San Diego's Best Taco Tuesdays!

Taco Tuesdays

AJ: How is this possible? How in the world are we a San Diego podcast? And this is our first taco Tuesday episode. 

Sara: I don't know, shame on us, but better, late than never. And we're finally going to get it done. We have the perfect guest to help you navigate those taco Tuesday spots.

AJ: JJ is a San Diego based YouTuber who covers all things, food and fun on his channel, JK patients.

But he's particularly an expert on taco Tuesday. 

Sara: So let's do it. Let's go all in on San Diego's best taco Tuesdays. 

AJ: JJ, welcome to all in San Diego.

Jay Jay: Eh, what's up, Adrian. Sarah, thanks for having me 

Sara: Yeah, 

AJ: thrilled to have you. I think it's a small miracle that we've made it to almost 40 episodes of this show about all the great things in and around San Diego. And we haven't done a taco Tuesday episode. I mean, it's kind of embarrassing, Sarah. 

Sara: well, no, listen, we're waiting for the right moment for the right person. We wanted it to be magical. 

AJ: Well, we found him JJ, uh, started out as a travel blogger on, uh, YouTube. You can find him there at J K J a Y cation, and, once travel started being a little bit more challenging. He started just going around San Diego and posting videos and has really grown an audience in there and has done many videos about taco Tuesdays, right?

JJ.

Jay Jay: Oh, yeah. Mexican food all over San Diego. And, uh, it's been great discovering new, new spots And, uh, I've been going to places like all over like Ramona and in south San Diego that I don't usually go to, to uncover these.

AJ: Yeah, well, it's hard enough to find your go-to burrito spot or taco spot. It's a whole other level to find that Tuesday deal or that's something special going on in your neighborhood. That's going to become your go-to taco Tuesday. So let's dive in. I believe you said you were going to give us 10 different taco Tuesdays today.

Jay Jay: Awesome. Yeah. I basically made this list of 10 and try to make it as diverse as possible all over the city so that, you know, it's not all consolidated into like one, one space. So hopefully you guys like it. And then if you don't like it, I'm sure you guys will call me out on it.

Sara: Yeah. 

AJ: It'll be great. I love that we're spreading the taco Tuesday. Love around where are we going to start? JJ?

Jay Jay: let's start off with something a little more pricey. Let's start off at, uh, in LA Hoya. Duke's LA Jolla has a taco Tuesday, which I really like. 

AJ: Okay. You've already surprised me I love, I've been to Dukes. It's amazing, uh, incredible views there. you know, you're going to spend a few bucks, but you can have really good food and kind of a casual atmosphere. What I like, I don't like fancy pants, places that often, uh, and here they are a Hawaiian place with a taco Tuesday.

Jay Jay: Yeah, they, they made my, my list because I just love watching the views over there. And you can see, you know, LA Jolla Cove, and this is the most expensive you're going to get on this list. It's two tacos and chips and salsa for 14 bucks. And, um, they actually done away with their happy hours because of the pandemic.

So the only time you're going to get some sort of happy hour deal is on a taco Tuesday. Really good. Kalua pork tacos, which I've tried in the past. they have $5 Pacificos and $8 margaritas.

Sara: Well, that's amazing. I know you said this is the most expensive on the list, but $14. Isn't that much for a couple of tacos and some chips and salsa. I mean, I just paid that for an overpriced salad the other day. I'd way rather be eating tacos at Duke's. You know what I 

mean? 

AJ: view. Sure. Well, let's see, let's also call that your taco Tuesday date spot. If you were going to take someone out to try to impress them on a taco Tuesday, Duke's would do it.

Jay Jay: That's the place. I mean, I have a buddy, he's a, he's a realtor here in San Diego. His first date with his girlfriend was at Duke's. So, uh, you know, it's a really nice place to impress. You don't even have to dress up. You maybe just have a nice little Hawaiian shirt or you just rolling from the beach with your, uh, flip flops and you're getting.

AJ: All right. We're off to a good start, uh, awesome place and good sounding tacos. Kalua pork. Very nice. 

Jay Jay: Next up. How about we go to Del Mar Heights at a place called sea surf fish company have you, have you ever heard of that?

Sara: I've never heard of that?

AJ: I have.

Jay Jay: So it's right off of Del Mar Heights road on a Vaughn's shopping center, kind of before you get to the, the old Pacific highway. And. Every day from three to six, they have $2 fish tacos and they're not stingy with it.

There they're pretty big fish tacos and they have a bigger menu too. It's like six or $7 pokey, nachos as well. And they have beer and wine specials there. And, um, it's just like a regular commercial, shopping center. But if you're a local in Del Mar a lot of people know about it. So, um, it's great. 

Sara: Yup. There's a big Starbucks there with the drive-through and there's a little Mexican food place that I don't know the name of, but they have really great breakfast burritos. you wouldn't expect there to be such great food. 

Jay Jay: Yeah. And that's what I discovered too. And I was like the first time I had those fish tacos, I was pretty amazed and, uh, it ma it made it on my favorite fish taco list, I think in the 

Sara: Nice. 

AJ: well, interview, I mean, it's Vons shoppers, but it's a view. 

Sara: have a view. You have a view, a Vaughn's, which is great, but it is right off the freeway. So it's super convenient. This isn't one that you're going to have to go drive all through Del Mar and find parking. So that's good. 

Jay Jay: Yeah. And you know how bad traffic can be on that part of the five. 

AJ: And you know what? You can have an okay, carnitas, Assata, taco, or chicken taco seafood tacos are usually going to be there. Great or bad. You don't want to roll the dice on seafood taco. So having a seal of approval before you go in, puts it over the top. Very nice.

Jay Jay: Yeah, that's a, it's really a good spot. And, um, I think the reason why I went there was because I learned because I'm Filipino. So I, I found out about a Filipino brewer that was serving their particular beer at that place. And, um, I actually found the bottle there. So, uh, it's called Palo Wayneo brewery, which is named after, uh, a series of islands in the Philippines.

AJ: Very cool.

Sara: All right, JJ, where we had to do next. 

Jay Jay: Let's go, uh, let's go to old town. How about that? There's a lot of Mexican food in old town, but there's also a lot of, uh, there's also a lot of rip offs in old town. 

AJ: Let's call it.

Sara: yeah. Keep it.

real. 

Jay Jay: going to keep it real, you know, everyone's like, oh, the Mexican food in old town is, is the greatest.

And there are really good spots, but you just got to know the times to go there 

AJ: well, that sounds like a fun you, if you had people from out of town, you might think, oh, it's taco Tuesday. Let's head down to old town, but you would definitely want to know the place to go. You wouldn't want to be guessing. So I want the edge of my seat. Where would you go?

Jay Jay: Where would I go? Well, this place has multiple locations around San Diego. And just because they have deals at the one in old town, doesn't mean they'd have it over at like Portside pier it's Miguel's Casina. a $5 happy hour where they have. Three carnitas street tacos for five bucks.

But the best thing that I like over there are their floaters, and their fi everything on the menu is $5. So they have, let's see, it looks like about eight to 10 different things on their menu. the ketos calamari strips, and then they have a $5 draft beers. Well, drinks, margarita is Moscow meals and a red or white wine.

AJ: And there are famous white, CAISO that they put on the table with your champs. That's ridiculous.

Sara: That's the best cocktail they have 

Jay Jay: that's the best cocktail they have. Yup. That's that white 

jalapeno sauce 

AJ: Put a little umbrella in that and go to town.

Sara: And I'm going to back you up on flout. Does I feel like they don't get the respect. They deserve. Floaters are freaking delicious. 

Jay Jay: Oh, there. They're 

Sara: Why does that, why did tuxedos get all the glory? You know what I mean? 

Jay Jay: They're not as crunchy. I guess. I, I dunno like the, the, the flutist, they, they have like a soft, like airy crunch to it. When you, when you 

Sara: Yeah. I'm into it, 

AJ: Okay. We've had a couple of different neighborhoods and a couple of different types of Mexican food. I'm liking this list so far. What's up.

Jay Jay: This one is a pretty popular spot in Gaslamp, off of fourth. And, um, you can actually pair it with another place right next door to it. It's LA 

Sara: Oh yeah. 

Jay Jay: a really good spot. And, uh, their taco Tuesdays are pretty awesome. They even have TJ style, hot dogs, and I everything's like $3. So, I like their carne asada taco over there.

Three bucks. I think they also have a auto Bata tacos 

AJ: Nice.

Jay Jay: And they have Takata is for three bucks, I believe too. So that's a good spot and right next door is a less hottest, that doesn't make the list, but you can hop over to that and they have like $5 patroned shots, which ain't bad. And. 

Sara: Oh, wait, so you're going start. So do you start or end? There is my question. You know, what's the go-to move. 

Jay Jay: It depends. You want to line the stomach with food first and then take the shot or you want to just go in for it. So I would go after

Sara: Okay. 

AJ: You want to go after for sure.

Sara: You got to prime the pump. 

AJ: Sarah's going to go first and end up arrested.

Jay Jay: Yup. 

Sara: Stumble next door. Somebody said something about a TJ hot dog. 

AJ: well, I'll tell you what if I was headed downtown on the taco Tuesday, I would have no idea where to go. I don't think Mexican food and I think the gas lamps. So this, uh, now I, now we know.

Jay Jay: LeBron James, the king of a taco Tuesday, I guess you'd say because he does all taco Tuesday, a talk, um, him and a native San Diego, uh, Jared Dudley.

They love going over to the Los hottest next door. I think Jared daily might be a minority owner or something like that.

Sara: Yeah. So you can go do a little, uh, hopefully some celebrity sighting taco Tuesday, celebrity sighting.

Jay Jay: Yeah. When a NBA season is, uh, is not going on, I think they like frequenting that on their San Diego trips down here.

AJ: Cool. Running the king. James, have a TJ doc. You're having a pretty solid Tuesday.

Sara: $5 shot. Let's do it. 

Jay Jay: Um, you want to hit by the water San Diego bay Seaport village. Let's do that. Um, so there's a place that is. Within Mike has brewing that just opened a few months ago. It's called Cara tacos and, um, they basically share the same space. You get, you grab your beer from my cast, and then you, you also order from Carol tacos, they have the kitchen and they have a Kesa Bierria that's only for.

And that's not like only on taco Tuesday, that's all the time. Like, I don't think they have taco Tuesday specials, but to sit out on that patio and with the prices that they do provide, uh, they do have, it's really a really good spot. And, uh, the owner of kero tacos is the son of the owner of city tacos, which, you know, um, 

Sara: oh, really? 

Jay Jay: Diego.

Yeah.

Sara: No way. 

AJ: Cool.

Sara: making in the fam city tacos is delicious too. 

Jay Jay: Yeah, it's, it's really good. And, um, you, you can kind of see within like the, the designs that their menu, you know, you can tell this definitely the sun has gotta be in the family But the guest Siberia and the fish taco, there are both, um, those are my favorite things. And then wash it down with a, with a sour in my case.

I don't know. I don't know what you guys think about sour beers, but I'm starting to warm up.

Sara: um, well, Aja, uh, are you going to take this one? 

AJ: Yes, let's, there's a volunteer day. I go know that I drink bad beer. I don't ask me about good beer. I'll be over here with a Corona light in my hand. Like it's good.

Sara: Pretending, 

like, 

I think I've only tried sour beer one, so I wouldn't be a connoisseur either, but it sounds good. that. pairing sounds delicious. 

Jay Jay: Yeah. Pretty decent. 

Sara: And again, super great views. Okay. Where are we going to. 

Jay Jay: Let's look here. You want it? You want to head over to east county. How about east county? Let's 

Sara: Yeah. Let's give east county. Yep. some love. 

Jay Jay: No, I've been, uh, I've been criticized in the past day. I don't give a enough love to different parts of the county. So, you know, I went over to Ramona. 

Sara: Yeah. 

Jay Jay: And there's a place there called, Los rancheros, and it's off the main drag of Ramona.

And every Tuesday they have $1 street tacos and. Yeah. And only on Tuesdays, they have the owner. His name is Rodrigo. His cousin lives in Mexico, drives up to San Diego just to make Barea. So like they have, they have a whole barrier menu on Tuesdays, once a week. So like there's lines around this empty parking lot just because the guy makes amazing Barea and they have $1 street top.

AJ: you had me at the window on the street tacos. I have to say, you know, I've lived in San Diego, most of my adult life, but I grew up in the bay area and in the bay, if someone's selling street tacos, they're always very, very cheap and very, very good in San Diego. A lot of places are like $3 and you're like, okay, but I need to eat five of them.

This is going to get really, you know, 

Sara: it seems inexpensive until you start thinking of how many you need to actually get full.

AJ: Yes. And then you just go, you know, like give me a burrito. This is insanity.

Jay Jay: I could, I could hear people ordering from, uh, from the patio, uh, uh, on the drive through. And they were like, oh, I have 10 barrier street tacos. And a five card is, I was like, wow. Y'all is really are a meat eaters here. 

Sara: It's like when you go to order somewhere in there, it's just for you, but they ask you, you know, how many forks, you know, how many straws do you need? How many spoons you're like, oh, it's actually just me. 

Jay Jay: Just one. 

Sara: That's when you know, you've ordered too much food. 

Jay Jay: Yeah. Another thing that was really good over there is there. Th they, they give you like a huge, like, extra large, almost like a bowl, but it's a cup of a whore or Chada, and it's only like three 50. So that's a really good, uh, a good thing to wash, wash those $1 street tacos down with,

Sara: Wash the 10 tacos down with, 

Jay Jay: and they have a nice assortment.

They have, you know, they, I don't know if you guys like langua or Cabeza, I'm not a fan of langua. Cabeza tacos. 

Sara: can't say it would be my go-to. 

Jay Jay: No, I don't like the texture and you know, all that other stuff, 

AJ: I've got friends that swear by and the people that love those wins love 'em. But, uh, yeah, they're a hard sell.

Jay Jay: yeah, so I would definitely recommend the auto Bata and the bay area. Those were the best that I had over there.

AJ: Well, good set up about the language and the Cabeza though, because a lot of places don't have them. So it adds a good to have that heads up for the people that do love those more authentic ones.

Jay Jay: Drive over to Ramona, show them some.

AJ: Yup.

All right. Well, we say this with a lot of episodes. This one is making me hungry. This one is especially making me hungry. I need to taco soon. What's up next.

Jay Jay: Next up, uh, you know, this is another popular spot, uh, Liberty station in point Loma, really good area. Um, now this place just reopened and the reason why I like this place, it's called El Jardin Cantina. they have, uh, their entryway, a bunch of umbrellas that look like a rooftop, and it almost brings you back to like a small town of.

AJ: Wow.

Sara: It is really charming. It's very cute. 

Jay Jay: you've been there. 

Sara: I think I've been there. Do they also have, this is going to sound weird, but pairs of jeans that They have turned into planters. 

Jay Jay: They 

Sara: thinking of the right place? 

Jay Jay: know you're in the right place. Yeah. I remember walking there and seeing like a bunch of jeans with soil inside them 

Sara: Soil. Yeah. Very creative design, very funky. and it's all outdoor. It's really pretty, very, very weird, but very pretty. 

Jay Jay: Yup. Yup. And they have a lot of great drink specials over there, you know, to cottage, house wine and stuff like that. And, um, yeah, three to $4. tacos, barbacoa, mushroom carnitas lamp. 

AJ: Uh, I haven't been there, but I Googled it as well. Right when he brought it up and holy cow, it is a very cool looking place. Bring your camera, you know what? He had pictures in there. A super fun place for taco Tuesday or happy hour.

Jay Jay: Yeah. I'm sure. You'll see, like tick talkers there before they open up trying to do their little gig over in front of that 

AJ: Sure. 

Sara: And next door for all the crazy plant ladies like me pigment that cute store pigment is right next door as well, with tons and tons of amazing plants and home decor and candles. And it's so good. 

Jay Jay: You love, uh, you like 

Sara: Don't get me started. 

Jay Jay: succulent plants. Is that, what is that? What you're into those, those 

Sara: JJ. I like them all. I liked them all. Yup. 

Jay Jay: Yeah, my mom, my mom is, uh, like one of those people that has like a whole succulent garden in the back. And she loves like stores like pigment and stuff like that. 

Sara: Yeah. My family was worried about me for a while there, when we were on lockdown, it was just like me and my plant babies and they were getting real worried 

AJ: The house was looking like an episode of survivor.

Sara: for sure. 

Jay Jay: that's hilarious. 

Sara: well, you know, I love that one. That's a great spot. We've got a couple more, right, JJ. 

Jay Jay: it looks like we've rolled through about seven. So we got three more. Well, let's get weird and head over to Obie ocean beach. 

Sara: Let's do it. 

AJ: So where can we get our hallucinogenic mushroom tacos?

Jay Jay: oh yeah, that's a, that's that's easy. 

Sara: That's really stereotypical AAJ. 

Jay Jay: That's easy. It's south beach Barton grill and on their taco Tuesdays, they have, tacos for 2 95 and they have massive fish tacos over there. Now they also note that it excludes their lobster tacos. So you might have to pay a little more for their 

lobster tacos, but you 

get a great view. You get a great view of the, uh, the longest, uh, concrete pier on the west coast.

And, uh, you know, all the little markets over there. So, uh, it's a nice, it's a nice balcony, right in front of the, the main parking lot there in the corner of the, uh, OB pier.

AJ: I love it. I always happy when someone has a couple of choices that surprised me. your eight for eight right now, I have not heard of most of these places, or if I have heard about them, I didn't know they did taco Tuesday. this is amazing.

Sara: And you know, what else I think is cool as JJ is bringing the fun facts too. Did you catch that? He just slid it in, but you know, longest concrete pier on the west coast, little bragging rights there for OB. 

Jay Jay: I got a, you know, I got to study all this stuff when I do my YouTube videos. So they kind of stick in my head sometimes.

Sara: That's great. 

Jay Jay: All right. Number nine. All right. Let's see. let's do PV people. We haven't gotten to PB yet, right? Um, the D the duck dive is a nice dive bar And, um, it's, it's a pretty good spot. That's a good spot for taco Tuesday. Uh, you know, PB has multiple places where you can go like Bubs by the beach and stuff like that.

But, uh, I like duck dive. 

AJ: And 

what kind of tacos are they serving up a duck dive.

Jay Jay: your usual, you know, fish tacos and steak tacos, but, uh, I just like it cause it's, it's your typical dive bar and PB 

AJ: I agree with you, JJ. I drive through PB down. I see these places that are, that looked like Gaslamp restaurants that are very fancy. I'm into a fancy restaurant, but not in PB. Take me to the dive bar, get me some tacos. Let's get into some shenanigans. 

Sara: relive those twenties, you 

know, 

AJ: cool. So we've got our PB spot down. What is our last. Taco Tuesday that we put up to put on our bucket

Jay Jay: The last spot let's, uh, head back to the Gaslamp quarter. right by where the old Horton Plaza used to be. And, uh, it's a 

place called T 

Sara: rip Horton Plaza. 

Yeah, 

Jay Jay: It's really 

Sara: that was rough. 

Jay Jay: so the next place is tasting thirst and, um, on their taco Tuesday, they have really good deals.

Um, they have also have TJ bacon wrap dogs and they also have a, uh, I liked their Carnegie SATA taco, which I had in my, a happy hour video a few weeks ago. 

Sara: What kind of, do you know what kind of deals are we getting there? 

Jay Jay: I think it's $3 street tacos different and they give you like four different choices. Um, oh yeah. Another thing is like, uh, I think it's like $5 lemon pepper fries. Have you ever had lemon pepper fries? 

 They're seasoned well, and, uh, yeah, I mean, it's just, you know, everybody likes the lemon pepper wings and when I saw lemon pepper fries, I was like, I gotta try that. 

AJ: Man 

Jay Jay: do 

that and then a half off all drinks and beers too, I think. 

AJ: well, JJ, you got you, you deliver it on the taco Tuesdays. You gave us a ton of surprises and you gave us a bunch of non tacos to also try from the case of Berea to the lemon pepper fries, we're locked and loaded and ready to get out there and track and up our taco Tuesday games. Right.

Jay Jay: Exactly. And there's like way more places I'm sure. But, uh, I just wanted to make it as, distributed throughout the county evenly as possible because, uh, I know a lot of people from all over 

Sara: no, that's perfect. That's much appreciated. you never know,

when you're going to be driving through one of these parts of town on a Tuesday and you're going to be hungry. And now we have tons of places to choose from. I got to try a TJ dog. I think that's on my list now. 

AJ: Yeah. You know, all right. Well, JJ just mentioned his happy hour episode. He has episodes about things all over San Diego. If you need a new YouTube fix a new channel to subscribe to it's J K that's J a Y cation. Find him there. Find them on Instagram as well.

Jay Jay: Yup. Jane cation TV.

AJ: Jay cation TV and, uh, you know, stay in the loop with all things, San Diego. Hey, we really appreciate you joining us. It was a great episode full of great tacos and, uh, you'll have to come back again sometime soon.

Jay Jay: Oh, you got it. That's great talking to you too. And thanks for having me on. there you go. All the taco info you needed, you know what else we have for you? Free stuff. We've got another giveaway going on. 

Sara: We want to get you out there to see some professional soccer to a San Diego loyal game. I had the pleasure of taking my son this past weekend. AIG, I didn't know what to expect.

You know, I'm not really a, you know, a sports fanatic, 

AJ: Yes to say the, waste. 

Sara: to say the least, I mean the energy, the vibe, it was such an awesome family outing. So even if you're not super into sports, this is one of those things as a San Diego, when you want to get out there and support a local team, it's so much fun.

AJ: Now here's how you can win your tickets. Keep in mind, this episode is being posted the week of October 11th. If you're listening later than that, you've probably missed this contest, but there will be others.

But if you are listening during that week, you're going to want to head to instant. 

Sara: Just head to the San Diego loyal post, and the instructions are right there in the.

AJ: By the.

way, you can win four tickets for your family and four tickets for another family. So to have a fun family outing with some friends on all in San Diego, go do that and we'll see you next time. 

Sara: Bye.