Red plastic trays stacked high, a spinning column of pork glowing under a heat lamp, and a line snaking out the door at ten at night told me everything before I even ordered. Southern California has no shortage of taco shops, but a few minutes from the border I found one that feels like a short trip across it.
The room is plain, the menu board is busy, and the smell of mesquite smoke follows you to the parking lot. I came for a quick bite and left already planning my next visit.
A Border-City Taco Counter on Broadway
Along a busy stretch of Broadway in Chula Vista, a plain storefront pulls in a steady stream of hungry people from late morning until well past midnight. Tacos El Gordo sits at 556 Broadway, just a short drive from the San Ysidro border crossing and the city of Tijuana beyond it.
The place is a counter-serve Mexican joint with a clear focus. You walk in, pick your meats, watch the cooks build your food, and grab a seat…