Tacos El Gordo ★ 4.7
Tacos El Gordo on Broadway in Chula Vista, San Diego, the canonical Tijuana-style adobada trompo carving handmade corn tortillas until 4am on weekends.
Try: Vertical-trompo adobada taco
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in San Diego.
Don't-miss vendors
Las Cuatro Milpas ★ 4.6
Las Cuatro Milpas at Mercado del Barrio in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the 1933 Estudillo-family counter back open since May 2026 with its same.
Try: Pork tamales, hand-pressed flour tortillas, rolled tacos
Lolita's Mexican Food ★ 4.4
Lolita's Mexican Food on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard in Kearny Mesa, San Diego, the 1984 Chula Vista taco-shop spinoff slinging the platonic California burrito.
Try: California burrito
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop ★ 4.2
Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop in Mission Hills, San Diego, the 2008 Rojano-Garcia counter on Washington Street with pro-wrestling decor and the Surfin'.
Try: Surfin' California burrito, Lucha-style adobada
Oscar's Mexican Seafood ★ 4.5
Oscar's Mexican Seafood on Emerald Street in Pacific Beach, San Diego, the local-vote fish-taco champion with smoked and battered options for under five.
Try: Battered fish taco, smoked fish taco
El Carrito ★ 4.4
El Carrito on Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan, San Diego, the homestyle Mexican counter in a 1930s streetcar with chilaquiles divorciados and carnitas.
Try: Chilaquiles divorciados, carnitas, breakfast burritos
City Tacos North Park ★ 4.2
City Tacos on University Avenue in North Park, San Diego, the original of the local chain with handmade tortillas and a Camaron Ahogado shrimp taco worth.
Try: Camaron Ahogado shrimp taco, Tinga de Pollo
El Pescador Fish Market and Restaurant ★ 4.4
El Pescador on Pearl Street in La Jolla, San Diego, the day-boat fish counter pulling local catch into grilled sandwiches and ceviche just blocks.
Try: Grilled fish sandwich, ceviche, smoked fish tacos
Carnitas' Snack Shack Embarcadero ★ 4.4
Carnitas' Snack Shack on the Embarcadero in San Diego, Hanis Cavin's harbour-side window for carnitas tortas, schnitzel sandwiches and pork-belly tacos.
Try: Carnitas pork torta, schnitzel sandwich, pork belly tacos
South Beach Bar and Grille ★ 4.3
South Beach Bar and Grille on Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach, San Diego, the 1992 Pier-side cantina behind the Mahi fish taco that locals defend by name.
Try: World-famous Mahi fish taco
Puesto La Jolla ★ 4.3
Puesto's original counter on Wall Street in La Jolla, San Diego, the award-winning blue-corn taqueria two blocks from the Cove with crispy-cheese filet.
Try: Filet Mignon taco, Chicken Al Pastor, blue corn tortillas
El Comal North Park ★ 4.2
El Comal on a residential block of Illinois Street in North Park, San Diego, the family-run kitchen pressing tortillas to order with mole tacos and carne.
Try: Carne asada burrito, hand-pressed tortillas, mole tacos
Mariscos German ★ 4.4
Mariscos German truck on Federal Boulevard in southeast San Diego, the Tijuana-style aguachile and Gobernador-taco lifer that brought west-coast mariscos.
Try: Shrimp Gobernador taco, fish ceviche tostada, aguachile
Rubicon Deli Mission Hills ★ 4.3
Rubicon Deli on India Street in Mission Hills, San Diego, the oversized Dutch Crunch sandwich counter where the Late Riser breakfast roll goes for under ten.
Try: Dutch Crunch sandwiches, Late Riser breakfast sandwich