San Diego’s 10 Best Taco Shops & Mexican Fast Food(10 to 6)

10.  La Fachada.  20 25th Street, at Imperial Avenue, Logan Heights.  Fish tacos are awesome for those who like fish with white sauce and carnitas tacos are always made with juicy and tender pork meat.  Try the birria meat taco.  It is lamb / goat meat.  La Fachada also has other meats not common to other San Diego Taco Shops.  Grab sides like grilled onions and jalapenos for free just like roadside stands in TJ.  Not the cheapest tacos in SD but worth it if you are in the mood for a few TJ style tacos.

9.  South Beach Bar & Grille.  5059 Newport Ave, Ste 104, Ocean Beach.  Two restaurants bring me to OB twice a month.  One is Hodad’s and South Beach Bar is the other.  South Beach Bar & Grille offer good taco deals along with drink specials.  It is a very social place, always with a good crowd.

8.  Taco Express.  1330 State Street, Little Italy, Downtown.  A hole in the wall hidden behind a car shop on State Street in Downtown San Diego just south of Little Italy.  They are only open on the weekdays until to 3 and mostly serve the downtown lunch crowd.  Good tasting cheap Mexican food, especially in downtown.

7.  Casa Adams.  3038 Adams Avenue, North Park.  A well known neighborhood establishment with good mahi mahi tacos and refried beans.  For something else try their chile colorado, a chili dish made with dried red chiles and meat offering a complex, hearty flavor.  This is a traditional style chili  without beans and tomatoes.  More than a taco shop, they are a full service sit down restaurant.  Munch on their spicy carrots and chips while you wait for your meal.

6.  Lucha Libre Gourmet Taco Shop.  1810 W Washington Street, Mission Hills.  How many taco shops do you know whose theme is Mexican professional wrestling?  If you are just north of the 5 coming out of downtown, in Hillcrest, or Mission Hills, this is the Mexican restaurant to visit.  The ingredients are always fresh and flavorful.  They even sell $1.50 TJ style street hotdogs wrapped in bacon.   My favorite is the surf and turf burrito with carne asada steak and shrimp smothered in chipotle sauce.

Related articles:

San Diego’s Best Taco Tuesday Restaurants

San Diego’s Best Pizza

San Diego’s Best Burgers

Best Beaches in San Diego

10.  Hodad’s.  Burgers, 5010 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach. One of San Diego’s most famous hamburger joints, open since 1969.  Hodad’s has been a popular destination attracting people from all over the world.  Shown on the Food Network, the bacon cheeseburgers burgers and malt shakes are incomparable.  Hodad’s makes bacon patties to place on their high, mouthwatering burgers.  The place is small, so lines tend to accumulate, but they go fast.  See: San Diego’s 10 Best Hamburgers

9.  Apollonia Greek Bistro. Greek, 8650 Genesee Avenue, University City, La Jolla. Recommend the Moussaka entree, a Greek version of an eggplant and ground lamb lasagna, which is flavorful and plentiful.  Prices are moderate and entrees are large.  Try not to skip out on the appetizers as there are plenty of delicious options to choose from.  Enjoy great Greek food and a full stomach.

8.  Restorante Arrivederci. Italian, 3845 4th Avenue, Hillcrest. Hillcrest has some of the best restaurants in San Diego, Restorante Arrivederci being one of them.  This cozy, Italian restaurant has fantastic ravioli and black linguine seafood entrees.  The ambiance is warm, food is succulent, and the prices are very reasonable.

7.  Kous Kous Moroccan Bistro. Moroccan, 3940 4th Avenue, Hillcrest. The Moroccan menu at Kous Kous is delicious and flavorful.  The lamb shank and chicken tagine entrees are tender, moist and simply phenomenal.  A great pick for the ethnic food spice lover.

6.  Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill.  Seafood, 3667 India Street, Mission Hills. A casual, fast food sit down or take out spot off of India and Washington Streets.  Whether you come and purchase fresh fish from the market or order the dungeness crab sandwich or fish tacos, Blue Water is sure to give you the freshest seafood at reasonable prices.  A gem for seafood lovers.

Related:  San Diego’s Best Food Articles

10. Old Town Mexican Cafe. 2489 San Diego Ave; Old Town.  This indoor/outdoor Mexican restaurant in the heart of Old Town is one of the most popular destinations among tourists with it’s fresh tortillas and good atmosphere. Get $2 tacos, $2.50 margaritas, tequila shots and Tecate beer all day every Tuesday.

9. The Local. 1065 4th Avenue; Gaslamp.  This downtown bar and restaurant has all the food, drinks and entertainment you could ask for.  Taco Tuesdays include $3 lobster, fish & shrimp tacos, $2.50 steak, chicken, spicy Chipotle chicken tacos, $3 margaritas and Mexican beer.

8. La Finca D’Adobe. 5202 Bonita Road; Chula Vista. Authentic Mexican restaurant in Chula Vista.  On Tuesdays, sit inside or on the patio and for around a dollar you can get a carne asada, pollo adobado, or carnitas taco.  These authentic Mexican tacos will fill you up at super low prices.

7. Fiesta Cantina. 142 University Avenue; Hillcrest.  This new bar in Hillcrest has cheap drinks and $5 all you can eat tacos on Tuesdays, served with beans and rice.  Another popular place where seats may be hard to find.

6. PB Shore Club. 4343 Ocean Blvd; Pacific Beach. Located on the second floor on a beach front property.  Half priced appetizers and $3 Dos Equis beer 6pm to close on Tuesdays.  Great bar food and music at this popular destination for the PB young crowd.

See our other articles on the Best Restaurants & Food in San Diego.

2.  DiMille’s Italian Restaurant.  3492 Adams Avenue, Normal Heights.  Good deep dish, regular, and thin crust pizzas.  Get the DiMille’s Super Works with your choice of any six toppings.  I get the meatball, salami, sausage, mushrooms, red onions, and bell peppers.  Full menu offers other Italian pasta dishes and entrees.

3.  Round Table.  Located throughout San Diego.  Best local pizza chain in San Diego.  They are the only chain I know that actually uses fresh quality ingredients.  Their interiors might look like some cheesy corporate pizza franchise but do not let that fool you, that make a good pie.  Delivery available.

4.  Regents Pizzeria.  4150 Regents Park Row, Suite 170, La Jolla.  Regents makes NY style thin crust pizzas as well as the Chicago deep dish variety.  Regents also makes tasty specialty pizzas.  My favorite is the Regents Signature a garlic white cream sauce, grilled chicken, jalapenos, and vegetables.  They also make a pesto chicken pie.

5.  Bronx Pizza.  111 Washington Street.  I lived in New York City and know a real NY slice when I see one.  Bronx Pizza is about as close as it gets.  They even have the small urban neighborhood pie shop feel you see so frequently in NYC.  The basic pepperoni, whitestones, Porko, or Bronx Deluxe pizzas are good selections at Bronx Pizza.

10. Tioli’s Crazee Burger.  North Park on 4201 30th Street, (619) 282-6044.  This is not your basic burger.  Tioli’s makes burgers from  ingredients including brie cheese,  venison, gator, kangaroo, or buffalo to make the most unique gourmet burgers in town.  Try #22, the Hamburg, a burger made with half pork half beef.  Prices are reasonable, from $6 to $8 for most burgers.

Click here to view the embedded video.

8.  Mr. Peabody’s Burgers & Ale.  6110 Friars Rd Ste 108, at Via Las Cumbres – (619) 542-1786.  Chili burgers and basic burgers are good here.  Turkey burgers are $3.50 on Wednesdays.  Solid, consistent bar food and breakfast.

7.  Classics Malt Shop.  3615 Midway Drive, (619) 226-1600.  This is the only worthwhile restaurant on Midway Drive.  A small 50s style diner with classic malts and food.  The burgers here are always solid and they sell Ostrich and Buffalo burgers if you want to try something new.  They have a classic car show once a week on Fridays from 6 to 9 pm.

6.  The Waterfront Bar and Grill.  2044 Kettner Blvd, 619-232-9656.  If you are downtown or anywhere near Little Italy and want a burger, come here.  They have a bar with the best bartenders and great half pound burgers.  Get the Bubba Burger with bacon and cheddar cheese or my favorite, the Blue Cheese Bacon Burger.  Plenty of beers on tap to order while you wait.  Two for one burgers on Monday from 4pm to 9pm.

10 Best Burgers in San Diego (5 to 1)