50 Best Taco Restaurants near La Jolla

“First time at Sammy’s in Imperial Beach for breakfast the portions were big and the desserts delicious. We definitely will be returning. Sammy’s is one of my favorite restaurants!“

“Muchísimas Gracias a Raymundo y su colega!

In the middle of a long trip to California’s coast, all the way from our home in Colorado, our group found ourselves in Raymundo’s colorful and welcoming restaurant. The food left our bellies and our hearts full. The tortas were “gas” the salsa was “hella good” and the drinks refreshed us after a morning in the sun. The food was made well, with care and love you could taste in every bite. Raymundo himself was even kind enough to take a photo with us all. In a world pushing us towards faceless fast food mega chains, local businesses like this one keep our world as vibrant as the walls in this lovely place.“

“I had 3 tacos and they were all very good. Not sure why 2 were hard shelled & the 3rd was soft shelled. Beef & chicken were hard & carnitas was made with the soft tortillas. All good, but next time I'll ask for soft tortillas..The person working the counter was super nice.“

“We tried Mike’s over the weekend & it was absolutely delicious! Definitely would recommend it if you like birria!“

“This is a must visit when in San Diego! The best food! Everyone is kind that works here and even with waiting once an hour and a half in line I was not disappointed. Highly recommend Oscar's of Emerald in SD🥰“

“As San Diego native and a long time resident of Pacific Beach, I highly recommend La Playa Taco Shop. I always get their California Burrito (add sour cream). It's the best of the best when it comes to burritos. Their ingredients are top notch. You won't regret going here!“

“Spent several enjoyable hours at New English Brewery this afternoon. Actually, came here because of wanting to try out “The Craft Taco Truck.” They didn’t disappoint! The guys were friendly, the food was great! Visually appealing and delicious. Highly recommend you seek them out and enjoy an afternoon with them! We’ll definitely be back.“

“Comida riquísima!!! Authentically delicious! 🔥🇲🇽“

“Best tacos very tasty. Great customer service“

“I came here after waiting to long at Colima up the street. Easy side street parking and walk inI go to Tijuana and have birria from different places almost every week. This place is top notch. Nice dine-in area too, I waited there for my impromptu order. Great birria Miquel, thank you. I will be back!“

“Superb Mexican food. Fast and easy. We loved it ! 🤙🏼“

“Every time I come in here, I wonder why I don't come more often. (Possibly the atmosphere, it's clean but not the coziest. No music or TV, not much to look at.) But the food, wow! I always get three different tacos, they're all loaded with such amazing flavors and textures. The fresh salsas are also spectacular. I need to start making this a weekly visit.“

“Street tacos with the vibe of California.“

“wonderful food, we went yesterday evening, a friend of mine suggested to go, I did it and it was wonderful, thanks to the kindness of the people who work here, Amazing Tacos!! we bring you in our heart coming back in Italy!! Linda“

“Excelente menú, servicio amable, súper sabores. La limonada de pepino, etc etc Lo recomiendo“

“Wonderful, just so wonderful. Had a large party of 8 and everyone was thrilled with their orders which ranged across the whole menu. The fish tacos were a personal highlight, as was the quesadillas and of course Cali burrito (both huge). No lard in the tortillas or in the beans (corn oil) is much appreciated. This place really could fit the bill for neighborhood taco shop but then goes above and beyond and elevates the quality. And the prices are super reasonable.

Vegetarian options: Tortillas and beans are vegetarian and no lard. Rice has chicken stock. Staff are very conscious.

Dietary restrictions: Tortillas and beans have no lard. Staff are very conscious.

Kid-friendliness: Super great for kids.“

“We tried Mike’s over the weekend & it was absolutely delicious! Definitely would recommend it if you like birria!“

“I had the BEST experience ever here. I’m such a picky eater, but this restaurant allows you to pick whatever ingredients you want and put it together in a bowl for you. They made it happen for food that doesn’t really go together without a problem. The customer service goes above and beyond anything I ever experienced. The portion size is huge and for a good price. I have zero complaints about this place. If I lived in town, I would visit more often. I highly recommend you go. You will be pleased and well fed whether you are picky or not.“

“This place was a pleasant surprise! My boyfriend and I ordered the combo meal with 3 tacos, fries and a drink. The tacos were so flavorful and delicious. He got 1 steak, 1 chicken, and 1 shrimp and was very satisfied. We even contemplated going again that night but we missed their closing time by 30 minutes. The only not so good thing were the fries but overall 10/10 highly recommend.“

“One of the best cevices (if not the best cevice) I have ever had! Friendly staff and very affordable prices.

Keep in mind it's a food truck with a tent tjat houses tables and bleachers, so there are no public restrooms available.“

“Classic Taco shop food from back in the days. The great tastes, great service, and amazing quality food. Times have changed, no doubt. Prices have risen, with consistency great all around i applause this shop. Thank you. Ur salsas are 🔥“

“This place is legit! The tacos here as super delicious and you can definitely tell they use high quality ingredients in everything. Especially in the meats! I work right around the corner from this place and am pumped they are here. If you want top notch tacos then this is your place!“

“we flew down to San Diego from Washington State to visit some friends this place was on our list of places to visit, I'm so glad we did. if you're a wrestling fan and a food fan this place is fantastic would highly recommend the only thing I wish is I would have got two chicken black bean Chipotle burritos“

“This spot has great cabeza and adobada tacos (as well as just about any other Mexican street food you could imagine) at reasonable prices! High-quality and well-prepared meats with flavorful tortillas, very fresh cilantro and onions, and several great salsas to choose from - everything you could ask for in a good taco.

The service was very friendly and quick as well!“

“Amazing experience delivered by Orlando and his kitchen staff. Was so nice to hear Orlando talk about the talent and humble attitude of his wife , Flor, how much he loves his business and his team“

“in search of authentic mexican in SD look NO FURTHER, had a life changing carne asada burrito. How will I go back to san francisco after this? perfect rice perfect beans perfect guac meat etc….. my vegetarian girlfriend even loved the carne asada burritos like?!“

“Have tried two other Taco Stand locations and now came to give this one a try.

I think this location was a little bit of hit or miss depending on the day and the menu item.

We got some tacos delivered home and sister-in-law, friend as well as husband loved everything they got! Sister-In-Law and friend were visiting from out of town and they really liked the food here so much that they wanted to get it again before leaving from their visit.
They really seemed to like Pollo(chicken) and Shrimp tacos.
One thing to note is that when you order delivery on doordash they end up charging for adding the sauces which is not the case. When you put a pickup order from the store directly because you can just take as many sauces as you would like.

Husband and I also brought another friend here who was visiting from Canada and she was totally surprised by the quality of the tacos here! The pork taco must have been her favorite and I think it was the combination of the pork and pineapple in there!

I really loved the Shrimp Taco! This was my first time trying the shrimp taco and I think the combination of everything went really well. I was not expecting that cheese to be put on the tortilla so next time I think I would ask them to skip that to make it a little healthier. There was quite an amount of oil in the shrimp though, so I think that's another thing that I would like to change but otherwise overall flavor profile was lovely.

I usually love the fish taco from the other locations, but this one was subpar. It was actually quite a big thick fillet of fish so a lot of the bites felt like eating a big chunk of fish and not enough sauce or flavoring and tortilla to go with. Definitely appreciate the large portion size of the fish in there, but I think it ended up being too much fish for that one particular taco. Husband also have the same experience so it must have just been this particular day that the pieces of fish were very big. Definitely need to give it another try!“

“Some of the best tacos I’ve had in a long time. Every single bite tasted high quality and fresh. We each had three tacos and walked away perfectly but not uncomfortably full. Would recommend for anyone in San Diego.“

“These tacos never fail to put me in a good mood. I’ve had them since I moved to Downtown, San Diego in 2022. I only come here when I am craving tacos and I only recommend Azteca! You could never go wrong whether it’s a taco, torta, enchilada, try it all!!! It’s worth it!“

“Don't waste your time or.money going anywhere else! The food is to die for and the service is exceptional! The part about Harvest Taco Shop is that has been family owned and operated for like 30 years and they treat you like family . The salsa bar is better than anyone's plus they give you free chips. Just go 1 time and you will be hooked! Let's all keep them going so they can be around for a other 30 years!!!! Thanks Amiga, Maureen and Juanita“

“Wow! The food is delicious. Every time I stop by I try something different. Always pleased, ?%. I love the food. Beef sopes and the Carne Asada Torta, Yummy! I just had Ceviche today, loved it!!!! Prices are low, you can have a good meal, full stomach for less than 15 bucks. Gotta stop by and try for yourself!.“

“We ordered the chicken meal. Absolutely delicious! Customer service is awesome too. We'll definitely order again!“

“Very good. Always get the carne asada burrito and chips with verde salsa. Good beer and fresh drinks. Still have the spiced carrots and onions on the side and family plates en todo. Go here for trips, outings, events, and some/all occasions since 1981. Adios, RJ“

“We ordered take out from there and it was really good“

“We heard amazing things about this place on TikTok, and as it turned out they were so right! This place exceeded our expectations. From the delicious Cod fish and chips, the tartar sauce, and the most amazing service. A standout for us was the manager, she was so happy and bubbly and approachable; over all a 100/10 rate for this establishment!“

“Review long overdue. Amazing customer Service the birria Ramen and street tacos is to die for. Best in all of California Santa Barbara, San Fransisco, LA me and my wife do OTR for FedEx and we’ve been all over California. Covered all the states, This Spot takes the #1 spot in our Hearts for the best street tacos and Birria Ramen. Highly recommended. Super affordable. Best $56 I spent at a food truck 2.50 for mini tacos and they are not mini. Regular tacos 4 dollars and there huge. I could only eat 2 mini tacos before I jumped into the birria Ramen and they don’t skip out on the meat either it’s full on both mini tacos and Birria ramen. Highly recommended. Don’t miss out or sleep on this food truck, A1 whoever is the cook keep cooking because your food is by far the best food truck spot we ever tried puts all other food truck in the states to shame. I had to stop eating just to type this out, because their food is by far the best we’ve ever had. Plenty of parking for my Semi truckers, Cargo Vans, RVs ect. Free parking. Come try their food don’t miss out. Find out for yourself saving this spot on my google maps as the #1 spot in San Diego for the best food truck in all of California we will be back next time we are in California. Thank you for your service! ❤️“

“We were visiting my hometown of San Diego and this location was close to where we were staying. We came in with a 5 person order. When we got back , I found they missed my order for rolled tacos with guacamole. I went back and the cashier apologised and said he didn’t hear me say that as it wasn’t on the receipt. I ordered them and he hooked me up with an extra rolled taco and an order of hot carrots. That’s great customer service. Great food as always. We’ll be back !!“

“I absolutely love this place! My friend and I were visiting from Canada, and this place has super affordable specials, and honestly it’s such a positive vibe! Very friendly staff, very clean, food was 10/10! I can’t wait come back for a visit!“

“First of all when I first got there they gave me flowers tortillas, rice, and beans all for five dollars and then I went back and got the taco and enchilada combo plate. Also had the carne asada nachos too ., the beans were amazing. The vegetables were nice and fresh I also ordered a Agua Fresca. It was refreshing tasted more like melon than pineapple. The customer service always five star. They’re very helpful and patient. Prices are a little high, but it’s worth it.“

“I have been here three times now and I plan to come more often for sure. The food is great, prices are great, I like the music, and there’s not too much more to ask for from an awesome local food truck. There are a bunch of salsas, onions, parsley, cucumbers, and more that you can help yourself to and it’s close to home with that authentic Mexican flavor. I ordered 5 tacos and debated getting more haha Great spot, check them out!“

“The Breakfast Burritos are my favorite. Make sure to ask for the bacon in it extra crispy. The chorizo burrito is good but can be greasy, I made the mistake of opening up my burrito and had to rewrap it in a new tortilla because it was so soaked in grease. It tasted pretty good though. I wish they had more options for hot sauces or a salsa bar. Red and green are your only options here. Overall, they aren't the best but no way are they the worst place to eat it at. I go here regularly and I would rate them a little above average. Their prices aren't too bad compared to some places that have raised their prices 50% or more in the last few years charging $18+ for a carne asada burrito so I'm glad for that. Overall, I would recommend going here if you want cheap prices and good decent food.“

“If you’re looking for tacos that make your soul sing and salsa that slaps harder than your abuela’s chancla, this is the place.

From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted like family. The people here are genuinely kind and I can tell that they truly care!

Now, the food? Unreal. The tacos are next-level—perfectly seasoned, juicy fillings wrapped in fresh, warm tortillas that taste homemade (because they probably are). Each bite feels like a love letter to flavor. The burritos? Absolute perfection. They’re the just-right size—hearty, but not heavy—and packed with flavor in every bite. No filler, just fire. And let’s talk about the salsa. Whether you like it smoky, spicy, or zesty, their salsa game is elite. Honestly, it deserves its own cult following.

This isn’t just a taco shop—it’s a sanctuary for your taste buds, and a reminder that good food + good people = magic. Do yourself a favor: come hungry, and leave glowing.“

“The first bite reminded me of the tacos. My mom makes it home so I will definitely be coming back to this place. Got the Pastor and asado and they asked if I wanted beans with it which was not something I typically get offered, but I did try it and it was a tasty addition. Also the selections of pickled onions and salsa was awesome. Really chill spot near barrio Logan and the people were friendly.“

“Super generous portions. Hubby got the bacon burrito and ate for both breakfast and lunch on it. I got the mini chorizo and egg burrito and it was plenty for breakfast.

The next morning we went back and got a single chilaquiles plate and it was plenty for both of us. Hubby added three cups of the red salsa to it, but it was plenty spicy for me. I loved that garbage collector just parked his truck in the middle of the street in front of the shop to get his post-work breakfast.

I love the art, the outdoor seating, and the no nonsense attitude of the staff. The coffee was *great* and I seriously wish I could have sugar just to try the traditional cinnamon and raw sugar coffee.“

“Suggestions, change your flour tortilla. The tortilla you use for your burrito is stale and chewy. The rest of the food ingredients are fine.
Can you add at least one table and two chairs to eat there quickly? I hate eating in my car.“

“I had a long day driving around san diego and needed to stop at the nearest taco spot. The prices were super reasonable for pacific beach area, the food was delicious, and the portions of meat were incredibly generous.

Would recommend 1000 times over.“

“This is my go-to place when I want a hearty, comforting meal. Their homemade lasagna is absolutely delicious — layers of rich meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and perfectly cooked pasta. The staff is always friendly and makes you feel like a regular. I’ve recommended this place to so many friends, and they’ve all loved it.“

“Great food, great margaritas! One of the best happy hours around!'“

“Ordered through GrubHub last night as my son and I wanted to try another Mexican place (we just moved here a month ago). The prices were much better than anything here in Mira Mesa area, and the food was delicious!! Portion sizes were great and flavor was on point. Our new favorite place! Thank you :)“

“Veggie varieties as well as meat ones are so delicious!“