Issue No. 6: Sort of Ravenous
Value Taco Map, Edition 1: six North County taco spots crowdsourced from neighbors, bartenders, and a priest — including one very hard-won tip. From a $1.99 street taco to one so big two people couldn't finish four. Free, every Thursday.
ISSUE NO. 06 · NORTH COUNTY, SAN DIEGO
Sort of Ravenous
We found six taco spots by asking around. The best one took the most convincing.
For this one, we didn't Yelp our way through North County. We asked. Neighbors, Lyft drivers, bartenders, a priest, a hairdresser — anyone who'd talk tacos with us. Most people gave up their favorites (and not-so-favorites) without much of a fight. One person didn't. It took real convincing before Valerie would part with her spot, and she was right to guard it. Without her sacrifice, we never would have found our anchor rec below. This one's for you, Valerie.
This is the first edition of our Value Taco Map: North County's best tacos for the money — not always the cheapest, just always worth it.
Sort of Ravenous
San Marcos
The $1.99 al pastor taco, fully loaded, might be the best-tasting deal on this whole map — not just cheap, genuinely delicious. Everything's made fresh until they run out, and once it's gone for the day, it's gone. For the serious end of the menu, buche, cabeza and tripa are all excellent too. It's onsite ordering only — no calling in, no delivery. It's an easy trip by train, though — about two blocks from the Civic Center Coaster/Sprinter stop.
Sort of Ravenous
Del Mar
The fish taco is $1.39 and it's not a gimmick — battered, fried, dressed simple, and worth ordering three of in one sitting. Happy hour runs daily, so there's rarely a bad time to make it a full stop instead of a drive-by and the margaritas don't miss.
Sort of Ravenous
Oceanside
Tacos run $1.59 any day of the week — already fair. But Tuesdays and Fridays, they drop to 79 cents each, salsa and lemons thrown in free. Buche, carne asada, pollo asado, carnitas or adobada, plus a newer birria taco on those same discount days. It's a market first and a taco counter second, and the counter alone is worth the stop.
Sort of Ravenous
Carlsbad
Not cheap — $7 to $8 a taco, receipt-verified — but these aren't street-taco sized. Shrimp, carne asada, carnitas and adobada all come out stuffed enough that the two of us could barely finish four between us. Open 24 hours with a drive-thru, for whenever the craving actually hits. Ours hit at 11:56 p.m. — we have the receipt — and yes, it was delicious.
Sort of Ravenous
Vista
Two deals worth planning around: fish tacos two for $6 on Fridays, and everything else — cabeza, birria, adobada, your call — at $1.99 on Tuesdays. We've had the cabeza, the birria, and the adobada, and all three earned the hype. Just know the line gets long, especially on deal days.
Sort of Ravenous
Escondido
A seafood taco counter that doesn't cut corners to hit a price point. Fish tacos run $3.50 regular, $2.25 on Taco Tuesday, with a smoked tuna version for $3.25 the same day that has its own following. The octopus taco is worth a special trip on its own.
Sort of a Sleeper — bonus round
Del Mar
One more, off the value map: the lengua taco at El Pueblo isn't the cheapest thing on the menu, but it might be the best bite in this whole issue. Slow, tender, no notes.
Go order too many tacos.
— The Sort