Don Carlos Taco Shop։

While Girard Gourmet rotates soups and The Taco Stand pulls lines for grilled fish, Don Carlos differentiates by doing the neighborhood's least glamorous job: feeding people quickly, generously, and cheaply. The California burrito here — carne asada, fries, cheese, pico, guacamole — runs under $10 and consistently shows up in reviews as the best burrito people have ever had. The soyrizo appears in multiple forms: breakfast burritos, enchiladas, tacos. The vegetarian and vegan options aren't afterthoughts — they're half the draw.

This isn't the kind of place that benefits from lingering. There are three seats inside, a handful of tables outside on Pearl Street. Most orders are takeout. The move is ordering ahead if you're feeding a group post-beach — the portions are large enough that one burrito often splits into lunch and dinner. The Ari Shaffir burrito (named after the comedian) gets called out repeatedly, though the menu doesn't explain what's in it beyond the standard California format.

The salsas — both red and green — get as many mentions as the food itself. They're not packaged or watered down. You'll use more than you expect.

Practically: parking on Pearl is easier than fighting for a spot near the cove, and the walk back to most vacation rentals below the bluff takes under ten minutes. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, though hours aren't posted reliably online. The cheese and jalapeño tamale shows up in multiple orders alongside the soyrizo enchiladas, which suggests the vegetarian menu isn't just theoretical.

This is a taco shop in the old sense — fast, affordable, no pretense about what it is. The village has plenty of places where you pay for the view or the vibe. Don Carlos charges you for the food.