REVIEW: Lucha Libre Gourmet Tacos - San Diego, CA

NachooooOOOOOooOOoOOooOOOooOOOoo!!!! …Ok, not quite, but you get the idea. Anytime you think “Lucha Libre” you think one of two things: 1.) Jack Black running around in a mask with light blue tights, or 2.) High-flying, acrobatic, wrestlers that defy physics and are significantly smaller than their competition! Both are acceptable thoughts; however, in this case, we’re talking about BIG flavors that tower over the rest! Southern California is getting you to try and think about something else when the words “Lucha Libre” cross your mind…food…and not just any food, but authentic Mexican cuisine with flavorful and creative twists. So, put on your favorite wrestling uni, pull down on your Lucha Libre mask, and settle in….THIS is Lucha Libre Gourmet Tacos…!

The Place –

The first thing that jumped out about this place was how it just seems to pop up out of nowhere when you’re trying to find it...and that's not a bad thing, it was just unexpected. I’ve seen a few pictures online as to how the exterior looked, but I could have easily missed it had it not been for my trusty, dusty GPS. Needless to say, Lucha Libre Gourmet Tacos is located on W. Washington St. in San Diego across from a Shell gas station and right next door to a Chevron gas station. There’s limited parking in the private lot so be sure to anticipate parking a few blocks down in the neighborhood and walking across the fairly busy intersection. If you come during off-peak hours, like during the week before the lunch or dinner rush, I’m sure you’ll have no problems finding a place to park. Lucha Libre itself seems to be part of a building in which businesses are on the bottom floor and living quarters are located on the floor just above it. It also seems to share space with other surrounding businesses in the same plaza, which in turn, shares the same private parking lot causing parking spaces to become even more scarce. Exterior aside, the interior is everything you’re expecting it to be, especially if you’ve seen the “Man Vs. Food” episode about it or the various pictures circulating the Internet. The walls are decked out in various framed pictures and knick knacks of the Lucha Libre culture. Lucha Libre masks can be seen hanging from various portions of the wall and you can’t but help look at every single one of them to notice the intricacies of each mask. The restaurant is fairly small in comparison to most restaurants; however, that should NOT deter anyone from stepping foot in it. The decoration is what makes this place special and should definitely be looked at by all who visit! There are quite a few table tops, chairs, and outdoor seating to accommodate for a fairly large crowd; however, the star of the interior is definitely the “Champion’s Table”! Only available through reservations, days in advance, the Champion’s Table is a booth that has been separated from the rest and is decked out in gold upholstery and gold everything! It may seem like a small, irrelevant thing to some, but for fans of Lucha Libre and for those that have been wanting to visit for their first time, this is something that is iconic to the restaurant! Way to embrace and showcase the Lucha Libre theme, guys!

The Service –

The restaurant doesn’t feature a wait staff, so there isn’t much to say about the customer service as they don’t provide table-side waiting. With that being said, all the employees that I encountered were really friendly, enjoyed what they were doing, and were willing to help with any and all questions. For being at a restaurant for the very first time, this is extremely important in the way I look at customer service, for the plain and simple fact that no one wants to feel intimidated when they are ordering in fear of saying something wrong or deviating from the norm of how they operate. Consumers, at least myself, are aware that there’s a specific way to order in every restaurant and each has a particular flow. When you have someone come in and mess up the flow, it can get annoying for employees sometimes; however, only those with great people and are attentive to customer service can stay calm, put on a smile, and help you in getting what you want and Lucha Libre is one of those places. The girl taking my order was very helpful and polite as I stumbled my way through my indecisiveness of what I wanted to order. Thanks for making my first experience at Lucha Libre enjoyable, guys!

The Food –

On to the main event…the delicious creations that truly make this place worth visiting and define Lucha Libre. If you haven't seen it yet, Lucha Libre has been featured on a popular food show called, “Man Vs. Food”. In this show, the host (Adam Richman), travels the country in search of all the notable food challenges that restaurants pose. During his trip, he visits Lucha Libre to take on the California Surfin’ Burrito. While I was tempted to order the same thing, I settled for tacos that contained, basically, the same ingredients, just with a “smaller” foot print. Their menu is fairly basic and focused for the most part; however, their creations are what, truly, make them unique. First, chips and salsa. With any restaurant similar to Lucha Libre, they always offer complimentary chips and salsa to accommodate your order. The chips were perfectly cooked, crunchy, and warm…everything you look for in a tortilla chip; however, the perfection doesn’t just stop there…their salsas/sauces are DEFINITELY something worth mentioning. Lucha Libre offers typical salsas (salsa verde, pico de gallo, etc), but there is ONE that I HAVE to mention and that NEEDS to be tried out by EVERYONE that visits here and that is their Creamy Cilantro sauce/salsa….good Lord, THE best salsa I have EVER tasted to this date. When I received my chips, I walked up to the salsa bar and noticed this creamy goodness. I took the ladle and served myself a generous portion in the plastic cups they provided me with. I took one of my tortilla chips, dipped it with a liberal amount of the Creamy Cilantro sauce, took a bite, and IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the sauce. I wanted to bottle ALL of their stock, take it home, and just laugh at the fact that NO ONE will have any of it BUT me! Haha In all seriousness, it was THAT good and is something that people should try, not just on their tortilla chips, but on their dishes as well. For my main course, I ordered three(3) tacos. The tacos may not seem all that big when you get them, but trust me, they fill you up quick. I ordered two(2) Queso Tacos and one(1) Surf 'N Turf Taco. The Queso Tacos are soft tacos, that have grilled crispy cheese inside of them and then topped with more cheese, special sauce, avocado slices, and your choice of chicken, steak, or french fries….yes…french fries. For my two(2) Queso Tacos, I decided to have chicken and steak so that I could sample both of their proteins. The Surf ‘N Turf Taco is, again, a soft taco filled with marinated steak, grilled shrimp, avocado slices, and special sauces. First, the chicken and shrimp, were nothing too special. The shrimp was well-cooked, flavorful, and didn’t have the “seafood” taste one gets when biting into grilled shrimp. The chicken was well-seasoned, but was really dry. I love chicken just as much as the next person; however, I would try the other proteins they have instead of the chicken if you have the chance to. Last but not least, the steak. The marinated steak is literally THE best steak I’ve ever had in a taco or Mexican cuisine…EVER. It was cooked well, moist, VERY flavorful, and had a little kick to it from whatever spices it was marinating in. If I had the chance and if I could, I would literally tell them to just cook a whole bunch of that marinated steak, put some cheese on it, top it off with some special sauce, give me a fork and I would be a happy camper for as long as that steak lasted. It was delicious and NEEDS to be tried by everyone. As a whole though, the tacos were absolutely delicious regardless of protein. The tortillas were grilled well, the avocado gave the taco that smooth flavor profile one needs when eating Mexican cuisine, and the special sauce made for a great accompaniment to the dish giving it a tangy, yet subtle bite. This place has absolutely won my vote for best taco, and if anything, best marinated steak/carne asada, at the very least. Great job, guys!

Overall –

Our tale of the tape…Lucha Libre has definitely got a winner on its hands with their current menu. There are A LOT of positive things to be said about this place, the environment, and the decor that you can’t help but stare at while you’re in there. I would HIGHLY recommend people come in and stop by if you happen to be in the area and even if you’re not, but are in the mood for some tacos and burritos, this is the place to satisfy that craving. Although I don’t live in SoCal and won’t have the ability to visit often, I look forward to the day I can come back and try all the other things on the menu, like their burritos, but more importantly, getting my hands on that Creamy Cilantro sauce one more time! Thanks, guys! Enjoy!! NachoooOOOooOOoOOoOOoOoOOOooo!!!

Lucha Libre Gourmet Tacos

1810 W. Washington St. San Diego, CA 92103

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