Top 5 Combination Surf Break & Burrito Spots in San Diego

There are certain things in life that make such incredible combinations when put together, that not mentioning them in the same sentence is almost doing a disservice to the things themselves. There is no better example of this than the surf break & burrito combination. Yes, there are surf breaks around the world that are truly incredible, yet you can’t find a burrito within a 10 mile radius. But, when you’re at a break where the surf is pumping and are able to bite into a burrito within 5 minutes of getting out of the water - life is good. 

Before I list out my top 5 surf break & burrito combinations, let me get a couple things out of the way. First off, burritos are very personal - I am choosing mine based on a combination of taste, portion size, and red/green sauce quality. Also, every Mexican restaurant on here has home-made tortillas, anything else is clearly sub par. Secondly, I surf goofy-footed, so there are some breaks I just don’t enjoy and will not name because the wave just doesn’t do it for me cough cough Swamis cough cough. Finally, whether my favorite surf spots happen to be near a burrito place or my favorite burrito joints happen to be close to a surf spot, it is the combination that matters here. No combo, no mention. With that being said - let’s get started.

5) Grandview & Roberto’s Mexican Food 

Grandview is one of my favorite breaks for a couple reasons - the first of which is because I can bike there and there is a small parking lot, which means that the break is never overly crowded. The second, is that Grandview is very kind to goofy-footed surfers. The channel leading out to the break makes the paddle palatable, which is great considering it can be a trek out there on certain days. The break can be peaky, but heading right out in front of the guard tower produces a nice left that can be abused to the point of exhaustion and hunger. Speaking of hunger - let’s talk Roberto’s. This place is a North County classic, and they can churn out burritos like it’s their job. For some reason, I tend to surf Grandview mid-day, so I never come here for breakfast burritos. My go-to here is the Cali-B. They are simple with their burrito, making sure the meat and tortillas are the star of the show. This burrito is coupled nicely with their green sauce. I am not as big of a fan of their red, but the green sauce is pretty stellar.  An honorable mention here is their taquitos - definitely a sneaky meal addition.

4) D Street & The Taco Stand

D street is one of my favorite beach breaks. I personally love coming here with my Beater Board and getting tossed around in the water. The conditions can definitely sway me away from this break if the wind is wrong, but when it is right, I will for sure have a smile on my face after swallowing a lot of salt water (but no sand in my Drifties, because the neoprene liner keeps that out!). Onto the burrito aspect of this combination - The Taco Stand is no joke. I think some people think that it looks a little more modern and write it off because they love the longstanding hole in the wall Mexican joints, but it is phenomenal. Here is where I might lose people, but I stand by my decision - their Al Pastor Burrito is the burrito to get. Rotisserie marinated pork (that is rotating in front of you as you order), onions, cilantro sauce, and pineapple. I am not a big cilantro guy, so don’t be scared when you see the cilantro sauce - the real winning combo here is the al pastor and pineapple. It is insane.

3) Seaside Reef & Cardiff Seaside Market

“Seaside is the most consistent break and is the stomping grounds of the momentum generation, which includes one of my favorite rippers, Rob Machado.” - Conner, Driftline Intern/Lifeguard/Ripper/Fellow Lover of Food. I couldn’t agree more with Conner about this break and I feel silly putting this as number 3 on the list because of how hard you can rip on this wave. I personally can’t get airs, but sitting out in the lineup I can see people floating above the lip and carving powerful turns spraying everything in their path. In this combo, you would think Seaside Reef pulls the weight, but the Cardiff Crack Burrito is the closer in this duo. While it’s not actually called Cardiff Crack on the menu, the addiction to the taste of the tri-tip within the burrito is very real. The seasoned tri-tip cut is a showstopper and makes you feel inadequate about every piece of meat you have ever marinated in your life. Get pitted and then get the crack.

2) Law Street & Taco Surf

This surf and burrito combination has a special place in my heart as it was the first spot I surfed in SD. Does law street provide the best waves, definitely not. But, a lot of my good friends live near this break and it provides surfing for my kookiest to my most talented surfer friends. Party waves are a given and you have to go with a no stress mindset, because you will definitely get dropped in on by some PB tourists. That being said, I have caught some really fun waves here and it was the location of my first 5 toes on the nose. The surf here is not complete without the monstrosity of goodness that Taco Surf provides. This spot has burritos the size of your head that are filled with equally-distributed quality ingredients. I alternate between the surf & turf & the carne asada breakfast burrito because choosing a favorite is that painful. On top of this, both the red and green sauce are perfect. You can tell that they know how good their sauce is by how much of it they make. I think they have a designated sauce guy in the back because of how many people say “I will have 3 of each please”. Taco Surf is the PB post-surf burrito spot in my opinion.

1) Beacons & Moonage

This was an insanely tough decision, but I stand by it. Beacons is by far my favorite wave in San Diego and it’s because I both live in Leucadia and because of the fact that I am a longboarder at heart. I have been called a “mushy kook” for saying how much I love Beacons, but I consistently catch the longest and most smile-inducing waves during every session here. The vibes are always high while I pull long slow carves and I rarely see closeouts here. I personally like surfing the southside of the break, but when it gets a little more crowded it is super easy to drift or surf into an open little section and catch enough solo waves to last you the day. The burrito spot was a hard decision because of the plethora of spots within a couple miles of this break. That being said, the newcomer, Moonage, checks all the boxes when I am rating a burrito. When you walk into Moonage, you’re immediately captured by the perfectly imperfect vibes, and the smell of their fusion food truck blows you away. Their Moonage Monster Burrito is my go-to and is made of carne asada, sweet & spicy grilled shrimp, guac, citrus slaw and chipotle aioli. You will ravage this burrito while listening to epic live music on their pink stage and internally ask yourself “should I get another one?”. Moonage is a recent addition to Leucadia, but is seriously next level. This surf & burrito combination will evoke such a feeling of elation that you will want to capture it in a bottle and slug it down day-in and day-out. 

Shoot us an email letting us know if you agree or disagree with our choices! The search is never complete and we welcome a surf and burrito combination anytime - just hit us up!