Tacos El Gallo

(85 reviews)

1.3 mi

Some of the best birria in San Diego! Also wonderful customer service. I will be back!!read more

We were looking for a good Mexican spot while in El Cajon, and El Culichi looked…read moretempting--particularly as they have Sinaloan style chilorio on the menu. Chilorio is slow-simmered pork, shredded, fried in lard, and simmered in a sauce of chilis and spices. I've not found this dish anywhere north of the border and couldn't wait. I wasn't dissapointed. The chilorio was savory with deep flavors of chilis and spices. It's available as an omlette, but also as a side on its own, served in pan with a warm stack of very good corn or flour tortillas (or a mix of the two). In addition, we tried their birria de chivo (goat stew), also made in the Sinaloan tradition, with different chilis than the original Jalisco version and very cumin/cinnamon forward. Totally delicious. And totally affordable, at inexpensive-moderate menu pricing. The spot is charming, welcoming on the outside, tidy and clean on the inside, and run by a friendly family--who are happy to educate guests on their very special menu. I'd consider this a destination restaurant. Worth the trip from anywhere in San Diego County.

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The Burrito City

The Poblano Burrito is honestly one of the best burrito I've had in San Diego. I literally drove…read morefrom LA just to eat this delicious burrito. It has such amazing flavors, and honestly so huge. I love it :) I highly recommend it.

Love getting breakfast burritos here. So fresh and filling. Great salsa bar. Friendly staff and…read morethey just recently expanded seating into a larger suite.

Burrito California + chipotle sauce

New Dinning Area

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Chicken Bowl with Chipotle Sauce on the side.

Taco Azul

The Smoked Tuna Blue taco was fantastic! So were the California burritos! Would definitely…read morerecommend this restaurant!!

I love their blue tortillas. Definately makes food less boring to consume. Their adobada meat is…read moretasty. My fave meat to eat!

Menu

Carne Asada Blue Taco

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Garcia's Puebla Mercado

The International tamales were the best I've had. Very good size portions of meat inside. Also, the…read morecustomer service was very friendly. I will definitely be returning!

Best tamales in all of El Cajon and San Diego County! Highly recommend checking them out! We got…read morethe salsa verde chicken (green salsa), pineapple, beef with red salsa, and some rice puddings. Emilio was super helpful and friendly, I'll definitely be coming back here when I have my tamale cravings! Tip: when you take them home microwave them in the corn husk to keep them moist

They have ready-to-grab tamales in the refrigerator but the ladies just made these and grabbed fresh ones from the back.

Tamales

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Outside

664 TJ Birrieria

4.2

(29 reviews)

0.3 mi

This menudo is so good! The service was good the place is clean my go to spot for menudo fore sure.read more

There was plastic inside the menudo. So now you can tell the place isn't even authentic. They buy…read morepackaged food and resale it at an expensive price. Meaning that their soup is not theirs. It tasted disgusting. When I say this had john and sally written all over it and no Jose and Maria. No im not racist.... anyone can tell the difference. On top of that, why ask for special instructions if you're not going to follow through? Very disappointed.

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Bad Hombres Good Mexican Food

Food is great but the drive through line takes forever. Even if there are only a few cars ahead of…read moreyou it can take upwards of 30 minutes.

Went golfing at Carlton Oaks and found this place nearby. Lots of people ordering food inside and…read moreat the drive-thru. Mexican restaurant run by non-Mexicans with tasty and generous amounts of Mexican food. We shared the nachos carne asada with half no cheese because of my dairy free son. Lotso food and tasty meat. Chips stayed crunchy all the way to the bottom. Also had the machaca burrito and taquitos. Yummy. Great service. Friendly and very accommodating! Plenty of inside table seating. Glad they have a self-serve soda fountain. Next time we're in Santee, we'll be back.

Surf and turf fries, and tacos

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Surf and Turf Fries

Tavo’s Tacos N Beer

4.5

(8 reviews)

0.9 mi

Tavo's has recently taken over "Pinchas Tortas." They offer as their namesake goes a variety of…read moretacos and beers, but also mix of Mexican fair such as tortas, quesadillas, burritos, rolled tacos, combination plates, and breakfast! For my fist visit, I had a trio of taco de adobada or marinated pork and a side of rice. The tacos were good, and I appreciated the fact that they included guacamole, and also came with chopped white onion and cilantro. The pork meat was tasty but could of been a little more tender. Also, I would suggest they put on a finer chop to the white onions so that one does not get a strong sense of onions. They put a very good amount of meat and guacamole which is always a very good thing. The rice was very good. It offered that good Mexican rice flavor and a loose consistency. They offer a salsa bar, but with only two salsas at the moment. I hoping they add that ever so delicious avocado salsa soon! Service was friendly and welcoming.

Good food, great Mexican flavor, the service good and the ambience in the place good too because…read morethey have spacious tables with chair with tv for have a moment of relax eating.

Adobada Street Tacos and Rice

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Salsa Bar

Mr.Birria

food so delicious great service by lucy love the ambience very clean and nice place to take your…read morefamily and friends

We came here yesterday because of all the 4.5-star Yelp reviews, and I can honestly say they were…read moreabsolutely deserved. This place completely lived up to the hype! The birria was incredibly delicious--full of flavor, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The restaurant was clean, the service was outstanding, and Jose made our experience even better. He was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely took great care of us. We enjoyed it so much that we're actually coming back again today! If you're looking for amazing birria and excellent customer service, I highly recommend Mr. Birria. We'll definitely be back again and again!

Carne Asada Fries - San Diego style with cheese, pico & crema

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Cheesy Birria Melt - dipped and loaded

Mal Al Sham -The Taste Of Damascus

Amazing food and great service Does get crowded so the new…read morelook and outside seating is wonderful ! Reasonable prices for the big portions of food that's given !

Jordan might've failed the entire levant region at any hope of the world cup, but at least the…read moreSyrians taught us to make the most mouthwatering delicious teta-outdoing Shawarma and rice to ever exist in the Middle East... dare I say the planet. This restaurant taste like HOME. I'm sick of all the Middle Eastern places that just serve kebab... NO I WANT TO TRADITIONAL STUFF MAMA MAKES. No wonder this place is a staple in San Diego and literally every arab who is returning from the Jordan vs Columbia match, the prices are amazing and the food is absolutely incredible that the line went to the street. I had never had so many flavors dance on my tongue over a plate of rice and you get so much meat for the pricey pay. The beef was so tender moist don't even eat beef that much, but I'd become a carnivore because of this place. I bumped into my Syrian friend in the line and she was absolutely stunned and said this tasted like Damascus. If you are new to Arab cuisine, it's not just falafel. Please branch out and find unique restaurants like this where every customer looks like they came out of the desert bro. AMAZING AMAZING I DONT EVEN LIVE HERE COME TO RANCHO CUCAMONGA PLEAAAAASE--

Mal Al Sham a taste of Damascus, Syria cuisine in El Cajon.

Platter for (3 People) ( beef shawarma swapped out with chicken cream chop)

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Leftovers from two meals

China 1968

Been living in El Cajon for a few years now and when we are in the mood for some Chinese food, we…read morealways call China 1968. Our family favorites are Beef Broccoli; we love their kung pao chicken and kung pao shrimp. We recently tried the honey walnut shrimp and man those things are addicting, in a good way of course ;) We have done a few catering orders through them and the quality and service are always great. Plenty of seating and parking if you want to swing by and have a meal with family or friends. Ambiance is great and highly recommended China 1968.

Invited here for dinner. I was skeptical from afar and was I wrong. This little spot serves up some…read moregreat food coupled with fantastic service. The Orange Chicken is a house favorite and is delicious. The Fried Rice was great and every meal was on par. Definitely a good spot to satisfy an Asian food craving.

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Gillespie Field Cafe

Great cute little Cafe right on the air strip…read more Indoor/outdoor seating. Plenty of shade and fans going to keep the outdoor dining bareable. It wasn't too bad. Plenty of parking and handicap Got seated within 5 mins. Service was a tad slow, however it was busy. Although seemed like there was plenty of staff to be a little more attentive. Other than that, no stars docked. Young kiddos and they did thier best. Food came out hot, its pretty decent food. Good coffee, and the salsa was our favorite thing. Packed with flavor and just enough spice. Great little place to have breakfast or lunch. Very simple menu, great view of the planes landing and taking off. Feels like an honor to see pilots and retired pilots. We have leagues on Saturdays and this has made our place to go to right after for breakfast . Happy yelpers!

1st time here and we enjoyed our breakfast here. Good good…read more Good diner food selection. Friendly service. Fast service. Nice view and ambiance. Classic American diner. Love this place.

On the corner of the air strip

Food & Views

Protein Plate

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Broken Yolk Cafe

The food is always delicious, and the service is consistently top notch! Yesenia and Roy are always…read moreso welcoming and helpful,they're a big reason why we choose to drive to this location, even though there are others much closer to us. Whether it's ordering at the counter or table service, the staff is always efficient, friendly, and attentive. The restaurant has a fun atmosphere and is always clean and well-maintained. It's definitely worth the wait on weekends because the team does everything they can to accommodate their guests. Highly recommend!

We've been coming here for a while, and every visit has been a great experience. Lisa is always so…read morefriendly, welcoming, and helpful. She truly makes us feel like family every time we walk through the door. The restaurant is always clean, the service is consistently excellent, and the food never disappoints. This visit we ordered the 2 Eggs Plus breakfast, the Belgian waffle, the Mom Omelette, a parfait, a Messy Caramel Latte, and coffee. Everything was fresh, delicious, and exactly what we were hoping for. If you're looking for a place with amazing food, a clean and inviting atmosphere, and staff who genuinely care about their customers, this is it. Thank you, Lisa, for always making our visits so special. We can't wait to come back!

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Rodizio Grill Brazilian Steakhouse San Diego

Rodizio Grill in El Cajon is an absolute gem for a group celebration. We came here with a party of…read morefive to celebrate my sister's birthday, and the entire experience was great from start to finish. The gauchos were super friendly, incredibly attentive, and kept the meat coming at a perfect pace. They actually took the time to check how each of us preferred our meat cooked, making sure everyone at the table got exactly what they wanted. Every cut was seasoned well and cooked to perfection. On top of the fantastic meat selection, the side bar is loaded with a variety of delicious options to round out the meal. Great atmosphere, amazing food, and stellar service. We'll definitely be back!

I threw a surprise 80th birthday party for my husband on Saturday. We were 43 people all together…read more I couldn't have found a better place to celebrate his birthday. The place was a hit. We had a semiprivate area reserved for us which was perfect. The array of meats was flowing and was absolutely delicious. The "salad bar" was not only full of all kinds of different salads, but there were also yummy appetizers and sides dishes. As though this wasn't enough, there was also a small hot food section with rice, pasta, a bean dish and stews. The "salad bar" section was perfect for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone with gluten allergies. Everyone was raving about the food and many of my guests said they would definitely return; my husband and I included. Simon, the manager, was very helpful and accommodating. So, whether you're planning a party or in the mood for a delicious dinner you have try this place.

Main buffet

Chicken spicy & sweet

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Saland Bar

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Amber D.

0

1

0

4 months ago

If I could give it less than a zero, I would so disappointing that they put American cheese in my carne asada taco and a slab of meat that was terrible bad quality they didn't even cut up the carne, my husband ordered a carne asada burrito same thing white American cheese and a slab of meat that was bland. He also ordered 3 rolled tacos with no meat and it tasted like they hadn't changed the oil for who knows how long. I took 2 bites out of my taco and had to throw it away. So sad we paid almost 50$ because we bought a couple beers, the beans were also terrible didn't think you could screw that up. They only had green salsa and it was grossly bland and nasty! Please save your money, we are spoiled with plenty of excellent Mexican restaurants here in San Diego. read more

Mark P.

0

33

38

9 months ago

Tacos El Galo is a must-try! The prices are super reasonable, and the portions are generous. The tacos are hefty, and the meat is perfectly cooked never dry and full of flavor. The carne asada burrito is huge, with a great ratio of meat to rice and beans (about 70% carne asada!), so you get exactly what you're paying for. Having lived in Chula Vista, I can say this place definitely doesn't skimp. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Tina W.

78

24

3

5 years ago

Good food for the most part, but I definitely notice the difference between the cooks in the morning and the cooks that make food later on in the day. Get your food early in the day if you order from here. Ordering from here after work isn't a good idea. read more

Leticia C.

8

24

9

6 years ago

Amazing hands down! The service was amazing as well. They were very helpful and attentive even when it was busy. The meat was flavorful , the cheese was my favorite part. Would highly recommend read more

Maggie H.

0

2

0

2 years ago

Birria and Al Pastor tacos were stellar - make sure you get chips and salsa to try their warm tortilla chips. Service was great, thanks for the free dessert! read more

Ramsen J.

0

18

5

5 years ago

This place is absolutely delicious. So glad I found this place! Had to leave a review before I even finished my food, 10/10!!!

Carolina J.

0

3

1 year ago

10/10 The best authentic flavorful tacos! Tacos el Gallo, portions are great this place never disappoints!

Israel M.

18

1

1 year ago

Best tacos in California!!!!! Adobada and New York steak my favorite!! Same good flavor as Tijuana spot

Diana G.

0

15

5

2 years ago

Found this taco place and love it the service was fast and the tacos are delicious. 10/10.

Anna H.

0

7

0

5 years ago

Love the tacos go every chance i get.

Jose G.

1

6

0

5 years ago

tacos el gallo !? more like tacos !

Tacos El Gallo - tacos - Updated August 2026

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First time ordering from here, and I was honestly disappointed. I ordered the chicken enchiladas,…read moreand on my very first bite, I bit into a bone. That alone was enough to ruin the meal. The rice didn't taste fresh and seemed undercooked, while the beans were bland and lacked flavor. My partner ordered the potato tacos and wasn't a fan either. After reading all the positive reviews, we placed an order expecting a great meal, but unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype. Would I come back? I'm not sure. Would I recommend this place? Unfortunately, no. I hope this was just an off day, but based on our experience, we were disappointed.

BIG BOY BURRITOS. The campechana burrito was the size of a small infant but still tasted delicious…read more Lots of places boast big burritos, but are basically a bag of fries and three pieces of meat. Not here. They also have an open salsa bar with hot carrots. Salsas all delicious. It was just one bro manning the store and he was chill.

Silva's Taco Shop

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It's been a while since I've been here. Me and my buddy came here and wanted to try a lot of food…read more We started off surf n turf burrito which was spectacular. They ask you if you want Mexican guac ( pure avocado ) or American guac ( avocado & sour cream mixed ). The shrimp is marinated and the asada is fresh and tasty ! Then we shared the hot Cheeto carne asada fries. After that we each shared a half of carne asada torta ! Very delicious. Last item was a carne asada quesadilla supreme which was loaded ! We sat outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Our cashier was helpful in telling us what to order. Definitely coming back here

The food is always great, and I come here about twice a week. I always order the same thing, and…read moreit's consistently good. Today I called ahead because I was extremely hungry and was about 5-10 minutes away, hoping my order would be ready when I got off the exit. The person who answered the phone told me I had to pay over the phone before they could place the order. I completely understand why they have that policy since some people place phone orders and never show up. I wouldn't have minded paying over the phone, but I was driving and didn't feel comfortable giving my card information while on the road. When I explained that I'm a regular customer, they were very understanding and even gave me a discount when I came in. I really appreciated that gesture and the way they took care of a regular customer. Great food and great customer service -- I'll definitely be back!

Taco Azul

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The Smoked Tuna Blue taco was fantastic! So were the California burritos! Would definitely…read morerecommend this restaurant!!

I love their blue tortillas. Definately makes food less boring to consume. Their adobada meat is…read moretasty. My fave meat to eat!

La Posta De Acapulco

(289 reviews)

Saw an instagram review and wanted to check out this place. I had the California burrito and it was…read morereally good, one of my favorites so far. The service was quick and friendly. The ambience is your typical home-in-the-wall kind of place...clean, comfortable, but minimalist. I'd rather go to a place like this where the primary focus is the food.

I've always come to this restaurant because the food is good…read more However, on certain nights they say they only accept cash, and I had a concerning experience: I was charged $60 in cash, but when I asked for a receipt, the total showed $48. Tonight, the same employee again said it was cash only and that the machine was down when I asked why this happens on certain nights. However, he later proceeded to let me pay with a card, which made the situation feel inconsistent and unclear. I recommend being cautious and double-checking your total, especially if paying in cash. Siempre he venido a este restaurante porque la comida es buena. Sin embargo, en ciertas noches dicen que solo aceptan efectivo, y tuve una experiencia preocupante: me cobraron $60 en efectivo, pero cuando pedí el recibo, el total era $48. Hoy, el mismo empleado volvió a decir que solo aceptaban efectivo y que la máquina no funcionaba cuando le pregunté por qué en algunas noches es así. Sin embargo, después me permitió pagar con tarjeta, lo cual hizo que la situación se sintiera inconsistente y poco clara. Recomiendo tener precaución y revisar bien su cuenta, especialmente si pagan en efectivo.

Chuy's Taqueria y Burritos

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I'm rating them five stars for their pollo asado tacos, which are really good. At first glance an…read moreorder of two looks like it might not be enough, until you pick one up. The tortilla can't hold the generous helping of chicken, which has a great flavor. By the time I finished the second one, and all of the chicken, onion and cilantro that spilled from the tacos, I was full. (I'm a senior citizen and I eat less now than I used to, so YMMV). I like their chicken tacos a lot better than Sombrero's chicken taco a la plancha, which has been my go to for lunch for years. That said, my wife prefers the California burrito at Sombrero, since the one from Chuy's had more fries than meat. The pollo asado quesadilla was very filling and very tasty (plenty of meat). Chuy's is right next door to Funky Burgers, and given the fresh food aspect of Chuy's offerings, I'd say Chuy's is probably better for you.

Chuy Taqueria y Burrito is a solid local spot for Mexican food with plenty of options on the menu…read more The food is flavorful, portions are generous, and everything came out fresh. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was casual, making it an easy place to stop for a quick meal. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving tacos, burritos, or a satisfying Mexican-style meal.

Mr.Birria

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food so delicious great service by lucy love the ambience very clean and nice place to take your…read morefamily and friends

We came here yesterday because of all the 4.5-star Yelp reviews, and I can honestly say they were…read moreabsolutely deserved. This place completely lived up to the hype! The birria was incredibly delicious--full of flavor, fresh, and perfectly prepared. The restaurant was clean, the service was outstanding, and Jose made our experience even better. He was friendly, welcoming, and genuinely took great care of us. We enjoyed it so much that we're actually coming back again today! If you're looking for amazing birria and excellent customer service, I highly recommend Mr. Birria. We'll definitely be back again and again!

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So worth the 25 minutes drive to try this place!!! My new…read morefavorite place for campechana fries.. meats were so flavorful. The fries were still crispy with all the sauce and meats on top. And let me tell you all 3 sauce was so good. Great taste to it. Small little shop in El Cajon city. Staff was super friendly amd food came out quick. The strawberry lemonade was good. The regular lemonade didnt have much taste.

Used to be my favorite go to spot. They stopped serving shrimp cocktail recently. What Mexican…read moreplace doesnt have a shrimp cocktail? It was sooo good and the only reason we went out of our way to go to this taco shop. Likely wont be going back. Super unfortunate. That being said, they do have good food if you're going for other menu items. But not worth the drive (for me) when I have some great places closer.

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I was feeling sick today. I needed soup. Yelp said this place had soup. Went in and ordered the…read moresoup and some Chilaquiles. The food is delicious in the customer service was amazing. I will definitely be back in it plus that none of their food has lard in it. I had to come back and edit these Chilaquiles are the best I've had in San Diego. Yummy!

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