Tacos El Franc

"This taqueria boasts a bustling corner setting with a covered roof and bright blue open walls. There is plenty of seating at anchored white tables as well as at the counter. Grab a table, then place your order from one of the pleasant apron-clad ladies circulating throughout the room. There are different stations cooking specific items, and the sounds of sizzling and chopping rise above the cacophony. The menu is wide-ranging, with tacos, tostadas and vampiros, all with a meat focus." - Michelin Inspector

"The Valadez family opened Tacos La Glorieta in 1982, followed by Tacos El Frances (‘86), but they struck gold at Tacos El Franc (‘96), in downtown Tijuana where its massive red trompo of sweet, spiced adobada (pork in adobo) serves as the nucleus of the city’s food scene. The carne asada team makes solid mesquite-grilled steak tacos, alongside the stainless-steel comal cooking suadero (beef belly), chitterlings, and beef tongue are fried in their own fat. Orders from the taquero on the adobada station come fast, dressed with chopped onions, and cilantro, then coated with creamy guacamole, and a mild red salsa at Tijuana’s busiest taquería." - Bill Esparza

"You might recognize this open-air taqueria from the Netflix series, *Taco Chronicles*. Tacos El Franc sits on a busy street, with cars honking and whizzing by. Chefs ladle vibrant salsa from giant vats, slicing al pastor fresh from the spit, and hungry locals devour two, three, or even five of the street-style tacos in one sitting. Carne asada is the crowd favorite, with its juicy chunks of beef tucked into a soft housemade corn tortilla and topped with a light dollop of salsa, guac, cilantro, and onions. We're also suckers for the adobada (marinated pork). But while those may be the safe bets—a product of being close to San Diego, where carne asada and adobada reign supreme —we recommend rounding out your order with something more traditional like cabeza or lengua. Tacos El Franc opens at 4 p.m. and keeps its grill fired up as late as 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, which means you might be there for a casual dinner or a late-night second dinner to prevent that next-day hangover." - Archana Ram

"Considered the current taco monarchs of the Sanchez Taboada drag just outside downtown,  Tacos el Franc doesn’t mess with success. Tacos here are made with the tried and true combination of flame-grilled meats, salsa, onion, cilantro, and guacamole, all atop of a tortilla. Despite its no frills attitude, El Franc’s excellent tacos have made crowds a common sight all week long." - Mario A. Cortez