Taqueria By El Prieto

Food was good. Service was terrible terrible terrible. The employees are not attentive, it’s like they don’t know there’s people in the restaurant and want to order. There was a long line for adobada but the guy making the tacos was not being attentive, he was in his own world attending other orders. All he had to do is say, “next person, what can I get for you” but nah he waited for you to go up to him and get his attention.

Seems to be family-run. Great service. Clean. Aaaahhh.... but the adobada was sooooooo disappointing. The marinade is so heavy, overwhelming and salty. You can't really enjoy the flavor of the meat. The quesadilla was very good. Very cheesy.

Excellent food and service. Open until 4am on weekends and 2am during the week. Taqueria El Prieto is a great place to stop after a late night on the town.

TikTok led me to this one lol, food was good, inside is very accommodating and plenty of seating, there is also seating outside. If it’s your first time here it may be confusing knowing where to order your food, there is a bunch of signs that say order here but there’s a system in place, if you want adobada tacos then you go to the gentleman cutting the trompo of meat, if you want asada then you step over to the side where another person is dishing out asada. Was standing for a minute before I realized how things worked. Ordered the papa loca mixta which was really good and also the fries mixta and it wasn’t bad now it was $20 bucks for the fries mixta, not sure if that os the normal rate now in SD for asada fried but if it was wish it was super loaded. Definitely no complaints on the papa loca mixta as it was loaded and overflowing with meat that was definitely a 10/10. Try it out and see what you think

Definitely a go to spot, glad I found out about this place. They have so many options and I love the way they serve. I was in the mood for some straight up tacos and this hit the spot.

I wanted to try this place because of their papa loca( baked potato with meat) they have some negative reviews saying customer service is not good, I disagree with those statements. Personally, the taqueros were very attentive and quick, the girls at the cash register were also attentive... the tacos were delicious, carne asada and adobada are my favorite, the papa loca was with adobada, it's a good size. Prices are comparable to other taco spots in the area but totally worth it

Tacos are amazing!! They have Birria too. Definitely will be going back

Just checked out this place with my family. The carnitas mulita was probably the best thing we ordered, but the taco de adobada was also great. The carne asada quesadilla for my toddlers was a hit, which is hard to do. Service was friendly and excellent, atmosphere was what you'd reasonably expect from a taqueria and was very clean.

the food is AMAZING. might even be better than tacos el gordo. they have a bigger variety of meats and they load their tacos/toastadas. so so so yummy! highly recommend the al pastor ! so flavorful!! service is really fast! you order on one side and once you pull up to the window, your food is basically already out. quicker than TEG!

Taqueria by El Prieto (TEP) is located where (1 of 2) Tacos El Gordo (TEG) used to be located in the area. The other TEG (was 2 of 2, now the only one in the area) is about a block away on Broadway. So how did we end up here if TEG is just down the street? For whatever reason, TEG was closed! It was shocking... we were not sure why they were closed on a Monday night around 7pm. The hours posted says they were supposed to be open. We thought maybe they had some sort of emergency and didn't have enough people to work, but honestly, not really sure what happened. That is what brought us to TEP. We thought we'd give them a try because we were in the area already and were craving tacos. This place wasn't as crowded and we were able to find parking. That is already the opposite of what you tend to experience at TEG. We quickly glanced at the menu and were ready to place our order. There was no line... we placed our order of tacos and paid at the cashier. They have a similar set up to TEG where you order and pay at separate places. The tacos passed the eye test and it was time to dig in. Both the carne asada and adobada were good. All the ingredients tasted fresh and the carne asada was seasoned and tasty. I also liked the adobada, but overall, I didn't think the tacos were as good as TEG. The place is clean and there is plenty of seating because this place doesn't get crowded like TEG. The service was good, employees and cashier all friendly. Parking wasn't a problem. When it was TEG, you were rarely able to find parking in the lot. Would we return? We would probably return here to TEP only if for whatever reason TEG is closed. The tacos here are good, but not TEG good. 4 / 5: Tacos 4 / 5: Service 4 / 5: Cleanliness 4 / 5: Overall

Was at an event near by and decided pop in on my way home. Heard so many things about this place. Parking is weird in this lot, and it wraps around the whole building. So heads up if you pull in and don't immediately see parking. There were a few customers inside eating when I went in. A women at the drive thru window taking order for drive thru and walk up. And 5 others cooking food. But they seemed over whelmed by the drive thru orders of two cars. I was not sure how ordering worked here and was not acknowled when standing there for about 4 minutes and just went off the other person there ordering that also seemed confused. It is set up like tacos el gordo ordering, but the staff doesn't seem to be efficient and are running back and forth from cook stations. A women finally asked what am I having. I asked for an Adobada Taco, a buche taco, and a Papa Loca Mixta (baked potato with carne asada, adobada, sour cream, guac and cheese). Tacos I received not waiting long, but the potato does take some time. Once I received all my items I went to pay, but the cash register person seem too busy and asked me if I was sitting here or take out. I said here and she said go ahead and finish eating and then pay after. Grab the cup that was by the register and served myself a drink. Overall the layout of the restaurant seems very inefficient. And you can tell that by the way the workers are moving around. Hopefully to fix this in the near future to make it more efficient for them. For the food. The buche taco was flavorful with a good amount of meat. And that was the best out of what I ordered. The Adobada was ok, nothing to write home about, el gordos have a better taste. As for the potato which I was the most excited about since this is what I was seeing on social media, was meh. Adobada was just like the taco good but not great, the carne asada was decent but nothing to Rave about it either. And the potato was cheesy for overall did not blow me out of the water as a potato itself made the food more bland. They filled me up and I was mildly satisfied. I paid around $25 for all 5 items including the drink. Taco prices are similar to tacos El Gordo. But essentially I would not go out of my way to come here it wasn't bad but it wasn't great. I feel like money can be spent somewhere else with a better food.

This place I had been wanting to come for sometime. Near the freeway and central area of Chula Vista. The customer service was friendly but the food was mediocre. Torta de asada was a 5.5 out of 10. It just wasn't good. Very meaty and bread. Didn't have the flavors of a real torta. The meat felt dried. Burrito de Pollo was good, a 7 out of 10. Love the avocado it came with. Regular Fries were terrible, 2 out of 10, they were all extremely crispy, felt like burnt toast. It still has that fresh energy of being a new place. As mentioned, they seem kind but they might still be working out the kinks. I ordered a chicken burrito they gave me an Asada Burrito. I showed them and they switched it out for a chicken burrito without any questions. While eating, a man complained to them because he ordered an Adobada burrito and they made his order for 4 tacos de adobada. They changed his order, no problem. I noticed a lot of the people in the kitchen on this Friday night are very young and sometimes the lack of experience shows. The place was very clean and there was good energy of people coming in and out and the cooks seemed to be having a great night talking and listening to music. I wouldn't mind coming again but with so many great taco shops around this one on this night was mediocre. Maybe in the future once they work out the kinks I'll be back

Meat was very tasty and worth going again. Only complaints was that it took longer than estimated

After hearing about this place for years finally had a chance to try it. There are two locations, this one is more inland in a mall type area with some peripheral parking spaces around. The shop has a handful of tables to sit at, and also does take out. The staff are super friendly. The food; 1) carne asada tacos: 4 stars, $4 each, good portion of tender meat albeit have had more flavorful at other shops, good portion of guacamole, and corn tortilla. Definitely super solid but adobada is better 2) adobada tacos: 5 stars, $4 each, nice portion of well seasoned, tender meat topped with salsas and surrounded by corn tortilla, similar style to tacos el gordo albeit with more meat per taco, more sweetness to the meat, and more tender meat. Really good! Overall this place is super solid. The Adobada especially is the way to go!

I have had my eye on this place after so many people swore that it was better than Tacos El Gordo. Especially because this building used to be a tacos el gordo. El Prieto is a solid place if you want good tacos. Honestly, the adobada tasted just like tacos el gordo to me except it had more of a pineapple-y flavor. The carne asada definitely had more flavor than I remember from el gordo however it wasn't fresh off the grill. Seemed like it was already cooked and just sitting in a pile of already cooked carne asada, so it was a bit cold. If it was maybe heated up somehow it would taste way better. I noticed this place does give you bigger meat ratios which is a plus. I noticed they matched their prices to be around the same as el gordo prices. They also have aguas Fresca which I love. Overall, I would say this place isn't "significantly" better than El gordo in any way. The two are just about the same to me. However, the plus of El Prieto is there is no line, so no waiting. It has a calm atmosphere compared to Tacos el gordo. Parking isn't the best but since there isn't many customers you probably won't have an issue finding parking. They also have a drive through in case you wanted to do take out. I would come here again as I have nothing bad to say about my experience here. It's definitely worth trying if you're looking for something "new" but "familiar".

A good taco shop in Chula Vista, one of the better ones. They have the walk up stand like Tacos El Gordo does where you order your tacos & can see them making them. For most of their tacos I do prefer this place over El Gordo. Yes the tacos can be a bit pricey but the portions are big here, bigger than Gordo. My favorite meat here is the Lengua, Carne Asada & Cabeza, they are very good especially the Lengua & love that they have real Aguas here. Customer service here is real good, nice, polite friendly. Also they have a Drive Thru which is good if you want Tacos on the run but can also slow up the service inside a bit sometimes but they still move good. Over all a good Taco Shop in Chula Vista & I will come back, they got a fan in me. See you soon El Prieto!

Foods good. Little disappointed that they advertise pastor as being from the actual spick it is not. Also they go real heavy on the salsa. Which is good but it's really hot. Meat isn't too salty so they're not trying to hide anything with salt but the salsa is just too much. Lots of cilantro. Lots of onions. Kind of overshadows the tacos. Fast friendly service

I recently visited this place and walked in because I love their carne asada queso taco. In fact, I think they make the best queso taco in San Diego--yes, anywhere in San Diego. Unfortunately, I will never visit this location again, and I'm giving them one star due to serious health concerns. The day I came in, the person preparing the food wasn't wearing gloves while handling the meat. It was also a hot day, and he was visibly sweating. To make matters worse, he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his bare hand and then grabbed the carne asada to put in my queso taco. There's no way I'm eating that. While their tacos are delicious, if you decide to order from here, I highly recommend going inside to watch how your food is being handled. This was a horrible experience for me, and I will not be returning. Here's a tip Wearing gloves to handle food . Having a towel for wiping sweat. Good luck

Today around noon my family and I ate here. I was taken back and lost for words when I saw the man that was cooking the carne asada with no gloves kept eating off the grill and spitting in front of him towards the food he was making and once I saw him put a big piece of carne asada in his mouth and spat it out into his hand and started cutting the meat rite in front of him I lost it, i immediately told the man in charge of the al pastor area what I saw and asked him to review his camera footage to see how disgusting that man was, I was so upset. Obviously this man has mental problems to be chewing on food and spiting it onto the food he is preparing for the customers. Do NOT eat here unless that man is fired, it was disgusting.

Hours listed here are not correct, we tried to go for a second visit and they weren't open at 10am. Otherwise great tacos, super friendly service ordering the meats. Very authentic and filling! We tried carne, al pastor and birria. Easy parking and freeway close.

Ok the al pastor tacos are better than you know who up the street and who used to be at this location. They were delicious but geezuz the tacos are tiny. It's almost comical how small they were. I spent $50+ for eleven snack size tacos. I'll be back when ever I hit the lottery in my stretch limo for snacks

This place was so amazing! I've been wanting to try a baked potato like this and it exceeded my expectations! Staff was very quick and friendly. Ambiance was nice but wished there was more seating. I can't wait to come back!

An open letter to my fellow Yelpers: Try the Adobado here. You can thank me later. Good day.

Yummy yummy We stopped in on our way back from Tijuana and these tacos were so good I thought I was back in Mexico Absolutely yummy fast and good service !

The al pastor tacos at El Prieto are good. They are labeled on the menu as adobada, but they are "al pastor" since they come off the vertical spit and are marinaded with pineapple. at $3.95 per street taco, they are a little pricey for those mini double corn tortilla tacos. On the good side, they do come with a very good amount of marinaded pork meat slice right off the trompo as it should be. The meat was tasty, and so was the liquefied guacamole salsa. The chopped white onions and cilantro were fresh, and the red salsa that came on the tacos was tasty but not spicy. What was spicy were the salsas at the salsa bar that I tried. Service was good once they got started. You order your food first, then get your food, then you take your food to the register and pay. It reminds me of a cafeteria.

It was our first time here because my colleague was craving for good tacos. We came here right after work to eat. We ordered 3 tacos each and they were so delish! The food and service were good! I would've given a 5 star because of that, BUT, yes there's a but. The cashier was cutting up cucumbers with gloves on (which is a good thing), BUT she handled money with it as well when I was paying! Ugh! I complained about it and she apologized and took off the gloves.... AFTER the transaction was done. SMH. Anyway, I do believe in 2nd chances so I'll be back.

Tacos are wayyyyy too greasy and the tortillas are soggy. Dripping with grease, yuck. Also $20 for carne asada fries is crazy

Visited Wednesday morning at 10am. Everything indicated they were open, even their sign was on for open. As we head to front of store, a lady comes out opening their gate to say they'll be open at 11:30am. Wish they would have updated hours to reflect that. This store is the former location of Tacos El Gordo. Either way, went to the Tacos El Gordo down the street which was open and was a hit!!! I unfortunately won't be giving this place another chance.

Tried the vampiro adobada and taco suadero. This just solidified el prieto as my main taco spot now‍

Skip the long line at taco el gordos and come try this place! My friend and I stopped by for some tacos and there was no line! Parking was easy as well. The tacos are equally as good if not even better! We got the adobada, carne asada and lengua! They were all soo flavorful and delicious! Can't wait for my next visit here again! The staff were also very kind and friendly!

Pros: - Big portions - Food is fresh especially for a drive thru joint - food is delicious ands lives up to its reputation Cons: - most of the staff either knows little English or doesn't know English at all, which can make for a difficult ordering process. It's like you need to be bilingual just to order, dumb. - Parking is terrible and the drive through process is cumbersome, after paying you need to wait past the window and some times there is a car parked right in front which prevents you from getting out especially if the car behind is close to you waiting to pay, then they take your food out to you instead of from the actual window... not very well thought out tbh. Especially since they are fairly popular. Overall an amazing food experience but a lackluster ordering experience, take that for what it is you might have a different one.

Impressive! Born & raised in SD, been eating SD Mexican food since middle school haha. The order: 1) Carne Asada fries (unique w/ white cheese, and has both sour cream + ALOT of guac) 2) Carne Asada taco (fresh pressed tortilla, and carne is lightly charred and seasoned) 3) Lengua taco (tender & not too salty like other places) 4) Cabeza taco (crispy or soft, this was very tender! Imagine fall off the bone meat) 5) Suadero taco (salty and slightly tough, ok). 6) Horchata (1 of the best in the nation. Not too sweet, very milky & thick) Conclusion: Big portions w/ good textures & seasonings! Officially a premier spot in SD-CV 4.8/5

If you want to skip the long lines at tacos el gordo, THIS IS YOUR SPOT! Even if the lines there are short, just go here! Everything taste just the same, if not better! Their portions are also twice as much as tacos el gordo! Short wait time, great customer service, good food, WIN WIN! Must try: tripas tacos! These were absolutely delicious! They crisp it up so well it tastes just like chicharon!

This place hit the spot after a movie! Food had great flavor, salsas were hitting and ingredients tasted fresh. Exactly what I wanted from a taco spot! Service was very fast on a weekday holiday night!

Food was phenomenal. Everything was juicy and delicious. The service was quite quick as well but maybe because we went at night. The place was fairly nice and provided a stand with condiments. I'll definitely be coming again.

I came in on a Saturday night 9pm with no lines and some people eating at the tables. The service was fast, but I believe the red flags are that the food wasn't getting sold and turned over. The adobada was mushy and not really tasty. I don't really know why I ordered a torta, which I considered to be an off menu item at a place that's known for tacos. Maybe it was because of a terrible recommendation from another reviewer. Bottom line, come here when it looks busy.

Everything we ordered was outstanding and made fresh. This is our first visit and my wife the restaurant critic said; "everything you need is on hand and the food was better then the tacos in TJ and you don't have to waste time in line (going over or coming bk), plus the police mordida! Staff is very friendly and service is very fast. We plan to come back in the future. Close to Interstate 5 on H Street in Chula Vista.

Came in for some Mexican food after a late morning of paddleboarding and working up our appetite. The parking here seems to be a bit tight and it's one driveway to enter and the other side is exit only and to get to the other side you have to drive in the drive through line. The staff quick to try to get you in and out, it's a bit chaotic order though. I was incredibly happy to see that they serve up authentic meats like cabeza, tripa, lengua, and my personal fave buche. The adobada is delicious too and they've got a salsa that is blended with pineapple that finely compliments the adobada. Tortillas here are made by hand and you can definitely taste it- so good! Portions are large, prices are fair. Dont wait, run to this spot. I took off one star because the bathrooms were dirty, out of toilet paper and paper towels and tables needed cleaned.

I took my friends from out of town here and we were all so impressed. Who ever was in charge gave us a free sample taco to share and decide! Customer service was really impressive. The servings here are huge and I love all the sauce! I will admit it's a tad more spendy than tacos el Gordo but it's just as tasty if not more! The only meat I was not impressed by was the tripas, only because I prefer it to be very crispy/crunchy. I will keep this in my taco rotation. Just writing this review is making me crave this place again. There was a large variety of sauces to choose from as well, and each one tasted so different I wish I took pictures.

They have been serving up from a fleet of food trucks, Mariscos El Prieto, for 27 years and now have 2 brick and mortar locations ! Come try some of the most authentic street tacos in San Diego. With hand made tortillas, basically prepared to order, a wide selection of taco shop favorites and perfectly seasoned adobada with a hint of pineapple flavoring. This is going to be your new go to taco shop. Not only do they have amazing indoor and outdoor seating, but a drive through for your late night convince! The shop is so open and welcoming too! We loved all the food we tried and the ice cream bars!

If you're a taco enthusiast like me, you've got to check out Taqueria by El Prieto! The ambiance here is spot-on, with charming wooden tables and a front decor brimming with lush plants that give the place a cozy, inviting vibe. The service was top-notch--friendly, efficient, and welcoming. Now, let's talk tacos. The adobada was a standout; juicy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The carnesada was also quite good, but it was the trippa tacos that stole the show for me. They were crispy and well-seasoned, though I did wish there was a bit more of the trippa. Overall, Taqueria by El Prieto is a fantastic spot for tacos. It's a wonderful addition to Chula Vista's dining scene and definitely worth a visit!

Our enthusiasm, sparked by the commercial, led us to drive from Mission Hills to sample this taco establishment, renowned for its global offerings. However, our experience was disappointing. A 10-minute wait ensued, punctuated by repeated inquiries about taco numbers and dine-in/takeout preferences, despite our obvious presence as the sole customers. Between 5:00 and 5:10 PM, our order was incorrectly prepared for takeout. We were asked three times we said for here in Spanish . We ultimately left due to inadequate customer service and the staff member's apparent dissatisfaction upon learning of our intention to dine in, which was clearly communicated and accompanied by a tray. Not worth 389 for taco and bad customer service

Great new taqueria that just opened up in Chula Vista. They have a super convenient drive-thru. I really loved their carne asada tacos. They also have a large portion of fries that I got half carne asada and half adobada which I enjoyed.

Came here with a really big group of friends. They helped us all with speedy orders and the food was great! I strongly recommend this taqueria for anybody that is trying to have great tacos and a great time! Thank you Taqueria by El Prieto!

BOMB food here is ligit like going to TJ! el prieto did it again! not only is his food trucks delicious but so is his restaurant 10/10 forget the line at the boarder just come here! everything is delicious and authentic, great flavor and fresh! definitely our new spot!!

Really recommend this spot if you are looking for authentic Mexican tacos. Rafael greeted us as soon an my family and I walked in. Very good service from the cooks. Will definitely be coming back soon.

My husband and I were craving tacos while waiting in line to cross into Tijuana, but with it being 6 pm and the traffic heavy, we decided to stay in San Diego and try a new taco spot. We came here, and we were pleasantly surprised! The customer service was excellent - the taquero was super attentive and even cut off pieces from the adobada trompo for us to sample the meat. As big adobada fans, we only tried those and ordered adobada tacos and a mulita. The flavor was amazing, and the meat was perfectly seasoned. 10/10 recommend! We'll definitely be back.

We went early in the day but the ambiance was good. The service was good and fast. The food tasted like the tacos you find down in Tijuana, delicious. Highly recommended.

The carne asada tacos were disgusting, very fatty and the meat looked steamed, not grilled. The guy serving the carne asada tacos was extremely rude, he walked away to talk to his co workers when we wanted to order, the adobada tacos were also disgusting, the meat was not thoroughly cooked, I hope I don't get sick! The agua de Jamaica was very tart, and the agua de pepino had no flavor! This place is horrible and over priced. Never going back!!

Adobada and lengua here are my favorite. A tip when ordering the quesadillas, ask for it well done to get that tortilla extra crispy or it will be difficult to eat. Great customer service the last few times I came here.

Just a very disappointed everyone hyped this place and its taste so plain. And portion was small idont know if i will come back

TACOS and MULITAS ARE AMAZING!! If you don't want to wait at the Tacos El Gordo down the street i definitely recommend this taco place. Service is amazing, since it's not packed, they are quick with your order! Area is peaceful and quite definitely a place to enjoy your tacos! This place should definitely get more hype just like TEG!! oh AND they have free aguas frescas with a purchase of their food items.

It definitely lived up to its hype after Taco El Gordo Left. The carne asade/Adobada mix burrito is a must!!!

WOW!! What a hidden gem in Chula Vista! Had an adobado torta, lengua tacos, carnitas tacos, and a whole bunch of variety at the salsa bar. Staff was all really friendly and the food was outstanding! Walked out of there absolutely stuffed. Food looked so good I forgot to take pictures.

Just checked out this place with my family. The carnitas mulita was probably the best thing we ordered, but the taco de adobada was also great. The carne asada quesadilla for my toddlers was a hit, which is hard to do. Service was friendly and excellent, atmosphere was what you'd reasonably expect from a taqueria and was very clean. Parking was tight, and could be an issue when this place gets really busy. They had a baby seat, which was good on a quiet night but might be a challenge if you show up and there's another young family.

I had the papa loca asada & it was just a potato with cheese!! Lots of cheese. No guac or sour cream really disappointing. The meat wasn't for me it had all kinds of fat & nerves wasn't just asada it had idk what in it. Few bites in & I tossed it!! All the hype ig I should have just got a taco

Everything is super delicious. I got the Taco de asada, Taco de Adobada, and Tostadas de Asada. Customer service is great here !