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9 Essential Stops on A Southern California Taco Road Trip
We don't recommend trying them all in one day (but you could).
Tacos are more than just a regional specialty in Southern California: they’re a part of the cultural and culinary landscape. Long before Southern California was part of the United States, it was part of Mexico, meaning Mexican food in California predates the state of California itself. Tacos are hardly the only popular dish from Mexico, but they’re a key part of Mexican food within the US, and tacos have evolved with the state, reflecting migration patterns, blending cultures, and the accessibility of street-level and pop-up restaurant ownership.
SoCal’s taco scene exploded in the 1900s, when immigrants from various parts of Mexico brought regional specialties with them, like carne asada from Sonora and fish tacos from Baja. Over time, American influences, as well as influences from chefs from other countries, started making their mark on the taco scene, too.
Today, Los Angeles County alone has thousands of taco vendors, from informal sidewalk stands to family-run fine dining and award-winning, celebrity-loved taquerías. And that’s just in Los Angeles County. Fortunately, the drive from San Diego to Los Angeles is roughly three hours, making a Southern California taco road trip not just doable, but downright easy. On the list below, you’ll find flour and corn tortillas, grilled meats cooked over mesquite, deep-fried fish in beer batter, creative vegan specialties using unexpected ingredients, and enough non-taco options to please even picky eaters.
The tacos below aren’t just good — they’re helping to define the modern taco scene and helping visitors taste Southern California’s layers of immigration and cultural blending that help define the Golden State.
Mapped: a Southern California taco road trip
If you don’t hit any traffic, visiting every stop on the map above would take about 3.5 hours of driving time. But you’ll need to factor in plenty more time not just for visiting each location, but for parking and dealing with California’s notoriously bad traffic. You’ll also likely want to make some stops on your road trip, unless you plan to eat more than a dozen tacos in one day. Fortunately, between San Diego and Los Angeles, you can do everything from watching wild sea lions to hiking the Hollywood Hills to browsing museums at sprawling Balboa Park.
Where to stop on a taco road trip
Stop 1: Tacos El Gordo, Chula Vista
Tacos El Gordo in Chula Vista is a Southern California institution that draws crowds from morning until late at night, with lines often snaking out the door. The experience is hectic and unique, with customers lining up at different stations depending on which meat they prefer, from adobada (shaved from a vertical spit and served with creamy cilantro-lime sauce) to lengua (beef tongue), cabeza (beef head), and crispy tripa (intestines).
There are downsides: waits can be lengthy, the interior is crowded and loud, seating is limited, and parking can be tough. But for die-hard taco fans, it’s completely worth it, as many consider Tacos El Gordo a southern California rite of passage.
Tacos El Gordo: 556 Broadway, Chula Vista, CA 91910
Stop 2: La Puerta, Downtown San Diego
La Puerta stands out for its Sinaloa-inspired tacos, with a lively and more stylish atmosphere than your typical taco shop — think tacos, tunes, and tequila in equal measure. Tacos are served street-style, though there are fancier taco platters if that’s your vibe. Standouts include the cochinita pibil taco, the pastor with warm pineapple, and the surf ‘n turf taco. All are available for lunch and brunch, as are the restaurant’s much-loved margaritas and extensive tequila menu. It’s not just an excellent stop on a taco road trip, but one of the highest-rated restaurants in San Diego on Yelp, too.
La Puerta: 560 Fourth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Stop 3: Mitch’s Seafood, Point Loma
Mitch’s Seafood in San Diego is one of the most beloved taco spots on the waterfront, especially for locals who know their fish. It’s on the edge of a working fishing marina in Point Loma and specializes in Baja- and SoCal-style seafood tacos with locally caught fish, often coming from the boats docked out front.
It’s known for “boat-to-tortilla” freshness, with which type of taco is available each day depending on what’s been caught and what they’ve been able to recently source. The menu has more than a dozen options, ranging from rockfish to salmon to monchong and octopus. Most tacos are served with minimal fuss: just cabbage, crema, pico, and a house-made salsa. It doesn’t take reservations and is quite popular, so try to visit during slower hours, like early afternoon, to avoid a long wait.
Mitch’s Seafood: 1403 Scott St, San Diego, CA 92106
Stop 4: The Taco Stand, La Jolla
Don’t miss the Taco Stand for handmade tortillas, flame-grilled meat, and fresh-made churros. It’s a modern homage to Tijuana street tacos with a cult following that includes more than a few celebrity names. Tortillas are made fresh in front of guests, the meat is cooked on an open flame, and the nopal (cactus) taco is one of the best veggie options in town. On TripAdvisor, it’s the top restaurant in La Jolla, so it’s worth the hype. And hyped it is — it’s been rated as everything from one of the top quick-food chains in the US (it has a few locations) and is quickly expanding to additional states.
The Taco Stand: 621 Pearl St, La Jolla, CA 92037
Stop 5: Haggo’s Organic Tacos, Encinitas
Haggo’s Organic Tacos in Encinitas is not your typical taqueria, using ingredients you won’t find at most taco shops. The Azul signature taco pairs beef with bleu cheese, mushrooms, and arugula, while the “Immortal 2.0” loads tortillas with quinoa. There are multiple vegetarian and vegan options, plus non-taco options like burritos or healthier bowls. The vibe at Haggo’s is also unique, offering an experience somewhat like a backyard food lab mixed with a surf shack. You’ll order from a window under a palm-fringed canopy, where dogs nap at your feet and shoes are optional. Tacos are a little pricey at around $7-$8 each, but ask any of the many five-star reviewers and they’ll say it’s well worth the few extra dollars.
Haggo’s Organic Tacos: 1302 N Coast Hwy 101, #101, Encinitas, CA 92024
Stop 6: Holbox, Los Angeles
Holbox, in southern LA, is a seafood-focused Mexican restaurant that earned a Michelin star in 2024. It’s deceptively modest, inside the casual Mercado La Paloma shopping area. Tacos here are way more than just onions and asada. Instead, you’ll find grilled kanpachi (amberjack) collar lacquered in achiote, or octopus tacos finished with squid ink sofrito. The Michelin guide doesn’t hold back praise, stating “Spectacular quality seafood of unassailable freshness leaves an impression, whether in electrifyingly vibrant aguachiles and ceviches, excellent tacos served on house-made heirloom corn tortillas, or skillfully grilled lobster — a panoply of exceptional house salsas gilds the lily.”
Despite the casual atmosphere, the presentation of each taco is worthy of a white-tablecloth restaurant. Sure, taking photos of your food before you eat may be a little played out at this point, but for Holbox, you’ll want to make an exception. The menu changes frequently, so come ready to try new things.
Holbox: 3655 S Grand Ave c9, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Stop 7: Sonoratown, Los Angeles
Sonoratown is a small LA restaurant known for tacos inspired by the state of Sonora, in northern Mexico. The restaurant makes its own tortillas using flour imported from San Luis Río Colorado. The result is a thinner and softer tortilla with more flexibility than your average American flour tortillas. In fact, it won the “Golden Tortilla” trophy at the Great Tortilla Tournament in Los Angeles in 2018. Many of the restaurant’s tacos use mesquite-grilled meats, like grilled short rib in the Costilla taco, giving them a smoky flavor. Also reminiscent of Sonora is the fact that tacos are topped not with onions and cilantro, but instead with shredded cabbage, avocado salsa, and a grilled green onion. It’s an excellent stop on a taco road trip if you want to taste flavors from across Mexico, rather than just the usual street-style tacos found more commonly in Southern California.
Sonoratown: 208 E 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Stop 8: Amor y Tacos, Cerritos
(@amorytacos)
Amor y Tacos is a standout taco shop in Cerritos just south of LA. While the space itself is casual and unpretentious, the kitchen is experimental and creative when it comes to culinary skills. The menu is rooted in tacos and traditional Mexican food, but it frequently detours into Korean, American, and other global cuisines, with ever-changing items like tacos with house-made kimchi. If you stop in on a taco road trip, you may want to opt for the taco tasting flight, where you’ll get to try a rotating selection of three unique tacos.
Amor y Tacos isn’t Michelin starred, but it does have a Bib Gourmand nod from Michelin (an honor that signals quality and value). The complete “tour de tacos” is only $23. Reservations are recommended, as it’s rated number four of more than 180 restaurants in Cerritos.
Amor y Tacos: 13333 South St, Cerritos, CA 90703
Stop 9: X’tiosu Kitchen, Los Angeles
X’tiosu Kitchen in Bell, southeast of downtown Los Angeles, is a tiny, counter-service spot that serves some of the most inventive tacos in Southern California. The menu blends Oaxacan and — wait for it — Lebanese culinary traditions. Run by two brothers of Oaxacan descent who grew up around Lebanese food, the restaurant’s name comes from the Zapotec word for “thank you.” The al pastor, for example, is cooked shawarma-style (a nod to the Lebanese roots of the dish itself) and served on house-made flour tortillas alongside classic salsas and pickled vegetables. The beef barbacoa draws on slow-braised Oaxacan techniques, while the labneh-topped falafel taco is a standout vegetarian option. 
X’tiosu Kitchen: 923 Forest Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033
