Tacos El Poblano, and a South Bay Taco Crawl with Captain Jack

Here's the last of my series of South Bay Taco Shops. I was taking a one of my weekend "drives" a couple of weeks back. And while driving through "Downtown" Chula Vista, I noticed a new restaurant.

It would have been "just another taco shop" except for the sign that said "Los Authenticos De Tijuana Ahora en CA". Which got my attention. I decided to stop, even though I had just finished two tacos from Tacos Yaqui. The fairly modest storefront, hides a pretty large, somewhat cavernous restaurant.

 As I walked up to the counter, I could see flames rising from the grill next ot the cashier. So ordering was pretty simple, it had to be Carne Asada, and "something"......

That something was a Birria Taco($1.75):

 
El Poblano serves you tacos the way they think it should be served. There's no salsa bar, though the pickled peppers and carrots (escabeche) is fabulous, refreshing, and almost sweet. The birria was very mild, as I enjoy a bit more spice and "wildness".

A minute later my two Carne Asada tacos made its way to my table.

I loved the crisp but still pliable grilled tortillas, which added a nice bit of smokiness to the equation. The simple, but effective guacamole added richness. The salsa was nice and spicy, but the carne asada brought this down. As you can tell by the grey pallor, this was not the carne asada I just witnessed being grilled. It was tasteless and rubbery, not good eats. Everything about this taco was spot on, except the carne asada. And I'd usually visit another time before doing a post. So check out the rest of the post below, because on my next visit, it was just perfect, smokey, with nice caramelization.

Tacos El Poblano
217 3rd Avenue
Chula Vista, CA 91910

The South Bay Taco Crawl......

I guess this was inevitable. I'd been hitting multiple taco shops in the South Bay in recent weeks. And after receiving an email from "Grace" who was visiting San Diego, and wanted some recommendations on doing a "taco crawl" I thought, "why not do this yourself". I tried this once with a good FOY, a small but mighty eater. Unfortunately, we never made it past two shops.......

This meant I needed to bring in the "heavy artillery". There was only one person that I know of, who could handle this...... and I wasn't even sure that I'd be able to keep up. That person was..... "the man, the myth, the stomach....." my Urasawa eating buddy,  Captain Jack. And of course, he was up for anything. So things started off this morning with CJ in my car, making our way down to the border.....

I had everything planned; we'd start off with Tacos Yaqui. Unfortunately, when we arrived in San Ysidro, we found that even though the sign said they open at 9am, and it was 930, they weren't open. It was time for "plan B". I headed up the I-5 and ended up in the now-all-too familiar RTA/Toys R' Us parking lot, and Mariscos El Pescador.

I figured we'd grab a Gobernador and a Tacos de Pescado (fish taco) and we'd be on our way. Pretty filling, but delicious, and we'd still be able to go on. But after the consomme and two tacos, the Owner, Cruz Vazquez, who we chatted with before the crowds, decided that we just had to have the "Tacos de Mariscanos", a mixto (mixed) taco. The size of which was daunting.....

 

This was like an  over-stuffed mixed seafood version of the Gobernador, with sauteed fish, scallops, pulpo (octopus), along with the wonderful shrimp. With some of the spicy pickled onions, this was excellent. If the Gobernador, is "the Governor", this is "El Presidente"......

As an exclamation point, Captain Jack had a torta from the Torta Ahogadas truck across the parking lot. (A eating on the hood of your car post is coming up soon) I abstained, because this was a taco crawl, right? Talking about wiggling out of a tight situation.

After which, we headed off to Internacional 2000 for some Al Pastor, only to find that they weren't ready..... which led me to "plan C", and a visit to El Poblano. We grabbed a Adobaba Taco and a Carne Asada Taco. This time around, the Carne Asada was excellent, nicely caramelized, with a wonderful smokey flavor. Good stuff. I of course, kinda did the "four corners" here, engaging CJ in small talk. I also found that I eat pretty fast, so the delay gave me time to digest and adjust. After about fifteen minutes of small talk, CJ said the faithful words, "we're not done yet, are we?"

Which meant it was time to move on, and return to Tacos Yaqui, where we put down a Perrones Taco each, and some chips. Comparing the carne asada from Yaqui to El Poblano is like apples to oranges. Yaqui's carne asada is like eating steak, it is beefy, but milder in flavor, and served on a grilled flour tortilla with melted cheese, El Poblano's carne asada is smokey, and crisp.

 Again, I finished several minutes ahead of CJ, and had time to digest.

We ended (taco) things at Internacional 2000 Taco Shop and had two Al Pastor tacos each. A nice, tasty, greasy end to our "taco tour". Funny thing, at the end, we both weren't full, but we were satisfied. I had an inkling to make a stop at Tacos El Gordo, but decided that I'd had enough. CJ on the other hand, decided otherwise, and we made a last stop a Panchita's for some sweets......  

This "taco tour" was pretty easy, at no time did I feel uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a Food Marathon, but I'll tell you that I didn't have any dinner tonight....... 

Comments

[kat]

I'd like to sign up for this tour!!

[RONW]

smoked tortilla sounds tasty.

[nhbilly]

Great tacothon.
I miss good ol simple So Cal street tacos. Shoot I miss tacos from Ca period.

[Kirk]

Hi Kat - This is pretty easy..... so anytime you're in San Diego!!!!

Hi RONW - The smokey flavor is imparted by the grilling and charring of the tortilla.

Hi Billy - I'm sure I'd miss them as well.

[Captain Jack]

Anyone who feels like San Diego is not a "foodie" city need only re-trace our steps to be schooled in the fact that their impressions of our fine city were woefully misguided. The textures and flavors afforded by this taco crawl were extraordinary. I also now know the answer to the often debated question: Where do I get the best fish taco in San Diego? Cruz Vasquez's Mariscos El Pescador truck without a doubt. Thanks again Kirk, I had a blast!

[Jon]

If I was going to do a taco crawl in SD it would go like this -

El Cuervo - Fish taco
TJ Taco Shop - Marlyn Taco
Tacos El Paisa - Carnitas taco
Tacos El Gordo - Al Pastor
Tacos de Pescado - Gobernador
Asada Taco Shop - Carne Asada taco

[Tracey]

Wow, you guys really should lead some tours! :) I'm going to have to try this. You have my mouth watering.

[Kirk]

Hi CJ - I'm sure you'll be back to that truck soon, huh? I had a great time, but I think we just tickled your appetite.

Hi Jon - We kept our list to South of E in CV. I like El Gordo, and in fact have done a post on it, though I prefer the Suadero to the Adobada. As for El Cuervo, I eat there much too often, but really don't care for the Fish Tacos there. To me, German's has the best Gobernador, but that Mariscanos Taco was great.

Hi Tracey - You don't need us.... you can just DIY!!! Really easy, even though the folks at Yaqui don't speak any English, or Internacional 2000 for the matter, they are nice folks, and it's easy to get your order done.

[sawyer]

awesome crawl! that mixed taco has to be the size of 4-5 street tacos right there....def. gona have to plan a crawl for myself when i come down next time....no churros for dessert? =p

[caninecologne]

hi kirk (and cj)
you guys rock!!!! thanks for blogging the taco shops in the south bay...

i still have to hit up woo chee chong, oops, i mean mercado international 2000 when i get back from chicago!

[twitter.com/y6y6y6]

"As for El Cuervo, I eat there much too often, but really don't care for the Fish Tacos there."

Where is your favorite traditional SD fish taco?

[Kirk]

Hi Sawyer - Let me know when you roll back into town...and we'll roll on over!

Hi CC - Woo Chee Chong...LOL! I'd love to see you walk up to the old man manning the cash register there and ask if this is Woo Chee Chong.

Hi Jon - Currently, Mariscos El Pescador makes my favorite fish taco. I work within blocks of El Cuervo...and they tend to over-batter the fish, and several times the fish has tasted a bit "off"....they also tend to drench the whole thing as well, even when I ask them to go easy. South Beach Bar and Grill also drenches everything and you need to tell them to go easy. BTW, are you the dude with the San Diego Mexican Food Blog?

[Masa Assassin]

Nice kirk!! next taco crawl please keep me in mind I still do eat in San Diego YA KNOW :)

I just noticed the add this week in El Latino on El Poblano this is the same one I covered in Tijuana. The El poblano is in TJ is some of the best Ive had I cant wait to try this one. Thanks for the report.

[Eat. Travel. Eat!]

What a great series of taco posts! The tacos de Mariscanos is amazing! I can not believe that there is so much seafood on the taco! So daunting most definitely. I've never had a taco with that much fillings on it.

[twitter.com/y6y6y6]

"BTW, are you the dude with the San Diego Mexican Food Blog?"

Yep. It's a work in progress. I hope to build it out quite a bit more as time goes by. It should have a forum and categories eventually. Just a wee little blog at this point.

[Kirk]

Hi MA - Will do. BTW, aren't we supposed to do something at Ba Ren???

Hi ETE - That was one stuffed seafood....well, I really can't rightly call it a taco. It was good eats.

[foodhoe]

That birria taco on top looks so dang good - and for $1.75! Looks like you guys did some serious eating in the name of research.

[Kirk]

Hi FH - Yes, we did.....

[Little Miss Contrary]

I would totally pay you to take this taco tour!

[Kirk]

Hi LMCC - It's really easy...... I'll be glad to go!