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All 1,920 San Diego Restaurants »

Mama Testa Taqueria

1417 University Ave, Ste A, San Diego, CA 92103-3481
619-298-8226
Ranked #461 of 1,920 restaurants in San Diego
4.0 of 5 stars 23 Reviews
Cuisines: Mexican
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner
Most recent review
- Apr 7, 2012
Restaurant details
Dining options: Lunch, Dinner
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23 reviews from our community

78% Recommend
    10
    8
    1
    1
    3
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Los Angeles, California
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed April 7, 2012

We saw the episode with the Bobby Flay Throwdown, and decided to give this place a try. The fish tacos are just perfect, and extra crispy! The carne asada tacos are also good, as well! And, the waiter was super friendly and helpful!

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Wlimore, KY
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed March 20, 2012

I wanted to try this place, as I had read that they had beaten chef Bobby Flay in one of his competitions. The fish tacos were unique and very good! The salsa bar was also a nice touch. Quaint atmosphere with parking on the street. Would definitely go back when visiting San Diego!

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Los Angeles, California, USA
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 22, 2011

The food is fantastic! The menu provides a great selection of tacos. I have tried most of them and all I've tried are well executed and tasty. I drive from Los Angeles to SD just to get some tacos, and then drive back! I recommend the Atasco, Aleman and the fish tacos. The salsa bar also has unique creations, all... More

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New Braunfels, Texas
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 28, 2011

This little hole in the wall was better than I expected. The salsa bar was great, lots of mild to extreme salsas to choose from to add some heat to your meal. The selection on the menu was overwhelming, and I have eaten in MANY Mexican restaurants! I ended up with a recommendation from the girl behind the counter and... More

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Chesapeake, Virginia
Contributor
11 reviews 11 reviews
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 20, 2010
1
person found this review helpful

Driving to the airport with a little time to kill. I was hungry and heard their advertisement on the radio: "If it's good enough to Throwdown with Bobby Flay, it's good enough for you" or something to that effect. It was the middle of the afternoon after the lunch rush. The girl behind the counter (sorry I didn't get her... More

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 6, 2010
1
person found this review helpful

We've eaten Mexican food all over - domestic and international. This is some of the bes I've ever eaten. The fish tacos were so, so good. Beans and rice were yummy. The best variety of sauces (salsas?) and really unusual (like a sesame seed based one) and served on a cold cart with spicy marinated carrots and charred light green... More

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Victoria, Canada
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed April 2, 2010

undercooked scallops (I know you don't want them overcooked but these were barely warm ) and very greasy catfish and taco shells. The flavor was weak too. the only redeeming food offered was the salsa.

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San Diego
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
1 of 5 stars Reviewed March 4, 2010
1
person found this review helpful

All I can say is "BARF". I was EXTREMELY disappointed at this place. Saw they on Bobby Fla's Throwdown and went totally out of my way to try their food. Parking SUCKS. I had to pay $1.25 for parking just so I can take 5 minutes to get my food to go. All I wanted to try was fish tacos... More

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San Diego, California
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
36 helpful votes 36 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed December 30, 2009
1
person found this review helpful

Okay, let's get this part out of the way early. Ever since Mama Testa was featured on Throw Down with Bobby Flay, they've been slammed and the food has suffered. It's been 5 months now and the hype is beginning to slow down. Don't let this put you off going to Mama Testa. There's more to MT than fish tacos... More

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Lake City, Florida
Top Contributor
108 reviews 108 reviews
54 helpful votes 54 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed October 27, 2009

We had heard about this place, knew that Bobby Flay had done a throwdown here and decided to try it. We are from Florida and were on a quest for fish tacos. First of all it was almost unbearably hot in the restaurant, when I told the waitress that it was, she said "tell me about it". Then we went... More

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