The upcoming opening marks a notable shift for the address, trading smash burgers for a more regionally specific take on Mexican cuisine rooted in northern Mexico’s grilling traditions. While San Diego is no stranger to tacos, Taconora aims to spotlight a style less commonly represented locally - one where the cut of meat, the grill, and the parrillero play the central role.
In Sonora, tacos are built around high-quality beef and live-fire cooking rather than heavy toppings or complex sauces. Taconora plans to stay true to that approach, serving char-grilled meats like prime sirloin and rib eye on house-made flour tortillas, designed to let technique and ingredients lead. One standout item slated for the menu is a sirloin trompo, a preparation popular in Mexican taquerías but still relatively rare in San Diego.
The kitchen will be led by a Sonoran parrillero chef with roots in the region and experience operating multiple taquerías in Hermosillo, Sonora. That background informs both the menu and execution, anchoring the concept in regional authenticity rather than a generalized version of Mexican street food.
Taconora’s menu will center on Sonoran-style tacos and burritos, supported by slow-cooked Sonoran beans, a full salsa bar with daily-made salsas, and a lineup of grilled preparations emphasizing beef-forward flavors. The restaurant will also lean into breakfast service, offering Sonoran-style breakfast burritos featuring items like braised beef in red chile, egg and chorizo, and pork belly, along with house-made aguas frescas.
Ahead of its official opening, Taconora quietly introduced itself to the neighborhood with a small community preview during a recent Santa Run event, handing out breakfast burritos to runners and passersby. The informal pop-up offered locals an early taste of what’s to come—and, judging by the response, succeeded in building early buzz along Garnet Avenue.
The concept was developed by a family-owned team in collaboration with Tyche Food & Beverage Consulting, which worked on brand development, menu strategy, and the overall business model. Renata Vázquez, co-founder of Tyche Food & Beverage Consulting, said the goal was to bring a more faithful representation of Sonoran taco culture to San Diego while creating a spot that fits naturally into the Pacific Beach neighborhood.
Taconora is expected to open in mid-January 2026 at 956 Garnet Avenue in San Diego's Pacific Beach. For more information, follow @taconora.usa on Instagram.
Originally published on December 17, 2025.
