San Diego's popular City Tacos fast-casual chain of Mexican eateries has unveiled the company's eighth area location in the beachside neighborhood of Ocean Beach.
Gerry Torres and chef/partner Eduardo Baeza opened the flagship City Tacos in San Diego's North Park in 2014 and IB Street Tacos in Imperial Beach in 2015. Building on the success of the first City Tacos restaurant, they opened a second location in La Mesa in late 2017. The duo also launched now closed Mexican eatery and tortilla shop Tortilla N' Taco Factory in El Cajon in 2018 and opened a beachside City Tacos branch in Imperial Beach as part of a Mike Hess Brewing Tasting Room, which has since been rebranded. The City Tacos team also launched Tostadas in North Park in summer 2015, which shuttered in 2019 and was rebranded into now-defunct Baja-style bar & restaurant La Catrina Tapas & Cantina.
City Tacos launched a branch at on Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas in 2019, and in early 2020, the company opened an eatery within an office park in Sorrento Valley and a nearly pierside outpost in Pacific Beach. An Ocean Beach location was previously in the works for the space that housed The Village Kitchen for more than 30 years, but that deal fell through. There was also an eatery/tasting room heading to Seaport Village in partnership with Mike Hess Brewing, but Hess is now doing its own menu. City Tacos also has a branch on the USC campus in Los Angeles.
City Tacos has continued its aggressive San Diego expansion and opened a gigantic location at what was previously the 768 square-foot unit that last housed Tiki Port on Voltaire Street in Ocean Beach. Dubbed the OB Playground, City Tacos new branch offers 10,000 square-feet of mostly outdoor space, featuring picnic tables, fire pits, a dedicated dog park, a shaded courtyard dining area, a paleta cart, a floral store, and a repurposed Volkswagen van that is now a retail component with specialty items. There is also plenty of yard games, including giant chess and jenga. The space will eventually host frequent events, including live music.
Like other City Tacos locations, expect a lengthy menu of seafood, meat, vegetarian and vegan tacos, as well as desserts and craft beer. There is also a full coffee shop component by Mike Hess Brewing operating out of a converted trailer.
City Tacos is now open at 4896 Voltaire Street in San Diego's Ocean Beach. For more information, visit citytacossd.com.
