Tacos El Gordo Reviews

Busy place which is always a good sign. I had the pork and beed taco. Both delicious. Perfect place to grab a quick bite any size you like.

Really good food! Visited after a work event. Long line an no obvious sense of how order and move through the restaurant. There were two lines one for beef the other pork. They do not serve chicken but have a vegetarian option. Food is served on small paper plates. The tacos were delicious! I had a beef and veggie taco. The beef was soo good. Had a smokey flavor. The vegetarian was good as well. The quesodilla was so good. Not one that is sealed shut by cheese either. This is a no frills spot but really good tacos. You wont regret it.

Food was superb, and hard to find elsewhere (e.g., beef head, beef tongue, very fatty pork). No-frill environment. Did not know this was a chain restaurant until later.

Great food at a very affordable price, the flavours including the cactus taco is unique when compared to the regular Tex-Mex that one gets to eat in the southern states. The staff including he security guard are very friendly and happy to help 1st-time visitors figure out the different meat sections. And do not forget to try the different Mexican soda's from the drinks fountain. The tamarind soda is TOPS :-)

This place is legit. Might be SRO at times. Tacos de Azteca is my fave. Tacos cabeza and lingua are reserved for the adventurous who didn't grow up eating them.

Great Adobada tacos, orange BANG and horchata was a solid drink. Long line, but worth it. It seems many people missed the upstairs seating and were standing up outside, with plenty of seats upstairs.

did take out twice, tasted great, but i did not fell off my chair. very decent thought worth the try

If you’re in San Diego then it’s worth the trip to El Gordo - I visited with a friend early evening and we had some delicious tacos, which were very reasonably priced. Would definitely recommend.

Honest review! We came on a Sunday night and it was moderately busy. The service to order was very very poor and the folks were rude to me as I ordered. The service is absolutely lacking except for the friendly lady at the cashier who actually smiled and we appreciated that. The tacos were authentic and unique and had decent flavor but definitely not the best. There was a line out the door on a late Sunday night but it moved quickly. You line up to order your tacos and then you take them to pay at the cash register after. There is minimally bar seating and some outdoor seatings and indoor seatings upstairs. The place looks like it used to be a diner before. Fun to go but wouldn’t go back.

Tacos El Gordo serves the best tacos I’ve ever had! The flavors are incredible, and the quality of the ingredients is top-notch. Despite the long wait, the experience is worth it—this place is truly unique and authentic. Watching the tacos being freshly prepared adds to the charm, and every bite is packed with flavor. If you’re in San Diego, this is an absolute must-visit for any taco lover!

The Asada quesadillas tasted very good, the standard tacos were also fine, but the tortillas lacked a little taste.

All Tacos el Gordo locations have insanely long lines. They’re that good! It’s all in the sauce. When we entered, the security guard ushered us to the correct line and made sure the lines kept moving. I ordered tacos de azteca and tacos de nopal for $3.94 each. The nopal is strictly cactus while the Azteca is mixed with adobada. You pay after you pick up your food and bring it to the cashier. There’s a sauce bar and tables outside

Stumbled upon Tacos El Gordo in downtown San Diego and WOW—what a legendary find! Earlier this year we first discovered them in Las Vegas, and we’ve been craving them ever since. So imagine our surprise when we realized our hotel (AC Marriott) was literally right next door! We kicked things off with the carne asada tacos, fully loaded—and let me tell you, they were insanely good. So good, in fact, I couldn’t resist going back again the very next day for the mouthwatering al pastor tacos (pictured 📸). Totally worth it. Whether you're strolling downtown San Diego or hitting the Vegas strip, Tacos El Gordo is an absolute must. And if yoiu're going to Petco Park for the baseball game, not to worry as Tacos El Gordo is less than a 10 minute walk to the Padres stadium. Authentic flavors, bold seasoning, and the kind of food that keeps you coming back for more. 🌮🌟

Best Tacos bar none . Place was packed but everyone super friendly both staff and customers. I tried all Tacos except Pork , all were tasty so we ordered even more . Perfect place for any Tourist and Locals

So, as I was heading back to my hotel and realized it was late and needed a bite to eat, I was given a suggestion to stop by this place for tacos. I ordered two beef and two pork, and boy, were they delicious. I could have gotten away with just three, but I was able to finish them all, but was stuffed in the end.

Great place for a casual lunch. Line out the door, went fast. Fabulous tacos and grilled jalapeños. Seating outside however they have inside seating upstairs,

The 3 stars is as much about the service as it is about the food. If you want both pork and beef, good luck. Getting through the either line during lunch rush is a nightmare. The staff seemed genuinely offended that I didn't want onions on my order and made the whole process way more difficult than it needed to be. When I finally got the food, it was probably a 4 out of 5.

If you are short on time, this is your place! The security guy was welcoming and helpful. This place runs with impressive precision & efficiency. But the flavor is what really pays off. You can get in & out with the most delicious tacos in under a few minutes! Go for the pork al pastor tacos!!

This is an outstanding Taco resto who offer many tipe of taco. My favorite Taco is steak and spicy Pork which is the best Taco in town. The restaurant is located in middle of down town and gas lamp area. This is the must go restaurant when you are in downtown of San Diego

We were in a coffee shop in Fremont, Ohio and a Barista heard we were going to San Diego. She recommended Tacos El Gordo saying it was a life changing experience. That was an amazing characterization. Our first stop in town after a 7 hour flight was Tacos El Gordo. The line as an early sign of success. The restaurant did a nice job of directing us to the appropriate window for the service we desired. Our group purchased a variety of options. Nothing was left! I loved the fish and the carne asada tacos. The quesadillas were not what we have in Ohio but were superb and authentic. This was a WOW moment the first day of our San Diego visit.

Three of us went there for lunch since it was within walking distance from the hotel we were staying at. I ordered two different kinds of tacos—pork and triceps—and both were delicious! The place has a fast food style, and the prices are very reasonable.

A friend of mine who lives in California told me to visit this place and that they had the best authentic Tacos in San Diego. We visited here one evening after our convention and it was awesome. I had two carne asada tacos and two of the Al pastor tacos. They were some of the best tacos I ever had. The other thing I really liked is they had two friendly security guards keeping non customers away. I felt safe.

Absolutely outstanding. Walk to order and rest some of the best Mexican in town. We ordered light sand had to go back and prefer more. This is Uber casual, shared table, quick food place.

best taco spot we went to in San Diego by far the staff were amazing right away offering help by explaining how the line works. the Adobada tacos are fire first spot im visiting when we go back.

The best tacos I’ve ever had in my life. Now, i need to admit I’m from New England…but I’ve traveled around SoCal, AZ, Texas…and these were easily the best tacos I’ve ever had. The fires smothered in all the good stuff was awesome too. The massive line tells me I’m not crazy. Cheap, good. Eat them on plastic chairs on the sidewalk for the real experience. Will make a point to come back whenever I’m in SD. Recommendation to go here came from a local.

This place is overhyped, the line is long, the system to get tacos is broken. They have 3 security guards which seems unnecessary. They put way too much guacamole on your tacos without a second thought. They also make you put your food in To go foil yourself. It's also real pricey for tacos. Idk this place was hyped up but honestly seems like a tourist trap. I've been to a hundred better places. Next time I'm in San Diego. Im avoiding this taco place

Amazing place to eat tacos. Whole family loved their meals. The line was long but they moved everyone through really fast. Would go back in a heartbeat.

A taco shop in the center of San Diego. It's more of a fast food place than a restaurant. You have to queue up to order, pay, and then bring the food to your table yourself. It's cheap and delicious, so it's crowded.

I visited here with my cousin and my nephews. It was my first time trying authentic Mexican food and I liked the taste of the tacos that I enjoyed, although mostly meat but I chose the cactus taco which tasted unique because it was my first time eating it. If there is an opportunity to return to the US, I will definitely return to this restaurant.

I recently revisited Tacos El Gordo with my wife after an enjoyable experience with colleagues back in April. After a late night, I was eager to see if the food would be just as exceptional. I’m thrilled to say it did not disappoint! The food is absolutely phenomenal, and the service is top-notch. As someone from Mexico City, I can confidently say this place rivals some of the best taco spots back home. I highly recommend it for anyone craving authentic Mexican cuisine!

Insanely good tacos. Fantastic flavors and seasoning. Only got to eat there once, but would’ve gladly gone several times.

There are two queues to order, based on the protein you want. The lines move quickly and it is worth the wait. There is indoor and outdoor seating.

As people can glean from some of the other reviews, it’s a little confusing how to order and/or where to seat. Seating is a bit problematic, but there is a room upstairs that a lot of folks did not seem to know about! So try to make your way up there! For ordering, there is somebody who comes through the line and funnels you toward different lines based on what you are ordering.So, I was really hoping this would be a five star review. And it was very very very good, maybe a 4.5. But it certainly wasn’t a five star review. Here is why. I wanted to order Cabeza, and so I was sent to a quicker line, and then nobody really waited on me. It was very confusing. I was trying to ask them for two tacos to go, and they were waiting on the people that were behind me. So, my husband (who ordered in the longer line) had his tacos finished much before I did. I think they followed me to a spot that they thought I had already ordered? It was really unclear. And then they gave me the tacos and they were not “to go.” And I did say it in Spanish and in English. Now, keep in mind it was super chaotic, line was out the door, and loud, so I completely understand that maybe they did not understand my order needed to be “to go.” And the tacos were excellent! But people were saying there were some of the best they’ve ever had, and I used to live in San Francisco, and I had tacos like this in the mission district on a regular basis. So I don’t know what I was expecting, but all of the reviews made it sound like this was just a “wow” moment, and it was not. It was very very good. It was a very solid excellent taco with lots of good toppings, but was it the best taco I ever had? No. We also travel to other countries, including dipping into Mexico and Argentina and so perhaps that was also affecting my expectation? All that said, it was a solid taco with good flavoring, but I especially heard the Cabeza was excellent, and maybe it was because I got it “to go”, and so it dried out a little bit, but it just wasn’t the excellence that I had hoped and heard.

While not the best I've ever had, these are very good tacos. I had the adobada (pork), which is similar to al pastor. Prices are decent, and service is very fast. Definitely a casual spot, and good for a cheap, quick meal.

A buzzing taco restaurant that offers great food at an incredible price. Definitely worth a visit when feeling peckish.

Whats all the hype? Long line means eating cold tacos. Freshly cooked tortillas is nice. If you like lots of fat, grizzled and smoke flavor then asada is for you. Much less guacamole than on all promo pictures. Only lime and radish at topping bar. Horchata was way too sweet, more like melted ice cream.