Birria El Rey — Restaurant in San Diego

Birrieria El Rey – A Local Gem for Flavorful Birria in Golden Hill

Birrieria El Rey is a well-loved local spot in San Diego’s Golden Hill neighborhood, serving up authentic birria-based Mexican dishes. Originally a popular taco truck, the restaurant now operates from a cozy storefront that still proudly displays the front end of their original food truck—a nostalgic tribute to their roots.

While individual tacos or burritos are priced a bit high, they offer great deals during the week, such as Taco Tuesday with three-taco combos and Happy Hour specials on Wednesdays. I visited around 1 PM on a Wednesday and scored their Happy Hour combo, which included a birria taco, a queso birria taco, a small portion of rice and beans, and a bowl of beef birria broth.

The broth was rich and savory, slightly on the salty side, and perfect for sipping between bites. Both tacos featured double-layered, crispy tortillas, packed with juicy, shredded beef birria, onions, and cilantro. The queso taco, with its added melted cheese, had an especially satisfying depth of flavor and texture. Accompaniments like marinated onions, radish, lemon, and spicy dipping sauce elevated the meal further.

The restaurant has outdoor seating that flows seamlessly into the street atmosphere, offering a relaxed and casual dining experience. It’s also dog-friendly, making it a great stop for pet owners. There's a shaded parking lot right in front, along with additional street parking nearby.

The staff is welcoming and bilingual, and the owner’s young son adds a cheerful charm to the environment. The friendly service and lively ambiance, combined with the delicious birria, make Birrieria El Rey a must-visit for birria lovers...

Took me a while, but I've been wanting to come here since I tried their tacos at Tacotopia. They didn't disappoint either! I love that they have a taco special. 3 birria tacos for around 7 bucks. The food was delicious! The quesataco, mmmm, the consome, mmmm, the birria, mmmm! So so good! The guy who took our order was so friendly, kind, attentive, and very accommodating! I came here with my sisters and grandmother. They only have 2 tables outside for dine-in and they were being used. We were going to have our food at the park nearby, but they pulled out another table for us (without asking) and gave us everything we needed and even gave us an extra order of tacos. We tried to give it back, but they told us to keep it. Talk about service! We appreciate it sooo much! We were not expecting such great service, he really went above and beyond! I just wish I got his name. We'll be coming here...

We found this place by chance. Large covered outdoor eating area was very comfortable and spread out... We are vaccinated, but the place felt good and safe. Large portions and I can't believe we ate it all. My husband had the chiles rellenos plate, his favorite. He loved it. We had the tostadas de ceviche, tacos de carnitas and aguas. I am a celiac and must be gluten free, so I had to navigate a large menu. The staff were very patient. They were very helpful with advising me, asking the cooks about everything, and I did not get glutened. Be sure to know to ask about additives like Knorr Suisa in food prep and shared fryers with foods with gluten, and it will be all good. Us celiacs know the drill. My daughter wanted the birria, but that is weekends only here, at least for the time being. Overall, these were fresh natural ingredients that left us energetic instead...