't do any complimentary chips, which i think some restaurants are moving away from. I might give them a 2nd chance if im nearby to see if it was an off day. read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Decent taco spot if you're in the Gaslamp area as they are open until 3AM. I really liked their Mar Y Tierra taco, Al Pastor was just okay but they are very generous with meat and toppings so that was nice. Lots of salsa and fresca options as well. read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO MAR Y TIERRA, TACO AL PASTOR - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Yum! The tacos were delicious and packed with filling. I loved the sauces as well. I liked that there was plenty of available seating outside, which had a good ambiance. read more

TACO CENTRO - Tacos and outdoor seating - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

This was the first stop on my Gaslamp Taco Crawl with my wife. Taco Centro has a great salsa bar and when you order chips they come out hot and fresh. They could have used some salt, but by far the best chips on the crawl. I went with the Al pastor and it had the classic Al pastor flavor, but nothing that made it stand out. The meat was tender, but not crispy like Al pastor should be, in my opinion. 5 's for the chips and salsa. 3 's for the Al Pastor. My wife got the Pollo Asada and she enjoyed it. Service was fast and the food was hot! read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO AL PASTOR and TACO POLLO ASADO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Hubby and I stopped and gave this place a try. Excellent carnitas, the Al Pastor meat seemed to be refried meat was curled and not slivered off the fresh rotation wheel. Birria taco had good flavor, it was not served with juices. Tacos were good and had great flavor was delicious. We paid $4.99 per taco. I think they should add two tortillas, tortillas fell apart and had to eat the taco with a fork. Just add two tortillas. Glad we came. Laura S read more

See all

Chips and queso was underwhelming but highly recommend the shrimp tacos! Great sauce bar with lots of outdoor seating and ambiance. Service was great. Highly recommend! read more

I genuinely recommend this place! The service, atmosphere, and FOOD were amazing! We ordered 5 tacos: asada, birria, al pastor, and Sonora, and they were ALL delicious! And the salsas... no se digan, SO tasty! Very authentic Mexican tacos, coming from a true tacotarian/tacologist lol Definitely coming back! read more

Love that this location is open from 3am on Saturdays not that I was planning on staying up that late though but it's good to know if I had the midnight munchies for good tacos that I'd have a spot to go to. Got my food in about 10 minutes which is good because I was hungry. The chips and guacamole were really good. We really enjoyed them. I got a carne asada taco and a shrimp taco. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the shrimp taco more than the carne asada one and I'm usually a carne asada girl. I think it's because the habanero salsa wasn't as hot as I usually like it but it was good. I also got the avocado salsa which was good. We sat outside on the benches and watched people as they walked by on a Saturday night which was pretty entertaining. All in all, a nice spot and glad I stopped by. read more

TACO CENTRO - Salsa bar with my selection of 2 on the left. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The tacos here are amazing. I came here with my brother and we both agree the taco camarón is the best (shrimp tacos). We also got the tacos Al pastor, Baja taco which were tasty too. The chips were a bit stale and I expected the queso to be yellow/white but it was bright orange. Almost tasted like cheddar so it wasn't my favorite. My I have gotten fries there before which were some of the best fries. They serve tacos really quick which i appreciate. I'm always coming back here! read more

TACO CENTRO - Tacos Al pastor, taco camarón, Baja taco and chips and queso - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food!! We ordered the carne asada nachos, birria taco, el pastor, carne asada taco and churros. Everything was fresh, well seasoned and great portion size. Soo good we will be back!!! read more

See all

Taco Centro had really nice staff as well as a great location in San Diego. The environment was also nice. They had nice outdoor seating and the place overall had a very clean modern look to itself. The food was also very good and packed with flavor. All the tacos were good and filling. The only thing that taco central needs to improve is how dry their meat was still with the meat being quite dry the food was still amazing. read more

TACO CENTRO - Giant fresh meat they put in most of their tacos, right by the drinks and sodas. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Taco Centro is delicious and super tasty, literally some of the best tacos I've ever had! I'll definitely come back. Customer service was great as well and a very Fun ambiance. read more

TACO CENTRO - Al Pastor Taco, Carne Asada Taco, and Topo Chico - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Awesome place!! Highly recommend the Birria pizza. We actually ordered this on accident. But so happy we did! It was so good and I would've never chose to try this. Will definitely be looking forward to my next visit. read more

4-18-26 4pm... Walked in dancing to some good salsa dancing music and a welcome in can I help you...this place gives you a club vibe...I ordered 3 Al Pastor tacos to go...Quick Lil afternoon snack...I danced my way to the salsa bar after ordering...this place is always buzzn day or nite so grad a seat inside ot outside and enjoy...it's plenty staff on hand to handle any hunger rush...after a good song or two my number was called and I was handed my tacos with a luvly smile and a thank you for coming... read more

Always looking for new taco places to try whenever we're in SD. We arrived around 1130am on a Sunday and looked like we were one of the first ones there. Parking is pretty terrible if you're lucky enough to find street parking or you can park across the street but they charge a ridiculous amount minimum about of $50 we planned on eating there but decided to just take it to go. They have indoor and patio dinning. They had a self service ordering kiosk that we used to order our food. 11 tacos (asada, al pastor, birria, camaron, and Baja) 2 burritos (bacon, sausage and hashbrown and one Tierra). Pretty pricey and they charged 4% surcharge and 3% card fee. They have a self service salsa bar. The salsas were really good. I love the guac and salsa verde. The tacos were okay. Definitely had better in SD. The asada and el pastor was a bit dry. The birria meat was good. Glad to have tired but probably won't be back anytime soon. read more

See all

I stopped by here to satisfy a craving for some seafood tacos while visiting SD. The restaurant is clean and the menu is very large. The sale bar is also a nice option. There is plentiful outdoor seating which is fabulous since the weather here is so nice. I ordered the taco Cameron enchilado and the taco grilled pescado. The Cameron enchilado has melted cheese lining the tortilla which is insanely yummy. There is a good amount of shrimp inside and they are seasoned perfectly. The chipotle sauce is delicious. The taco grille pescado was also very yummy. The piece of fish wasn't that large but the flavor was quite good. Again the chipotle sauce is amazing. Prices are good! Tacos are small but high quality. Server was not that friendly but that's ok, the food was delicious. I will definitely come back! read more

TACO CENTRO - TACO CAMARÓN ENCHILADO (Spicy Shrimp) and TACO GRILLED PESCADO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here around 9 PM on a Thursday. It was pretty busy, but there were still plenty of seats available, and the place was very clean. No wait at the counter either, which was a nice surprise given the crowd. We ordered a few things: *Carne Asada Tacos: honestly, these were a bit dry. The salsa bar helped a lot and added some much-needed flavor, but on their own they didn't really stand out. *Carne Asada Quesadilla: this was actually pretty good. Definitely heavy on the cheese, but once you dipped it in the salsa, it came together nicely. They also have a solid craft beer selection, although a few options were out when we went, and no IPAs available. I ended up going with a pale ale, which was decent. Overall, the service was great and the space is clean and well-kept, especially for being right in the heart of downtown. Food-wise, it's just kind of mid. Not bad, but not something I'd go out of my way for. read more

See all

Food is excellent..especially the burritos and of course the birria!!Friendly staff,excellent location..and they make a lot of their own salsa(they have a salsa bar!!) Recommend 1000percent!! read more

I'm from Texas and wanted a breakfast taco but I guess that's not a thing in California. They did have breakfast burritos, but I still chose to get a bowl and I asked them to add some lettuce to make it healthy. It was very good seasoned very well. Place was clean and still pretty popular at 9 o'clock in the morning on a Sunday. service was fast. read more

See all

Came here for my lunch, placed an order for 2 tacos de birra. I received 2 tacos de asada, i informed the cashier(older Mexican lady, with glasses) that I ordered 2 tacos de birria. She said I ordered asada? Didn't apologize, just told me what she thought I had ordered, and walked away. Also The last time I was here, my buddy had mentioned that when he was getting some salsa, one of the salsas had a fly inside it. Yum! This place is convenient, but if you want some better tacos. Tacos el franc is up the street, or taqueria los chuchys on 4th. read more

I visited here on Valentine's Day to get a quick bite. I reviewed the place and they said that the tacos were good so I decided to try as I was coming in a tour with pulling up so I quickly went inside to get my order in before the tour was entering the inside is pretty small so they have tables outside for you to be able to sit and enjoy your food. The service was quick as well. You serve yourself with the condiments and your drinks. They make the tacos in front of you, which was pretty cool to see. I got the Al Pastor,carne Asada, and chicken tacos. I wasn't really a big fan of the tacos. Maybe I didn't get the right ones lol. It seemed like they lacked flavor. Being from Texas I'm used to it being a little bit more flavorful, but overall it was a good experience. read more

See all

This was a location on a food tour I was on. They had a wide range of different tacos as well as burritos, quesadillas, etc. They also had a salsa bar with a number of options. I sampled two tacos, the carne asada and grilled fish. The carne asada had guacamole present. There was a nice char on the meat, and it was tasty. The tortilla held up nicely too. The grilled fish was I believe mahi mahi. It was a large portion of fish and again, the tortilla held up. It was appetizing too. I also had some of their salsas on these tacos too. The avocado salsa was my favorite while the cilantro cream was spicier than I would have thought. The regular salsa had a nice kick to it as well. I would have all three again. Will I go back? Yup. read more

TACO CENTRO - Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Yum yum yum! If you're looking for a taco spot the next time in SD, I'd highly recommend. Service was quick and received our food and drinks pretty quickly. We arrived at opening so the line wasn't too long. It is a very popular spot and seating is open, so first come first serve. We ordered micheladas, guac, and a variety of their tacos. Tacos are pretty good size and could've eat just 2 vs. 3 Their Fish tacos were FIRE. Wasn't that impressed with the nopales but the mushroom was good. Guac was tasty. Parking was nearby but expensive. Would visit again read more

See all

The food was meh and under seasoned. the salsa didn't really taste like anything and the service staff was rude. You can do much better move on. read more

Went the other day. Grabbed a Baja fish taco and a cold beer. Both were good. The fish was fresh and had a light breading. We sat outside at a table and enjoyed the sunshine. I found the folks working to be hospitable. read more

The best tacos and burritos downtown and it ain't even close! Marcela will give you the best service you've ever had! Great vibes all around! read more

In a sea of sit down restaurants and all you want is a quick bite for tacos, Taco Centro is your best option downtown! Essentially your elevated taco shop, the tacos are hearty and the prices are reasonable. I got the Mar y Tierra and carne asada tacos. They were juicy and flavorful. Their salsa bar has 5 different choices, sure to find something for everyone. Service is quick and there is an abundance of seating inside and out. They also have $5 beers during happy hour (until 6pm). What a steal! read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Food: 5/5 Drinks: 5/5 Portions: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Cleanliness: 5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Speed: 5/5 Price: $ Takeout: yes Outdoor seating: yes ADA access: yes Dogs: patio Kid Friendly: yes Vegetarian options: yes Ambiance: casual Pros: affordable prices, good food, friendly staff, STRONG drinks Cons: none! read more

TACO CENTRO - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I am a bit bias because I have had some of the best tacos / Mexican food in Denver. However Taco Centro did bring some flavor and a very well dressed taco to the argument. I loved the tacos Cameron the best, the carne asada also slapped. The pollo asado I could do without. Overall it's worth going back. Ask for Gabby when you go ! read more

TACO CENTRO - Carne asada Pollo asado Al pastor - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Taco Centro is located in Downtown San Diego. Address: 539 Island Ave, San Diego, CA 9210. Taco Centro is conveniently open on weekends up to 3am! Their blue and white backdrop creates a simple ambiance, with beer signage around the restaurant. It took so long to get my tacos. Longer than I expected. The restaurant wasn't even busy with customers, as it was past 11 p.m. on a Sunday night. The tacos are tasty, but with my order taking at least 30 minutes, I'm NOT planning to make a return visit. read more

Al Pastor bowl was amazing. Would come back for this. Nice people, good service, tasty food.

This place is right next door to Club Nova. We got to the club early and decided to have a drink here. The food is good and the drinks are very strong. Fast service, their tacos were delicious also. Great place to eat a quick meal and have a drink. read more

See all

I came here on a mission for churros only. The churros were tasty and didn't need the dulce de leche dip but it was still good with it. My preference would be for the churro to be more crunchy. It was $6 for 3 churros. read more

See all

When in San Diego, you must and I mean you must get some tacos! To my luck, there was this taco place just a minute or two walk away from me. And the hours! Oh the hours open! Late night! THE BEST I decided to get a fountain drink with a regular steak taco and two quesabirria tacos. I cannot adequately describe how good this all was. My mouth my salivating smelling this and each bite sent me so many good feelings. The people who work there were super helpful. I was a confused lady for a bit but they helped me out a lot. Plentiful seating both inside and out! Bright lights and good music too! I can't wait to go back! 5/5 read more