TACOS EL GORDO - Palm Ave

Tacos El Gordo never disappoints, and neither did this location in Otay Mesa. First of all - go there on SUNDAY evening,  it is not busy at all!! their asada tacos are to die for, and we even got few of them "vampire style" which means cheesy tortilla so yummy. You get lots of radishes, lime, grilled onions and peppers. Great service, everyone is nice and friendly, and delicious food. Best tacos in SD for sure!!

Ya’ll 7 year sabbatical (not by choice) and they still blew me out of the water… they are so consistent year after year, I truly think they are superior to many taco joints here in SD. Service is always 👩🏻‍🍳💋 prices are great and this specific location gives me such Nastalgia

I love Tacos El Gordo and it's actually painful to have to write this review but I was really disappointed in how my order came out. Im not sure if it's a packaging issue or maybe they were short-staffed but everything was cold. With the meat being cold it ultimately took away from the flavor of it. I know this place is known for it's tacos mainly and honestly maybe I should've just ordered that if I knew my food was going to come out hot and fresh but I wanted to try their carne Asad fries. And on top of that I paid around $23 for my order...... well actually for some cold food......make it make sense please. I will NOT be coming back to this restaurant.

Tacos El Gordo (We were unaware of this local staple that has SINCE branched out to locations in Las Vegas! Thank the is some of the best Mexican Food outside of Mexico. Whole Menu is a GO! Service workers were Nice and informative of the chain and menu items.

I hit up Tacos El Gordo while running through San Diego taco shops on a multi day taco binge. It was my first time there (obvi) and I'm sure regulars understand the flow but as a newbie I was hella confused which line I was supposed to be standing in 😂 It's all good though, I got a handful of tacos and enjoyed every bite. The corn tortillas we're perfect, the meat was flavorful, and the trip was well worth making.

Good as always and so far the best tacos in San Diego. Just wish their meat was warmer as the ordered seem to come out cold. This location should really have a drive thru speaker to order food instead of ordering at the window and then waiting.

We love tacos el gordo, but don’t live very close. So when we noticed there was a location, near the outlet mall we hit up earlier in the day, we decided to check it out. It’s on the small side, compared to the main location, and I believe is in an old school Taco Bell. Has a decent sized well lit parking lot, indoor seating, a covered outdoor patio, and a drive thru. Google says the location was much less busy than it usually, but I can only compare it to other locations that I’ve been too. The lines for each type of tacos, and check out, were much quicker than other locations. We only had 1-2 people ahead of us in each line during our 830pm Sunday visit. The lines moved quickly and service was perfect. They easily made changes for us, flour tortillas for our adobado tacos, and a plain carne asada for our son. The horchata and orange bang were tasty, which is on par with other taco shops that use the same drinks brand. But, the tacos are where it’s at. The Adobada is always so flavorful and well balanced with the sauce and onion/cilantro mix on top. And the carne asada was a hit with everyone, even with the kiddo eating the plain taco. He asked for seconds and the adults got thirds on the Adobada. We will definitely come to this location in the future.

Great food, not at crowded at down town. Plenty of seating, we parked and went in. 10/10 would recommend

"Gordo" appropriately described me at my last visit to Tacos el Gordo. I ate far too many adobada tacos that the next day the word "tacos" made me feel cringe. Would I do this again? Absolutely not. Did I regret it? No, because every bite was delicious. The tacos were well seasoned and the salsa was hot. Perfection. I also ordered carne asada fries for my daughter and she loved them. Their fries are now her favorite. It had the right amount of char and they were flavorful. We typically pay approximately 40-50+ (with tip) depending on how many tacos we order. Absolutely worth it though and we will definitely be coming back.

this weekend, I put in an order for my family to have 19 adobada tacos and carne asada fries. tell me why they only gave us 3 green sauces for ALL of that food?? I asked them for more and told them I just paid $100 for all this food, why am I not getting enough sauce for the amount of food I paid and ordered? I told them I have no problem paying for extra sauce, I just want to enjoy the food but the manager came up and laughed and said no. this was the most ridiculous experience to be begging for sauce for my tacos. i asked a total of 4 times because I KNOW no one from my family will eat the tacos because there was no sauce. What a waste of money. Tacos el Gordo has lost their essence and customer service. I even asked for a refund because I would be coming back home to a frustrated group but they refused.

These are the best tacos I've ever had! The service is very slow but it's worth it It has the look of a fast food place but it's pretty decent

Yumm!! This place continues to be one of my favorite taco places, and for good reason- their adobada (al pastor) tacos are to die for. Their carne asada tacos are also delicious and comes with guac! Wash it all down with a large cup of horchata, and you've got yourself the best dinner ;). Prices have gone up and parking is pretty terrible, but the food is worth it in my opinion.

Maybe I'm not the one to review on tacos as I'm not too familiar with the standard, but if it's reviewing taste, then I'd have to say these tacos are just okay for my palate. I'm not one to enjoy the hard crunchy shells either so my only regret was not ordering the softer shell tacos. Just difficult to eat and enjoy with the bland crunchy texture. The flavor of the meat was not my preference. It's great to try the local favorites and I'm always inclined to give everything a chance. It's cool that they're open so late, as I can see the crowds' appeal here after a late night out. No desire to have to revisit though. Just my personal take.

It's been way too long since my last visit here and it still holds up to what I remember. It's interesting seeing the reviews for this location vs. the more popular Chula Vista location. You honestly couldn't tell the difference and unless you are mentally committed to visiting the more popular location, you should stop by this one. It's been said many times, but ordering at Tacos El Gordo can be confusing for first timers. You have to look at the separate lines and look above each to see what type of meats you can order from their specific station. This is also another reason why you should visit this location. Less crowds = less confusion for the uninitiated. I like how for each of their tacos, they already have a salsa on top depending on the meat. It's their nod of saying that you should eat it "this" way and I appreciate that. Tacos are around $4 each but honestly I think they are worth it. You can't go wrong with any of the meats, but the Adobada (Spicy Pork) is the one you absolutely need to order. Super flavorful, tender, and cut thin where it creates such a better bite. I also recommend getting Mula de Adobada which is basically a mini quesadilla with the aforementioned spicy pork inside. This can get a bit messy but it's so worth it. I would suggest getting at least 1 of these since it's also a great shareable. It's basically two tacos in 1.

Tacos are amazing . San Diego best adobada tacos The service is great. The only thing I don't like about this location is the drive-through system they give you a number and you have to park. It takes forever I highly don't recommend you doing drive-through at this location. 7 tables inside 6 tables outside No line

This has become my new favorite Mexican restaurant! I'm working far from Home and this restaurant has become mine and my coworkers new spot to come have dinner with great customer service and delicious food.

This location of the famous El Gordo is just as good as the Chula Vista one! The adobada is the way to go, the meat is cut from a fresh doner like tower of marinated pork. The mix of flavors is fantastic, the meat is well seasoned, and the whole taco is one of the best in the business. The only complaint is the increased prices as of late about $4 per taco, but it's still worth it. There are a handful of tables inside and outside to sit, and the lines at this location are much better than the Chula one. The service is prompt and friendly. Will continue to be a frequent customer!

We picked up our food to go and unfortunately everything was soggy although we ate in the car before driving away. They had packed our food in a paper bag and it was also Soggy. Salsa had spilled everywhere inside. It's a fast food styled dinning but it definitely wasn't as good as it was when we previously visited. I recommend eating inside

I'm not going to say what I think it looks like but I'll let you be the judge. Today is 8/22/24 at 6:32. I pulled the hair out of my Mula and my friend had hair still in her cheese so we assume it was only in the cheese station. Multiple little thick black hairs in our food.

Things have definitely changed throughout the years. They definitely changed their color scheme as well as ironed out their drive thru situation (kind of). There are three lines in total, one for ordering fries, one for ordering tacos... and one more for the cashier. I would recommend ordering your fries first, waiting a few minutes THEN order your tacos. Tacos come out significantly faster than fries. Depending on the day, the quality fluctuates, not sure if it is the customer rush or the cooks, but I definitely notice something off at times. I love the outdoor seating, it gives it a nice extension of the restaurant, gives the ambiance of outdoor seating, indoor! Great addition. Drive-thru, you would order at the window. They would give you a number and you would be able to park and wait for your food. My go to order are the Campechana Fries with a pastor taco with a bunch of lime and sauces.

We went way out of our way to try the original location of where this greatness started. Got everything with al pastor (adobada) tacos, and fries. There was flavor in every bite. Salsa was good, but what sealed the deal for us were the pineapple spears, which not everyone does. Don't judge, but we might be going back for dinner and doing the exact same thing again! That's how good it was.

This place gets packed all of a sudden and a minute later it is empty. I really like this location because they have the self serve options. I got medium campechana fries which are enough for one person. Wait times were ok. It's just that their ordering system is so strange. There's lines for each item that you want. I only wanted the fries so I made line for that and told the guy what I wanted and he said ok, pay at the register and they'll give you a ticket and I'll get you the fries. I did and was so happy. The fries are so good here. I wish I could come more often but then I would wind up being gordo.

I visited this spot a few times, and while I understand why it's a San Diego staple, it just didn't hit the mark for me. The vibe is cool, but the flavor didn't quite match the hype--I found it lacking in the taste department. Honestly, I don't think it's worth the drive, wait, or time. If you're in the area, it might be a fun place to check out, but I wouldn't recommend making a special trip.

This was our first time here at this location. We came in right before it got insanely busy. There was no line and we ordered right away. Everyone was extremely friendly. We ordered a half order of campechana fries, 2 tacos de trips, 3 de al pastor and 1 suadero. We asked for our meats to be a little crispy. Everything tasted amazing. The entire time we were there they had music playing in the background nothing too loud. This will be our go to location from now on, great food and no wait times.

My team and I decided to swing by here after a long day in clinic. I have not been to a Tacos El Gordo in a while and was excited to get a mulita. I got the adobada mula and overall, it was great. Service was quick, friendly, and efficient! Definitely swing by this place if you're in the area and craving some good Mexican food!

I've been to Tacos El Gordo before and love the tacos. Their al pastor taco is amazing! It is unfortunately around $4 for a single taco though, so it does add up. Something that I've always had to deal with whenever visiting Tacos El Gordo is their long lines. Surprisingly, this location had no line at all. At first, not seeing a line made me scared. Was the quality at this place worse? I had nothing to be afraid of. The consistency across all the Tacos El Gordo I've been to (other SD locations and Las Vegas location) is amazing. The restaurant setting was good. There was a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating at this location. The outdoor seating is even covered by a tarp, so no need to worry when it is windy, raining, or too sunny. I only give this location 4 stars because when I initially entered, I was giving weird looks by the staff. I'm assuming this was because I walked in with 3 other Asians and they guessed we didn't know what we were doing. But as soon as I started ordering head, tongue, and al pastor tacos, their expressions changed. I find that somewhat amusing.

Whoa!!! Can't go wrong here! Sooooo dang good. Probably some of the best tacos and Mula i have ever had. It is definitely a must stop if you are in San Diego!!

I'm from OC & nothing is like the tripas I've had here! I was coming back from the TJ airport when I remembered I missed a taco stop in Mexico. So I figured this was as close I can get to a taco in from Mexico. I got tell you if you love tripas crisp to perfection they got it. I'd come back just for this flavorsom taco spot. Legit for sure.

ORDERS: - Taco de Asada x 2 - Taco de Adobada x 3 - Taco de Lengua - Taco de Cabeza - Taco de Cactus - Small Campechana Fries - Grilled Peppers - Horchata Everything we got was so flavorful and delicious! Love how we can see bts when they cook and prep our food! This is a must visit spot when in San Diego! It's also near the border so if you want to take a trip there, hit this spot first! Also the horchata was not watery and it had the perfect balance of cinnamon and milk. But go here early to avoid the crowd!

This TEG on Palm avenue is overall smaller, but less busy than the one on Broadway. Their parking lot is also very small so it can be difficult. I did notice that the size of their tacos and meat portions are also smaller (not sure if it was just this location or at all locations). But the tacos are still delicious! The adobada meat is just as amazing as ever, sooo flavorful and a little bit spicy. This is a good option if you are in the area or don't want to wait in as long of a line, but I do think I prefer the Broadway location!

Super happy with the tacos here. Carne asada was delicious and so are the adobada. My absolute favorite are the plain quesadillas on corn tortillas. Great and attentive employees. Love it here.

I have heard so many things about this taco place I decided to go today and honestly by far worst tacos I've ever had. The asada had alot of fat so it was chewy, not suppose to be. The meat had no flavor and the meat was all clumped together. What did I just pay $14. 00 for? 3 tacos and for it to be mostly fat on the meat , and extremely plain. I have no idea what all the fuse is about.

Ask for extra red sauce because I ordered a lot and said no. Wish I could've gotten my tip back. Food is good. Work on your service especially if after a big order and a 25% tip. Even shook my head in disapproval. Be better.

The food is delicious and I would never tell anyone not to visit here but, in all honesty, there are a lot of places that make excellent tacos. No chicken here and no fish. They have asada, adobada, and some of the more exotic cuts (cabeza, tripe, etc.). Stop obsessing over the ordering process. If you want asada, stand in the asada line. If you want adobada, stand in the adobada line. A lot of authentic taco shops do it this way. We tried asada tacos, adobada tacos, an adobada vampiro, and an asada vampiro. Everything was great but the vampiros are especially outstanding. I prefer the adobada but the asada was tender and flavorful, too. The tacos are not tiny and not huge, ei. Two would probably be enough for some people and three would definitely be enough for everyone. They make the corn tortillas right in front of you and carve the adobada to order. Everything is crazy fresh. I can't compare these to the original ones in TJ but tacos don't get much better than this. Plenty of seating inside and out, plus they have a drive through. Free parking in their lot, too.

Swung by this place because we didn't get a chance to get tacos in TJ earlier in the day. I got lengua, adobada and tripa tacos. Also got the lengua fries too bc I was so hungry. Oh wow - it was so good. I'd go there everyday if I could. Delicious and such a good deal. I would highly recommend this place. Sometimes there could be a small line. But they work fast and the wait isn't long.

Food is always great, but the prices are high. Maybe because I'm from LA and taco prices are half the price here than what they are in San Diego. Food was delicious , staff was friendly . But I think I'll skip this place next time I'm in town.

This has always been my favorite tacos el g location until now because I'm not sure why every time I order adobada I get a bunch of oil & grease included. The tortilla & plate is drenched in oil which is not appetizing for me at all. The service is okay & quick for the most part.

- Really good tacos - they have cactus tacos ( the nopal) if you're vegetarian -the vampiros are very good they're like two tostadas mushed together with cheese - the prices are excellent for the area -the food is authentic -fast, casual vibe open all hours of the night great for a quick lunch or a midnight snack

not like the Broadway location. The Adobado was not cooked yet, and they were finishing on the plancha. At the other location they were shaving meat from different parts of the rotisserie, some crispy, some juicy, directly onto the plate. Carne Asada at Broadway was SO good. But here...the Carne Asada tasted like FUEL. We threw them away. Sucks to go out of the way to be let down. Management needs to check this place. Broadway location was completely different.

Hands down the best taco place in all of San Diego. They're so good and authentic. Nowhere else comes close

My husband brought me here late one night after I was DD. It was well worth it! This little spot is DELICIOUS! It's not much to look at, but the food is phenomenal. I ordered the carne tacos and my husband got the carne asada fries. They are so friendly when you walk in. You go straight to the right and order at the grill and then pay! Always tip these guys because they are AWESOME! Also, they LOAD the food up! It's soooo good! Worth every penny (which it's not expensive at all).

Don't believe the hype. This place sucks, the meat for asada was dry hard to swallow. The Asada Fries were cold. We tried the adobada that was barely okay. If this is one of the best places for Tacos in San Diego, damn then they haven't had LA tacos. Will not come back and don't recommend you do either

Definitely felt like I was across the border when coming here. Everyone basically spoke Spanish and I wasn't sure if I'd be understood speaking English. Definitely felt like a gringo and I'm not English! Anyways, this was a new experience for me trying to get some authentic tacos in the area. Recommended by my friend and people that live in the area, so I definitely had to try these tacos. Got to say, they were the finest tacos I've had in the U.S. I don't even like tacos all that much, but I wouldn't mind having more of these tacos. I got myself the asada, chorizo, and azteca. I didn't know what the azteca was until I got it. I apparently ate cactus to my surprise. It was like a grilled or pickled cactus cause it was quite juicy. The asada and chorizo were really good too. So tender! Place may look like a regular fast food joint, but it's pretty different. You line up first to get either your adobado or tacos. After you get your food, you then line up to pay and/or order drinks. I was confused at first, but I just looked around and try to go with the flow. I definitely felt like a 2nd class here not knowing if I was doing things right, but I managed. Don't let a little bit of culture shock scare you from ordering here. If a giant rotating stick of tender adobado meat doesn't keep you staying to eat here, I don't know what will!

You can call ahead for pickup! Line is pretty short on a Monday morning at 11. We beat the lunch rush and got the campechana fries! It was very different from anything I've had before and was a great wrap to our SD trip.

Tacos are good, but not the best ones as people used to say. I've tried better tacos than these in San Diego area

Been going here for about 10 years now. The staff is so kind and friendly. The food is always bomb and the tortilla is the best part! The avocado sauce they have is what makes it my go to taco spot. Unfortunate how the prices have raised but so has everywhere else in SD.

I was so excited to eat at tacos el gordo. They are my favorite taco place ever. This was the first stop we stopped at when we got to San Diego. I ordered 16 pastor tacos, 5 cabeza tacos and 2 asada tacos. They were good but not like I remember them. The meat and everything had the flavor I loved but the only thing that sucked was they put way too much oil on the tortilla that it made it hard. Usually the tacos are soft and so homemade. They also didn't put as much meat as the restaurant in Chula Vista. Other than that it was good. Service was pretty quick considering me and my boyfriend ordered a total of like 40+ tacos. The drive thru they had was also pretty quick. They had tables outside and tables inside as well

We ordered 15 adobada tacos, all came out super dry, like they had cut the meat earlier, and overcooked in a pan. Pretty disheartening when you spend $100 at a restaurant, and it comes out like this when you get home. Would highly recommend the company, but this location has failed us miserably.

I used to go in here all the time many years ago to eat amazing taco's. In fact, it was the first time I ate TJ Taco's and absolutely love them. Last week I went there and ordered 6 carne taco's to go. 4 out of the 6 were gross, mostly fat, gristle, and dried out meat. I thought maybe they had a new guy who does not know how to prepare Carne Asada. So, I did not complain. Today I went there ordered the large Carne Asada plate. It's 95% French Fries, and the meat is dried up, and 90% fat and gristle. it is not edible! I guess they give their trash to White People? I wont be going back, it is the worst Carne I have ever tasted! It is not even edible, absolutely gross. They 100% ripped me off.

Adobada fries 5/5 Adobada tacos 5/5 So spicy man (I'm a weak boy and petite) Lengua tacos Nice 4.5/5 Cabeza tacos 4.5/5

Went here last night..... Only ate 1 taco&had the Worst food poisoning. I typically eat healthy&workout daily. But just a few hours of eating that 1 taco I had painful shocks in my stomach. Vomiting&you know the rest . Fever&body aches today .

overpriced garbage ! I had some fries from here and first off the guacamole sauce isn't real authentic one, it's the powdered milky one, which I strongly dislike and causes me nausea. The fries were mainly potato and cheese, barely any meat. which was also very dissapointing. It was my first and last time ever coming to this place. I don't understand the hyper with this place, it's not good at all.

The line was so long for the drive-thru, and the parking lot was packed for dine-in. The way they do the drive-thru is you order at the window, then you park in the designated area, and they bring the food out. So the carne asada taco I got was pretty good. The meat tasted fresh and the toppings were decent as well. The carne asada fries I got on the other hand was very disappointing. The fries were stale which destroyed the flavor and overall experience seeing that this was my first time there. The employees were nice and it didn't take too long to receive the food once we ordered, but the drive-thru line wait was long. Overall, I don't see myself going back there. The carne asada was delicious, but not worth all the hassle.

I've been to a couple of Tacos El Gordo locations in Las Vegas. When visiting San Diego, I knew I had to stop in. I ordered the Carne Asada Taco and Adobada Quesadilla, both with flour tortillas. Of course, both were delicious! Tacos El Gordo is known for long lines. They have locations (like the one on the Las Vegas Strip) with those long lines, but I was served quickly at this location. No lines, no waiting. So, if you're craving TEG, stop by here to get your fix without the wait!

Best tacos to go to when ever you're in Las Vegas. I recommend the tripas and the al pastor tacos. My kids love the asada fries.

Without a doubt these tacos are a 10/10. Are they pricey? Yes they are but honestly they are worth every penny. Delicious authentic tacos, made with hand made tortillas. If ordered with everything, this includes meat of choice, salsa, guacamole, onion and cilantro. Salsa for tacos is available just ask for it. They offer green and red. Both are very yummy. The restaurant is clean, inside and out. Drive-thru is available

I recently had the opportunity to try some perfectly grilled carne asada tacos from San Diego, and they were absolutely delicious. Carne asada is a type of grilled beef that is popular in Mexican cuisine, and it is often served in tacos. The carne asada in these tacos was cooked to perfection, with a crispy exterior and a tender, juicy interior. It was seasoned with a blend of spices that added a complex and flavorful taste. The tacos were served with a variety of toppings, including onions, cilantro, and salsa, which added a nice crunch and freshness. In addition to the excellent food, the service was top-notch. The staff were friendly and attentive, making sure that our experience was enjoyable from start to finish. Overall, I had a fantastic experience trying these perfectly grilled carne asada tacos from San Diego. If you're a fan of Mexican food, I would highly recommend giving them a try. They are sure to satisfy your craving for something delicious and satisfying.