Tommy C.
Yelp
Hit another one of the 13 taco places on my San Diego taco list. Frida's was added to the list because a fellow San Diego Foodie group member said he prefers Frida's over TJ's. I can see why, and it was a good spot earning a solid "B" (or 3.5 stars), but I still prefer TJ's.
On a beautiful Tuesday morning, the regular ride with peeps was altered to come home via Escondido. But if we're gonna be in Escondido after 32 miles, might as well go lunch on tacos! And off we went to Frida's.
Love the outdoor dining space - vibrant, airy, and when riding, a place to park and watch the bikes. We got there before 12 and there was already a line-up. The $1.99 taco Tuesday was a very nice surprise.
Two things stood out for me regarding the tacos. The good - they were served very hot! Almost too hot to handle, and it's the first time I experienced that. The bad - probably the smallest street tacos I've had. Sure, the meat looks piled on but the tortilla is probably a 1/2 to 1 inch smaller in diameter than other taco places.
Taco asada: tortilla temp & texture is great, but rather flavorless. Beef was juicy, but underseasoned. I should have added some more mixings to my taco, but was a little lazy. The avocado did taste fresh. All in all, a "B-".
Taco adobada: this one was interesting. I think the meat is prepared slightly differently from the other places like TJ's or el Gordo. The meat is all chopped up into little pieces, with more "crunch" (good), but a little drier and under seasoned. I wonder if they take a second step to char the meat after it's sliced off the spinning spit, and then chopped into little pieces? Hoping someone reading this review can explain. Anyway, it was a pretty good taco deserving a weak "B+" but to me, TJ wins on the seasoning & a tastier tortilla.
Pineapple drink: this was pretty awesome after a bike ride. Big, cold, not crazy sweet with good pineapple flavor and lots of pineapple chunks on the bottom to chew on. Being taco Tuesday, the drink was more expensive than the two tacos! Nonetheless, it was a nice beverage deserving a strong B+.
Finally, a warning regarding the restroom. There's only one of them for male & female around the back of the building, not the cleanest, but more importantly, the plumbing needs work. Hopefully that gets fixed soon!
Worth a return visit when not on a time crunch. In fact, I may order a taco from Frida's, eat it, then immediately go to TJs ordering the same taco for a better comparison.