7 Places To Go For Best Tacos In San Diego – Recommended List!

Apr 10, 2023

Last Updated on: Sep 19, 2024

Travel Blog

Do you love traveling? Do you love traveling for food? If you are nodding your head to both the questions, then San Diego must be on your wishlist, especially if you are a fan of epic tacos – you will find the best tacos in San Diego. Your tastebuds will explode with delight.

Popular for mouthwatering Mexican delicacies, there are several places to check out in this part of Southern California. After all, a trip to San Diego would never be complete if you do not try at least a few tacos filled with juicy, tender meat and accompanied by tasty salsas and homemade tortillas.

Stay tuned to find out more about the best places to hit in San Diego for all tacos lovers!

Are you looking for ‘best tacos San Diego’ on Google? Then stop, because we have got you covered. We have managed to find all the places you need to visit while trying out the best tacos in San Diego. So without wasting any time, let’s get started – get a hold of your tastebuds, and scroll down!

1. Miramar Fish Tacos & Beer (Oceanside):

Service OptionsDelivery, Dine-In, Takeout
Address41 Douglas Dr, Oceanside, CA 92058
Phone(760) 721-2147
HoursMonday – Saturday: 11 am – 9 pm | Sunday – closed

If you are looking for the best fish tacos in San Diego, then you have to visit Miramar Fish Tacos & Beer – this place specializes in Mexican seafood, fish tacos, and craft brews.

Review By Christian Garcia:

Came in as we were on our way to Carlsbad and saw the number of great reviews, so we had to stop in! Great service, I stopped by during happy hour, and the food did not disappoint. The garlic shrimp taco was DELICIOUS, paired with a cold Modelo made it even better! Can’t wait to come back next time I’m in town!

2. Valerie’s Taco Shop (Vista):

Service OptionsDelivery, Dine-In, Takeout
Address170 Emerald Dr, Vista, CA 92083
Phone(760) 941-8381
HoursMonday – Sunday: 6:45 am – 10 pm

The best tacos in San Diego are mostly found in hidden gems like Valerie’s Taco Shop. There’s more than one Valerie’s Taco Shop in San Diego, but this one is truly the one you need to go – it’s located near Highway 78!

Review By Mike Carrillo:

Love this place! The food is full of flavor, and the different hot sauces are delicious. It also has a Mexican ice cream shop and Starbucks, all in the same building. Located next to hwy 78 and a shopping center with a grocery store, liquor store, and bakery.

3. Harbor Fish Café (Carlsbad):

Service OptionsNo-contact delivery, Dine-In, Curbside pickup
Address3179 Carlsbad Blvd, Carlsbad, CA 92008
Phone(760) 729-4161

If we did have to rate the best San Diego tacos, then Harbor Fish Cafe would totally win, especially if we were judging on the basis of fish tacos. You get the best fish tacos and even fish & chips here – period!

Review By Dave Keys:

Harbor Fish Cafe never fails to maintain its status as. one of our local favorites for any occasion. Today’s meal was an anniversary lunch celebration and a walk along the beach. Service is always friendly, and they even offer to bring water for your dog if you bring one. Food is delicious and even tastier in this ideal California coastal resort town.

4. The Taco Stand (Encinitas):

The Taco Stand (Encinitas)
Image Source: 2.bp.blogspot.com
Service OptionsDelivery, Dine-In, Takeout
Address642 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Phone(760) 230-2061
HoursMonday – Sunday: 10 am – 10 pm

If you are looking for epic tacos in San Diego, then you definitely cannot miss out on The Taco Stand! If you enjoy quesadillas or burritos, then look no further because The Taco Stand makes killer burritos and even better quesadillas.

Review By Ryan:

Some of the better tacos I’ve had. Couldn’t make up my mind, so I ordered 4 different tacos, and each one was better than the other. Great place to grab a bite. Didn’t realize this was a chain restaurant when I was in there, but they’ve got something going on, and it’s going to take off. Friendly staff and worth the wait! If you’re in the area, stop by and leave happy.

5. TJ Tacos (Escondido):

TJ Tacos (Escondido)
Image Source: 10619-2.s.cdn12.com
Service OptionsDelivery, Dine-In, Drive-through
Address802 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92025
Phone(760) 294-7511
HoursSunday – Thursday: 10 am – 11 pm | Friday – Saturday: 10 am – 12 am

It might be a bit of a drive to reach TJ Tacos if you are in the center of San Diego, but if you are anywhere in North County, then you have to visit TJ Tacos. You might experience the longest line for drive-through, but it’s worth the wait.

Review By Chris Davis:

Some of the best tacos we’ve had in San Diego County. We ordered almost one of every kind on the menu, and they were all excellent. The California burritos were also excellent. Their salsas were tasty and had some good spice levels to them. It a drive for us, but totally worth it.

6. Salud! (Downtown San Diego):

Salud! (Downtown San Diego)
Image Source: cdn.vox-cdn.com
Service OptionsTakeout, Dine-In
Address2196 Logan Ave # A, San Diego, CA 92113
Phone(619) 255-3856
HoursTuesday – Friday: 11 am – 8 pm | Saturday: 10 am – 8 pm | Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm | Monday – Closed

You don’t need to type ‘tacos San Diego’ if you are looking for the best tacos in San Diego to taste – just hit a place like Salud! Salud is located in the ‘oldest Mexican-American neighborhood’ in San Diego – that’s all we need to say, really.

Review By Donny Pusawong:

This is the place to go for some quality tacos inside a really ultra cool spot to enjoy them inside or outside. No, these are not your 1 dollar street tacos. You can taste the flavors and quality of ingredients used in each bite! Also, a great place to come in the afternoon for a drink and some tacos as snacks!

7. Old Town Mexican Café (Old Town):

Old Town Mexican Café (Old Town)
Image Source: www.oldtownsandiego.org
Service OptionsTakeout, Dine-In
Address2489 San Diego Ave, San Diego, CA 92110
Phone(619) 297-4330
HoursMonday – Friday: 8 am – 9 pm | Saturday – Sunday: 7 am – 9:30 pm

Old Town Mexican Café serves the best tacos in old town San Diego, and trust us, we are absolute fans! There’s nothing better than fresh handmade tortillas – and Old Town Mexican Café agrees!

Review By Yu-Hung Chen:

I love the food here. The shrimp taco is ridiculously delicious. I had never had that taste before and have not had comparable taste elsewhere. I wish I could give this restaurant more than 5 stars. Highly recommended!

8. Tocaya Organica

The restaurant is well known for its beautiful atmosphere with a modern twist to traditional Mexican food! The delicious street tacos are a fan favorite while the atmosphere of the restaurant is located in a charming outdoor dining and shopping area.

The location was situated quite close to Del Mar beach. The tacos of the restaurant is quite organic with all the ingredients quite organic while the order are customized based on the requirements of the customers.

Service OptionsLunch, Dinner
Address3725 PASEO PL #1070, San Diego, CA 92130
Phone(858) 386-1030
Hours10:30 AM to 9:00 PM

Review By Gretapar:

Ok, I want to preface this with the fact that I am not a patient wait in line kind of person. I am not a huge fan of ordering my food after waiting in line and then looking for a table. Besides, the standing in line, the food was really good. I ordered the Tocaya salad; my husband did the taco combo (fish) & 2 sides, all the food was beautifully prepared and delicious…”

9. Las Cuatro Milpas

The restaurant is a locals favorite with its Latin and Mexican spread! The restaurant has been there from 1933 and the expertise of the food grabs all the attention. It is located very close to Petco Park! 

So before you want to go visit a Padres baseball game, you can stop at Las Cuatro Milpas and gorge for delicious food. The crunchy rolled tacos are one of the favorites of the locals along with their homemake tortilla!

Service OptionsLunch, Takeout, Seating and Wheelchair 
Address1857 LOGAN AVE, San Diego, CA 92113
Phone(619) 234-4460
Hours8:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Review By rmagac:

Worth It!

Best bean burrito I’ve ever had and the hot sauce was amazing!! Homemade everything- line out the door but worth the wait!!

10. Tacos El Gordo

You can get Latin, Mexican and Fast Food in the restaurant and is rated 4.5 out of 5 based on 1162 reviews! Wow! Guys, you gotta go check it out because of the amazing service along with delicious food! You can get takeout, dining in, wheelchair accessible along with parking available!

If you are craving for some traditional flavors of Mexico, try the Tijuana-style tacos here! You can select the meat based on your choice so it is a perfect lunch location, especially with the delectable options of asada, lengua or al pastor.

Service OptionsLunch, After Hours, Dinner
Address556 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Phone(619) 271-7222
Hours10:00 AM to 3 AM

Review By Scott S:

Hidden gem that has been there for decades

Great pork tacos. Everything is clean. Cheapest good food on the strip.waking distance from Resorts world.

Bon Appétit!

And that’s a wrap on the best tacos in San Diego – what are your thoughts on the places we have mentioned above? If you have already been to San Diego and been to some of the best places for tacos, then feel free to share your experiences, and also, don’t forget to mention the locations – we are always on the go!

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Barsha Bhattacharya is a senior content writing executive. As a marketing enthusiast and professional for the past 4 years, writing is new to Barsha. And she is loving every bit of it. Her niches are marketing, lifestyle, wellness, travel and entertainment. Apart from writing, Barsha loves to travel, binge-watch, research conspiracy theories, Instagram and overthink.

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