Birria Tacos, San Diego

Menu

Our menu is built around our signature Birria tacos, and our famous CrunchStack.  We also have Birria ramen noodle soup, and burritos. All of our menu items are made with fresh tortillas from a local vendor, which are dipped in our signature, house made chili oil and crisped up on the flat top for their signature red color. Check out our newest creations like our Breakfast Burrito, Birria Cali Burrito, Veggie Taco and Birria Nachos.

best tacos in San Diego
Mikes Red Tacos

Our Story

Michael Touma, the owner of Mike’s Red Tacos, was born and raised in San Diego and as a big food lover himself, he was on a mission to find the best Birria in town.

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Excellent4.8 Based on 201 reviews from review us onEmilio LinaresEmilio Linares ★★★★★ Fire!EdwardEdward ★★★★★ Surprisingly good birria given the name and location…I would recommend the tacos which are crispy and dorado style like in MX. The consomé was alright and they need to work on seating availability, but other than that, there’s a full salsa bar with several options and fountain horchata.MelissaMelissa ★★★★★ Just found this place when I was looking for a tesla super charger. I got the bean and cheese burrito and added rice. Tastes great and their salsas/hot sauce are very tasty and fresh. Each is Labeled well with spice level😯😅Chris McRaeChris McRae ★★★★★ The Tacos and Queso are Awesome.Mikes Salsa bar is beyond reproach.Even when they are busy, service is quick and precise.Hats off to Mike, glad i live close by.Madd X MediaMadd X Media ★★★★★ We just came across Mikes Red Tacos in Clairemont A few days ago and I was blown away! Birria California burrito? Yes please! Not only was it delicious but also huge! Cut it in half and still have a whole normal size burrito for lunch the next day lol.Allan AlmazanAllan Almazan ★★★★★ Tristan DelgadoTristan Delgado ★★★★★ Great food and serviceUntuckit LaJollaUntuckit LaJolla ★★★★★ Some of the best taco's I've had in a long time. I highly recommend everyone gives them a try if you live anywhere in the San Diego area! I will be back for that consomé!Christopher BaldwinChristopher Baldwin ★★★★★ I don't have a pic to share today because we ate everything so quickly but I will def be going back! Amazing!Zeek OrtizZeek Ortiz ★★★★☆ Place is good, but I think the best Birria in San Diego is Ed Fernandez Restaurant Birrieria hands down.S DS D ★★★★★ Sooo two things: they have the BEST vegan tacos ever but order ahead . They are extremely busy so what I do is order ahead and by the time I get there it’s ready and they’ll text you letting you know it’s done. It’s always fresh food and a nice serving size. Highly recommendarnie andradearnie andrade ★★★★★ This is THE spot for birria. Flavor is authentic and you can taste the quality of the meat and ingredients in all the plates. Staff was young and courteous and they brought the food out to guests which is an added bonus. The establishment is relaxed and really neat, which allows you to enjoy eating there. Will always keep coming backSusan WatsonSusan Watson ★★★★★ Our first time there was Saturday lunchtime. It was crowded and noisy, so we opted for takeout. Surprisingly, it didn't take long to get our order. We headed home and chowed down. Amazingly delicious! We will definitely be returning soon!Cody LaBelleCody LaBelle ★★★★☆ Bill FoppeBill Foppe ★★★★★ Loved it! The best Birria tacos I’ve ever had.Andria ChenAndria Chen ★★★★★ The birria tacos here are amazing! Eating them with consome and salsa is a must. Definitely gets a bit packed here during prime meal times, but overall service has been fast and food has been excellent.Ashleigh DiehlAshleigh Diehl ★★★★★ Everything we've tried has been delicious!B LewB Lew ★★★★★ I went there once and I can't get enough of this restaurant! I'm addicted to their birria tacos 🌮. Everything in the restaurant is delicious, down to their chips and salsa!Linda Johnson-SandersLinda Johnson-Sanders ★★★★★ The tacos and quesadilla was delicious, comsome was so good I could've drunk it out the cup. Most definitely coming backThomas LinThomas Lin ★★★★★ Tasty birria, friendly and prompt serviceDaniel RossiDaniel Rossi ★★★★★ all birria, all good, don't forget the consommeJulianna CrivelloJulianna Crivello ★★★★★ This place is now my favorite I love it so much I recommend!!! I always get the loaded nachos or fries!!! The birria here is so goodFernando GonzalezFernando Gonzalez ★★★★★ Birria tacos are fired!😋Luke AguonLuke Aguon ★★★★★ Amazing queso Birria tacos and quesadillaDwight BakerDwight Baker ★★★★★ Jennifer Kethzaly SandovalJennifer Kethzaly Sandoval ★★★★★ What a find.I stumbled onto this restaurant after visiting a coffee shop nearby and was immediately intrigued. Welcoming vibes, delicious food, great service. Here’s the TEA:TASTE: We ordered two combo meals (2 tacos, chips, consume, and a drink) as well as an order of the nachos. Do not sleep on the nachos, people! There is an open salsa bar with a variety of salsas ranging from fresh to fire that is well stocked and very clean.ENERGY: The place is buzzing and lively, which is a welcomed experience when I’m dancing in my chair as I take another bite. There is no public restroom and the dining area is rather small, so if you’d like to stay and eat, avoid the lunch/dinner rush.AFFORDABILITY: We closed the check at $56 dollars for two combos and nachos. It’s not super cheap, but it’s fair! With unlimited refills on beverages and salsa, coupled with large portions of tasty food and great ingredients, it was well worth it!jesse garverjesse garver ★★★★★ Roger MaRoger Ma ★★★★☆ Dongjing HeDongjing He ★★★★★ Birria tacos and Ramen are delicious 😋martin figueroamartin figueroa ★★★★★ Remarkable restaurant! Ten out of ten! Recommend to anyone and everyone! Everything was perfect I can’t wait to go back and try everything else!Becca UngBecca Ung ★★★★★ 👌👌 flavorful, juicy, crunchy tacos. This is something that would best be eaten immediately to enjoy it in its fullness. Unfortunately seating is limited and would be hard for a large group.Reese Rogers (ReeseRog)Reese Rogers (ReeseRog) ★★★★★ Delicious and amazing, definitely would recommend tryingbel Gbel G ★★★★★ Delicious birria dishes. They need a bigger eating area and a bathroom.Jonathan FrenchJonathan French ★★★★★ I love this place. Awesome birria tacos and quesadillas. Can’t wait to try the ramen. Staff are welcoming and friendly. Definitely will come back for more!Garrett OliverGarrett Oliver ★★★★☆ Delicious. Great salsa choices. A little priceyNathanNathan ★★★★★ Delicious birria! Tried both the California Burrito and the Crunchstack and both were amazing in their own way. The salsa selection is pretty good that also comes with great flavor. Kinda small dining area but don't let that dissuade you. Mike's Red Tacos is making it on the favorites list.Jed GriffithJed Griffith ★★★★☆ Good stuff made with birria.lanlan ★★★★★ Delicious tacos and crunchstack!Callie JohnsonCallie Johnson ★★★★★ My goodness! If you are in the Clairemont Mesa area, this is a MUST-stop by and try the Birria tacos!I love the story behind this place - he started out as a food truck and switched over to a storefront. The only downfall here is that it has limited seating in person. I think that it can fit 18 people seated.The first time that we went, we were there 8 mins after they opened and there were already 10 people eating and another 10 people in line. We were able to grab a table to eat at and within that 30 mins, we saw at least another 30 - 40 people come and go! That tells you something, for sure!Yes, the menu is limited, but the name of the place is Mike's Red Tacos - which tells me he specializes in Birria meat! With that said, I am ok with it. There are two vegetarian options - FYI.The tacos and quesadillas are fabulous! I can't say a bad thing about them!The customer service is also really good. Everyone there is polite, helpful, and professional!Oh, I can't forget about the salsa bar - there is a salsa for everyone!Go get you some!branden lovebranden love ★★★★★ Alejandro RamirezAlejandro Ramirez ★★★★★ Excelente Taco Shop!!!John StollJohn Stoll ★★★★★ David RDavid R ★★★★★ Lindsey LouLindsey Lou ★★★★☆ We saw a video on instagram and were curious. We tried a little of everything, taco, burrito, ramen and queso dip.My husband really liked it. I felt the meat was not seasoned as well as it should be. The consomé was ok as well, even with the toppings and lime it wasn’t as flavorful. The queso dip was very thick. I enjoyed the birria queso taco and the chips it comes with. They were generous with the meat in every dish, even the ramen. The customer service was great!! If we were in the area I would come back to support but I wouldn’t drive the hour (it takes us) for this.Nacho Arreola GtzNacho Arreola Gtz ★★★★★ Andrew CottonAndrew Cotton ★★★★★ Had a very pleasant experience here today. Staff was pleasant, helpful, and even brought our food out to us when I missed the text message that it was ready.The food was plentiful, but also delicious. Parking can be a challenge, but it was worth it. Also, there is not a lot of indoor seating, but there are a couple of tables outside which is where we sat.In a world where good food is not always accompanied by good service, Mike's managed to do well on both.Andreia ComercialAndreia Comercial ★★★★★ Good !!Jennifer ReeseJennifer Reese ★★★★★ I started following Mike's Red Tacos when I saw videos about 3+ years ago and they were just a taco truck. At the time, I had never heard of birria. But living in Boston and coming to San Diego a couple times a year I tried to get over to see them but the stars never aligned. Until now. I did learn how to make it but never really had anything authentic to compare to. Until now. I have now discovered that Mike's Red tacos are everything they claim to be. The meat is tender and the Consomme is flavorful. I give it a 10 out of 10. If you are visiting San Diego or live in San Diego, this is a must! Portions are ample so bring your appetite. The staff are cheerful and nice.Marc HoltMarc Holt ★★★★★ AMAZING TACOS AND SALSA BAR!!!brandon maqibrandon maqi ★★★★★ Ryan StullRyan Stull ★★★★★ Aaron StroudAaron Stroud ★★★★★ Oh baby these things were tasty. Totally lived up to the hype. Can’t wait to return and try their massive breakfast burrito. Seriously huge. I had the Combo with cheese. Messy but delicious. And their hot sauce selection was incredible. The Orange habanero was no joke. Gotta try to Loaded Fries too.Rodrigo Guerreiro De FariaRodrigo Guerreiro De Faria ★★★★★ Although my birria tacos were tasty it was missing the broth to dunk.I am not sure but it was my first time at this place and it looks like you have to order separately.I wish someone has told me that is doesn't comes with as finding out after driving 17 miles each way under torrential rain and spent over $58 in tacos was a bit disappointing.Update;We've tried again today 3.5 and everything was delicious.We've ordered 2 combo #1 and sides of guacamole, sour cream, beans and rice and loaded churros.Noodley EtienneNoodley Etienne ★★★★★ Food and service is amazing.Juxhin BurgijaJuxhin Burgija ★★★★★ DeliciousJoshua MiaoJoshua Miao ★★★★★ Saw articles that this place was featured as one of Yelp's top 100 in the US so had to come try. Amazing food right off the bat. Initially got 2 tacos which were amazing. Then decided to get a breakfast burrito to go and it is huge and so good!Karley SmithKarley Smith ★★★★★ Megan JohnsonLeeMegan JohnsonLee ★★★★★ Tried a little of everything and was not disappointed with the quesa birria tacos and the birria quesadilla. the birria burrito was a little underwhelming. But the salsa bar had a variety of delicious salsas!Angela AblahadAngela Ablahad ★★★★☆ Lemon SqueeseyLemon Squeesey ★★★★★ Amazing service, super kind, and the quesabirria tacos were immaculate!Rob StephensonRob Stephenson ★★★★☆ Just great food. Small and very little seating. Maybe best to get it to go as I did. The Ramen was a nice spin on fusion. The broth for the tacos was unique and made for a sloppy, delicious treat. I’m sure to be going back for more.Renee V LuskRenee V Lusk ★★★★★ It was fun delicious! Service was great. 10/10 recommend.Billy TheBannedBilly TheBanned ★★★★★ Did Ubereats for the birria breakfast burrito. Was the best I’ve ever had. Damn itLauri TurkLauri Turk ★★★★★ seansean ★★★★★ The birria here is on par with what you would find in Tijuana which is a huge compliment. They have a self-service salsa bar that has an assortment of various sauces, some being super spicy.The only gripe I have is that it is expensive here, but I guess that's just the sign of the times.But yeah, a great birria spot.Kyle WilliamsKyle Williams ★★★★★ So fire. Burritos bigger than my XL head and Birria tacos that are soaking in consommé. I be hitting this place up twice a week. 🤤 One of the ‘must do’s’ when friends are in town. Just check out their IG if you don’t believe me 👌👌👌Tony WaltersTony Walters ★★★★★ Go, die and be raised back to lifeDavid LiuDavid Liu ★★★★★ Carl MinierCarl Minier ★★★★★ Food was definitely delicious and flavorful for the most part! I had the Crunchstack which I was hesitant of getting at first but many reviews said it was good, so I gave it a try and it did not disappoint by any means.The onions that come on the side are super delicious and I wish I knew the recipe so I could eat that on everything!Also, Loved the assortment of sauces. Sweet and spicy was my favorite.Only thing that wasn't great was the veggie taco. It was pretty bland by itself. But of course if you put the onions and sauce off choice on it, it'll pass.Stacy B.Stacy B. ★★★★★ I Googled "taco shop near me" and Mike's Red Tacos had a high rating. After checking some reviews, I decided to stop in.First time having birria tacos and they were delicious! You get a lot of meat in the tacos and the fixings and sauces were great along with the chips. Definitely will go back for more!F. VahediF. Vahedi ★★★★☆ Had the California burrito and tacos combo meal. The California burrito was definitely a 5/5 for quantity and taste. We got it to go, so the tacos weren't necessarily hot when we had them so maybe that's why they weren't delicious. but all in all was not as impressed with the tacos, San Diego definitely has a lot of taco places so that's a tough competition.Shane SchaetzShane Schaetz ★★★★★ It took over 27 minutes to get my dine-in order (according to the dispatch screen). Lots of take out/delivery orders went ahead of me, which is kind of a bummer. Line was out the door and a mess between ordering and picking up your food once it is called (having to hover almost 30 minutes to wait for your name to be called).With that said, still 5 stars. Mike has got a good thing going here. It is in the laziest business park, and this place is packing it in. The food is delicious and actually a good value. The burritos are enormous and they toast the outside of the tortilla! Having ramen on the menu is simply genius for multiple reasons.Hopefully they work out a better system for future trips.Shane LagaceShane Lagace ★★★★★ Asher PadonouAsher Padonou ★★★★★ This is a good place. Love their foods. But the cashiers and the cooks don't care about what the customer wants. I always have the loaded fries and loaded chips to go. Every time I tell the cashier to tell the cook not to put the cheese at the bottom of the because it gets sticks on paper and you can even enjoy it because all cheese got stick on the paper at the bottom of box. If any supervisor is reading this, tell your cooks not to put the cheese on the bottom of the to go box it will stick on the bottom paper.Ray LaiRay Lai ★★★★★ Margaret RectorMargaret Rector ★★★★★ Had the red quesadilla. Best quesadilla I've ever had. I live in Oceanside but I will be visiting again real soon!Kelsey ShewmakerKelsey Shewmaker ★★★★★ The crunch stack should be called the crack stack because after I finished mine, alls I could think about was eating another one. This place will definitely be on the list as having the best tacos in San Diego.Kyle MayKyle May ★★★★★ Terron DavisTerron Davis ★★★★★ Came across their page on IG and decided to give them a try and I don't regret it whatsoever!!! Those Birria tacos are 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Even the chips are good!Robert FinlaysonRobert Finlayson ★★★★★ Awesome place great food amazing quesoAlexander FraserAlexander Fraser ★★★★★ Great place for birra tacos!! The place is a little small but worth it!!Benjamin GaitanBenjamin Gaitan ★★★★★ Hattori HanzoHattori Hanzo ★★★★☆ Delicious food. Must try. Only reason its not 5 star is because there isn't enough seating and because their salsa's are lacking. The hot af salsa was sooooo mild.John G. ReitanJohn G. Reitan ★★★★★ Dan B.Dan B. ★★★★★ Phenomenal tacos. Never tried birria tacos until now and they exceeded my expectations. Also like how they were until recently a food truck but now have their own restaurant. Love supporting new but growing small businesses 👍cornelio juarezcornelio juarez ★★★★★ Billy HarrisBilly Harris ★★★★☆ Jordan HJordan H ★★★★★ Mike was great! Haven’t had anything on the menu that I disliked, super good spot!Adela StanAdela Stan ★★★★☆ MichaelMichael ★★★★☆ Mikes Red tacos is so good. Plus they have a friendly staff. Definitely will be coming back for the. Barria Tacos.Stephen KernerStephen Kerner ★★★★★ One of the best California burritos I have ever had.Joshua DixonJoshua Dixon ★★★★★ Insanely good. Burrito was HUGE! Flavors were amazing!js_loader