"Opening its first San Diego–area location at Westfield Plaza Bonita in National City by early 2025, Tacos El Franc traces its roots to a streetside taco stand launched in the early 1980s by Javier Valadez; Valadez opened the downtown Tijuana taqueria in 1996, where it amassed a huge local following and broader acclaim. Featured in Netflix’s “Taco Chronicles,” listed among Eater’s 31 essential restaurants in the city, and recognized in the 2024 Michelin Guide Mexico, it’s best known for tacos with mesquite-grilled carne asada or marinated adobada carved from the trompo. The taqueria also sears suadero, cabeza, tripa, and lengua to be stuffed into tacos made with homemade tortillas or served as quesadillas and mulitas, and the incoming National City restaurant will look a little different from the Tijuana flagship while keeping a virtually identical menu." - Candice Woo