One of Tijuana’s Michelin-Recognized Taco Spots Is Coming to San Diego — and Foodies Are Already Losing It
If you have been to Tijuana, you have probably gone to Tacos El Franc. The taco shop is arguably the most popular spot in the city for good eats. The restaurant has been recognized by the Michelin Guide of Tijuana in both 2024 and 2025. Fans of the tacos in San Diego are now able to get the tacos anytime without going to Mexico. The restaurant has a location in National City, just south of San Diego, and has plans to open another one. Here’s where to go to enjoy some highly sought-after tacos.
Tacos El Franc has a location near San Diego
The famous Tijuana-based taco restaurant opened its first location in the United States in San Diego. The restaurant opened in National City, south of San Diego. You can visit the restaurant in the Westfield Plaza Bonita. The owners of the restaurant expanded into the U.S. market and focused on doing things a little differently and with more planning.
“The biggest issue we have in Tijuana is that there are no parking spaces, and here we have thousands,” Roberto Kelly, one of the main partners of Tacos El Franc, told NBC7 San Diego. “Between having thousands of parking spaces, a pretty big restaurant space, we couldn’t have picked a better place to open the first one.”
The restaurant started as a taco stand on a street corner in 1974. It was opened by Javier Valdez and grew in popularity over the next two decades. In 1996, Tacos El Franc opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Zona Río neighborhood of Tijuana. Over the years, the restaurant continued to attract diners, eventually earning it a place in Tijuana’s Michelin Guide.
People have wanted the restaurant to open in the U.S. for a long time
Foodies and travelers have been enjoying Taco El Franc for decades, and the popularity of good food is contagious. Social media is filled with people wanting the restaurant to open in the U.S., along with people celebrating the news of the new location and planned expansion.
Currently, the only Tacos El Franc is located in a suburb just outside of San Diego. However, there are plans to open a second U.S. location in downtown San Diego. The restaurant owners are planning to build a second one in the popular Gaslamp District. Currently, there are no Michelin Guide restaurants in the Gaslamp District.
The Michelin Guide is different from a Michelin Star. The Michelin Guide is a book that offers dining recommendations for people based on the quality of the dishes. Anonymous evaluators visit the restaurants and recommend restaurants based on a specific set of criteria. The evaluators rate the restaurant based on the quality of the food, consistency, and the chef’s personality in the dishes served.
A Michelin Star is a reward given to restaurants based on the quality of their food. There are three tiers to Michelin Stars. One Star means it is a very good restaurant. Two Stars means the food is excellent and worth taking a detour to try. Three Stars is reserved for restaurants with exceptional food and worth making a journey specifically for the restaurant.
