Tacos Gobernador - San Diego Gobernador Taco Throwdown

From Sinaloa to Sonora to San Diego every time I order a Taco Gobernador (Governor) I can almost guarantee I will be getting something different at each establishment. The Taco Gobernador is said to have originated in Sinaloa Mexico and named after an ex governor of Sinaloa. The first version I tried was in Sinaloa and had a combination of shrimp, marlin, and cheese. Over the years I have had countless renditions with only one common denominator “Shrimp”.



With my travels to Mexico limited for a few months I decided to put some Gobernadors in San Diego head to head so I grabbed my brother, jumped in the car, and let the games begin. It should be no surprise my favorite gobernadors come from mobile trucks and not restaurants.

First stop Mariscos German 35th and University San Diego. I have tried almost all of Mariscos German locations and they are pretty consistent across the board. Mariscos Germans Gobernadors consist of Red Onion, Cilantro, Celery, Shrimp, Cheese, and Tomato.



Overall I find no faults in this taco and it has been a long time favorite of mine. The Shrimp was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning and the veggies and cheese grilled just right. This still stands as my number one choice for this style of taco.

Second stop Mariscos El Pescador Chula Vista. Mariscos El Pescador in Chula Vista is my usual Fish Taco stop but I decided to see how their gobernador stacked up to Mariscos German side by side. The Gobernadors at El Pescador are very similar to Mariscos German. El Pescadors Gobernador consist of Shrimp, Bell Pepper, Celery, Onion, Cilantro, Tomato, and Red Onion.



If you’re taking notes Bell Pepper is the only difference from Germans version. Another difference on Pescadors gobernador is they butterfly the shrimp. My only faults with this version is I feel it needs less seasoning and vegetables. Defiantly a top contender in the Gobernador throwdown, and on this day and a close second.

Third stop Mariscos El Paisa San Ysidro. We worked our way south to San Ysidro and decide to check out Mariscos El Paisa. With Mariscos German representing San Felipe and El Pescador representing Ensenada I knew the representation from El Paisa (Culiacan Sinaloa) would be different. This version had no grilled vegetables and consisted of just shrimp, tomato, lettuce, cilantro, and crema.



The shrimp was succulent and the taco was double wrapped in some quality tortillas however their was way too much crema for my taste. Although the crema was very tasty it just totally took over. Next time I order one from here I will be sure to ask them to go easy on the crema. A minimum of two tacos come in one order which is actually a bargain at $5.00. I believe Mariscos German and Mariscos El Pescador are in the $3.75 each range.

All and all a good day for a shrimp lover like me. I’m sure there are many more great Gobernador tacos out their, if you have any favorites I didn’t mention I would love to hear about them. Its gets very interesting when you judge tacos side by side. It was also great to get another perspective, my brother also agreed at MG 1, Pescador 2, and Paisa 3.

1. Mariscos German
3504 University Ave
between 35th St & Wilson Ave)
San Diego, CA 92104
619) 392-2351

2.Mariscos El Pescador
Toys-r-us Parking Lot
1008A Industrial Blvd
Chula Vista, CA 91911

3.Mariscos El Paisa
3170 Iris Ave San Diego 92154
(Cross Street 30th)Near Trolley