During our recent trip to San Diego, we enjoyed the many beaches, the rich historical sections, SeaWorld and everything in between. Before we took off, I did some research, hoping to find some unique places to eat, and that is just what I found. Lucha Libre, a wrestling themed joint, and the only restaurant where the décor is as awesome as the food! We decided that is was worth it to venture into a less popular part of town, in order to try the eats at this restaurant which boasts a "funky", fresh menu. MapQuest nearly got us lost as we trekked through the Mission Hills section of town. In the middle of a quiet area, sitting next to a liquor/wine store, we found this little gem of a restaurant.
The parking was sparse, only 8-10 spots. We arrived at around 11:00 am, hoping to beat any sort of lunch rush. The outside of the place wasn't overly impressive; I had my doubts as we walked up to the door. But then as we stepped in, we could tell that we were in store for some fun. I will list the highlights in no specific order, as there were so many great things about this little hole in the wall eatery.
The décor. Oh my word. So much to look at, so little time. First off, the entire place is painted a hot, salmon pink color. Thankfully, much of that color is covered by the many, many pieces of artwork adorning the walls. This is no regular artwork, mind you, this is all specialty stuff! Picture the Mona Lisa or those two lovely folks from 'American Gothic' wearing, yep, you guessed it; wrestling masks! There were so many magnificent, masked works of art. We laughed and gawked our way up to the register, and finally composed ourselves enough to order our food. At the drink dispensing machine, more wrestling masks and something about Lionel Ritchie that you'll need to see for yourself.
The menu. The menu was chock full of various tacos, burritos and other specialty dishes. Each course had a funky name along with some equally funky ingredients, as promised from their website. The Flaco Taco, Veg Out, Surf and Turf, etc. My son, a 15 year old linebacker, decided to have a go at the Surfin' California burrito. The ingredients include steak, shrimp, French fires (you heard me!), avocado, Pico de Gallo, cheese and a super-secret chipotle sauce. I certainly had some reservations about trying this odd combination, but I decided to order myself one, as well. My two daughters, aged 5 and 12, went for a less daunting meal; a bean and cheese burrito. You can find the full menu here: http://www.tacosmackdown.com/menu.htm
The bathrooms. Now, stay with me here, I realize this isn't a typical highlight of any eatery, but it's worth mentioning. My kids and I all needed to wash up, so we went to our respective restrooms, and more laughter ensued; the little male/female characters on the door wore wrestling masks, more artwork inside the restrooms with more wrestling masks, every little sign had a wrestling mask, and nearly everything was painted a glistening gold color. I felt like a queen, or at least a queen of the wrestling world. Quite easily the most fun I have ever had washing my hands.
The furniture. Apparently, if you are famous, or if you simply make a reservation you can eat in the "champs booth". This is something you just need to see for yourself. Lots of gold, big chandelier, extremely hilarious. The rest of the furniture is adorned with wrestling masks, used very creatively. Too much to mention, see it for yourself, you could spend hours chuckling!
The food. Okay, so we ordered, we waited a short time, and then it came; the largest burrito I have ever seen! My son was frightened, at first. Even my daughter's burritos were man sized! Although the combination sounded weird, I mean, French fries in a taco seems pretty out of the ordinarily, it was literally the best burrito I have ever eaten in my entire life. It was like a symphony of everything I love in every bite. I ate all of mine, my son, the linebacker, did not finish his. Coward. I called that meal a win!
That just about wraps it up! So much fun in one little place! The place is well worth your time to MapQuest it out the next time you're in San Diego. Seriously, the best Mexican food of all time!
The parking was sparse, only 8-10 spots. We arrived at around 11:00 am, hoping to beat any sort of lunch rush. The outside of the place wasn't overly impressive; I had my doubts as we walked up to the door. But then as we stepped in, we could tell that we were in store for some fun. I will list the highlights in no specific order, as there were so many great things about this little hole in the wall eatery.
The décor. Oh my word. So much to look at, so little time. First off, the entire place is painted a hot, salmon pink color. Thankfully, much of that color is covered by the many, many pieces of artwork adorning the walls. This is no regular artwork, mind you, this is all specialty stuff! Picture the Mona Lisa or those two lovely folks from 'American Gothic' wearing, yep, you guessed it; wrestling masks! There were so many magnificent, masked works of art. We laughed and gawked our way up to the register, and finally composed ourselves enough to order our food. At the drink dispensing machine, more wrestling masks and something about Lionel Ritchie that you'll need to see for yourself.
The menu. The menu was chock full of various tacos, burritos and other specialty dishes. Each course had a funky name along with some equally funky ingredients, as promised from their website. The Flaco Taco, Veg Out, Surf and Turf, etc. My son, a 15 year old linebacker, decided to have a go at the Surfin' California burrito. The ingredients include steak, shrimp, French fires (you heard me!), avocado, Pico de Gallo, cheese and a super-secret chipotle sauce. I certainly had some reservations about trying this odd combination, but I decided to order myself one, as well. My two daughters, aged 5 and 12, went for a less daunting meal; a bean and cheese burrito. You can find the full menu here: http://www.tacosmackdown.com/menu.htm
The bathrooms. Now, stay with me here, I realize this isn't a typical highlight of any eatery, but it's worth mentioning. My kids and I all needed to wash up, so we went to our respective restrooms, and more laughter ensued; the little male/female characters on the door wore wrestling masks, more artwork inside the restrooms with more wrestling masks, every little sign had a wrestling mask, and nearly everything was painted a glistening gold color. I felt like a queen, or at least a queen of the wrestling world. Quite easily the most fun I have ever had washing my hands.
The furniture. Apparently, if you are famous, or if you simply make a reservation you can eat in the "champs booth". This is something you just need to see for yourself. Lots of gold, big chandelier, extremely hilarious. The rest of the furniture is adorned with wrestling masks, used very creatively. Too much to mention, see it for yourself, you could spend hours chuckling!
The food. Okay, so we ordered, we waited a short time, and then it came; the largest burrito I have ever seen! My son was frightened, at first. Even my daughter's burritos were man sized! Although the combination sounded weird, I mean, French fries in a taco seems pretty out of the ordinarily, it was literally the best burrito I have ever eaten in my entire life. It was like a symphony of everything I love in every bite. I ate all of mine, my son, the linebacker, did not finish his. Coward. I called that meal a win!
That just about wraps it up! So much fun in one little place! The place is well worth your time to MapQuest it out the next time you're in San Diego. Seriously, the best Mexican food of all time!
