While Coronado is experiencing a recent boom in quality tacos, both from Crack Taco and Habanero’s, my thirst for great tacos keeps me on the hunt for more.
This small shop in Little Italy by Taqueria Tijuanazo, aptly named Tijuanero, has been on my radar for quite some time. On a recent day off, I queued up outside the stand just before it opened, ready to quench my thirst for authentic TJ tacos and my quest for the best beans in San Diego.
Antonio Esquivel, the founder of Taqueria Tijuanazo, earned his chops in high-end kitchens in Beverly Hills, took that knowledge to TJ, and applied it to honest street food, opening his first location, Taco Nazo, outside a car wash in 2008. Since then, he has built a small taco empire, expanding into Southern California.
A few things make this taqueria special: imported tortillas from Tijuana’s El Grano del Oro, USDA prime meats, and specialty items like birria, adobada, and chorizo paired with handcrafted salsas.
A few items caught my eye. I am a sucker for Vampiro tacos, so I decided on the adobada version of that, the carne asada taco, chorizo taco, and, of course, no taco shop visit would be complete for me without trying the house beans. I opted for the Frijoles Con Carne; they did not disappoint.
The smell of the grill set up outside Tijuanero took me back to my salad days on the streets of TJ, sampling street tacos while hitting up the bars that dotted Avenida Revolución. Shots, Coronas, and things you can’t unsee at Tony Bar, caguamas at Long Bar, and chalices of frozen delights at Margarita Ville. When you put in the work, you develop quite an appetite. The smell of carne sizzling on the grill and the perfume of smoke took me back forty-some-odd years to adventures south of the border we never told our parents about.
I could barely stand the anticipation building inside of me. I loved the vibe at Tijuanero, and I had not even sampled the food.
My daughter Sasha stepped away from her favorite carne asada and went with a Birria Taco. She gave it two thumbs up. My Adobada Vampiro was one of the best I have had in San Diego, and the Chorizo Taco was unique as it had large chunks of chorizo sausage, a nice departure from the finely ground greasy versions that so many taco shops offer. The Frijoles Con Carne were packed with chunks of meat and just the right amount of cheese that melted into the mix. I added diced onion and cilantro to my beans and was instantly transported to my happy place.
It is official: there is now a hat trick of taquerias with TJ origins that top my list of go-to taco haunts. Tacos El Franc, Tacos El Gordo, and now Taqueria Tijuanero. All three deliver tacos worth the drive, with El Franc and Tijuanero both serving slow-cooked beans I would consider among the best in San Diego. If you’re a bean nut like myself, the beans at Lola 55 and Grand Ole BBQ should be on your radar as well. 
There is paid parking right behind Tijuanero, and during the week, street parking is not too bad. I hope you add Tijuanero to your short list of places to try; you won’t regret it.
Taco Tijuanero
2102 India Street
San Diego
Hours
Sunday-Thursday 11 am -10 pm
Friday & Saturday 11 am – 11 pm
