On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
It's so Mexican, you may need to bribe a cop!
Ok, ok, save the angry e-mails. I ought to know, I've had to grease many police hands in my time ...but I digress.
Tacos El Gordo is an institution to every drunken duffus that has been touched by this holiest of holly taco stands, in Tijuana.
The typical Tacos El Gordo experience there all happens between 1 and 4am. You've been drinking at some cheap, touristy Revolucion avenue trap or some Mexican-overpriced, wanna-be Chic club with the dreaded velvet rope. All come together at this hut located about 5 minutes from the border and gorge on delicious street tacos, mulas and other ill advised late night fare.
The experience usually concludes with an average hour long wait at the border.
So, how does it's Gringo cousin compare?
Well, for one, this Tacos El Gordo is indoors. A major plus.
The one in Chula Vista has virtually the same menu as it's south of the border counterpart plus many others not found in TJ. It still feels shabby, ipso-facto-Mexican but is twice as expensive. That part I don't like. If I want to pay $2 for a taco, I'll go to La Jolla to a sit down place. Yeah, It ain't the same thing to be sure but it's the principal.
The food is good. I can't say that enough. There's a certain combination of flavors that they strike that's is pitch perfect and tastes like home.
In all, this jip-joint is worthy of calling itself "El Gordo" just for the food. No, that late night drunk-off-your-ass element is missing and with it, some of the fun but that's ok.
Besides, who needs an hour wait at the border, anyway?
El Gordo. Yes, this place brings the childhood fat kid out of me with each step. Zip. Zip. I can still hear the zip from between my thighs because of my corduroy jeans. Zip. Zip. All eyes on me. Call me Tupac. Zip zip.
My inner fat kid studied the counter. Different order stations along a single counter to get your taco. The adobada station is to the far right. What is adobada? Adobada means meat slices "marinated" with a combination of spices, chiles and vinegar. The marinated slices of meat stacked on a vertical spit are cooked like a spinning gyro with a pineapple that caps the top like crown dropping its juices over the meat. May I have several slices for my taco orders please? Did I really need to eat 6 adobada tacos, three (3) pork and beef each? Yes.
Make sure you request a side order of the grilled green onions and peppers. Make sure to get some radish too to help clean your palate. Make sure to tip. Tipping can be good karma.
With my tray, I zip over and pay up front at a separate station which can be confusing since after getting your food, you're easily swayed to walk to a table and let the inner fat kid do his job. Zip Zip. Nom Nom.
El Gordo is easy to find as it's only a block or two just east of the I-5 and like some reviews, it totally is reminiscent of a burger joint, but hey, we're talking tacos from Tijuana with neither mission bells nor chihuahuas nor trendy black tacos in sight
I do admit to being surprised at paying about $13.50 for my meal (and drink) as each taco is about $1.75. But, you do get what you pay for and I enjoyed my meal totalmente.
A friend challenged me to use liver and cheese in the same sentence. I grab my taco and say "Liver alone. Cheese mine." I take a bite. Like my corduroys, I felt groovy.
Oh... my... yum. Yelp, you did not steer me wrong! The adobada (or alibaba as I was want to call it) or better yet, delicious meat, pretty much did it for me. Look, I know my tacos. I can often be found at El Guero or BK in Tucson, but this was different. This was San Diego gastro heaven! The carne asada was wonderful too, especially on the sope.
Now, for the crowning glory... we happened to go in there on the 10th anniversary of El Gordo moving to the U.S. from Tijuana. And so these tacos and sopes were buy one get one free. This led to a second visit to the adobada man. Certainly unnecessary, but what are you gonna do?
Everyone was friendly, the toppings were fresh, the avocado creama delicious, and after three tacos and one sope, I was one happy, stuffed little, white girl.
SOPES SOPES SOPES! I'm telling you, get their sopes. I never leave without ordering their Carne Asada sopes. I'm shocked I haven't reviewed El Gordo yet! One of the few (okay, I'm pretty generous) 5 stars I give out here on Yelp. ;P
Very friendly employees, fully stocked condiment area, open late!
We've tried their tacos and mulas but were disappointed. I've learned to stay faithful to the sopes. It comes with a crispy tortilla, amazing layer of cheese, cilantro, onions, guacamole, your choice of meat, amazing sauce..it's heaven when you're intoxicated ;P
ONE BUMMER: no lengua.
Best part is that one sope is less than $4 and usually fills me up. The drive is a bit far from La Jolla but it's right off the freeway so that helps. I'm telling you, this is legit. I mean, look how close they are to the border!!
¡¡¡¡Oh Dios mio!!! Why do not I go here more (**reality check** it is two hours from my apartment with no traffic)? Oh thats right. Damn!
I was lucky enough to try this place while visiting my best friend who lives down in National City. He gave me the gastro-tour of Mexican food on Saturday (11/14).
The food at El Gordo is made to order, you request what you want and they serve it cafeteria-style in front of you. You then take your tray to the cashiers pay a little for a lot of amazing eats. The place is a little dingy but who said looks were important when it comes to authentic Mexican food.
We ordered Lengua tacos, carne asada tacos and the Adobado tacos with avacado cream over them. Each of these street tacos packed a wallop of intense flavor. By far the Adobado tacos stole the show. My friend said to follow his order for eating so we started with the tongue and worked through the asada (my least favorite) to get to the prize. I will not forget those little gems. Adobado [tacos] your my only friend.
After our bellies were comfortably stretched it was time to say adios to El Gordo. When i come down to visit again I will demand to go back to see my new amigo.
TJ tacos are the best...but alas, I can't be crossing to TJ every week just for tacos...so THANK GOD for Tacos El Gordo!
It might look intimidating at first to someone who has never been there, but the employees are all friendly and just get up there and order away!
I loooove the adobada, it's so delicious. The carne asada isn't as awesome as carne asada tacos in TJ, but if you've never had TJ tacos to compare, they are excellent! The green onions and white peppers are also awesome. Sooo HOT!! but soooo good!!
Tacos El Gordo is the best place for tacos, period. You always hear about the "bertos" but those are not legitimate taco shops. The food is okay and occasionally above average but for authentic mouth watering tacos visit El Gordo. The establishment is clean and the service is fast and courteous. El Gordo to typical taco shops is kind of how In & Out is to McDonald's. The only inconvenience is the parking during peak hours.
All I can say is these are, by far, the BEST tacos I have ever had in my life! If I could award 6 stars, I would, but the 5 will have to have to do.
My boyfriend and I went here for the first time last February, and we even braved a storm for these tacos! After hearing everyone rave about this place, we had to see if it lived up to our expectations.
The restaurant is bright, clean, and spacious. There are plenty of tables and chairs inside and outside to supplement your dining experience, so you don't have to worry about scrounging for a place to eat.
Here's how everything went for us:
We walked all the way to the back of the restaurant where the cooks were grilling, frying, dicing, and makin' that taco magic. I noticed a large hunk of reddish, magenta-colored meat wrapped around a pineapple that was roasting on a spit. What was it??
We told the cooks what we wanted, and they made it right in front of us, which made it all the more fun.
What we ordered:
-adobada tacos (adobada is pork marinated in a red chili sauce, which turns out to be the mystery magenta meat)
-carne asada tacos
-carne asada pupusas (pupusas are like quesadillas, but with a fluffier flat bread)
Condiments:
Salsa, onions, cilantro, limes
You can request grilled vegetables on the side (I think they were leeks and onions) and they are free of charge.
My favorite was the adobada tacos, which were seasoned perfectly and were so tender. It was my first time trying the meat, and I loved it. The flavor was amazing: slightly sweet and spicy! The carne asada tacos were superb also, so I recommend getting that too. The pupusas were okay, messier to eat, and more expensive.
All in all, a wonderful experience that was well worth the trip from San Diego. I've heard that Tacos el Gordo used to be in Mexico, and they moved their restaurant across the border. So I'm guessing you're getting pretty authentic tacos if you eat here, which you should, and you will probably will!
GREAT TACOS. Looking forward to trying the sopes on my next visit.
After reading many yelp reviews, I drove to Chula Vista tonight to check out this place. When I pulled up, every stall in the HUGE parking lot was taken.
After waiting a moment for a stall to open up, I walked in. The restaurant looks like a Mexican (In and Out Burger Joint).
I ordered the beef tongue, asada, chorizo and spicy pork tacos.
Although small, the tacos were outfuckingstanding!!! Meaty, tasty and yummy..
When in SD, drive another 15 minutes South and check out this Mexican joint.
EVERYONE (staff and guests) were Mexican........meaning AUTHENTIC MEXICAN fast food!
It's hard for me to give this place 3 stars because the food is so incredibly good. But, come on... these are street tacos and sopes - not lobster and creme brulee. The place is way too pricey. I'll go back but not as often as I would like to.
When I was a youngin' one of my spontaneous trips to Tijuana (where the shop originated from) with a few friends included a trip to Tacos El Gordo. Why I was in TJ, i don't know. haha.
Trust, it's the same here as it is in Meeehheeecoooo. if you're visiting sd you totally have to try this place out (multiple locations in southern south san diego aka northern tijuana).
I prefer the adobado tacos over the carne asada one at el gords. with lots of limee and extra avocado sauceeee.
the tacos are small, but satisfying and super crackalicious good!
tacos de cabeza scared me when mad cow was in the news. my dad totally ordered those still, sillyyyyyy.
OMG! Tacos El Gordo lives up to all of the hype I have read about.
These guys make the best TJ Style tacos I have ever eaten.
Hands down. End of story. No competition. Period!
A bit expensive at almost $2.00 per taco but well worth it!
Especially when I can easily eat 5, 6, 7, 8 . . .
Un-freakin'-believable tasting tacos!
My first two trips to Tacos el Gordo were within 12 hours apart from one another.
12 hours.
I've always passed by this place whenever heading out to the Chula Vista mall, but I'd never actually sat down and ate here until now! What in the world have I been missing out on!?
I came here on a Friday afternoon where the atmosphere was calm and the place smelled heavenly. I think I might be addicted to their salsa. The tacos are ~$2 a piece; a bit pricey, but I guess that's how those tacos roll.
You know this place is legit when you come back at 1 AM and the place is poppin' like mad. Massive amounts of customers clogging up the meat lines, yet everyone is able to get their tacos in a timely manner. Amazing! Plus, the employees there are such sweethearts even at that hour.
I've fallen in love with their pork adobada and carne asada tacos. One day, I'll have to try lengua. Not too sure if I'm down for the plunge, but you never know until you try, right?
After realizing just how close this place is to my house, I may have to come down here more often.
People have been telling me about Tacos El Gordo for a long time, and I've been meaning to try it for a while, but it's down in Chula Vista, which I visit about once a year.
Today was a special occasion, though. We told our students that if they studied hard and got good grades on the final exam, we'd head to Tacos El Gordo as a reward. Whaddaya know, they killed the exam because they were so pumped for Tacos El Gordo.
The tacos al pastor were everything I'd imagined. The service was fast and friendly. I've never been to a Mexican restaurant in SD that was set up like this place, nor that served real TJ-style tacos like this place. Even after four tacos I was fiending for more.
Now I just need to find more reasons to head down Chula Vista way. No way I'm ever going to try lengua tacos, though. Sorry.
Best tacos you will ever eat in the states. Try the adobada...you won't be disappointed.
The workers are friendly as well.
The prices look cheap, since the tacos are about 1.85 each. But, they add up really fast, considering one person can eat at least 3 or 4 tacos. But still, I would eat here any day.
SINCE I WAS IN THE AREA AGAIN... I THOUGHT I'D STOP BY.
Pros:
-Multiple lines.
-Same yummy tacos but I've narrowed it down to my favorite! (Spicy pork tacos with everything!!!)
-Same review as before but with pictures of the spicy pork, carene asada and the suadero tacos.
Cons:
-There's none in the LA area.
I'VE CHEAT ON LA LUMBRE... ( I'M SORRY LA LUMBRE TACOS BUT I THINK I FOUND A NEW LOVE) THIS PLACE… Read more »
On my first trip to El Gordo, I had some trouble finding a parking spot in their linear lot. Circling back into their lot is difficult because you have to contend with the major traffic going up and down H Street. If you notice that the lot is packed, there's a park-and-ride next to the trolley station that's a great parking alternative.
Once parked, all you have to do is cross a collector street and walk past one lot in order to get to TEG. TEG's interior reminds of a cleaner version of In-n-out with the red motif and brushed metal counters. While I was there, employees were actively wiping surfaces down and quickly bussing tables. Once you've decided what you want to order, don't be timid. If you are, a ton of regulars will just shoot out their orders and get in front of you.
Basically the counter set up was this: adobada on the left, asada and freshly made tortillas in the center and lengua (buche, sesos, tripas, etc. too) will be on the right.
I ended up getting three abobada, carne asada and lengua tacos each with Orange Bang (my favorite). All of the street tacos were all explosions of fresh flavors. I especially liked the adobada because the meat and sauce were an excellent combination. I definitely enjoyed the lengua tacos as well, but the meat was cut in the size of steak medallions... a bit big for my taste and took a lot more chewing than I'd like with a taco. Just ask em to chop the lengua more when they're prepping. The beef tongue is also stronger than your normal asada, so be prepared if you haven't had it before.
If you've never a street taco, they are smaller than your typical variety. If you've eaten six tacos and are still hungry I wouldn't be surprised. It's really easy to get more once you've killed the first round.
The only limiting factor that I see is that the price per taco is pretty high. Being that I can't make the drive to Chula Vista weekly, I can certainly justify the price of indulgence. From my experience, I can truly say that Tacos El Gordo deserves their high scores.
This TJ taco bit is so damn legit, you Yelpers can quit searching for a Mexican hit.
No joke, Tacos El Gordo is as similar to actual Tijuana style tacos our hero has ever had without crossing the border.
Upon walking through the door, the white benches with red upholstery reminded our hero a bit of In 'N Out burger. Ordering is a little complicated, as each type of taco has its own line, with different servers and their own tip jars. After ordering, cashiers near the entrance calculate the bill.
The adobada tacos are amazing, especially when requested with a slice of pineapple. The suadero beef is also pretty good, using a cut not normally served by other taco joints. The lengua (tongue) tacos are textured and somewhat chewy for a taco our hero really had to sink his teeth into. If you're inclined to get a little brain or some head, order the sesos or cabeza tacos. Frankly, the carne asada tacos are the most run of the mill of any on their menu, but even those are well above average with the special sauce they put on top.
A fun game to play here is "spot the TJ hooker". Basically, sit here and eat and wait until you see the trashy Chulajuana girl who ended up on the wrong side of Zona Norte.
PROS:
- So close to actual tacos from Tijuana it's surprising. Even the complimentary TJ style sides of grilled peppers and green onions are available.
- Awesome selection of different types of tacos that you can't find in most taco shops in San Diego. Want to eat beef brains in a taco? Try the sesos tacos for something out of the ordinary!
CONS:
- The process of ordering from different types of meat lines and then paying up front can be a bit confusing for El Gordo newbies.
Hands down the best tacos I've had in San Diego. Probably the best that I've had in my life.
Then again, usually I order burritos or fajitas or quesadillas when it comes to Mexican food. I've had tacos since elementary school, when they came in a dry hard shell with sketchy looking ground beef that was equally dry. The Jack in the Box tacos I had a few months ago remind me of elementary school tacos. The taste and texture were like paper.
This place is on the opposite end of the spectrum. It's seriously THAT GOOD.
The soft corn tortillas were hot and fresh, with plenty of guacamole (included on the tacos) and a good helping of beef. I ordered three tacos (two tacos de asada and one tacos de lengua -- beef tongue) and they were delicious.
So I went back for two more. And they were equally delicious.
Probably the best Mexican food place ever I've been to in San Diego. The tacos were simple awesome. The Carne Asada, Adobado were the ones I ordered. The prices on the tacos are pretty cheap. The place is huge and seating wasn't a problem. Their service was as quick as one can get. They have many pple preparing tacos which result in multiple lines and less waiting time.
They indeed redefine how tacos are to be really made in SD!
Tacos El Gordo is my favourite place to go when I'm craving tacos. Their pork adobada tacos are my favourite sort, though I also enjoy carne asada & pork adobada mulas. The best feature about this place is that it's open until the wee hours of the morning to meet all of your taco craving needs. It is relatively inexpensive, but ends up getting pricey when I go because I usually need to go back to order a second round of tacos. Most of the times that I go, the place is pretty busy but I've always been able to find a table. Tacos El Gordo should be on your itinerary if you are heading into Chula Vista for any reason, plus it's close to the 5 freeway.
Absolutely loved it.
Fantastically delicious tacos. I tried the carne asada taco and the adobado one. Damn good. Adobado is my new favorite, spicy meat covered in a creamy delicious sauce. I was informed by one of my cohorts that I should have gotten them with pineapple and damn but I should have. Maybe next time?
Overall; filling, reasonably priced, and delicious!
This was my first time going, and HONESTLY speaking, i was kind of scared...cuz u know...i dont know...
but anyways. 5 cop cars were there and. u know..it was kind of scary.
But, in a way, i felt safer...
But daymn..the tongue and the steak tacos were sooo bomb here!!! everyone was like oo the pork tacos are bomb, but honestly, i thought it was too thick for my taste.
i want to try la fachada...
Tacos El Gordo gives great head.
I rolled in here w/a fellow man-about-town for lunch and couldn't help but indulge in 'tacos de cabeza'...cow head tacos, before you ask. This seriously made for the perfect mid-day meal, out on El Gordo's patio with the sun out and breeze blowing. Tender, flavorful meat and hand-made corn tortillas were topped off with fresh onion, cilantro and their homemade, spicy green sauce.
Like the previously-alluded-to oral act, you'll need a breath mint or two afterwards...but you'll brag to your friends that you did.
If you have trouble convincing yourself to put your mouth around this Mexican delicacy, you could argue there's a lot of protein in the meat so it's good for you.
IT'S WORTH THE MULA !
$ 11.64 for hearty meal without the pain in the culo crossing into TJ. You must ask for the grilled onions and peppers on the side $0.00 ! I ate Mula Asada ($3.75) and the following tacos were $1.85 each; Taco Asada, Taco Adovada, & Taco Buche. You know how you save the best for last when you sometimes look at your tray & wonder how you are going to attack it. Well, I saved it for the mula. Depending if you are beef or pork type of person, El Gordo offers a great variety. I also had some Horchata ($1.40 with free refills) to wash this all down and try to mask my onion breath.
When you enter, you walk to the back and grab a red tray for the cafeteria style ordering the different proteins which come with 2 corn tortillas which are grilled & smacked in front of you. They have the spicy beef & spicy pork spinning on a gyro type rotisseriel with huge pineapples on top. They give you huge portions which will have the meat falling out of your tortilla.
I have been to numerous parties which they have catered, & it is just as good. They are pricier compared to other taqueros, but thier mulas are worth the mula.
They are right next door to the H street trolly stop. Smart out of towners will skip the tourtisty copy cats, hop on the trolly & come here. They have some parking spots & drive thru.
Bring gum, your breath will be kickin' !!!
My friend took me here deeming it as the "closest place around his house to get authentic Mexican food without having to hop the border." I was surprised by the process of getting your food because it's different from most taco places.
The food counter is separated by types of meats and you order from the person at that "station." He'll put together the food right in front of you, so you'll be sure to get that you order.
The food is more like street food and not so much of food at a mexican restaurant. Nothing fancy about it at all, but that's what makes it authentic and good.
I enjoyed this place. It isn't fan status for me, but definitely a good place to grab some tacos.
Too much money, Gordo, gonna call you Tacos El Greedy.
Who goes to Tacos El Gordo for chicken?
No self respecting taco stand in TJ would even have chicken tacos on the menu. It's only for the little babies that can't stomach tripas. Hahaha, I made a bilingual pun!
Next time try the adobada and the lengua. mmmmmm tongue!
Tacos El Gordo is five star all the way...until they ring you up.
The food is great. Their cooks bust their a$$es to quickly assemble your food. The tacos are some of the best street style tacos anywhere. Even hardcore fans of TJ street tacos agree that these are pretty good. Only their ever increasing prices hold their star rating down.
We always try to hit Tacos El Gordo for our movie snacks on our way the the South Bay Drive-In. Eff the overpriced movie popcorn and nachos, go with the overpriced street tacos.
The carne asada taco I had was not bad, the meat was not fatty but it was a bit dry, overall it was OK.
YES YES YES, this is what I remember Tacos tasting like on the streets of TJ as a kid. This place has the best street tacos on earth..Yes in a somewhat scary area but sooo worth it. Why dont they build one of these places in Otay Ranch? Im tired pf paying 7 dollars for three tacos that taste like crap!
This place gets a WA-WA-WA score of three super stars...
Most of the reason... prices suck! This place has good food at ridiculous prices...
I am a huge fan of authentic mexican food and this gets up there... but the prices just kill your mood.
We decided to go to this place again recently we used to frequent it alot in the past. But to my dismay each taco has gone up like 50 cents! What the ???
Hence the WA-WA-WA moment... I like the food hate the price... no one should have to pay close to $2 for a street taco... ridiculous.
Whenever I want to show any of my friends what real good Mexican food is, I take them to Tacos El Gordo. I seriously can eat ten of these little street tacos but damn they get expensive especially since they've upped the price :( boo. They've really cleaned up this place (I've been going here since high school). Everything is fresh and cooked in front of you. The cooks are really nice and they'll hook you up (I always ask for extra guacamole). The spicy adobada or carne asada is bomb (maybe it was the lengua or beef tongue). Not sure, but all the meats are good, if you're a virgin to mexican food though, definitely start off with the carne asada, you can never go wrong with that. Wash it down with a nice cold horchata and you'll never want to order street tacos from anywhere else ever again.
If heaven has a taco joint--this is what it looks like. At least that's the case to a tourist in these parts. My jaw dropped when I walked in and pondered the gamut of possibilities for delicious dining that the front counter sign offers. I almost passed out it was so exciting. This must be what it was like for young girls to see the Beatles back when they did their thing.
The counter has no immediate method. Is there a line? Left to right? Right to left? Ah--the cook nods at you when it's your turn. Excellent! I had trouble focusing, because of the pots of simmering, boiling meats. . . . like I said--I almost passed out it was so exciting! Add the fact that the tortillas are being made fresh in the same area--it's a miracle I was still standing.
All of the too many tacos that I had were filled with pint-sized deliciousness. The standout for me was the Adobado. Spicy pork, covered with a brilliant, vibrant, delectable green sauce. It looks good and taste out of this world. The suadero is also pretty killer. I was happy to see cesos (brains) on the menu. I think they've been outlawed back in H-Town. It was a tender reunion for me! The stuff that movies are made of to be more exact.
To add to this utopic taco joint's brilliance is an agua fresca machine. I went with a whipped orange drink, but there are lots of options like tamarindo, horchata and jamaica to name a few. God, it's like Disney World. I love it. Love, love, love, love it.
There are quesadillas and other things on the menu, but I really think this place is about the raw power of the taco. Viva el TACO!
Excuse my cultural ignorance, but when I was on my way to Ensenada a few weeks back, we stopped at a slamming taco shop just past the third toll booth, called "Los Traileros." This place had the best tacos I'd ever had. They were incredible. My Spanish has gotten pathetically rusty, so I opted for the meat on the spicket thingy with the pina on top. I wasn't sure if it was lamb or pork, but that sh*t was slamming. But this is not a review about Los Traileros (which I wanted to review, but apparently Yelp HQ isn't down with reviews south of the Border).
In any case, I found myself hungry, driving home from the South Bay Courthouse yesterday evening. I had read the reviews and heard the 'yelp buzz' about Tacos El Gordo. So I pulled me and my empty panza over. And let me tell you, this place is does not disappoint.
I ordered five different tacos. If I had to rank them it would go:
5. Taco de Cabeza
4. Taco de lengua
3. Taco de asada
2. Quesadilla can asada
1. Taco de Adobado
But hey, I am just a hungry gringo.
My one beef with this spot, is the tacos aren't really gordo. Tacos El Gordo is a bit of misnomer. That is, unless, the literal translation of "Tacos El Gordo" is "Damn these tacos are PHAT with PH." In that case, their tacos are gordo, yo!
In any case, Tacos El Gordo is a MUST if you ever in the area. It is maybe if you aren't in the area and want slammin tacos. And, lastly, it is HELL YES, if you are sober enough to make it there late night. This place stays open til 4 a.m.
I've never eaten/been to TJ in my four years in SD, so I don't have super authentic Mexican food to compare this to. However, this place is delicious and (probably?) pretty authentic.
The restaurant is big and semi-self-service: you go up to wait in line at the counter that serves the kind of taco you want. You then pay for it at the register near the door. There's a lot of seating indoors and also some tables outdoors, and you just sit whereever it's free and clean.
I tried 2 carne asada and 2 adobada tacos. They also have more authentic/exotic kinds, like cabeza (head) and lengua (tongue)... I didn't have the guts for that, but the boy tried it and thought it delicious.
The tacos are good and garnished with a lot of onions and sauce, but rather pricey at nearly $2 a pop (it adds up). Drinks are free refills (yay unlimited horchata!). Overall, pretty good if you don't want to cross the border for some yummay tacos.
I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this place was too clean to serve good tacos. Of course I was still willing to give it a shot; I give everyone a fair chance!
After getting some recommendations from the guy behind the counter, I opted for the following:
Carne asada. Carne asada is a fair way to compare tacos at any Mexican joint. You have to have one. I think the guacamole did it for me in this case. The meat was okay but the guac just may have been good enough to convince me to get another taco. But I didn't. I had three others to try.
Adobada (spicy pork). My favorite of the four I tried. It was tender and really flavorful. I could have easily eaten more of these.
Tripa (stomach) (BTW, the guy behind the counter translated these for me so forgive me if I'm wrong.) One word: CRISPY. My guess is it's because it's the stomach and you have to cook it thoroughly, but holy cow... I think I'm still missing a tooth. In a weird way though, I thought it tasted okay. If only it weren't so darn crispy.
Suadero (shoulder). I imagine I had a confused look on my face as I took a bite of this taco. I took a big bite and tasted... nothing. There WAS meat in there, right? What happened?! No seasoning? No marinade? Anything?! Thanks, but I think I'm done eating shoulders.
These are the best tacos I've had in San Diego! Tender meats, fresh tortillas, salsa and guacamole. My only wish is that they charred the carne asada a little more before serving it.
I told myself if I had the opportunity to fly to San Diego on a whim just to have their tacos.... I would do it...
and I DONE DID IT.
The tacos are better than I remembered it. This time, I systematically took breathing breaks while I ate slower than before so I did not get light-headed like my first experience here.
note to self for Monday: get 2-3 tripas, 3 adobada, and 1 horchata next time. Take the trolley from Downtown SD. There is a stop across from Tacos El Gordo.
( | )
Tacos El Gordo was our first stop at Chula Vista this past Sunday. Luis ordered 5 things, and I… Read more »
My dear Yelp-buddy Mitzie H. is a "native" from Southern Cal, hence I take her recommendations very seriously when it comes to Mexican food.
She speaks the truth, and I'm soooooo glad I listened...
Walking in the place is no-frills, but who cares when the food is as outstanding as they serve here!!
Taco-land, you have arrived. I came for the "spicy" pork tacos, yes they shave the pork off of a HUGE hunk of rotating bliss, my family had cheese quesadillas, other members of our group opted for some carne asada, a few chorizo tacos to top things off....needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, OMG!!! NO wonder Mitzie is so sad to eat Mexi-can't up in Seattle!!
Fresh ingredients, from the salsa to the lime and radishes, the flavors lent well to the tacos, and yes, the meat was outstanding....
I liked the little extra plate of grilled green onions and peppers, they were a nice addition to the tacos, we had to pay a little extra for the green hot salsa, but is was cheap and well worth it!!
For $1.85 per taco, that tasted like these, this is SUCH a DEAL!!!
Pure YUM!!!
Neighborhood: National City
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Otay Mesa
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Otay Mesa
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Memorial
Category: Mexican
So, here are some of the places where I have eaten…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some places I visited when I am in this area of…
you will find me at these Taco shops, indulging in…
What makes them so much better? Perfectly roasted…
Carne Asada Fries, CALI Burritos, Carne Asada…
Places I'd recommend to people coming into town…
These are the places that take you from here to…
