Recently remodeled, Taco Surf has a new look and feel but has kept the same winning menu and surfboard ambiance that has drawn locals and visitors alike for more than 30 years.
Matt Gilmore (above), the most recent owner of Taco Surf, purchased the business at 4567 Mission Blvd. from his friends and previous longtime owners Sam and Cindy McLarty. The sale went through just before the pandemic hit in 2020. Gilmore made a conscious decision not to change the menu – or the ambiance – of the popular Mexican eatery.
“It’s what I loved already,” Gilmore said about standing pat with Taco Surf adding, “And if it works, why would you change it? Sam and his wife did a great job of building a sustainable business over the years that people love and we can all be proud of.”
The McLartys had owned and operated the business for 30 years before selling it to Matt and Melanie Gilmore. Matt had worked in the restaurant and bar businesses throughout San Diego and PB for many years. But traveling for work had become cumbersome, and he was ready to settle down in his own place.
“I had been acquainted with Sam and Cindy since they opened the taco shop in 1989,” said Gilmore, pointing out, “I was doing too much traveling.”
Gilmore was searching for a restaurant to put his own stamp on, and when he approached McLarty with the idea, Sam said: “Everybody tries to buy Taco Surf. But you’re the kind of guy I would like to have. Let’s try and work out a deal.”
About six months later the deal got done and Gilmore took over in February 2020. “The timing of course was unfortunate,” noted Gilmore. “But I couldn’t be happier with the location and the business. People in the neighborhood loved Taco Surf and supported it, (even) when they were barely allowed to go out and do anything.”
So Gilmore held tight, kept all of the employees at Taco Surf, and things turned out right. “We all worked together as a team throughout the pandemic and we were able to come out the other side,” he said.
“Taco Surf Pacific Beach is known for their quality Mexican food and also for their extensive surfboard collection,” states the restaurant’s website. “You can see and smell the delicious food cooking when you enter.”
Carne asada is a best-selling menu item using top sirloin and is cooked to order, never sitting after it is cooked. Tortilla soup is another crowd-pleaser with its tomato broth and piquant flavor, offering a choice between grilled chicken or shrimp.
Taco Surf has been voted “Best rolled tacos” by San Diego Magazine. The restaurant also offers beef, chicken or potato rolled tacos. Its guacamole is made with Haas Avocados, has no fillers, and is all vegetables.
There are Mondays through Fridays specials. Taco Tuesday and Taco Thursday are the most popular. They also take a dollar off the chicken tortilla soup when it is raining. Taco Surf will also cater special events: weddings, birthdays, graduations, anything.
Gilmore said his plan for transitioning Taco Surf from the McLartys to his own management has never changed. “My plan all along was to try and do whatever I can to make sure the business will survive another 20 years,” he said. “And so, when we were able to get through (pandemic), that’s when we started planning the remodeling of the plumbing and the electrical, and most everything in the kitchen.”
Added Gilmore, “Out here (interior) it is just the floor and the tables that have changed.” He changed the location of the counter, built a walk-in cooler, and moved the bathroom.
Gilmore has even kept McLarty’s signature surfboards in the restaurant, except for those his friend was unwilling to part with.
“Those are his two passions: food and surfing,” noted Gilmore, adding he’s continuing that tradition too, along with the exceptional cuisine. “I’m learning so much about the boards,” he said. “I really enjoy it.”
TACO SURF
Where: 4567 Mission Blvd.
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Contact: 858-272-3877.
