Since summer 2020, rumors have been swirling that 4-division world champion boxer Canelo Álvarez was planning to open a Mexican taco shop in San Diego's South Bay. It was finally confirmed in 2022 that Alvarez would unveil the first U.S. offshoot of his family's El Pastor Del Rica Taqueria in a 4,200 square-foot standalone building that was previously an auto parts store on Broadway in Chula Vista.
El Pastor Del Rica Taquería already has a bustling location owned by Canelo Alvarez and his brother Ricardo in their home city of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico, which first opened in 2014. For the San Diego outpost, expect an authentic Mexican street taqueria experience with a variety of meat tacos and quesadillas, including al pastor cooked on a rotating spit, as well as beer and wine.
Alvarez is no stranger to San Diego. The middleweight champion previously owned an 11,970-square-foot estate in in the exclusive Del Mar Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe from 2013 until it was sold in late 2015. Alvarez also hosted many of his training camp for fights at San Diego's House of Boxing gym, a high-profile facility in the city.
The 31-year-old Mexican boxer was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and is one of the highest paid athletes in the world. Alvarez famously attributed his positive test for performance-enhancing drugs in 2018 to eating contaminated meat in his native Mexico, a claim that has since become a frequent source of jokes in light of his upcoming taco shop.
Canelo Alvarez's El Pastor Del Rica Taqueria will open on December 5 at 645 Broadway in San Diego's South County city of Chula Vista. For more information, visit elpastordelrica.com.
Originally published on November 25, 2024.
