North Park · Best California Burritos in San Diego
Don Carlos Taco Shop Review
Last updatedRanked #2 of 8 in Best California Burritos in San Diego
North Park's best California burrito. Hearty, well-wrapped, and an excellent value for the size.
Score breakdown
- Carne Asada90/100
- Fries88/100
- Tortilla88/100
- Sauce & Cheese90/100
- Value92/100
The verdict on Don Carlos Taco Shop
Ranked #2 of 8 — 90/100 in our Best California Burritos in San Diego coverage
Don Carlos makes a California burrito that is built for hunger. The carne asada is sliced thin and seasoned with a salty, peppery crust, and the fries are thick enough to stay crisp inside the wrap. The tortilla is stretched and warmed, and the burrito is rolled with enough pressure to hold everything together. Guacamole and sour cream are applied evenly, so each bite includes a little of everything. The North Park location is a neighborhood staple, and the value is among the best in the city. It is the burrito you order when you need to be full for hours.
What to order at Don Carlos Taco Shop
Don Carlos Taco Shop appears on more than one of our lists, and the pick depends on which one you are reading:
- Carne asada burrito — from our Best Burritos in San Diego coverage
- California burrito — from our Best California Burritos in San Diego coverage
Is Don Carlos Taco Shop worth the price?
Don Carlos Taco Shop sits at $10.50 — the budget band for this category. We scored 3 other $10.50 options on the same list, and Don Carlos Taco Shop outscores 3 of them. Within its price bracket, nothing we ranked does it better.
Don Carlos Taco Shop FAQ
Is Don Carlos Taco Shop expensive?
Don Carlos Taco Shop is priced at $10.50, which puts it in the budget band for this category. We scored 3 other $10.50 options on the same list for a direct comparison.
Is Don Carlos Taco Shop worth it?
It scores 90/100, 4.1 points above the 85.9 average for its list. That's a solid recommendation within the category.
What should I order at Don Carlos Taco Shop?
We recommend the California burrito.
What else is nearby Don Carlos Taco Shop?
Tribute Pizza (93/100 in our best pizza in san diego list) and Hammond's Gourmet Ice Cream (93/100 in our best ice cream in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
Every list Don Carlos Taco Shop ranks on
Don Carlos Taco Shop shows up on 2 of our ranked lists, without a category win so far. Places that hold up across more than one category tend to be the safer recommendation when you are booking for a group with different tastes.
What works
- Strong value — scored 92/100 in our ranking
- Strong carne asada — scored 90/100 in our ranking
- Strong sauce & cheese — scored 90/100 in our ranking
- Top-2 finish out of 8 spots we scored in this category
Know before you go
The full review
Don Carlos makes a California burrito that is built for hunger. The carne asada is sliced thin and seasoned with a salty, peppery crust, and the fries are thick enough to stay crisp inside the wrap. The tortilla is stretched and warmed, and the burrito is rolled with enough pressure to hold everything together. Guacamole and sour cream are applied evenly, so each bite includes a little of everything. The North Park location is a neighborhood staple, and the value is among the best in the city. It is the burrito you order when you need to be full for hours.
On our weighted scale it earns 90/100 — good for #2 of 8 places we evaluated for best california burritos in san diego. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes.
What to order at Don Carlos Taco Shop
California burrito
Price: $10.50
How we scored Don Carlos Taco Shop
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: carne asada, fries, tortilla, sauce & cheese, value. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.