Lucha Libre Taco Shop – Mission Hills California
This past weekend I headed to Lucha Libre Taco shop nestled in Mission Hills,
Now, let me tell you a bit about getting there, for some reason Yahoo maps does not recognize 1810 Mission Hills, it diverts you to 2100, so be careful if you Yahoo map it. I heard Google maps is better and of course it’s on the Taco Shop website Gogles maps is used. The thing is that it is actually very easy to get there; it is right of the 5 Interstate. If you are coming North, on Interstate 5, then you would exit Washington – Hancock Street, stay on your left-side and of course the first light is Washington, make a left to go under interstate 5. You should see it on your left right next to a Chevron Gas Station. Now, drive pass just a little to the next light, make a left into a parking lot, the thing is that more than likely you won’t find parking, but give it a shot.
Now, let me tell you about the restaurant itself, it is a very small and according to locals it is best to only take out, since the place is small…seating is very limited…believe me. The locals usually call in their order, then simply show up walk pass the HUGE line, which I will talk about later, pick up there order and go. I highly recommend that you go online and look at their menu, so when you get there you are prepared and know what you’ll order…it makes thing s move along a lot faster, and of course having other customers stare at you while you are trying to make up your mind on what to order…seems to put a little more pressure on you getting your order in and getting on…remember you and many others have been waiting in line for some time.
Before I talk about the food, let me talk a bit about the HUGE line outside that is waiting to get in. Now, I showed up at 11:30 am Sunday, I had to wait approximately 40 minutes, not including the wait time for the food, which actually came out fairly fast. Now, I heard from the locals that the line I saw and I was seeing as I was eating is a normal part of the routine for customers, day or night this is what you will run into. That’s when a few told me that it is best to call it in and take it out. Like I said the seating is extremely limited and if you are lucky, which I was, you might find seating or not which means you will need to find elsewhere to eat your meal….maybe your car. One thing that also indicates that the HUGE lines are a normal thing is that the restaurant has ice-cold lemonade outside for those that are waiting in the heat, which is nice, but like I said it is an indication that this is the normal routing in order to get some Tacos from Lucha Libre.
About the food, ok, it is worth the wait, sort of speaking, the portions are huge, a good manly man will get his fill from one of the burritos and a delicate lady might be satisfied with a carne Asada taco…but of course for that long of a wait, heck, man or women eat up and enjoy, is what I say. The food tastes good, they use real slices of avocado, the meat is tender, the hot sauces I have to say are great, they are spicy so be careful what you choose, but the flavors are great addition to your meal. I personally had a Carne Asada burrito, it was good, but for the long wait, it wasn’t that good…they do have other specialty burritos, which I heard from the locals that is the reason that people come here, but me being a little concerned on Surf N Turf, or other not common (Mexican) names, made me personally select something I knew, but of course if I went back I would try one of their specialties.
The other members of my party had a Taco de Adobada, which personally really did not taste or look like the authentic Adobada, now don’t get me wrong the flavor was good, but for the wait, hmm…could have gone somewhere else with a lot less wait and a more authentic looking/tasting Adobada. But it was ok. Then we tried the TJ Corn dish, well…sorry, the taste was good…yes, but TJ authentic…it was not. I did see some locals eating Hot Dogs, which were TJ style of course, they looked good and they brought smiles to the customers so they must have been good, but I couldn’t tell you.
Let me summarize, the decor was authentic to the restaurants name, the cleanliness of the restaurant, well, as long as you didn’t eat on the tables (Just Kidding)…you’re ok….it wasn’t pretty is all I have to say. The service, heck looking at the cashiers, they looked like they’ve been through a meat grinder, they looked exhausted and overwhelmed, but I have to say all in all they were nice, helpfully and they stood their ground with the huge crowd…good service in all. The food is good, really, but for the long wait, I have to say that you might find just as good else where. Now, one thing I did want to cover, are the prices, they are not bad, let’s see, A beer, a taco, a TJ Corn with chips and salsa..came out to about $9.50…which like I said for the portions you got, which were big, it was very reasonable. So prices are reasonable.
Rate 1-5 Stars:
- Service – 5 Stars (Except for the long wait)
- Food – 3.5 Stars
- Prices – 3.5 Stars
- Cleanness – 3 Stars
Overall – 3.5 Stars
Would I go back, maybe…I would have to be mentally prepared for the long wait and the possibility that I may not get a table. The food is good, but for the long wait I could go else where and have a seat and enjoy the meal. If you like a bit of San Diego culture, then Lucha Libre is a must to visit, if you are a local in San Diego and you are in the mood for Mexican food, but rather not have the long wait, I suggest going somewhere you already go to and enjoy your meal.
Visit their site at http://tacosmackdown.com/ for more information, menu and location.
Thanks for reading, till next time Latino Man signing off.
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