Tijuanazo opened at 406 University Avenue in Hillcrest in late 2024 hoping to tap into San Diego’s growing appetite for Tijuana-style tacos, a movement that has fueled major success stories like Tacos El Gordo and Tacos El Franc. Those operators have thrived by delivering a gritty, no-frills version of border taco culture centered on carne asada grilled over open flames and adobada shaved straight off the trompo. While Tijuanazo arrived with strong brand recognition from Tijuana and Los Angeles, Hillcrest proved to be a tougher environment, with higher operating costs, intense competition, and a dining scene that has struggled to support late-night, high-volume taquerías in recent years.
The closure underscores a broader reality for San Diego neighborhoods like Hillcrest, which has seen a wave of restaurant turnover as operators test concepts that perform well closer to the border or in tourist-heavy districts. Tijuanazo’s Hillcrest location earned praise for its faithful execution of Tijuana street food classics, including carne asada, al pastor, suadero, and specialty items like cactus-wrapped taco aztecas and crispy cheese “fantasmas,” but consistency and foot traffic appear to have fallen short of what the model requires to sustain itself long term.
According to the company, the focus now shifts to Little Italy, where Tijuanazo is preparing to reopen in a higher-profile corridor with heavier pedestrian flow and a dining audience already primed for casual, fast-paced concepts. The move mirrors a pattern seen across San Diego, where taquerías rooted in Tijuana’s street culture increasingly gravitate toward dense, tourist-driven neighborhoods rather than traditional nightlife strips. A reopening timeline has not yet been announced, but the restaurant says it plans to debut its Little Italy location “very soon,” positioning the closure in Hillcrest as a strategic reset rather than a retreat.
As San Diego continues to embrace cross-border food culture, Tijuanazo’s exit from Hillcrest highlights the fine line between hype and sustainability. For now, the taquería’s next chapter will play out in Little Italy, where the competition is just as fierce - but the crowds are far less forgiving to empty grills.
Taquería Tijuanazo is expected to open in early 2026 at 2102 India Street in San Diego's Little Italy. For more information, visit taqueriatijuanazo.com.
Originally published on December 21, 2025.
