City Tacos

This is one of my favorite taco places in all of north county. The tacos are filling and flavorful, the staff is friendly and always happy to offer a suggestion on a new option to try, and the patio is friendly to dogs! My go-to place to bring out of town guests. Would highly recommend!!

Loved this branch of city tacos because it’s so close to the beach. Affordable with high quality food. Something for everyone. Vegan, kids and classic taco choices

The salmon taco is probably the best thing I’ve tasted in my entire existence and the salsa is pretty good too but the chips could have been warmer

Yumdiddly dum. ¡Delicioso! Great staff, great atmosphere with indoor and cozy outdoor seating along PCH. Mascot is pug with top hat. My belly is happy. Try asada tacos!

This is a true great find! Great tasting authentic tacos but most of all the service is extremely friendly and accommodating! Also for those of you pet lovers they are dog friendly so you can sit with your pet in their patio and enjoy your meal! Delicious tacos 🌮 and quality meat and seafood! Overall 4.8/5 Cleanliness 4/5 (Restroom could be a little cleaner but respectable) Quality 5/5 Service 5/5 Highly recommend you all try it if you are in town!

Clean, nice staff, food was only okay. They do have a unique menu, but maybe we arrived on an 'off' night? We will try a different place next time.

Great little place! Fish and Birria tacos were great, the fried fish taco had a nice crunch to it which was great.

Angel Heather and Pina were excellent! They all had great warm smiles and made the place feel very welcoming. The food was delicious! We also had asked to turn on the fire and they went out of their way to replace the propane tank. I love that level of customer service when they truly did not have to. It made the experience that much better! We live kind of far but would love to come back!

Worth the Cross-Country Craving! Visiting all the way from Fort Lauderdale and City Tacos Encinitas was so worth the stop! I ordered 4 Scallop tacos, a Mexicali, 2 Elotes, a Carnitas Puerto, and one Pescado taco -- and let me just say, San Diego knows how to do tacos right. The Scallops were tender and perfectly seasoned, the Mexicali had a great balance of crunch and spice, and the Elotes? Creamy, cheesy, and absolute perfection. Carnitas Puerto was melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and the Pescado had that perfect crispy-fresh bite. Everything was packed up nicely for takeout, still warm when I got to enjoy it, and full of flavor in every bite. I'll be dreaming of these tacos all the way back to Florida!

Beach tacos!! Should be a new phrase we all day in San Diego!! Loved this branch of city tacos because it's so close to the beach. Affordable with high quality food. Something for everyone. Vegan, kids and classic taco choices. My recommendations: Classic asada, surf and turf, and portobello! Don't forget the chips and guacamole with Mexican Coca Cola

Great tacos ! We come here every month! Lots of different choices! Fun place to have supper and drinks

Cruising the beautiful city of Encinitas heading back home towards LA decided to give it a try. Great food! Amazing and fast service. Love the modern ambiance and great playlist.

Great location with a nice patio. The food is fresh including tortillas with the right amount of veggies.

This is my new favorite Taco Shop! Amazing food. The service is great and the ambiance is excellent. They are a dog friendly restaurant for sure. I am working my way through the entire menu and I have not had a bad taco yet. My favorite is the Sonoran Fish Taco but I also love the Shank You Taco

SO GOOD!! The tacos came out so fast and they were just amazing. I originally ordered two but went back for a third because I was just so pleased with the first two. Unfortunately, I felt TOO full after the third so my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach!! The sauce selection was so good and I loved the mango habanero one. Super chill place and great food, totally worth the visit. Happy eating:)

Great food! I ordered pollo city and Chile relleno tacos, and frijoles el charro. My fave was the pollo city with arugula and raisins, such unique flavors. I'm deducting stars because I have misplaced my credit card and I last used it there. It has taken many days and five phone calls, including confirming the manager's schedule and leaving a detailed voicemail that went unreturned, to finally confirm it's not there. It took less than a minute of the manager's time in the end. Very frustrating and shows a lack of care for customers.

First time at City Tacos and I enjoyed every taco we ordered. All the tacos were fresh, and had the perfect combination of either salsa cheese, or pickled onions. I got full with two tacos. I will be back and tried different tacos when I'm in the area. They had great seating inside and I love sitting outside on the high tables. The staff was pleasant and helpful. There is plenty parking available. The ambience is casual and relaxed.

Hands down the best taco shop in Encinitas. The taco stand has nothing on this place (shhhhh, don't tell anyone). All the meats are superb, tender, flavorful and juicy. From the shrimp to the carne to the chile relleno are all fire. Mexicali is a must, every time, from there id suggest the Cameron shrimp taco and from there whatever, you can't go wrong.

city tacos is our go-to spot!! it's just a perfect snack (if one taco) or a perfect meal for any time of day. doesn't feel super heavy or greasy. quick and nice service too.

Quesibirria was a mid taco. Not very tasty but still 3 stars. It was bland, but put together nicely. But it needed more sazon. SD Carne Asada had meat that had a boiled texture. Not very tasty, I never want this again, 1 star. The pineapple Jarrito stole the show. To each their own, but this is not it for me.

I love City Tacos. The food is always good and their staff is always nice. This location has a very chill vibe, there's plenty of parking, and it's easy to get to. The plenty of outdoor seating in their big patio allows you to relax and enjoy the beach weather. I love that our food is made to order and served hot. Each location menu has some slight variation. We ordered: 2 Sonora tacos- these are served in a flour tortilla, with mashed potatoes, steak, grilled onions and topped with sour cream and cotija cheese. These were delish. The mashed potatoes were surprisingly good and added great balance of textures to the taco. 1 grilled chorizo taco- served in a fresh corn tortilla, melted cheese, big portion of grilled chorizo and topped with some pineapples. The chorizo is clean and has good flavor. 1 quesabirria taco - served in a crispy corn tortilla, with melted cheese and big portion of beef birria meat and topped with cilantro and onions. The birria meat was flavorful. All I was missing was a side of consome to dip my tacos in. They have a fresh serve yourself salsa bar, that offers various salsas to dip your side of chips into. I also had the hibiscus agua fresca and it brought me back to the one my mom used to make me when I was a kid, it was perfectly tart and not overly sweet.

Came here for a snack before real food. SERVICE - They had one girl who was taking orders as well as making the alcoholic beverages. We waited for awhile until we were actually helped but understandable as she was juggling different roles. FOOD Carne Taco - Flavor was great. Meat was tender. The crispy cheese on the tortilla was top notch. Overall, really enjoyed this taco. Surf & Turf - This was equally good. They loaded this taco. We enjoyed it. Rolled Taco - I got the chorizo one and honestly did not really like it. The cheese sauce they put on top tasted artificial. I would pass on this next time. Overall, solid taco shop. Pricey but worth it for how good they were.

Being located in a shopping center on the 101 made parking at this restaurant super easy. It was late afternoon on a Saturday and not busy at all. For some reason things were very slow moving, I think they may have been short staffed but the few I interacted with were friendly. They have a good variety of menu items. I had a carne asada taco that was delicious and reasonably priced. My friend thought her food was too oily so she didn't finish. They have seating inside and outside and a clean restroom for customers. They had doors open so there wasn't AC but it was cool enough to be comfortable. I love that we were able to avoid the beach crowds for a bite.

My wife and came in to finally try the tacos. We ordered several different tacos. My wife's order came to the table and we were a little shocked by the small portion, it was the Papa and chorizo Dorado, not really a taco, more like a taquito, and you would expect more for the price. She said it was good but ended having to order the Papa and Raja because of the small portions. I ordered the Chorizo Asada taco, Mexicali Taco, and the crunch time shrimp taco. The shrimp taco was a taquito with shrimp in a flour tortilla. I would not order it again. The chorizo was good but nothing special. The Mexicali was reallllly good!! The Mexicali took my review from three stars to 4 stars. I think the price is a little high for the portion sizes.

Amazing food, all fresh & delicious! Great service, clean and spacious. Big outside area, and perfect location. Love coming here!

On basically my taco tour of San Diego, this is up there. Maybe the best or tied with waves taco club downtown. I tried the grilled fish, birria, one with a taquito inside, and the ground pork w pineapple. All were super delicious with generous portions of meat as well as sauce and toppings. Their beans with pork were also delish and the chips were obviously made in house. Would definitely return. Want to try the whole menu. Friendly service and plenty of places to sit inside or outside!

Yum! So much to choose from. We needed about 2-3 tacos each for a comfortable fullness. They were quick and helpful. One of our group has specific allergies and the gal at the register was very helpful in making sure she could eat certain items. Thank you for that! Definitely coming back when the next taco craving hits.

Solid taco spot. My bf and I liked the shrimp taco best. The fish taco was good too. Always gotta get chips & guac! Free parking lot, indoor and outdoor seating

Perfect amount of delicious food for a reasonable price Great options clearly explained on menu Veggie and gluten free as well as your typical taco meats Yum!!

The Good: ample parking, great tacos, above average service. The Bad: Eating establishments shouldn't smell bad. This place (and their downtown location ) reeks of whatever they use to clean the restaurant (Fabuloso?); it is overpowering and is flat out nauseating. Gross.

My order was simple. 2 fish tacos and 2 birria tacos to go. They placed 3 tacos on a plate and even though they look good they messed up an easy order.

Haven't been here in a while- still always good!! Mexicali and grilled shrimp tacos are the top on my list! The portions are definitely larger than when I remember these a year or so ago!

Food (5/5 stars): If you're looking for unique and loaded tacos, head over to City Tacos in Encinitas! The Surf and Turf was my favorite because the carne asada and shrimp were so flavorful, and I loved how they grilled the steak. I also enjoyed the Cochinita Pibil because the meat was so juicy, tender, and perfectly spicy. The Crunch Time Shrimp Taco was good but didn't need cheese. Overall, highly recommend! Experience (5/5 stars): * Price: a little pricey, but worth * Wait Time: minimal for a party of 3 on a Saturday night * Service: good * Parking: there's a parking lot * Ambiance: it's a nice, simple quick service restaurant

My fiance, as a native to SD, hated this place. I will record his reviews with an asterisk. Overall the ingredients felt super fresh and the tacos were super big and meaty. The fish taco stole the show (imo) so I am rating it 4/5 for the fish taco + general ingredient quality + value proposition. The reviews below are for taste and execution of each taco. PESCADO TACO - The fried fish was huge and super crunchy. The strawberry drizzle was weird, but mine fell off anyway so it didn't really matter. 5/5 with no strawberry. *They ruined an otherwise excellent fish taco with the strawberry + etc toppings. 2/5 SD CARNE ASADA - *Embarrassing. Meat is consistent with the most bland taco truck. No char no flavor. Insulting to the city. 1/5 AHUEVO BREAKFAST TACO - *Totally normal 4/5 CARNITAS - The chicarron was too tough and I couldn't eat it with the taco. The pork was not browned and super wet and soupy. The entire taco fell apart :(. 2/5 QUESIBIRRIA - Good hunk of meat and tasty. Needs guac or some of the creamy green salsa to balance out the flavors, but good. 4/5

San Diego Taco Series, Part 11 "Whenever I needed someone, you're right there on the line. With a friend like you, to get me through, I'll get by every time. You've been a friend to me, a Godsend to me. I ain't too proud to say, you've been a friend to me." Bryan Adams While tacos are so tasty they usually can stand on their own, sometimes they need a little support. That was certainly the case at "City Tacos." The "Pollo Asado", "Carnitas", and "SDCA (San Diego Carne Asada)" tacos all seemed a little lonely and incomplete. Thankfully their BFF salsa hit them up and suggested they chillax together. The "Creamy Cilantro Aioli", "Tomatillo", and "Creamy Chipotle Aioli" nicely addressed the slight flavor deficiencies of each taco (although the texture and crunch of the pork rind was a nice addition). There is an interesting assortment of tacos offered here, but we were a little disappointed by the dryness of the chicken and the flour tortillas not being warm. And that's...Henry's Take. #makesalsanotwar

There's something for everyone and you can't go wrong. I have a food allergy and they were very attentive when handling our food. My favorite taco was Camaron Enchilado. I can't wait to go back to get another one. I also had the Crunch Time Shrimp Taco and the Chile Relleno. Both equally mouthwatering.

A good spot to get reasonably priced, standard tacos quickly. We got here on a Sunday evening between lunch and dinner time. You walk in, place your order and pay at the counter and take a number to your table where they bring your food. They have indoor and outdoor seating in a casual setting. We got the shrimp tacos, pork tacos and the chorizo and potato fried taco. The shrimp taco was the overall favorite - the tortilla is thin and flavorful. The tacos themselves are on the mild side, but they have a salsa, topping and topping bar where you can get the sauces and toppings that you'd like to add to your food. Being a spice lover, I enjoyed the hot salsa with Chile arbol. The cilantro avocado sauce had a great flavor that instantly elevated the flavor of all the tacos! The chorizo and potato taco was not quite what I expected but the sauce made up for it. They also had a hibiscus drink that I enjoyed. Overall, a great place for a quick bite and some beer/ drinks in the area on a budget.

Delish, amazing space, quick service, decent pricing. Thanks for keeping it clean and fresh. Told you I would do a review!

The food was so delicious good portions and the service was fast I ordered one taco and chips and guacamole

We ordered to-go, a child relleno, two camaron enchilados, the vegetarian special, the one with scallops, another with chili relleno, and portobello mushroom tacos. There's a Yelp check-in for a free aqua Fresca or a corn quesadilla. There's a salsa/sauce bar on the far end from the registers, near the bar. You can get the sauces you want there. The tacos were delicious and it's been one of our go-to tacos in north county.

The tacos here are what I'd consider fully loaded! I really enjoyed the camarón enchilado taco. Meaty shrimp and plenty of sauce. The taco of the month had too much liquid (we needed an extra bowl for everything that dripped out). I like the diversity of seating here. So many options! I like the vibe with screens featuring photos of their food interspersed with cute doggies. Menu is large and not standard tacos, so take a look before you get here. The people ordering at the counter ahead of us took their sweet time reading through every possibility. :)

Food was yummy.. we all chose two tacos and all different types .. the three of us said we would come back. Fast service. Outside seating.

First time trying, found it while searching for a taco place on Yelp since we were in the area. They were pretty busy so the food took a while to come, seemed understaffed but not their fault. The man ringing us up seemed stressed, he didn't smile or greeted us. It was awkward lol The restaurant seemed clean, there was a salsa bar with 3 kinds of salsas: red, green and mango. The mango didn't really taste like mango to me, just sour/tangy. I liked the Red best. We got: a "shank you" taco which came with the slow cooked beef shank, Cameron enchilado (grilled shrimp), surf and turf, the carne asada taco, corn quesadilla (free with Yelp check in), and the Elote. My boyfriend enjoyed his surf and turf and carne asada. The beef shank had good flavor but the meet was too tough, maybe it needs to be cooked longer? The shrimp taco ... shrimps didn't seem as fresh and need more seasoning in my opinion. Corn quesadilla was surprisingly the best thing I ate. The Elote was not sweet at all, have had way better Elote from a cart vendor. Would not recommend this. Overall the food here was just ok for me. There's so many other options that had better value and taste for how much these tacos cost.

We came across this amazing taco joint during a recent day trip to Encinitas to visit a nearby butterfly farm. After visiting the farm we were hungry and looking for something good and casual to eat as weren't looking at breaking the bank with a high end sit down lunch. It didn't take long to settle on tacos and we quickly headed off for what turned out to be some of the best tacos I have had. As we walked in and took a look at all of the amazing options offered we were happy to see the wide assortment from the basic street Taco fare to the more high end specialty varieties. We arrived not too long after opening and there was ample seating upon our arrival and plenty of parking in the adjacent center lot. I opted to go with the Chili Relleno taco as well as the Mexicali and they were both absolutely delicious. My wife went with the Surf & Turf and Pescado options and she also lived them both. I can say we were a bit disheartened with the long wait as we had ordered and taken a seat at a small table outside and waited and waited and waited and after about a half hour the tacos finally hit the table. This is the one area where I cannot give them a 5 star review as they were not that busy for the wait to be that exorbitant but the aulity was quite good in the end. We also managed to take advantage of a special Yelp check-in for a free aqua Fresca and the kind gentleman working gave us a second as well since we both had the app so we were thankful for that and it was very refreshing. We loved the place so much during our initial visit that we came back just a couple short weeks later. We opted for most the same options but my wife also went with a Mexicali in lieu of the Pescado and we also ordered the Papas con Rajas as well and split them. They were on the smaller side but were also quite a nice addition to our meal. Overall we have been quite pleased with both of our visits and the service was substantially faster our 2nd time through despite them being far busier so they were definitely on their A game that day. We look forward to eating here many more times to come when in the vicinity of this great town. If you live tacos then you will live this place so come on in a d give them a try for yourself.

Tacos are on the healthier side and tasty! Tacos Tuesday is 10% off and $2.50 beers instead of $5!

We just happened to stop by because we were in the area and looking for food, and I am sure happy we came here! We were a few miles away checking out the butterfly farm when we were looking for something nearby to get lunch. We didn't want to foot a bill for a restaurant, so Steven spotted this establishment nearby, and also, who doesn't like tacos? We headed over. Their menu varies from house favorite tacos, traditional tacos, homestyle tacos, tacos dorados, and vegan options. The menu options may seem a little high for tacos, but when you see how fancy and unique they are, and how loaded they come, it makes perfect sense. We almost got an order of the Papa Con Rajas dorados but we waited. Those come in two according to the menu. I ended up going with a Pescado taco and a Surf & Turf taco and Steven went with a Chile Relleno taco as well as their Mexicali taco. WOW! We LOVED them. I especially loved my Pescado taco and Steven especially loved his Mexicali taco. Mashed potatoes on a taco with beef? I am definitely going to have to try that one next time. My golden fried mahi mahi was to die for. The tacos were so delicious. I was wanting more. They were packed full and full of flavor. They also brought out a variety of salsas to add. One was a yellow citrus one which I used as well as their tomatillo salsa. Steven used the red one they brought out. We also got free agua frescas with check in. It was delicious as well. My only complaint is that it was very slow. We waited about 25-30 minutes for our tacos. Luckily they were so delicious and worth the wait. Service was so friendly too which is always appreciated. I really wish we had a location near us. We will definitely stop by here again when we are in the area. I need another Pescado taco and a Mexicali taco, and maybe a papa con rajas. Highly recommend if you are a lover of tacos!

Always yelping to find a good place to eat.. Tacos was on our mind, saw a couple options and City Tacos got my attention. A twist on tacos. I got Mexicali, carnitas, Cochinita Pibil and Camaron enchilado. The house favorite which was the Mexicali & cCamaron enchilado was definitely a must the carnitas don't fall behind it was delicious.. I would definitely come back and explore the menu..Fast and great service

Serving delicious small, street-style tacos. Lots of choices which makes it a great spot if you're eating alone or with friends. I can't wait to go back!

My friend is a big foodie like me, so I trusted her judgment when she picked this spot on our drive south. She'd been before, so she knew it was good, and it was! There's a wide variety of tacos they offer here; most of them are non-traditional, but they're very good. MEXICALI: I tried the Mexicali because I thought the addition of mashed potatoes sounded really interesting (and I love mashed potatoes). Unfortunately, I couldn't really notice the mashed potatoes in mine at all. There wasn't nearly enough. This taco was decent but a little lackluster. However, one of our friends ordered this one and it was his favorite one, so it could either way for you! CRUNCH TIME SHRIMP TACO: This taco was absolutely amazing. I loved it. The crunch factor was great and the flavors all sung. 10/10 CHORIZO ASADO: I love chorizo and pineapple, so I definitely wanted to try this taco. It was also delicious. SPECIAL TACO: There was a featured taco that was on listed on the menu with octopus which was also really tasty. I think this place does seafood really well! I love the unique flavor combinations. There's also a Yelp check-in offer for a free aqua fresca or a corn quesadilla. The ambiance was fun here too. I liked their comfy, spacious outdoor tables. I would definitely come here again. There's so many more types of tacos to try!

We dropped in on a Sunday for some tacos a little after 1:00. The lunch crowd had thinned out, but there was a short line to order. The menu contains innovative creations of tacos, but it seems like City Tacos' signature element is flat-top grilled cheese on their tacos. While it's a great idea, the cheese doesn't maintain its crispiness long enough and gets soggy as you work through your line of tacos. We tried the Pescado (fish taco), Shank You Taco (beef shank), Kids Quesitacos (quesadilla taco), and Crunch Time Shrimp Taco. Far and away, the shrimp taco was the best. I wouldn't order the beef shank again, and my wife never shares her fish tacos. Two tacos and some chips and guac should fill up most bellies. Most items on the menu are in the $4.50 range.

I was visiting friends who raved about City Tacos, and they were absolutely right to insist on it being my first meal in town! I liked that the menu had a combination of more traditional and unique tacos, so I got a variety: Pollo Asado, Shank You, and Cameron Enchilada. The Pollo (chicken) and Cameron (shrimp) tacos were both very good, but the "Shank You" was my favorite of the meal! It combined beef shank with mushrooms, garlic, onion, and cilantro, was topped with green salsa, and served on a delicious corn tortilla with asadero cheese. If I find myself back at City Tacos, I might well get three of these! The staff were friendly, and one very kind staff member not only lit a heater for us, but moved it -- without having been asked -- to the perfect spot to warm all of us at the table.

Been to a few City Taco locations with this one being our favorite. Great to visit alongside the Sunday outdoor market. Favorite tacos are diablo shrimp, chile relleno, and carnitas. And don't forget the churros with chocolate sauce. Agua Frescas are also delicious (spike them too). :) During the pandemic we were on the road a bunch for kids sports. Started tracking our favorite taco shops in CA, AZ, NM, CO, UT - these were definitely top 3 for specialty tacos. Enjoy they are delicious.

Sucks that I have to give this place such a low score bc it was my first time here and the tacos were pretty good, but the service was horrible! We ordered some more tacos after our initial order but we never received them. We waited for them for about half an hour. When we went back inside to check on our order they completely forgot to put it in their system and tried to blame us for not getting a number. I just assumed they would put the new order with our initial one so I didn't think we needed a new number. At that point we just wanted to get out of there since we had been waiting so long, but it was such a fight to get a refund. They said bc we didn't have a number they couldn't confirm we paid for them. Our card got charged, so we showed them the charge for the tacos and eventually they relented. They gave us our money back for the tacos but not our tip. If you want any crappy service and attitude, you'd love this place. But if not, avoid this place at all costs!!

As a person who ABSOLUTELY hates tacos, these tacos just blow my mind! The fish taco to be exact. The meat is cooked fine, the sauces and toppings on it also make the flavors pop! It's a nice little restaurant with nice workers aswell. 5 stars ultimately.

City Tacos are the BEST tacos anywhere! The fish tacos contain so much fish, especially compared to other taco shops. And the steak is amazing. All of the tacos are unique and really delicious. This is are our first (and usually only) choice these days to get tacos. The wait lines are reasonable and the customer serivce is excellent. My favorites are the Mexicali steak tacos and the Fish de la Veracruz.

The tacos are very good and quality is consistent; also, the staff is friendly and most welcoming. The fire place sets a lovely ambiance for evening dining. The price is the same regardless of being a local, tourist, or immigrant! Thank you.

Was crowded. Friendly service. Have a good beer selection and a lot of Taco options. Tacos are just average though. I got a shrimp taco and I would take Fish Shop (across the street) shrimp taco any day over city taco. Also got chicken and a carnitas. Both were just ok. Not huge tacos... need three minimum.