The wait is over for taco lovers in San Diego as Tijuana’s iconic taquería Tacos El Franc opens its doors at Westfield Plaza Bonita in National City. The legendary spot, founded by Don Javier Valadez in 1974, has been a staple of Tijuana’s culinary scene for decades and now brings its authentic flavors to the US.
Tacos El Franc, known for its mouth-watering carne asada and spicy adobada on handmade corn tortillas, has big expansion plans in the U.S. with a second location coming to San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter in just a few weeks. The National City location will serve daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Don Javier Valadez, the founder and owner of Tacos El Franc, started serving tacos from a street cart in Tijuana’s Colonia El Soler in 1974. He eventually opened his first brick-and-mortar taquería, Tacos La Glorieta, just a few blocks away. The red-and-white checkerboard tiled fonda remains one of the city’s most respected old-school destinations for tacos.
Tacos El Franc has been featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles and has received recommendations in the Michelin Guide. Its popularity is not limited to Tijuana; the restaurant’s US locations, including Las Vegas, serve over 4,000 tacos a day.
The Westfield Plaza Bonita location features a traditional taco brigade system, with two trompos serving taqueros, one for steamed meats, and a master taquero on carne asada supported by expeditors. The kitchen team is trained in the traditional methods of preparing salsas, vegetable preparation, and marinades.
The menu at Tacos El Franc includes top sirloin for its tacos de carne asada and pork picnic roast for adobada that will be sliced from the trompos. Each trompo can hold more than 200 pounds of meat. The restaurant also serves simple vasos de frijol (whole beans) or prepared cups of beans with meat and cheese.
Tacos El Franc joins hometown competitors Tacos El Gordo, with seven US locations, including in San Diego, Chula Vista, and Las Vegas. The restaurant design features red-and-white tile walls and counters that recall the original Tacos La Glorieta, as well as brick walls in the dining area.
“We have plans to expand to Las Vegas, but for now, we are focused on these pair of San Diego openings,” says Roberto Kelly, partner with Don Javier. “I’m shocked every day that this is even happening, that Don Javier agreed to work with me and fulfill my dream.” Tacos El Franc opens on June 11 at Westfield Plaza Bonita, 3030 Plaza Bonita Road, Space 1108, National City, CA 91950.
Source: Eater
