Tacos El Flaco

Unlike University Heights' sit-down Thai spots with their full menus and table service, El Flaco operates like the taco stands lining Avenida Revolución: counter-only, outdoor seating, tortillas hot off the comal, and meat that speaks for itself. You order, you wait near the grill, you eat standing or perched on one of the sidewalk tables. The simplicity is the point.

The **adobada** is what people drive here for — marinated pork spit-roasted until the edges crisp, sliced thin, and layered into small corn tortillas with onions, cilantro, and avocado. Reviews describe it as perfectly charred without being greasy, tender without being mushy, the kind of taco that makes you understand why this style dominates the border. The **birria** gets offered as samples and shows up in repeat-customer orders, flavorful enough that even TJ purists approve.

The tortillas taste traditional — hand-sized, double-stacked when the filling's heavy, with that fresh-pressed texture you'd get south of the border. Carne asada runs standard but solid. Portions skew small in the Tijuana tradition, which means ordering three tacos isn't gluttony, it's calibration.

Downsides: some adobada batches run chewier than others, and if you hit them on an off day, you'll notice. Service is friendly but barebones — don't expect explanations or upselling. Parking on Park Boulevard is the usual nightmare; side streets are your friend.

This is the neighborhood spot for when you want tacos that taste like they belong twenty minutes south, not sanitized for brunch crowds. No frills, no fusion, just good meat and better tortillas.