524 Stevens Ave
Solana Beach, CA 92075
(858) 755-0788 (map)
Official website

Bottomline - Some of the best street tacos in San Diego. Seriously good meat.

I have no idea how a hole in the wall convenience store in Solana Beach ends up having some of the best Mexican food in San Diego. Logic would suggest that the closer you get to the border the more authentic the food would be. Not in this case.

The star of the show here is the meat. The carne asada has that great grilled taste. The cabeza is crunchy and tender at the same time. The carnitas is juicy and unctious. The al pastor is sweet and savory. The al pastor is actually my favorite here. Rudy's recipe is orginal yet familiar, with carmalized onions replacing the pineapple for sweetness.

While I recommend just getting the street tacos, they do have all the usual San Diego Mexican fare, including breakfast burritos. And it is a full convenience store as well, so you can also pick up beer and cleaning supplies if you wanted. If you're just coming for tacos, inside seating is rather limited, but there is a patio out front with several tables. It's usually pretty busy though, so you may end up eating in your car. In my humble opinion it's worth it.

Rudy's food has soul. Many restaurants lack that. So don't be scared off by the Solana Beach address, as this is the real deal.

1410 S 43rd St
San Diego, CA 92113
(619) 266-6080 (map)
Official website

Bottomline - The largest Latino market in San Diego. Outstanding selection of hard to find items. And a taco shop.

Obviously this isn't a restaurant. But if you are an SD local and you like Mexican food, eventually you'll want to try cooking some. And then, eventually you'll come across an ingredient that you can't find at the local Von's or Albertson's. Or maybe you just want to shop in a place with ingredients you didn't know existed.

Taqueria, freash masa, gelatinas, cremeria, quesos, ceviches, cocteles, chicharrones, carnitas, buches, fritangas, full butcher shop, pinatas, Mexican cerveza and Tequilas, cake shop, tamales, dried chilis..........

This is the place. A huge produce section with all the things missing in the gringo grocery stores. A vast fresh meat counter. Another vast meat counter, this time with cooked meats. A whole room of employees making fresh tortillas. I could go on, but you get the idea. This is the place.

As this is a restaurant review site, I'll mention the prepared foods you might eat on the premises. The small taco counter serves very good tacos, not great, but certainly darn good for a grocery store. The long counter with prepared foods is both irresistible and daunting. Stews, hunks of meat, sauces, goat heads, etc.

It there is a line at the counters you need to use the queue system in place. 1) Find out what you want first. Everything you want. 2) Find the person near the counter with a mic and a roll of numbers. Get a number. 3) Wait for your number over the speaker system. The number may be given in Spanish. 4) Find a free person behind the counter and order.

If you haven't been here on a weekend you're in for an experience. The place is packed and busy and boisterous. It's not a casual stroll through the market. Not mass hysteria, but certainly bustling. And fun.