Taqueria Zapata - San Diego

I didn't realize it was just an order window on the side of a grocery store, but the food is still really good! The tacos are super cheap, and they come fully decked out with the red sauce, onions, guac, and limes on the side. My friend and I split 4 tacos total since we weren't that hungry, but we could definitely do 4 each normally. We got the carnitas, lengua, and two of the asada, and they were all yummy! The tacos were smaller than we wanted, but I guess that's to be expected with the price.The meat was on the drier side, but after we finished eating, we just went inside the grocery store and got a couple fruit juices. Overall, it was a nice, quick lunch, and we'd stop by again if we were planning on shopping afterwards.

This is solely a review for the adobada tacos which on my last visit were awful. I think they changed the quality, type and seasoning of the meat since the last time I tried them. They now use something that looks very artificially colored for seasoning and the meat has a texture like sausage, it felt a little like chorizo-flavored sausage. I tried a pollo asado taco which was much better but was still very dissatisfied with the adobada that used to be the reason for going there. :

I've had better tacos elsewhere. It's only convenient because it by the market but not my first choice. The handful of times I've been here, they never have the tacos listed on their menu.

I 'd say that I eat at Taquería Zapata because it 's convenient to the Pancho Villa Mercado inside. Well, ok... I 'd say that, but I respect you too much to lie to you. The truth is that most times, when I 'm driving within a block or two of the place, I run down a quick checklist: Do I have time? Tacos! Despite there 's no beer, I get a TJ vibe while eating at the rail with random people who, like myself, are coming from somewhere and heading somewhere else, though I 'll grant that they 're probably responsible grownups, just finished in the grocery and on their way home, and not, like me, there because they whipped the car around in traffic and battled for parking in Pancho Villa 's lot, all for a snack of nicely grilled or griddled meat. What 's good? Oh man... depends on the day, but here 's what I 've enjoyed: chicharron verde, suadero and lengua, buche, cabeza and pork adobada, pollo asado and carne asada. So basically, the whole taco side of the menu. And while none of those things is as good at Taquería Zapata as they are at various places in South Bay, for those better options, you pretty much have to visit a separate taco shop, one for each item. Plus, you know, drive twenty minutes each way. So if you 're in in the neighborhood, and the taco monster in your belly says Turn here! , just do it. The taco monster knows what 's up.

The food tastes good not very good just edible. The prices are what I think are too exaggerated because the food is not very good. In cleaning it is excellent in medium organization. Waiting time to be attended to a regular one. They take up a little more staff up front.