By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com San Diego Blogger
This story was writen by a human based on a personal experience with no use of AI or ChatGTP.
Finding tacos in San Diego is as easy as walking out the door. Finding good tacos, and at a price that doesn’t require you to be on an expense account, isn’t quite so simple. Toss in a view with those tacos and, well, it seems darned near impossible.
Fortunately, it’s not. If you know where to go and I’m about to tell you. Quiero in Seaport Village (there’s also one just north of the pier in IB) is the spot. Before I mention the tacos, I want to point out that Seaport Village is an untapped hidden gem for locals. Why? It’s not on their radar list because many locals don’t go there. It’s all tourists, they feel. But they are missing out on some great places and let’s face it, the waterfront of San Diego Bay isn’t exactly teeming with locals’ hangouts, so I say to take advantage of what is in Seaport Village.
One of my go-to spots is Mike Hess Brewing. I sit there with a couple of San Diego craft beers – the Kolsh is my go-to brew – looking out over the bay with the sailboats, the Coronado ferry, jet skiers and sightseeing boats in my sight, all while getting enriched with Vitamin D from the sun. The people watching is also good and I rarely am there without striking up a conversation with others. I prefer the upstairs because of the elevated view and sometimes the manager softly plays Jimmy Buffett music.
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But now, I have discovered another jewel about the place, and that is the tacos. They are from Quiero and they are terrific. The fish taco – the quintessential San Diego food because the Southern California surfers get them from little stands at the great Baja breaks and wanted them here – is spot-on perfect. It is lightly fried bass and contains cabbage along with pico. The cost: $3.95. I’m not kidding.
Same thing for the carnitas, which comes in a delicious – and I mean delicious – homemade corn tortilla, adding to the already awesome flavor of the meat. The spicy shrimp taco is just $4.95 and you get three big, juicy shrimp with a bit of a kick. In fact, there are only two tacos – scallop picante and and surf and turf with steak and shrimp – that are more than $5 and they are just $5.95. Give me tacos and beer. Every day of the year. And I’ll feel fine.
I would have thought that the owners might have lost their minds by selling such good tacos at such cheap prices but one of them, the affable Hector Aguirre, was serving them to me.
“Do me a favor,” Hector said as the put the tacos down in front of me. “Try them without the sauces first. They have a lot of flavor on thier own. I think you’ll find you don’t need the sauces.”
Boy was he right; I never touched the sauces. In fact, I even forgot about them. That should tell you something.
Now I know what you are thinking, that I am hiding something or trying to pull quarters out of your ears. They must be those tiny street tacos where it takes three of them to equal one regular-sized taco. But that is not the case at all. The size is enough to where two may fill you but you’ll probably want three because they are soooo good. Heck, even though I have a carnivorous habit, I liked the meatless Portobello Playero, which has mushrooms over melted cheese with arugula, black beans, corn, cilantro and tomatoes.
Quiero also has more than tacos. There’s nachos, a tuna seafood tower (at just $14.95, by the way), fish & chips, burgers and even breakfast.
So the next time you are wondering where to go for something to eat and drink on the water, head over to Quiero and Mike Hess Brewing, the one next to Mr. Moto pizza. You’ll enjoy the tacos as much as you do the view. I know I’ll be back often.
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