During my last three visits to the new Crack Taco Shop on Orange Avenue, I enjoyed delicious food and genuinely warm hospitality. What really stopped me in my tracks, though, were the hours. Open from 8 am to 2 am, Crack Taco is doing something Coronado has been missing for a long time.
I have mourned the loss of Night and Day Cafe’s 24-hour format for years, and Village Donuts has been gone far too long. Late-night gathering spots on the island have quietly disappeared. For years now, we have needed a place for those of us who need a little nourishment after the rest of Coronado has gone to bed.
I run restaurants for a living (currently Officine Buona Forchetta), and I often get home well after the island has shut down. Many nights, I have settled for a Coors Banquet and a bag of Funyuns® from the Little Club (also rumored to be closing). Am I oversharing? Maybe. But that is why I applaud The Crack Taco Shop for this bold move. If you want this to last, support them.
Now that you know when you can score crack, let me tell you what you are in for.
If you have not had a Crack Taco yet, you are in for a real treat. Cardiff Crack has landed on Orange Avenue. If you are unfamiliar, Seaside Market in Cardiff has been selling its Burgundy Pepper marinated tri-tip since 1985. It is a North County institution. One of Seaside Market’s owners is also an owner of Crack Taco, and that famous tri-tip takes center stage here in tacos, burritos, and scattered over nachos. Cardiff Crack is not your standard carne asada. You have to taste the difference.
When I first heard Crack Taco was coming to town, I took the ferry over to Seaport Village to try it firsthand. I wrote about that visit and raved about the Crack Tri-Tip Taco and the Potato Taco, both excellent. I also noticed that the Seaport Village location opened early and offered a strong breakfast menu, so I was hopeful Coronado would follow suit. It does.
A few days after they opened, I stopped in early and ordered the Crackafornia Burrito. The taquero loaded this handful with tri-tip, fries, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream, and it absolutely hit the spot. The hardest part was choosing what to order. The breakfast burrito lineup includes sausage, bacon, ham, and chorizo. They also offer chilaquiles. And that is just breakfast. When I commented on the breadth of their morning offerings, they told me omelets and pancakes are being considered. The variety alone makes me want to keep coming back.
Later that same day, around 3 pm, during a break from work, I ordered a Baja Shrimp Taco and a Battered Fish Taco. I needed to know if the rest of the menu lived up to the crack. I am happy to report that it does. The Battered Fish Taco, in particular, can stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the best in San Diego. I went back to work happy and impressed.
That night, around ten o’clock, it dawned on me that Crack Taco was still open. As I drove down Orange Avenue past a row of darkened storefronts, the excitement built. Honestly, the glowing Crack Taco sign was more exciting than our magnificent Christmas tree. Even though I was not truly hungry, I pulled in and ordered an Al Pastor Taco and another Potato Taco.
The Al Pastor Taco was precisely what it should be and more, but if I had to choose, the Potato Taco wins every time. It is the only taco on the menu with a fried shell. That crispy corn tortilla paired with fluffy mashed potatoes never misses. There is still plenty I have not tried, but the Crack Tri-Tip Nachos are at the top of my list.
One more thing before I forget. The salsas.
Every salsa was excellent. The Habanero Salsa was bright orange, smoky, and seriously spicy, yet completely addictive. The Salsa Verde was mild and tangy, while the Salsa Roja was dark, roasted, and layered, adding depth to anything it touched.
Alexis and Max, two of the owner’s children, have been working the counter, I also met their father Steve, they could not be more gracious. Stop in, try a Crack Taco, and thank The Abbo family for staying open late.
Crack Taco Shop
1009 Orange Avenue
