If you live anywhere in the San Diego region, you’ve undoubtedly uttered TGITT at least once in your lifetime. Thank God for Taco Tuesdays. Because here, not only to we love our Mexican food, we also love to get our bang for our buck. Taco Tuesdays in San Diego have become synonymous with great deals on killer eats, from fresh shrimp bites to juicy carnita street tacos, all with the thrill of a mid-week fiesta.
All over San Diego, you can hear the tune of restaurants, bars, and even parties change on Tuesday nights as they prepare for what’s become a close-to-home tradition—cheap tacos and drinks, menu specials, and exclusive guest DJs around town. With the abundance of Mexican foods and celebratory restaurants around every corner, you don’t have to look far to find your best bet on a Tuesday night.
Discover our Top Ten Taco Tuesday spots in San Diego…
Maria Maria
Famed as a colorful collaboration between the legendary musician Carlos Santana and Chef Roberto Santibañez, Maria Maria radiates the eclectic spirit of Santana’s hit music. Everything from the bright and captivating décor to the culinary creations has the “Maria Maria” feel. The dishes reflect this spirit with Mexican cuisine including slow braised duck tacos, grilled salmon fillet, and plenty more. On Tuesdays, step inside the warm eclectic universe for street tacos grilled and served on the patio, including fillings of steak, chicken and carnitas at $1.50 each. To wash it down, sip on some Domestic Draught for $2.99, Import Draught for $3.99, House Margarita for $4.99, House Vino Blanco & Roja $4.99, and delicious Sangria for $4.99.
Funky Garcia’s Mexican Eatery
Tastes of Tijuana are serving up strong in the Gaslamp Quarter, as Funky Garcia’s Chef and owner Moe Sadighian dishes out authentic Tijuana-Mexican cuisine at appetizing low prices. In the heart of downtown, Funky Garcia’s offers a half-way intimate and half-way dynamic bar setting with low-cost cuisine. Funky Garcia’s celebrates Taco Tuesday with specials for your downtown adventures, including $1 Tacos filled up with carne asada and chicken, hand-made on corn tortillas with onions, cilantro, and avocado. From open to close on Tuesday nights, throw back $2 Tecate beer, $3 Corona, Bud Light and Pacifico, and $4 Cuervo Tradicional Silver & Reposado Shot. Come in for lunch and stay all night chowing down these mouth-watering deals every Tuesday.
Hive Sushi
Thought you had to munch strictly Mexican to celebrate the official holiday of Taco Tuesday? Think again. Hive Sushi has recently launched a weekly offering of Sapporo beer-battered fish or shrimp tacos for only $2.49 each, 5-12pm every Tuesday. Located downtown on C Street, Hive Sushi is as inviting as it is delectable. Aside from Tuesday nights, deals continue to flow during their daily happy hours with the Cabo Roll with yellowtail, lime, cilantro, and the Honey Bee Roll with spicy yellowtail in soy paper with red snapper and ponzu. They even offer Sushi-making classes so you and a group of friends can learn the fine art of rolling up your own rice. Defy tradition and make a sushi date out of your next Taco Tuesday.
El Camino
El Camino is one bright and pop art-infused place that boasts some semblance of the weekend party spirit on your Taco Tuesday. The extravagant interior aesthetics compare to the quality of their food, featuring thoughtful Mexican dishes with unique and local ingredients to spin them up into current culinary times. This energized joint offers guests chips with assorted salsas, endless beer and on Tuesdays, a big hello to half-off tacos. Located in both South Park and Little Italy, El Camino is a funky American-Mexican fusion. Their note-worthy “Nachos El Camino” were made for sharing, though you might not want to with the taste of that zesty cilantro crema sauce and the fresh black beans underneath. The “street-style” tacos are served 4 to a plate, with a pot of rice and homemade black beans to fill you up. Tuesdays means you chow down at half off, and can wash it down with $3 Coronas. Special shout out to the Sweet Potato Flautas available off the standard menu, filled with sweet potato, fried and topped with queso fresco, cilantro sour cream and green tomatillo salsa.
La Puerta
A Tuesday night at La Puerta is not your average mid-day taco stop. On the golden night, come in for $2 tacos, $2 TJ Dawgs, $2 Tecate and Tecate Light. Their Taco celebration kicks off at 3pm and lasts up until close. What sort of magic goes into a T.J. Dawg you ask? None other than bacon-wrapped turkey hot dogs, with diced tomatoes, grilled onions, jalapenos, ketchup, mayo, all served with a side of French Fries. The street tacos come hot and ready with your choice of carne asada, carnitas, conchinita, pastor, pollo asado, or ranchero shrimp. La Puerta only carries tequilas that are absolutely 100% blue agave, so you can expect a buzz that’s a step-above the rest. With low enough prices, you can try out a bit of everything La Puerta boasts.
Fred’s Mexican Café
Fred’s, located in downtown, Old Town, and Pacific Beach provides a lively and vivacious atmosphere with addictive Mexican eats. The old town location boasts the largest outdoor seating area, ideal for warm San Diego evenings. Every Tuesday, come early because Fred’s is one of the most popular Taco Tuesday stops for the area. With deliciously low prices on tacos and margaritas, you’ll get boisterous crowds and hot bites. Their Tacolicious Celebration every Tuesday from 4pm until close includes $2.50 PBR drafts, $3.50 PBR drafts, and $4.50 house Margaritas, $5 shots of Patron, to help you quench your thirst while enjoying $2 tacos including Chicken, Carnitas, Calamari, Texas, Cheeseburger, Buffalo Chicken and Crispy Chicken Tacos. Keep your options open with additional $3 tacos, including Carne Asada, Mahi Mahi, Baja Fish and Cajun Shrimp.
Quality Social
My two favorite words in one restaurant name: Quality and Social. Quality Social is your favorite dive bar with glam. It’s a bit of your beloved neighborhood dive scene, presented in a new Quality light where you can expect excellence in the small and big details. The sophisticated hot-spot downtown has long been a favorite joint to throw back some drinks and munchies at, but their Tuesday nights also don’t fail to fill up stomachs of us looking for some taco-indulgence. Tuesday nights are dubbed the Taco Social here, with $2 Housemade Tacos and $2 Modelo Tall Boys from 5pm to close. The house made tacos aren’t the run-of-the-mill snacks you’re used to. Expect a step above at Quality, and your wallet will be happy you did.
AIRR
Presenting “Not Your typical” Taco Tuesdays, AIRR changes the tradition up every Tuesday from 6-8pm.
Executive Chef Brian Redzikowski serves up the hand crafted taco of the week before your eyes using luxurious ingredients and the utmost care for your meal. Take a bite out of the unusual twists to a longtime favorite, like the tuna tacos with fresh ahi tuna, crème fraiche, guacamole, and micro cilantro. The AIRR selection changes weekly and tacos are only $4 each. Don’t fret if you’re not around to check out AIRR on a Tuesday; AIRR's regular Happy Hour gives guests killer specials, including $4 beers, $5 wells, $6 wines by the glass, $2 watermelon coolers & small bites starting at $8. For some polished red and white monochromatic mingling, AIRR Supper Club offers a new swank-resort with the high-end attitude of the interior design, asking you to come in for a breath of fresh Airr.
The Local
The Local stands for every impression you get from the name. Every day of the week, you’ll get local and loyal fans eager to dine with daily deals and take part in scrumptious savings. Taco Tuesdays are no different, from 4-10pm you can treat yourself to $3 Lobster, Fish and Shrimp Tacos, $2.50 Steak & Chicken Tacos $ Chipotle Chicken Tacos, and $3 Margaritas, Corona Pacifico and Dos XX. This upscale dive bar boasts its surf-theme for a laid-back crowd looking for some good bang for their buck. With no cover, the fun starts at 4pm and doesn’t stop until last call. Generous portions within lively place to cozy up with friends and family make for an unobvious hideaway on a Tuesday evening.
Brigantine
Located in Coronado, Brigantine Seafood offers Taco Tuesday deals to salivate over and an ocean-fresh menu to experience the best of San Diego coastal food. The fresh fish from our own backyard make for some of the tastiest fish tacos on this side of the hemisphere. All day on Tuesdays, stop into Brigantine for $2 fish, calamari, chicken tacos and $3 carne asada and carnita tacos. There are six other Brigantines across the San Diego County, but the Coronado spot offers some of the most breath-taking views to appreciate on top of that taco. Other locations to get your Brigantine on include Eastlake, Poway, La Mesa, Escondido, Del Mar and Point Loma. A San Diego tradition since 1969, Brigantine Seafood has earned many awards over the years, including "Best Swordfish in the World" title from USA Today. You’ll find a menu inundated with Pacific-themed selections, twisted with perfection.
Café Coyote
You can’t get much more authentic than a Taco Tuesday in the historic Old Town San Diego. A fiesta waiting to happen, Café Coyote douses in family-friendly fun, with some mariachi brilliance to accompany your meal. Specialty shots like Pomegranate Tequila and Coyote Blue for just $4 are only the start to a fantastic night to come. With mouth-melting tortillas and tamales made right on the premises, you can expect home-made goodness with the comfort of knowing the hands who made your food. For over 20 years, Café Coyote has sustained its position as a landmark restaurant, voted Best Mexican Restaurant for six years. Every Tuesday come into Café Coyote for $2 Tacos, including Potato, Chicken, Beef, and more. A different specialty taco will be offered each week, so be sure to ask your server for extra genius treats. Sip happily with additional Coyote Gold margarita Gold Tequila Triple Sec, Sweet-N-Sour and Fresh Lime Juice served in a 14 oz. glass for $4.95.
Bonus: Tio Leo’s has an unbeatable Taco Tuesday deal, offering $1 shredded beef, shredded chicken, carnitas, and seasoned ground beef tacos. From 3pm to close, you can enjoy the long-standing tradition of a San Diego hot-spot to get your taco on. Taco Tuesdays means you also get discounted appetizers, drinks and more options aside from just the tacos. For over 30 years, Tio Leo’s has been serving up authentic handmade Mexican cuisine in a casual, laid back setting.
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