Episode 2 of "Food Diego" on the best tacos in San Diego, California.
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00:00San Diego, California is a city that's known as a popular tourist destination, as well as a military town, a
00:07science and technology hub, a convention hotspot, a hipster magnet, a major baseball franchise, and a surfer's paradise.
00:16But how is the food here?
00:19Let's explore the highest-rated, most-talked-about, and all-around best eateries that San Diego has to offer.
00:25Here, on Food Diego.
00:34San Diego is well-known for its cheap and fast taco shops that all end in Berto's.
00:40They started with this Roberto's location in National City, by Roberto and Dolores Robledo.
00:46Their cousins of the Dominguez family then started Alberto's Taco Shops.
00:50And these two taco chains dominated the area for decades.
00:55But because neither name was trademarked, imitators began to pop up.
01:00That's why there are now so many, Berto's, taco shops like Alaberto's, Abertos, Ralbertos, Rigoberto's, and many more.
01:08But San Diego has a lot more taco shops with much better tacos.
01:12On San Diego Avenue in Mission Hills, just across the 5 freeway from the airport, is a taco shop called
01:18Las Brazos, or Dos Brazos depending on which sign you read.
01:22But officially online as Las Brazos, the restaurant isn't much to look at, but it's a cheap taco shop, like
01:28any Berto's, but the food quality is much higher.
01:31The carne asada tacos are steak tacos with guacamole and diced tomato, onion, and cilantro.
01:38The tacos come somewhat seasoned but what really sets them off is their house-made salsa.
01:43What's even better than that, are their shrimp tacos, with perfectly cooked, plump shrimp, melted cheese, fresh lettuce, and grilled
01:50and seasoned onions and bell peppers.
01:53Las Brazos is also one of the better places to get rolled tacos.
01:57Many taco shops give you rolled tacos that are rock hard and the meat inside is dried out.
02:03But these tacos are easy to eat with wafer-thin shells and tender meat inside.
02:08And once again, they're even better when dipped in their salsa.
02:23Also in Mission Hills, but on India Street, is Blue Water Seafood, which is a seafood market as well as
02:28an eatery.
02:29And that makes Blue Water an even better place to get seafood tacos.
02:34Blue Water tacos are made with your choice of grilled fish such as red snapper, yellowtail, or even scallops like
02:40this one.
02:43The tacos also have cabbage, diced tomatoes, red onions, green onions, a white sauce, and a bit of melted cheese
02:50underneath.
02:58On the other side of the freeway is a taco shop called Mike's Red Tacos.
03:03They're located in the Loma Square Shopping Center on Rosecrance, but they also have a location in Claremont Mesa.
03:10Mike's Red Tacos specializes in Birria Tacos and has received a lot of press coverage for them.
03:16The Birria Tacos have slow-cooked shredded beef, cilantro, and onions.
03:21And you can also get them with cheese, like this one.
03:25Make sure to also visit Mike's Salsa Bar for a wide selection of different salsas and get one on there.
03:55Over in PB, at the west end of Emerald Street is a Mexican seafood place called Oscar's.
04:01They have a lot of tacos on their menu like battered fish tacos, grilled fish tacos, and others like the
04:07surf and turf, which has carne asada meat and grilled shrimp.
04:10The tacos also have a little cabbage, diced red onions, tomato, and cilantro.
04:16And some come with fresh slices of avocado.
04:20Squeezing a little lime and adding a little hot sauce will improve them further.
04:27Just around the corner, on Mission Boulevard, is Taco Surf, a taco shop that's been serving Pacific Beach since 1989.
04:35With all that time, they know how to make great-tasting tacos like their Pollo Asado Tacos,
04:40that come with lots of juicy and tender grilled chicken and guacamole.
05:12We'll see you next time.
05:21Under the start of the Coronado Bridge is the Chicano neighborhood of Barrio Logan.
05:26Right on Logan Avenue is a small restaurant called Fish Guts, who serves some of the best fish tacos in
05:32all of San Diego.
05:34The Estilo Baja Tacos come with beer-battered fresh local whitefish, topped with a Mexican coleslaw that's covered in chipotle
05:40aioli.
05:49Also on Logan Avenue is Las Cuatro Milpas, a cash-only taco shop going back to 1933.
05:56This family-owned establishment goes back three generations, and tortillas are freshly made right there in the restaurant.
06:07Roll tacos are what they're well known for.
06:10They're briefly fried right behind the counter, and then served with a good amount of toppings.
06:15These are lettuce, sour cream, cotija cheese, and red salsa.
06:20Plus you can throw on lots of fresh cilantro, onions, and lime if you choose.
06:24The meat inside is just dry shredded beef, but not as dry as many other taco shops.
06:30This is also the oldest standing Mexican restaurant in San Diego.
06:35Just on the other side of the 5 Freeway is another taco dive called La Fichada.
06:40This taco shop does traditional Mexican street tacos.
06:44That means they're not big on cheese and the focus is more on the meat, plus some onion and cilantro.
06:53Here are carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas tacos.
06:57The meat of the carne asada taco is more tender than other taco shops, and the other two are seasoned
07:03very well.
07:20Down in the South Bay, in an area so close to Mexico, you can see it, is another great place
07:25for birria tacos.
07:27Ed Fernandez is known nationwide.
07:30The tacos are similar to Mike's Red Tacos except these ones give you a little more birria.
07:36They're also priced a little lower.
07:38So they're worth a try if you don't mind the trip down here.
07:44Over in Chula Vista, is a key S Texcoco.
07:47It's a great place for tacos if you like lamb.
07:51Lamb BBQ that was slow roasted comes along with some warm tortillas so you can make your own tacos.
07:56They give you plenty of toppings to dress your tacos up with, like this onion and cilantro mixture, and some
08:02sauces.
08:06They also have these pickled, spiced, onions.
08:14For a juicy and soft version, try the queso taco.
08:18It's surrounded by melted cheese to grease it up with.
08:21The meals also come with a hot cup of garbanzo bean soup.
08:31At the east side of Chula Vista, near Bonita, is Taqueria Revolution, named after Avenida Revolution in Tijuana.
08:39The street tacos here are the same tacos that you'd find in typical Tijuana taco stalls.
08:44Because of that, they're some of the best tacos that you can get in San Diego.
08:48Their most popular ones are their carne asada tacos, which truly taste like tender, charred steak, as well as the
08:55Adobada pork tacos, and the beef birria tacos.
08:59You can add onions, lime, and salsa if you want but they already taste amazing the way they come.
09:06Also in Chula Vista, on Broadway, is da cabeza which means, of the head.
09:12That's because, they specialize in broth and meat from the cow's head.
09:16Because of this, the taco meat is so much more tender and juicy than any other taco restaurant.
09:22Their signature, da cabeza tacos, are stewed cheek meat.
09:26We recommend ordering the broth too and spooning some on the taco, before eating the soup itself.
09:32Their other tacos are also very tender, like their pork belly tacos, and their chorizo tacos, which can come as
09:38red chorizo or green.
09:40This is the green.
10:01Over in downtown San Diego, near Seaport Village, is the old police headquarters, which goes back to 1939.
10:10In 2013, it was converted to retail and restaurant space.
10:14Today, this is where you can find an upscale taco experience, a restaurant called Puesto.
10:20Puesto is actually a small chain with locations throughout Southern California.
10:25All of the tacos are prepared with blue corn tortillas.
10:29This is a Baja fish taco, a filet mignon taco, and a short rib taco.
10:34The Baja fish taco has local fresh-caught fish.
10:38The batter is actually very soft and tender rather than crunchy.
10:42The filet mignon is quite a step up from traditional carne asada tacos.
10:47The meat is wrapped in crispy melted cheese and it has avocado and a pistachio serrano salsa.
10:53The short rib is also in a crispy cheese pouch, plus it has guacamole, jalisco salsa, and is topped with
10:59radish and a bit of cilantro.
11:04At the ballpark downtown is City Tacos, a taco place that also does fancier tacos but these ones are bigger
11:10and cost less money.
11:12City Tacos also has additional locations throughout San Diego.
11:16This is the Mexicali.
11:18It's full of grilled Angus steak and has some grilled onions and peppers.
11:22It's also topped with crema fresca and sprinkled cotija cheese.
11:26This is the Camerone enchilado.
11:28It's got grilled and lightly seared shrimp in a chili marinade.
11:32It's also got diced tomato, onion, and cilantro with a chipotle aioli.
11:39In the eastern part of downtown, on F and 13th, is Lola 55, another upscale taco restaurant but it's order
11:46at the counter and it's half the price of puesto.
11:49The steak taco is cooked medium-rare, unless you ask otherwise.
11:53But that way, the beef is tender and soft but also has charred steak flavor.
11:58It also has avocado mousse, a smoky pepper salsa, crispy leeks, and jalapeno.
12:03The pork belly al pastor taco has pork belly, mesquite pineapple, lettuce, and cilantro crema.
12:10In the gas-lamp quarter of downtown is the ever-popular Tacos El Gordo, another taco shop that does Tijuana
12:16-style street tacos.
12:18They've always had locations around San Diego but this one has exploded with recent social media buzz.
12:24While they do a few different tacos, their specialty is the Adobada taco, which is pork meat carved from a
12:30spit.
12:35For an amazing carne asada street taco downtown, go to the taco stand, another taco shop inspired by Tijuana taco
12:42stands.
12:43The flame-grilled Angus beef is juicy and full of flavor.
12:47The pollo asado taco is also a strong contender.
12:53Moving up Fifth Avenue, in Hillcrest, is La Vesendad, a quirky and fun Mexican restaurant with crazy decorations.
13:01They like to do more creative tacos like the Costa Azul Tacos, which have bacon-wrapped fried shrimp, red cabbage,
13:07sliced avocado, chipotle aioli, and queso fresco.
13:24Jumping over to Rolando, on University, is Carnitas Las Michoacanas, a carnitas shop that specializes in carnitas tacos from the
13:32Mexican state of Michoacan.
13:34The tacos are packed full of shredded pork meat.
13:38Toppings like onions, cilantro, lemon, and salsas are also provided of course.
13:43Just be aware that they're cash-only and may not speak English.
13:47It's hard to get more authentic than this taco shop.
13:52Except of course, Tacos El Frank is an actual Tijuana taco stand that opened a location on this side of
13:58the border.
13:59It's located in the Westfield Plaza Bonita Mall.
14:02At the time of filming, this location just opened and they're planning another one in downtown San Diego.
14:09Their autobata tacos are a highlight with juicy pork that's carved from a revolving trompo.
14:16Their asada tacos are also notable.
14:19The steak is cooked slightly underdone, so they're also very soft and tender.
14:24The tacos also come with a little bit of onion, cilantro, and a good amount of guacamole.
14:48The Baja Fish Taco is a taco from the nearby Mexican state of Baja, California.
14:54It usually has some kind of sea fish, that's been battered and fried, along with cabbage, and some kind of
15:00seafood sauce.
15:01Because of such close proximity to Baja, the Baja Fish Taco has become synonymous with San Diego, thanks in large
15:07part to fast food chains like Rubio's.
15:10The very first Rubio's location is this one in Pacific Beach.
15:14But San Diego has better fish tacos to offer, like the ones we already covered, and ones like this one
15:20at Mitch's Seafood.
15:22Mitch's also does great grilled fish tacos, like this seared tuna taco.
15:36Over on Convoy Street is El Vijon Seafood.
15:40They do a Baja Fish Taco called the Ensenada Taco, which is a nearby city in Baja, just south of
15:45Tijuana.
15:47The taco has flavorful fried fish, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, their house sauce, and is topped with some pickled onion,
15:54a radish, and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
15:57Back to Mission Hills, on India Street again, is a ceviche place called Carinas.
16:03You order from a window on the street, and then you can sit on terraced seating next to it.
16:09They also use fresh fish, but they cook the batter a little longer, so it comes out crispier.
16:14They also pour on a lot of their special pink sauce.
16:24Over in PB, on Garnet Avenue, is Pacific Beach Fish Shop.
16:28They do a grilled fish taco called, the Spicy Dorado Taco.
16:34It has grilled mahi-mahi, slaw, sriracha aioli, and an avocado lime drizzle.
16:40Moving north a bit, to La Jolla, is El Pescador Fish Market.
16:45They do a grilled fish taco with high-quality, fresh fish.
16:49It has super-thin shreds of cabbage, and is moistened with a light pink sauce.
16:56Another type of food stand in Baja are oyster stands.
17:00In San Diego, we have one on Bonita Road in Bonita.
17:04It's called TJ Oyster Bar, and they do a basic Baja fish taco.
17:09But they really excel when it comes to their grilled seafood tacos, like their garlic shrimp tacos.
17:18At the bottom of City Heights, on Holm Avenue, is a food truck located in a somewhat permanent location.
17:25It's called Morisco's Mi Gusto S.
17:27They do a larger-sized Baja fish taco that comes loaded with cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and tartar sauce.
17:34Plenty of limes and additional salsas are also provided.
17:41A surprising place for one of San Diego's best Baja fish tacos is actually an Irish pub, called McGregor's Ale
17:48House.
17:49It's located in a Mission Valley strip mall, just east of Snapdragon Stadium.
17:54McGregor's does a top-notch fish taco with a large piece of fish, thin crispy batter, cabbage, tomato, and the
18:00rest of the fixings, and lots of tartar sauce.
18:03Hot sauces are also provided at the tables.
18:07Miguel's is a chain of Mexican restaurants.
18:10They have locations all over San Diego and this one in the tourist-centric, old town.
18:15So if you're visiting San Diego on vacation, it's likely at a place you'll be.
18:20The meals come with chips and salsa but people rave about their addictive queso dip.
18:26Their classic fish tacos are Baja style, have red cabbage, shredded cheese, salsa fresca, and ranch dressing.
18:33We recommend adding a little of the chip salsa if you want to spice them up.
18:57Jumping way up to Carlsbad, in the north county, there's a casual bar and eatery called Pure Taco.
19:02They are sustainability-focused so their Baja fish tacos have whatever white fish is in season.
19:09It also comes piled up with cilantro slaw that's coated in an oily vinaigrette.
19:14There's also salsa fresca on there and underneath is the cream sauce.
19:19Even the cups are sustainable.
19:22Carlsbad is also where you can find chutes.
19:25It's an additional location after their first one in Oceanside.
19:29Their pescaderos are fish tacos that you can choose to have panko fried.
19:34They also have cabbage slaw, pickled onion, and almost a whole bushel of cilantro.
19:39It also has their special sauce, and we opted to add avocado slices and fried jalapenos to it.
19:57Moving inland now, to the town of Santee, on Carlton Hills Boulevard, is Bad Hombre's Good Mexican Food.
20:06Bad Hombre's makes some of the best tacos around.
20:11Their red tacos are beef birria tacos with slow-cooked shredded beef, grilled cheese, onion, and cilantro.
20:18And they pack the taco full of birria in a soft corn tortilla.
20:24Their surf and turf taco has shrimp and Angus steak.
20:28Both the steak and shrimp are tender and well-seasoned.
20:31It also has melted cheese, cilantro, and onion.
20:35And it's topped with guacamole and the most amazing chipotle sauce.
20:40The Bad Hombre's taco features their tender Angus steak plus whole beans, cheese, cilantro, onion, guacamole, and salsa.
20:48All in a soft flour tortilla.
21:04And with that, that concludes our list of the best tacos in San Diego.
21:09We went from Mission Hills to PB, from Barrio Logan to the South Bay, from downtown to Hillcrest, and then
21:15leapfrogged all over San Diego.
21:17We also went up to Carlsbad and then out to Santee.
21:21We hope you join us next time for more amazing eateries that San Diego has to offer, here on Food
21:26Diego.
21:28Until then, we hope you discovered a new taco shop, and will try some of these tacos yourself.
21:33Maybe one of the seafood tacos like a Baja fish taco, a grilled fish taco, a shrimp taco, or even
21:39a scallop taco.
21:40Or maybe a traditional meat taco like a steak taco, a pork taco, a birria taco, or even something gamey
21:48like a lamb taco.
21:49Thanks for watching.
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