San Diego Mexican Food Reviews

3096 National Ave
San Diego, CA 92113 (map)

Let me say, before I tell this next story, that I seriously like Tacos El Paisa.

So.... A little story. Before I ate at this place I thought I knew what good carnitas tacos were. Now I'm not so sure. Typically I'd look for something slightly crispy and slightly juicy without too much or too little fat. You can spot some bad carnitas right way because they've tried to make it crunchy and ended up frying all the goodness out of it. But crunch needs to be there, right in your face, or it's not right.

Well, Tacos El Paisa carnitas isn't in-your-face crunchy. It's juicy. Very juicy. Does that mean I've been wrong about what good carnitas should be? I'm so confused. Sure there is some crunch, but they're clearly going for juicy. And the juice is like pork nectar. Like carnitas essence. Like slow distilled pork liqueur. Does that sound bad? Pork juice? I can assure you it's delicious.

Okay. Enough pork porn.

In many many places I have seen this taco place held up as the prime example of TJ street tacos in San Diego. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. But I can agree that the tacos are exceptional. Some things are better than others of course.

Obviously I'm in love with the carnitas. I thought the fish taco was only good. The carne asada was beefy and satisfying in a carnivore way. The adobada was spicy with yummy bits of charred fat, as it should be. The best street tacos in San Diego? They just could be.

A few other things -

- Ordering can be confusing to new customers. You order and pay from the cart where the drinks are. Then take your order slip over to the truck. Then find a seat and wait for your order to come out. I've never been there when it's really busy, you might have to grab your own order from the truck when it comes up in those times.

- They bring the salsa bar to you. This is very cool. I found all of the fixins to be top quality.

- These are mini street tacos. Not the huge piles-of-meat tacos you get at most mom&pop shops here. I had no trouble eating four, which seemed about right to me, but then I probably eat too much. At any rate, count on getting several tacos. They are $1.75 each, which seems like a great deal to me given the quality and service.

- Parking is limited, as it is at many good Mexican places in the area. Plan on parking on the street and walking a block or so.

Edit --------------------

There are several Tacos El Paisa locations, but in my opinion the one listed above is the best. Other locations include -

840 S 47th St
San Diego, CA 92113

2494 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92102