Tacos El Gordo (San Diego County)

Tacos El Gordo is a Tijuana-style taquería chain whose San Diego County branches, opened beginning in 1998, are among the region's best-known places for adobada tacos.

History

The business traces its start to 1972 in Tijuana. Its first California shop opened in San Diego in 1998, and the company later expanded to Las Vegas. In San Diego County it lists locations on Broadway in Chula Vista, on Palm Avenue in San Diego's South Bay, and on F Street in downtown San Diego; the downtown shop stays open until 4 a.m. on weekends. A former manager went on to open TJ Tacos in Escondido.

Format and menu

Service follows the Tijuana model: separate counters for different meats, each with its own line. Pork adobada, marinated in red chile, is shaved from a vertical spit and served with salsa fresca, cilantro and slivers of pineapple, alongside charred jalapeños and onions. Other staples include carne asada, lengua, chorizo, mulitas, vampiros (tacos on a crisped tortilla with melted cheese) and fries. Meats are marinated at the Chula Vista location. San Diego Magazine has repeatedly placed the chain on its lists of the county's essential tacos.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos al pastor

References

1. "Tacos El Gordo – Now in California & Nevada". Tacos El Gordo. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "The 40 Best San Diego Tacos to Try Right Now". San Diego Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
3. "My Favorite Taco Shops in San Diego". San Diego Magazine. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
4. "Tacos El Gordo - Review - Downtown - San Diego". The Infatuation. Retrieved 2026-10-10.