everything was so good!!! the jalapeño and the tacos where so goodddd!!!! i swear and i don't even like jalapeños. the service was great. the lady super nice and the place smells clean and looks clean. read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - SO GOOD!!!!!! I SWEAR EVEN THE JALAPEÑO WAS GOOD!! 100% would recommend. IT WAS DELI . - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I love this place! The food & service have always been great since day one. Everything I've ordered is fresh and delicious! So glad it's near my home - perfect for a quick walk! ‍ #Restaurant #Foodie #GoodFood #ComfortFood #LocalGem read more

Some of the best damn weekend tacos around. Guy stands outside the building & dishes up deliciousness. Hands down the closest things to a TJ street taco around. El Panzon used to be my favorite but this guy has it aced out of the park. If he used Panzon's tortillas it would be a slam dunk read more

I'm really not a seafood person but the fish tacos are my absolute favorite. Probably because I do not like cabbage much and they put lots of white sauce. They are also a great price at $1.50 each. When I first started coming here they were $.99 but they are worth the new price. They have specials each day of the week M-F so be sure to check them out. Also they charge to use a card so best to take cash. If you like really spicy hot sauce they have an orange sauce that will light your mouth on fire. I think it is awesome with the fish tacos. If you don't like waiting for your food you can always call it in. The only issue I have is the food is not always consistent. It depends who is working that day. You may get a very small amount of fish or sauce and other days you will get a salad on top of your taco, but it is still awesome and I am rarely dissapointed. read more

See all

No frill take your fish tacos and go kinda shop. Honestly the best damn fish tacos I've ever had. I've been coming here for years and the fish tacos used to be $1, but now they're $1.50. Everywhere else spiked up their prices, so a $.50 increase for juicy and FRESH fish tacos are still more than worth it in my books. The fish are fried fresh and come out piping hot. Have I mention they're freaking HUGE? 3 of these bad boys fill me up easily! 3 different kinds of hot sauces you can help yourself with and let me tell you the green one is bomb and SPICY. I've yet to try anything else here because I know this is THE spot for the best fish tacos in town. You can order inside or at the window facing the sidewalk on El Cajon Blvd. Lent fish Friday's just got a lot tastier! read more

Located in a little room at the east end of Vallarta Bar & Grill, Vallarta Taco Shop has good fish tacos - but even though they are prominently advertised at $1.50, they now charge $1.61 + $0.14 tax (making a fish taco $1.75) - still worth the cost but not what is promised or expected. Also somewhat "deceptive" is their "drive through" and "parking lot", neither of which actually allow customer to easily use them. So look for parking somewhere on the street (if you are lucky enough to find any) and then walk up to the outside order window rather than into the open door next to it which is actually into the bar and not the taco shop (which is basically just a kitchen with nowhere to sit). In addition to alcoholic beverages, the bar "next door" also offers pool tables and live music (but I didn't check on that). I just got a taco. read more

See all

Carne asada burrito (with beans and cheese only) # 108 - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ewfdidhQLp7yNKZPHPgXyA?select=O9VpQJFphpPdR2OL5BOjXw The first thing that I noticed about my burrito as I prepared it for its close-up, was the fact that it didn't look or smell good. I have yet to experience a burrito that, despite those two things, tastes good in that situation. It was a thick-ass burrito - I'll give them that. However, it was too oily, too fatty and not enough cheese. I barely ate half and gave the rest to some other knuckle-dragger walking down the street. Above average breakfast burrito. Breakfast burrito # 117 - http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ewfdidhQLp7yNKZPHPgXyA?select=E0weKmzrp8PxbzDZ1huwpw I wanted to try Vallarta's (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ewfdidhQLp7yNKZPHPgXyA?select=4zdwU-p0pb14RjYxR0pSsQ) pollo asado but since their beans aren't very good (and I must have beans) I had to pass. Even though they were nice, they still get two stars and I won't be returning - SO THERE! read more

See all

I pass by this place all the time on yelp way home but I stopped in for the first time yesterday and was very pleased. It was taco Tuesday and they make some really good street tacos. Their fish tacos were also bomb and it was all at a reasonable price. The crowd on the inside seemed a bit eccentric, but they were all friendly and I didn't have any problems. I recommend this place have more than one person manning the register and grill though because he seemed a bit overworked. read more

This place is the the most affordable and delicious Mexican restraunt in San Diego hands down. The service is on point and the food is simply delicious. Totally a place to relax and enjoy a good time along with scrumptious food. 100% Recommend read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Really disappointed. I order via postmates from here very often for late night dinners. I have ordered the tostada ceviche before and tonight was the first time I received a very sorry portion of the ceviche. It's literally 2 spoonfuls. Not even enough to cover my tostada. This is the last time they will be getting my service. read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - This is a 16oz cup that had a portion of about 2 spoonfuls of ceviche. Not even half filled. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I went here for lunch with coworkers. The service was fast and friendly. Everything was well organized and clean. I had the chicken quesadilla with beans and rice. The quesadilla was okay. Lots of meat that was cubed not shredded so it kept falling out. The rice was flavorless and the beans tasted so so. The iced tea had no flavor. The waiter replaced it with another but just had a hint of a coconut flavor??? Not sure what I was drinking. Although the waiter was great and brought us samples of salsa to try, I will not return. Being located near the border, one would think the food would at least be noteworthy. read more

I attempted to order take out with the number provided on their website. A rude lady answered the phone stating the name of the taco shop and asked what I wanted. I said take out order and she screamed back "what are you talking about, what do you want". Rude and ended up hanging up because the music was so loud. read more

This place is San Diego's best kept secret for fish tacos. I've been coming here for years and they always have great food, friendly service, and decent prices. read more

OMG...TJ, WHAT?! Woo, Woo...Woo, Woo! Love divey looking taco shops in dank neighborhoods...those are the BEST! There is an attached restaurant, or club of some sort, but the taco shop is a little window on the street. Kept driving by the place every time I go to my sis. While driving by, the menu says, "TJ style tacos"...hmmm, I would like to reconnect to my TJ party days of when I was 18. Unfortunately no dude with a whistle pouring liquor down everyone's throats here. So I finally tried it. and of course, I had to get one of each of the Cabesa (brain), trippe (tripe) and lengua (tongue). The Trippe I did not care for, BUT, the lengua and cabesa were AWESOME!!!! fresh tortillas, and perfectly cooked (not dry). YAY, i found a great taco shop, and good tongue tacos at that, which are my favs...what, got something against a woman that likes good tongue ; ) Their fish tacos are yummy too. Anyways, if you like tacos, and happen to be on El Cajon Blvd. (get your mind out of the gutter...on second thoughts, put it back in), check out Vallarta taco shop baby! Happy eatings, T read more

Well, it's actually a bar and grill... Security outside of it every night. But maaan, I must tell you, this place is on the poppin! The fish tacos are so fricking delicious. I've never seen a place give such a big piece of fish. FOR 99CENTS!!!! The special is beans & rice with 2 fish tacos for 3 bucks, and MAAAAN, what a great deal cuz I love their rice. It's so hard to find a Mexican restaurant that puts carrots and tomato bits in the rice, which I LOVE... I don't even LIKE beans, but their beans were amazing.... .... I love this place, I'm raving about it. For real. They have a pool table! read more

This place is awesome! Actually, let me rephrase that... Vallarta's fish tacos are awesome! The food is great but restaurant itself needs a little help. Mostly the parking, which is very small and hard to maneuver into. There is two ways to order, a window on the side of the restaurant, or inside. Now back to the fish tacos. Vallarta's fish tacos are by far the best I've had in San Diego, and they're only a dollar so it doesn't get much better than that. I REALLY recommend these to anyone who is in the area. read more

Now I have to admit that I was a but skeptical of fish tacos from the side of a bar but all that it took was 1 bite and I became a fan. We ordered 4 tacos, 1 sopas, 1 carne asada burrito and went around to the bar. We each got a $2 beer (yes, $2 for all beer bottles). Within 5 minutes a nice woman served us our food and was shocked to receive a tip. The food was amazing, fish tacos were the best either of us had ever had!! Total tab = $15 including tip and 3 beers. Can't beat that!! Added bonus: no after-effects of sketchy fired food, etc. read more

Gave me free taco on taco Tuesday and made my mini tripa taco extra big. Not five as a place would really have to blow me away here in SD to do that but hit the spot on a rainy and slippery walk to my bus read more

It's a no frills shack and you can come in your chanclas. Come here for two things, the fish tacos and the camarones aguachiles. Can't say much about the rest of the menu but the aguachiles are delish! They're served with green limey salsa with cucumbers and avocado! They're so good and just spicy enough. I just can just eat those all day! If you don't mind the appearance and like good tasty food this is your place. If you're too concerned about the look then probably not for you. read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - Camarones aguachiles and fish tacos! Both are YUM! - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a craving for Taco's in the middle on the night... I came across this place... and wow! --just wow! It is like going down to Tijuana to eat. The server who took my cash was also the same person who prepared my food. --with the same hands... unwashed. I watched another gal smoke a cigarette in the kitchen area where they prepare the food. --how does this place even pass inspection? -- I can't tell you what the food tastes like... I ordered a california burriito asked three times for them not to put sour scream on it... Once I received the order... 30 minutes later... There was so much sour scream in the burrito that it was gushing out the sides. sigh. waste of time. Spent the night putting in a complaint with the health department. Pros: They refunded my money. Cons: It looks like a great place to get food poisoning. read more

"Couldn't we have gone somewhere less sketchy with less authentic food?" asked our hero's friends as they strolled through City Heights past midnight. Yes, it's not the safest looking street corner, and it's right next to a Mexican night club of the same name, but there's nothing inherently "dangerous" about going to Vallarta. 5 tables inside and 3 outside. It's a bit cramped and not a place our hero would bring his family to. In fact, the tables inside are mostly attached to the walls, so there's not a lot of flexibility in the seating. The 99 cent fish tacos were borderline flavorless if no hot sauce was added. The fish portions aren't exactly generous, and there's no crunch to the breading. The rice and beans were a bit stale at midnight. In terms of the food, this place isn't very good; however, for their late hours in this neighborhood, it gets some credit. PROS: - They're open late. - It's cheap. CONS: - Limited seating. - Unimpressive food. - Weird and crowded parking lot. - They don't have the standard "salsa verde" most Mexican places have, but instead some sort of greenish fibrous sauce. read more

Great service and really delicious fish tacos for $1.50. Big yellow corn tortillas, which I love. (Just wait a minute before eating as fish is HOT. ) Just around the other side of the building is an adjoining bar and although there's a hint of the music going on I could still watch the TV in the dining area with no problem. read more

Visited: July 12th, 2012 It's been quite a while since I've reviewed any places. I actually found this taco shop on yelp while I was waiting for my engagement ring to get resized. Luckily, it was only a few buildings down and it was not busy at all. The menu at the restaurant was decent, and so were the prices. I have to say, the food is not that bad, but I think I've had much better in other taco shops. (But of course, I am so partial to Lolita's- even if it's a mini chain) I think it was my first time going to a taco shop that's connected to a club, and it was an interesting experience (because it was kind of gloomy in there). read more

We always order to go. The fish tacos here are good, but their price (99 cents) makes them even better ! I tried the fish taco platter for $3.89 which comes with 2 fish tacos & a side of rice and beans. The rice & beans taste cafeteria'ish so next time I'm going to stick with fish tacos only. For my fellow cilantro haters: even if you forget to request NO cilantro, this place doesn't add any cilantro to their taco. Also- there's a 50cent fee to use credit card. So bring cash & order your fish taco to go. read more

Best fish taco in SD, take away for sure because the place is a hall in the wall.

I stopped by during a late night aguachiles run. I had this place recommended to me before. I definitely recommend this place for their aguachiles. read more

Tacos here are good from fish taco to carne asada and the adobado tacos. 4 stars because carne asada burrito can be a bit too greasy. Cucumbers and good selection of salsa up front. read more

The worst part about this place is the bad smell as you come in. They don't take credit o debit cards is 2019 come on people. Disappointing... No stars read more

ordered through door dash since I am pregnant on bed rest. Just want to say customer service is amazing. they went put of their way to send me a little something extra as well as a get well note. really appreciated. been here a month and still have two more to go. SO tired of the hospital food. Thanks again. burritos were great. read more

Really excellent Fish Tacos, only $1.50 Hands down the best. If your still going to a large chain for your your tacos make a beeline here. These are Michoacan style. read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Great customer service. I always go for the aguachiles my fav also fish tacos are good. And great price! read more

Vallarta Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

My favorite taco shop in the city. Plenty of choices, good portions, good prices, and the owner is a great guy (and he's easy on the eyes). It's consistently delicious, cheap enough for me to go WAYYYY too often, and a cute little shop. The bar attached to it lacks variety but good tacos + alcohol? What's not to love read more

I guess I took the L... I uber eats the business thinking it was the actual clairmont location of Vallartas. I called and asked for a lot of different sauces they gave me 8 green and 1 red sauce. The carne asada fries I ordered tasted sour. The California burritos fries were soggy. I guess the moral of the story is to check the address before ordering food. I would rather order McDonald's over this... read more

Whether this place is good or not depends on who's cooking. Some days its super good and when someone else is cooking the carne asada is flat out gross and gristley. Like crunchy cartilage and fatty. Sometimes its just flat out over cooked and old tasting. But I have been here numerous times and thought it was the best taco shop in town. Usually the guy cooks well, the women that are there...not so much. Fish tacos are really good, strawberries and cream is delicious. Anything with Carne asada is hit or miss. read more

Called in an order and the gentleman who took the call didn't add the fish tacos, despite repeating the order back to me during the ordering process. Food was decent, but not worth the hassle. Better taco shops in the surrounding area. Will not return. read more

I love their taco shop,their food is amazing authentic Mexican food the lady's that work their make the best food.

I wondered in here at lunch time on a weekday, and I have to say this place has character. Not the kind of character that says, "Let's take little Franklin junior to Benihiana's for a good time" kinda character. No,... I'm talking about the start of a bad drug cartel movie kinda character, were everything is eerily dark, quiet and unsettling. It's the kind of place where you can see two guys walk in, sit down in a booth and only one man leaves alive. Even looking at the dance floor, you can't help but get the feeling that some really F'd up things have happened on it. Let's not have any misgivings here, it's Mexico gritty. The kind of place you strolled in at night, you leave with a concussion, a few less teeth and your significant other missing. Aside from that. I had TJ style tacos in an attached shop at the back entrance to the bar. Which, actually sounds like a good business for all the drunks. I think the shop is called Estilo Tijuana Taco shop. The tacos are hot and fresh, but I wish they would have but a bit of guacamole in it. It's the gringo in me that craves it in the TJ' style tacos. read more

Quality ingredients, made with Love, delicious, clean, affordable and excellent service, thanks ALEX, we look forward to stopping in on Sundays, for some Authentic Mexican food, and a smile. Keep up the good work. Thank You!~Rosie, Angel, and Alina. read more

Best fish tacos on earth. I'm serious. Be patient because the dude running the shop is all by himself, prepping and making your food, but it's WORTH IT. read more

After driving by this taco shop so many times, I decided to stop by at night after boozing it up. I ordered a tripas burrito and yes, they were clean. The food was actually pretty good. For that I'll give 4 stars, I took one one off because of the cleanliness, the tables were sticky and the fan inside is more than filthy. Come on now, at least clean the damn fan! best thing to do here is order to go. read more