La Tiendita De Linda Vista

Totally Legit…
They say the best tacos are found in TJ. I say it’s in Linda Vista. At a secluded, little-​known, off-​the-​beaten-​path taqueria located inside a mom-​and-​pop Mexican grocery store.
With a budget décor, convenience store ambiance and a morning cook who’s totally legit – they offer the tastiest tacos that you’ll find in all of San Diego. Bar none.
I’ve tried all of their grande tacos with reckless abandon and they all get a thumbs-​up. Warning: If you’re not careful – you’ll become a taco addict, nervously pacing back-​and-​forth, dying to get your daily fix.
My two favorites are…
1) Shrimp taco: They don’t skimp on the shrimp; and…
2) Fish taco: You get multiple flavorgasms with every bite.
But watch out! These tacos come out piping hot! You may want to wait a minute till they’re cool to the touch. Their red salsa isn’t the only thing giving off heat.
There are no «Taco Tuesday» specials, coupons or promo codes to get you in the door. Legit places don’t need to do that. In fact, what you’ll find are authentic Mexican meals that won’t make you late on the rent.
But if push comes to shove – what’s wrong with being a little late?
Nothing fancy schmancy here. You won’t find Hummers, Ferraris or Bentleys parading outside this humble establishment. But that’s okay. Reservations aren’t required and there’s no need to tip the valet. Yet what La Tiendita may lack in upper crust appeal… it more than makes up with down-​to-​earth, south-​of-​the-​border warmth and charm.
As an avid carne asada burrito junkie – I’ve never given tacos a fair shake. But La Tiendita totally changed that for me. And now it’s become my bench mark when feasting on Mexican cuisine.
La Tiendita is that rare gem… that needle in the haystack for authentic Mexican fare. It’s like eating in TJ minus the long drive and arduous border crossing. Check them out. Passports not required.

Thought this place would have been better. I had read a lots of the reviews and thought I would have liked this place a bit more. I ordered a carne asada burrito with everything. It had meat, rice, beans, onions, cilantro and guacamole. The burrito was just «ok. «not REAL carne asada. Flavor was not great. The red salsa given on the side was also bland, needed salt and more of a purée consistency. Would not go back.

I’ve been in here a couple times as I live fairly close and wanted to stop in somewhere for a quick beverage or snack without having to wait in line.
I haven’t eaten anything form their kitchen, but all the pictures posted on here look way better than the stuff I’ve seen coming in. Maybe I got a bad first impression because the very first time I came in, they were about to close and everything sitting behind the order window looked kind of old and there was dried up sauce on the spoons and it didn’t look so sanitary…
But like I said, I haven’t eaten anything here so I can’t judge.
They have some fruits, Mexican breads and sweets, cheeses, milk, drinks… all Mini mart items with Mexican items added too.
Prices in here are standard Mini Mart. There’s a $ 10 minimum for credit cards and I think .35 cent debit fee. Lame…
It’s good to have little places like this to run in and grab a drink without having to go into a big store, but given the option, I usually go down the block to Linda Vista MiniMart.
They definitely found their niche here, though.

I buy groceries here and decided to try the food. It’s very tasty, made to order, and the people are friendly.

The food, service and products are the things they keep me coming back. The price is possibly a little high but the close distance is what keeps me in the loop.

First time here and I will return!
I ordered one small taco and
It was plate size! Great smile from the cook!

Best lengua burrito I’ve ever had. Great family atmosphere and customer service too.
Mejor burrito lengua que he tenido. Gran ambiente familiar y servicio al cliente también.

Look people. Coming here you already know this is not a fine dinning restaurant, so don’t criticize negative for that reason. This is a humble, traditional, nothing fancy Mexican supermarket that has a deli inside.
The food is pretty good for a place not being a full restaurant.
Service is what you would expect.
Prices are fair.
I will come back. Try the tacos!!!

Here is a tip everyone should remember: When you walk up to a Mexican food place and construction workers are a large number of their customers, EAT THERE!
1. The pollo asado burrito I ate was filled with fresh guac.
2. The friendly service was not overdone but just normal and easy going.
3. The price was $ 6.50 for the burrito but it was the best damn burrito I’ve had since I was a kid growing up in El Centro.
4. Rundown décor, shabby little tables, picnic napkins… First Class!
5. Two different kinds of salsa were grouped with my delicious burrito. Red and Green. Both fresh, flavorful, spicy.
TEN STARS!

Discovered this little shop a couple months ago. Tacos here are some of the best, legit Mexican tacos in this part of town. Tacos even come with guac, something most other taco shops nickel and dime you for.

The food is fine, pretty good actually. But the chef cooks with no gloves, and the ordering might be difficult for English speakers. Its a small restaurant inside a convenience store, with limited seating, but friendly people. Wouldn’t eat here again based on environment and sanitation.

Best tacos in San Diego! Paid 8 bucks for two big tacos and one mini. I had a mini lengua taco, a large tripa and a large carne asada. Absolutely no regrets. Will def come here again!

Everything is so on point! My new goto spot. very nice ppl. Eat first pay later. By far the best chiaqulies ive ever had

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) 4.75 stars. Authentic and delicious tacos.
We were visiting San Diego for the weekend and what we wanted more than anything was have some authentic Mexican tacos. We struck out on a couple of places (they were good, but not what you would call authentic).
We found La Tiendita De Linda Vista on Unilocal (of course) and headed over there.
When we arrived, I had a GREAT feeling about it. This feeling was quickly rewarded. We walked in the front and saw that it is a small Mexican grocery store. We headed to the back and found the taco stand. They had a variety of tacos and all were authentic. We ordered six tacos: goat, chicken, chorizo, carne asada, adobo, and pork. Added to them were cilantro, onions, and guacamole. Also, they had a red and green salsa. Both with good flavor and not too hot.
From my travels in Mexico, these compared VERY well. Would have gotten 5 stars, but we have a had better from just a couple of other places.
But the bottom line is that if anyone wants some authentic tacos, they should go here.

The reviews on the food here are correct! Stop here from out of town and really enjoyed grabbing a couple of tacos for lunch. Delicious!

A little piece of TJ in San Diego:
I decided to come here with a friend to celebrate taco Tuesday after reading many great reviews about this place. I knew I wanted to try out this place after seeing that it had more than 4 stars on Unilocal; which I don’t see very often for a Mexican restaurant.
Atmosphere:
It’s a Mexican grocery store that has a nice little eatery inside as well. This isn’t a nice fancy dinner place at all, but to me, it felt very cozy and authentic.
Food:
We tried the lengua, asada, carnitas, and adobada mini tacos. All the tacos were so good! The corn tortilla was on point and the meat was well seasoned and so tender, especially the lengua and carnita. The store also carries many drinks imported from Mexico.
Although Tacos El Gordo is good, it’s a far drive and the environment is a little too hectic for my taste. However, this place is a perfect quick stop to satisfy my street tacos cravings. I would definitely recommend this place for a cheap and quick meal.

Beat tacos in LV for sure! Now I don’t need to drive all the way down to tacos el gordo, these tacos are 1.89 –they are huge, filled with a lot of meat, and juicy/​delicious. Lengua was very tender, I love the adobada and asada as well!

Best tacos in Linda Vista. Stopped by La Tiendita for lunch before heading to breweries in the area. It is a grocery store and taco shop with an abundance of warmth and charm. Everyone was so friendly. If you’re there to eat, order with the cook and then pay at the cashier before leaving.
I had three mini tacos. One carne asada, one adobada, and one carnitas. Each one was juicy, tender, and flavorful. The carne asada and adobada had a bit of charred crispiness as well. Each taco was piled up high on two tortillas. The tortillas were not the greatest but the quality and quantity of the meat make up for it. Be careful, the tacos come out hot. I don’t give out many five star reviews but La Tiendita gets full points from me.

This place is a hole in the wall, but it is well worth the trek if you’re anywhere near the area. I went here based on reviews from Unilocalers you made the visit before me – and boy am I glad I went. The food is great! The actual restaurant is inside a grocery store ran by what seems to be a family. When you order, the food is made fresh. I ordered some of the best street tacos I’ve ever had in the US. Am I allowed to say that since I’ve never ordered them in Mexico? Well, I’m saying it. They were awesome. They come on a Styrofoam tray along with all the fixings. The specials listed on the board were very inexpensive.
I don’t live anywhere near San Diego, but when I go back — it’s a must stop for sure!

Not a bad place for street tacos. For $ 5.39, you can get three mini tacos and a soda. I chose two carne asada and one carnitas tacos. I did not want the soda, so I gave it to a little girl that was buying tortillas for her family.
The mini’s came together on a plate with sliced radishes and a small wedges of lime (
). The tacos were okay. I appreciated that they put plenty of carne asada in the tacos, but the meat was on the dry side and needed seasoning. They do not prepare the meat over a wood fire grill, but rather a griddle. The guacamole was good, but it too needed some seasoning (
). The carnitas taco was better, given the pork was juicy and had better seasoning, and I tried it with the green tomatillo sauce it that was great (
).
The place is a store and eatery hybrid with a small amount of seating inside. They also provide breakfast and have a meat counter were they butcher and make their own longaniza. The staff was friendly enough.

AMAZING.
Tacos are made fresh in front of you. This place is part of a meat market «carniceria» so they are made as you order, but with that being said this isn’t your white collar, black dress sort of place to go eat. A mama and pop/​hole-​in-​the-​wall sort of store, the people running it are warm and friendly. The tacos are fantastic. Cheap, $ 1.69 a piece and they give you a lot of meat. The grande fish taco is $ 1.79 when I last went.
San Diego is hyped for El Gordo’s tacos but I personally think this place beats it. My FAVORITE taco joint in San Diego.
Their ceviche is REALLY good too. This is my default go to place to eat. It never fails and delivers cheap, good food every time =], also I love supporting this shop since the people here are just so sweet and friendly all the time. =]