Tacos El Gordo, Downtown
21 people recommend, 4 warn against itvia r/sandiego, r/asksandiego27 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Most commenters recommend Tacos El Gordo, with one saying its tacos come close to Tijuana's, another crediting the handmade tortillas, and single commenters pointing to the adobada and the nopales. Downtown draws mixed views: one commenter says that branch falls short of the others, while another calls it their personal favorite. Caveats include one commenter who finds the meat inconsistent and sometimes dry and one who finds the food gross. One commenter calls it a tourist pick they would not endorse, another rates the al pastor highly but finds the carne poor, and one diner notes long lines.
Address
Tacos El Gordo, 511 F St, San Diego, CA 92102
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Tacos El Gordo, Downtown, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/Westykins in r/sandiego · Jan 2025
Concedes it may not be the best but suggests it as a good first stop for someone new to tacos.
- Recommendsu/marksd619 in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Names Tacos El Gordo as a taco pick.
- Recommendsu/eastcounty98 in r/asksandiego · Jun 2024taste
Describes it as a touristy spot but says the food is pretty good.
- Recommendsu/xnerdyxrealistx in r/sandiego · Dec 2025taste
Recommends ordering the nopales dish from this spot.
- Recommendsu/Raibean in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Agrees with the Tacos El Gordo pick.
- Caveatu/Low-Kaleidoscope-99 in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026taste
Feels the downtown branch falls short compared with other branches they know.
- Recommendsu/Money_Proper in r/sandiego · May 2026taste
Suggests trying the adobada tacos there, though noting no white queso dip.
- Recommendsu/lawyerjsd in r/asksandiego · Sep 2024
Recommends it as a Tijuana chain serving non-standard fare.
Show all 27 cited comments
- Recommendsu/Skiceless in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Calls Tacos El Gordo a solid option around town.
- Recommendsu/olivermasiosare in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026taste
Credits Tacos El Gordo's handmade tortillas as a standout strength.
- Caveatu/Potatoskinsumo in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Calls the Tacos El Gordo suggestion a tourist pick they would not endorse.
- Recommendsu/brunettebeauty3 in r/sandiego · Jan 2025
Says the downtown branch is their personal favorite.
- Recommendsu/LargeMarge-sentme in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026taste
Pushes back on the critic, saying the food is definitely not gross.
- Recommendsu/GueriitoLoko in r/asksandiego · Oct 2024taste
Recommends El Gordo for tacos that come close to Tijuana's, though lines run long.
- Mixedu/TheOBRobot in r/asksandiego · Sep 2024price
Says the tacos are good and credits its fame to being an early Tijuana taco spot to expand to the US.
- Recommendsu/homelesguydiet in r/sandiego · May 2026
Suggests trying tacos there.
- Mixedu/RadiantZote in r/sandiego · May 2026taste
Says its al pastor is top in San Diego, but finds the carne poor.
- Recommendsu/OwninSanDiego in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Gives an enthusiastic shout-out to Tacos El Gordo.
- Recommendsu/jenny_jen_jen in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026
Says even people without great local tacos would like Tacos El Gordo.
- Caveatu/CantStopJV in r/sandiego · Jan 2025consistency
Finds it unimpressive; says quality varies and the meat can come out dry.
- Recommendsu/FPVGiggles in r/sandiego · Jan 2025
Agrees that Tacos El Gordo is the best.
- Recommendsu/edgardini360 in r/sandiego · Jan 2025
Urges the asker to ignore the other options and go straight to this restaurant.
- Recommendsu/chickenHotsandwich in r/asksandiego · Sep 2024
Gives it a strong, emoji-filled endorsement.
- Recommendsu/Mr_Chicle in r/asksandiego · Sep 2024
Suggests it as a quick option, listed with The Taco Shop.
- Recommendsu/Top-Sweet-3444 in r/asksandiego · Jun 2024
Pushes back on the tourist label, arguing it has long been a good local spot for them.
- Recommendsu/RealScooterJackson in r/sandiego · Jan 2025
Advises steering clear of chain stores and suggests Tacos El Gordo instead.
- Caveatu/avvocadiux in r/asksandiego · Feb 2026taste
Finds Tacos El Gordo's food gross and disagrees with the praise.
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Freshness
Details last checked 3 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.