What do you get when you take the California city closest to the border (San Diego), pair it with SoCal's #1 cuisine (Tacos + burritos), and smash it together with one of Mexico's greatest pastimes (Wrestling)? The infamous Lucha Libre Taco Shop, of course!
Walking into Lucha Libre is like stepping into a vibrant, chaotic wrestling match where the heroes are you, and the bad guys are the delicious tacos you’re about to beat down. As you can imagine by the name, and inclusion in this book, this fun palace is deeply committed to the wacky theme at hand; there's simply no space where Mexican wrestling decorations don't adorn the place. Mexican masks lurk in every corner and crevice, and the walls are a visual explosion of skateboards, posters, murals, and Lucha-inspired art.
It's like a museum of Mexican wrestling, but with a side of guacamole and a solid salsa bar. Lucha Libre has even mastered the fine art of upscale culinary pop art, as evidenced by a vibrant piece that would make Andy Warhol turn in his grave – or perhaps, in this case, do a luchador-style somersault.
The “Champions Area”, a reserved space that I can only assume is for actual Mexican wrestlers coming in for a pre-fight bite, adds an extra layer of intrigue. I definitely plan to stake out the area for a weekend in an attempt to see masked fighters discussing their signature moves over a plate of carne asada fries. That would be my moment of zen for the year.
There are also jokes and puns a plenty around the place. This one sticks out as a winner, though I see a potential lawsuit in their future.
NOW, let's dive into the other thing they got going on here– the food. I almost forgot about that amongst the beautiful chaos here. These are not your run-of-the-mill tacos; they are that special breed of unique franken-tacos that have redefined the taco game of late. Picture this: ginormous tortillas generously stuffed with exotic ingredients like "the french fry" or the classic "unnamed yellow sauce that tastes good, although you don't know exactly what's in it." Take, for instance, the one below featuring queso cheese, chipotle sauce, fried shrimp, avocado, fries, cotija, cabbage, and hot sauce.
Every bite is a flavor party, and not just any flavor party – we're talking about a major blowout, the kind with confetti raining down, champagne flowing, humans casually wandering around in snow globes, and Kool and the Gang blasting loudly through the speakers. Lucha Libre Taco Shop doesn't just serve food and crazy decor; it orchestrates a gastronomic extravaganza, making every visit a fiesta of flavors that leaves your taste buds chanting, "Lucha! Lucha! Lucha!"
PRO TIP: the place is always hopping, so come prepared to wait in line at any given hour. And though I'm not one who normally likes waiting 45 minutes for fast food, I found the experience to actually be quite tolerable-- the smells are nice and standing around gives you the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere and properly "feel the Lucha," which is important in this type of environment.
