![\"\u2018Cardiff](\"https:\/\/lamesacourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Crack-Taco-Shop-chipotle-salad-with-crack-tri-tip.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nOver at the beverage station we noticed a light blue, somewhat retro-style machine dispensing four flavors of aqua frescas: strawberry-hibiscus, pear-cucumber, pineapple, and mango. Unable to pass those up as well, we journeyed through all of them with our bottomless-refill cups. None were too sugary. And all were highly quenching.<\/p>\n
The deeply spiced al pastor is among the best in San Diego. So are the corn tortillas enveloping the meat in conjunction with guacamole and chopped onions.<\/p>\n
The gluten-free tortilla dough is pressed and cooked to order, resulting in a cushy texture and wildly fresh masa flavor. Same goes for all of the other tacos such as grilled cactus, Baja shrimp, potato, IPA-battered fish and more.<\/p>\n
Regarding the Cardiff crack, it was used generously in our dishes, pairing ideally to guacamole and finely chopped pico de gallo in the burrito \u2014 and to romaine lettuce, roasted corn, shredded cheddar and creamy chipotle dressing in the salad.<\/p>\n
You may not taste the actual burgundy-black pepper infusion in the meat so much as you will quickly detect a perfected beef flavor. Imagine high-grade carne asada, the kind you always wish for when encountering those chewy pieces that barely taste like anything. This was gristle-free and more luscious in comparison.<\/p>\n
Nothing except our bean and cheese burrito needed a spec of salsa, which is saying a lot considering the three house-made versions are pretty dynamic. If dining in, they appear at your table in squeeze bottles. Otherwise, they\u2019re contained in little cups to go.<\/p>\n
One is as dark and viscous as mole sauce. But it\u2019s actually a rich, roasted chipotle \u201csalsa brava\u201d that ranks as the hottest in the trio. The red salsa is made of arbol chilies, tomatoes, garlic and onions. It too is kicky and delicious while the greenish-tan \u201csalsa verde\u201d offers a classic tang and less heat.<\/p>\n
Vegetarians are in luck with the beans used here. They don\u2019t contain lard, and not even oil for that matter \u2014 just pinto beans tenderly braised in water and a few spices. In the case of my bean-and-cheeser, a tad more cheese was used than what I normally get in most other taco shops. Just as well because it compensated for the missing saturated fat in the pintos.<\/p>\n
Other menu items include loaded nachos and french fries, various quesadillas, breakfast burritos, and customized bowls comprising mixed greens, rice or beans. Nearly everything comes with the option of \u201ccrack\u201d as the main protein. And the shop even sells the crack barbecue sandwich made popular at Seaside Market \u2014 an unlikely find in any taco joint.<\/p>\n
I get the feeling that Crack Taco Shop won\u2019t stay so unassuming for too much longer as more San Diegans discover its food, particularly the tri tip and al pastor. In addition, Abbo makes no secret that his team hopes to eventually expand to other locations around town.<\/p>\n Crack Taco Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n 4242 Camino Del Rio North<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n