We were visiting the Art Village, we found The Craft Taco on Yelp. Located inside the San Diego Natural History Museum, we did not have high expectations. Wow! We were very pleasantly surprised. The Craft Taco served the best Carnitas Tacos I've had the privilege to enjoy. The Carnitas Tacos were so good that my wife and I ordered 2 additional ones. Service was fast, friendly and efficient. read more

This inside "The Nat". The seating area is the "lobby" at the back of the museum. Pretty spacious and has plenty of seating. The service might be a tad too slow. My tacos were cold. The meat was just warm. The tacos were al pastor and they were fantastic! The taste and quality of meat was perfect. We also had the Guacamole and chips and were pretty darn good. A tiny bit spicy, possibly jalapeño mixed in, but very tasty. Please serve the food a little faster and you'll earn 5 stars! read more

What a pleasant surprise!?! I had low expectations on this cafe, but it was quite delicious for a museum. My black sesame latte was well made. Also not super hot so I was able to drink it right away! It wasn't overly sweet too. It was my ideal latte! I was a bit hungry and I decided to share half my surf and turf burrito. The price was pretty high and I wasn't expecting a super fantastic burrito. Just something edible to satisfy hunger. It was so freakin good! Made the price not seem so bad. I love the seasoned yellow pepper that came with it! The sauces were also really good and thick. My burrito seemed a bit loose, but honestly it was just perfectly made with tasty ingredients. Definitely would love to eat here again! They had good service and the ambiance is great because it was in the museum. read more

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It's great to have a delicious cafe at the Nat, all that learning about the most biodiverse county in the contiguous United States gives one an appetite! I think the burritos are a great deal if you're really hungry! read more

The Craft Taco - Surf and turf burrito and fish burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was better than expected for museum food and quite beautiful as well. The taste met with by grandsons approval and the quality of ingredients was better than other Mexican food shops. Being in a mueseum setting, I was not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised with the appearance and taste of the food served, which was delived in about 10 minutes from an off-site locatioin. This was certainly restaurant quality! read more

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Whoever had the idea to put a legitimately good Mexican restaurant inside the Nat deserves some recognition. The food was fresh, hot, and flavorful, not the bland, overpriced food you usually expect at a museum. It was such a nice surprise and made the whole visit even better. Definitely worth stopping for while you're there. read more

Every time I come here to the museum, I love grabbing something from the TCT. Super convenient with delicious food and hot drinks. Their staff is super amazing! Since it's inside the museum, it's nice that it's inside the atrium so you get all the vibes while having a delicious snack. My recommendation Sesame lattes Brown sugar Any of the burrito bowls Make sure you get carne asada! read more

The Craft Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Best place to eat in the balboa park. Food is bold with so much flavor. The ingredients are fresh and I loved the plump sweet shrimp and all the fresh flavorful accompaniment. read more

The Craft Taco - Shrimp bowl - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cute little spot in the nat history museum. The drinks here are seriously so good! Esp. The Cafe de Olla and Matcha drinks. Had the surf and turf burrito. Excellent!! read more

The Craft Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I used to think who eats museum food?! But honestly.. I'm sold! Craft taco you did an amazing execution in your bean and cheese burrito and California burrito. Portions were descent and prices were affordable. So you are telling me I get to be educated AND eat yummy food too. The service is wonderful, everyone was so kind, so much space to sit and enjoy your meal as your stare in awe the fossils hanging from the ceiling. I would highly recommend coming here and they also collab with local artisans, one specifically that stood out to me was "Hija Del Maiz" where they had assorted pastries. We loved the poptart.. hands down the best I've tried ever. Come support this gem read more

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100000000% the best museum food of all time. Literally up there with some of the best tacos in San Diego for sure

I needed a quick fix of some tacos while at Balboa Park and this small spot in the Museum of Natural History was a great find via Yelp. Many seats available and no need to have an admission to the museum to check this spot out. Walk in and you'll see it on the right. Carnitas tacos ftw! That's all I need to say. The first bite of that taco from the trio taco plate was so delicious. From the carnitas to the sauce, so damn good. The other tacos were tasty too, but the carnitas were *chef's kiss*. The carne asada fries were a generous portion and must be shared. Matcha lemonade was a touch of sour but that's good for me to balance with the matcha bitter. read more

The Craft Taco - Taco trio plate - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Located in a school classroom until construction is finished. Ten tables totally clean place. Service was great a server delivers your Order to your table, you get your own drink unless it's a specialty drink from their big cooler. A staff came to each table to be sure everyone was happy. And they were genuinely interested in how you felt. We ordered a a Nopales taco I enjoyed the blue corn tortillas and it was ordered without cilantro and I really was impressed that I did not have to pick through my taco. It was Felix. Also The Pastor bowl was terrific, black beans, rice and chicken. If you're at the Natural History Museum. This place hits the spot! read more

The Craft Taco serves as the primary food and drink vendor on the ground level atrium of the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. You don't need an admission ticket to visit this business, just tell the staff on duty at the desk that you're here for The Craft Taco. A mobile service counter was set up on the right side of the floor while at least a dozen small tables for seating were arranged in the atrium. Coffee, tea, milk, and lemonade were available as beverages. Starters, bowls, burritos, street tacos, and craft tacos were the food categories. I wasn't able to participate in the Yelp event held at The Craft Taco's flagship location in Sorrento Valley. This was an opportunity to taste some of their products. I picked two of the craft tacos which were full size and served on handmade blue corn tortillas. The first was the Dorado Fish which was a beer battered whitefish with paprika and chipotle aioli sprinkled on top. The second was the Surf and Turf which was made up of carne asada and shrimp topped with crema, fried queso oaxaca, and cotija. Each taco was neatly assembled on a cardboard plate. A worker delivered them to my table within ten minutes of my order. The beef and shrimp in the Surf and Turf were both juicy and flavorful. The handmade tortillas were fresh and noticeably soft. My only quibble would be the pricing as all five of the craft taco varieties were priced at a whopping $10 each! read more

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The best museum food I've ever had and it's not even close. If you're planning to spend time at Balboa Park, this is the perfect place to grab some food. We had the carne asada fries, carne asada tacos, and fish taco. The carne asada fries and tacos were better than most places I've tried around San Diego and LA. Both come with fresh guacamole and the tacos are made with fresh blue corn tortillas. Fish taco was just ok though. The girl working was very courteous and helpful. Lots of seating available and the area is quiet as it is in the center of the museum. read more

While exploring the Natural History Museum we stumbled across this spot. I was initially struck by the prices but they are well worth it. We got the NY strip craft taco and the derado fish taco both were very good! Later the owner kindly brought us an extra Shrimp taco. The NY strip has great flavor and has a nice kick. Neither taco skimped on protein. The Derado and shrimp had similar flavor profiles but the fried tuna took it up a notch. I would definitely make a trip back! read more

The Craft Taco - Ny Strip and Dorado taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Got Tacos and Dinosaurs? Craft Taco does... Fact: San Diego County has more Mexican restaurants than most counties across the United States. San Diego is the #1 city for Taco Tuesday, fish tacos! Despite the many taco places, I will only eat tacos from places that are clean, offer fantastic ambiance, and the tacos are made with fresh, extraordinary ingredients. Craft Taco has a shop in SOVA (Sorrentino Valley, the area near Del Mar, where I've wanted to go and have their craft tacos. Well, now Craft opened in San Diego, inside The Natural History museum in Balboa Park. Eating fancy hand crafted tacos with views of the skeletal dinosaurs and free parking.. it was All fantastic. No need to pay museum fees if you just want to go to Craft taco. Just make sure you enter through the museum doors with the descending stairs, pass the concierge and the cashier ordering stand is to your right. The staff were very cordial, helpful and super nice: both Alejandra and Marco. Dining area is casual, clean and is actually in the seating area in the mezzanine. Hanging overhead are recreated whales, great white sharks and the main lobby greets you with the skeletal dinosaur mini Brontosaurus, so so cool! The menu has limited offerings, I ordered the Dorado fried fish, Camaron shrimp and a carne asada for Fendi. A chilled glass bottle of Jarritos tamarind soda was refreshing. All tacos were presented spectacularly and looked appetizing. The blue corn tortillas were hand made and the fresh filling of slivered cucumber, tomatoes, onions and micro herbs complimented the tacos deliciously. These toppings were not the usual: onions, cilantro, salsa and guacamole but are also available upon request. The shrimps were marinated and seasoned perfectly. The dorado fish also seasoned and crispy was scrumptious. My pup Fendi enjoyed the carne asada meat. Because of such a positive overall first impression, I will probably return to savor the other items on the menu. Go see the dinosaurs and have some tacos at Craft Taco. Recommend read more

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My rating is mainly based on online ordering. They are located in the Natural History Museum of Balboa Park. I was scrambling around to find the entrance of this place, but if you are on the fountain side, you will have to go around the building to the back and take the stairs down to reach the Craft Taco. As for online orders, I wish there was a pickup time to choose from, as I ordered and proceeded to confirm and thought there would be a time to pick up on the next page. I did reach out and the person hung up when I asked if I could pick up later. I arrived to retrieve my cold burrito and they weren't sure if it was mine either because there was no name on the bag. It was quite an awkward experience, but the burrito was great once I microwaved it. Obviously, there are many better options for Mexican food in San Diego, but if you're in the museum already, definitely try it! I was just in the area and thought to try something new, and the Craft Taco had an intriguing menu, but very pricy as some tacos get as steep as $10. read more

Stopped in here with my run club for a bite and was met with INCREDIBLE service and food! It's such a neat location being right under the museum and there's the museum gift shop in there too so we browsed while waiting for our food. Big fan and will definitely be back! read more

The Craft Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Everything was amazing! The Rosemary and Lavender Latte was super smooth. I also got the Dorado Fish Taco and Surf & Turf Taco. They were perfectly balanced! It all tasted so fresh. The tortilla was just mind blowing to me. Jonathan was so kind as well! I loved hearing how much heart has gone into everything read more

The Craft Taco - Surf and Turf Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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Husband ordered a $7 cheese quesadilla. It had a small dusting of powdered cheese. Inedible. They also provide no hot sauce to help someone choke it down. Ridiculous. read more

The Craft Taco - Cheese quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious food, large portions. Cali burrito & shrimp taco were yummy. Cheese quesadilla needed more cheese inside & no powdered cheese outside. read more

A hidden gem within Balboa Park! Located on the first floor of the Natural History Museum (no entry fee required to visit The Craft), The Craft Taco is a local family owned business that places an emphasis on delicious food and community. The two brothers that run The Craft mindfully source their quality ingredients and pastries from other local small businesses. Their love for the San Diego community shows not only in the food they serve but also in the quality of customer service their staff provides. Everyone I've interacted with has been welcoming and quick to help with any questions I've had. They also offer a discount to museum members and Park staff! As a frequent visitor, I've enjoyed every menu item I've tried. You can't go wrong with any of the tacos to choose from (nopales is a favorite of mine) and the Cali burrito has a good balance of meat, potatoes, and guac. The beans and rice are tasty and vegan. If you're looking for a super filling meal the bowls are a good option! While the name can be somewhat misleading, this spot also has a variety of impeccable hand crafted coffees. They offer traditional espresso drinks but my favorites are the specialty drinks made with house made syrups. Two must-trys are the black sesame and the piloncillo! All drinks are flavorful without being overly sweet and the espresso pulls are meticulously calibrated for a perfectly balanced shot. You can also find quick grab and go items such as sandwiches, pasta salad, hummus and pretzels, apple juice, and chips. Definitely check out the large assortment of locally made paletas for a quick sweet treat! I highly recommend The Craft Taco if you're in Balboa Park (or just looking for good food/coffee from a friendly place). Grab a taco and a coffee and enjoy the park! read more

The Craft Taco - Menu - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Service: the food is not bad but the wait time is so ridiculous! How long does it take to make a kids bean and cheese! if you want long wait time for good the here is the place! Update: server recognized that the wait tome was ridiculous and he refunded entire bill! That was unexpected and good service. So if long wait is not the norm then yes i recommend food. read more

Cafe style restaurant inside the nat, San Diego natural history museum. We tried tacos, surf and turf burrito, and shrimp bowl and we were very impressed with the quality of the food. They used quality ingredients and executed the dishes perfectly. The food flavor and quality exceeded the price and all expectations. Definitely a must try. Chef brought out the food from the back and was nice enough to check in with us to make sure we enjoyed our food. read more

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This was delicious! We were hungry from our museum adventures and this hit the spot. We got craft tacos and street tacos plus the bowl! read more

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20 out of 10!!! Natural history Museum if you were reading this, the smartest thing you ever did was bringing in both craft taco and gold leaf!! we just had the absolute best experience at craft taco this morning! Izzy, Madi, and John were all such an absolute pleasure and patiently answered our litany of questions about the menu and all your ingredients. SO IMPRESSED by them, your thoughtful approach to the menu and ingredients, and of course how delicious everything was from our coffees to the tacos. Every morning, while our daughter is at ballet, we typically go to better buzz. But not anymore!! Even though there is a half an hour wait between our daughters ballet time and the opening of the museum. We are going to wait to 30 minutes to have the pleasure of drinking coffee that is locally sourced from real ingredients and served by such delightful people. read more

I got the surf and turf burrito and the vanilla macha! And both amazing and delicious, I'm definitely coming back for more!

This taco eatery is tucked away inside the Natural History museum at Balboa Park. You don't have to pay for the museum to enjoy the food. You have to enter through the back of the building and head downstairs - just let the front desk person know you're there just for the restaurant. The burrito and bowls were delicious! The ambience was nice and there was enough seating for 10-12 people - not a place you want to linger - just grab a bite and enjoy the rest of the park. read more

Excellent service and an even better coffee drink. I never even drank coffee until I tried a Craft Taco coffee! Now I'm hooked! Highly recommend the salted maple latte! read more

The best museum food I've ever had. This restaurant is inside the San Diego Natural History Museum. Delicious tacos, priced the same as if we weren't in a museum. The craft tacos are premium meats (fish, shrimp), the street tacos are typical meats (steak, pork) or vegetarian. I'd eat here if I happened to be in balboa park and at another museum. read more

Delicious tacos. They recommended the Dorado fish and the bulgogi tacos. Both were fantastic! However, make sure to say no cilantro if that bothers you. They put on a lot, which I like. Very friendly staff. read more

Awesome food, bigger portions than expected. The surf and turf taco was great. The fish tacos were awesome. Highly recommended!

This place is absolutely amazing. I come to the NAT just to eat the food. The owners are super awesome humans. But let's get back to the food. Rice is amazing it has some flavors and a little bit of heat to it. Tacos blow my freaking mind with flavors every time. This is a must have! read more

The service was great! The woman behind the counter was so nice. Being from Arizona always looking for good Mexican food and boy did we win today! Food was fresh and big portions! I had the surf and turf cali burrito and chips and guacamole, my son had the carne asada quesadillas and my daughter in law had the bean and cheese burrito!! You have to check this place out , read more

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Delicious! Friendly. Gets busy around lunch but enjoyed our food! Will come back if ever nearby.

Let me first start off by saying their staff is absolutely the friendliest I have encountered. I worked in hospitality for 25 years and the check the box on everything and beyond. John, Marco and Izzie run the show. The coffees are exceptional and the food is authentic and fresh. The tacos are constructed perfectly and prices are reasonable. I just had the surf and turf cali burrito and it's massive! The carne asada is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The shrimp are delicate and not overcooked. At $16 this monster of a burrito is a steal. This has become a frequent spot for us since our daughter is in ballet class every Saturday at Balboa park. We will be continuing to come and enjoy the good vibes, coffee drinks and food! read more

This place is a hidden gem. So fantastic. Honestly best place I've ate at in San Diego. The ladies at the front were awesome too great customer service. Love this place I'll be coming back for sure read more

The Craft Taco - California burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

The food was muy delicioso! Madison was very friendly and helpful in describing what kind of meat was in the "Dorado Fish Taco", as well as making me a great cafecito. The ambiance was very demure and cute, will definitely be back pronto! read more

The Craft Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

The food is amazing. As someone who grew up eating street tacos and burritos in San Diego, my expectations were greatly exceeded. This was upscale street tacos done with a familiar style as you'd want from SD Mexican food... and all inside a museum? This is a hidden gem. read more