Chubby’s Tacos

Good and cheap taco joint, excellent after a drink in one of the pubs along the row.

I can be a little judgmental of tacos because my favorite taco joint is next to a 7 – 11 in Southern California and it’s so legitimate that the cicharones have hair on them still. BUT…
This place is a-​okay. If you’re going to get some tacos around here, then this place is about as good as you’ll get. I opted for the spicy chicken tinga and the al pastor tacos and they were both good. I wish the flavors were a little stronger, but for the average palate they’re pretty good. My favorite part about this place is the cart in the back with all the sauces. I wish they had some lime wedges, but the different sauces are delicious. If you like spicy, the habanero sauce is amazing. If you don’t like spicy, avoid that one because you’ll be feeling it for days (if you know what I mean…)

I ordered the two taco platter and asked for chicken in both (instead of pork). One of the tacos was breast-​like meat and about 5 chicken hearts. Maybe they ran out of meat? Whatever the reason, it was disgusting and I’m glad I never took a bite. The one with just chicken was just bland, barely seasoned, boiled chicken. Never going back.

Really solid tacos. They double down the tortilla for each taco so the juicy goodness doesn’t fall apart. There is a great salsa with a wide variety, be veryyy careful with the habanero sauce. My face was red for about 15 mins but I loved it. Atmosphere varies from calm in the afternoon to fairly drunk in the evening. Carne Asada taco is my fav. Try it out.

Seems like a really good taco shop. And I like the sauce condiments bar in the back. Similar to Taco Cabana in Texas, but not as much nonsense.
Very nice un-​sweet iced-​tea.
I ordered the Number 1. I dunno, maybe the menu is new but the order-​taking-​lady, who was quite young but seemed to actually be running the place, had to take another look at the menu placard to know what I meant.
It’s 3 different kinds of tacos (which is ambitious for a Combo #1). I was a little disappointed they came on double corn tortillas. I know I should like them and they’re authentic, but I prefer flour tortillas. Not a big deal.
The one in the middle was incredible! The one on the left was very good! The one on the right was maybe not that good but I was very full. I think it may have been pork, beef, and chicken in the order I had it but I’m not sure in retrospect.
Anyway, I will be back to further explore. But I downloaded this silly «Stealz» app they advertise on their napkin dispensers … I don’t think that’s a thing.

I got the Spicy Sampler Two Taco Combo. This comes with the Spicy Tinga Chicken Taco and the Spicy Carne Asada Taco. Two tacos doesn’t seem like a lot but the combo comes with (black or refried) beans, rice, and chips so it was more than enough for me for dinner.
The chips had a slightly spicy seasoning which was delicious. I’m not sure what spice it was but it reminds me of the fries at Five Guys. There are a lot of salsa options for the chips that are all very good.
I don’t have a very high tolerance for spicy food but I thought the spicy Tinga chicken taco was not spicy at all. The spicy carne Asada taco, meanwhile, was too spicy for me to even eat. I think it is because of the habanero sauce (which is only on the Carne Asada taco). Overall the tacos were good, but not amazing.

It looks like a hole in the wall but the food is so delicious it’s always so super busy here. And that’s and good indication that the food is so super Duper good OK OK I don’t give it a five because it looks like a hole in the wall…

Chubby’s is a great little spot for tacos located in the heart of 9^th street. You can’t really go wrong ordering anything here. They have a delicious variety of tacos and a great salsa bar to go with it! Definitely order two or three tacos as they are not very large and plus you’ll want that many anyways as they are always good!

Really tasty food. But a very cramped restaurant. I’d recommend getting takeout, or grabbing one of the outdoor tables if you’re lucky. I had to shove someone’s ass out of my face who was standing in line right next to where I was sitting. It can really get that bad in there. But the tacos are really quite good! Definitely worth checking out.

First off, don’t call in your order. They never give you everything that comes with your order for some reason. And the staff can be rude like they don’t care your order isn’t complete. Excluding all of that this place is pretty solid.
I order the seafood sampler every time I visit and it’s always been fresh. Once I did buy a side of guacamole for 1.49 which comes in a small cup like they give you for salsa. I didn’t realize they offer three sizes of guac until after.

I am a Mexican food snob. Straight up. I’ve spent half of my life on the West Coast and in the Southwest. In Atlanta I live off of Buford Hwy (the cultural food corridor). I know street tacos, and this place nails it! No disrespect to Durham, but I never ever would have expected to find a place like this here.
I ordered 1 baja fish taco, 1 chorizo taco, 1 barbacoa taco, 1 shredded beef taco, rice and refried beans. The tacos each came in two griddled corn tortillas, like any real taco should. The baja fish was phenomenally good. The chorizo was a little dry, but forgiveable. Barbacoa was very good. Shredded beef was fair. Rice and beans were totally on par, and their salsa bar was impressive and delicious.
Anyone who has a problem with the ambiance is an idiot. You don’t go to a place like this for crystal chandeliers and fine art. You go for the tacos.
For the area, it is undoubtedly a five star joint, and you should absolutely make it a priority to check them out. On the whole, however, they get ⁴⁄₅ stars from me. They’re missing a giant horchata fountain and I didn’t get any utensils with my to-​go order, which made eating my rice and beans… challenging.

Good depending on the type of taco. Highly recommend the shrimp.

Chubby’s is only great memories for me. Here’s my Chubby’s memoir. It can also read as an advice column.
That time Vivian brought Chubby’s to my apartment complex and there were four of us eating Chubby’s by the pool. It was definitely a taco meal day– one carnitas and one chicken tinga taco (perfect amount of spice). Rice and beans. chips. $ 7. Delicious.
That time my boyfriend and I went on a long walk, ended up on 9^th street, and split a Chubby’s vegetarian burrito. It came with chips. It was like $ 4 and we were both full.
That time Sarah told me the key to bringing home extra Chubby’s salsa (because they limit you to two salsa containers per order). Wash out your old salsa containers and bring them back to Chubby’s.

This place is small and a little cramped inside, but the food is good and reasonably priced. We got an Asada burrito and fish tacos, which were both good. I also really like how they have lots of different salsas and that chips usually come with your meal. You can definitely get a fast meal here.

Taco Taco Taco!!! Looking for some quick authentic Mexican eats at a good price? Here’s your place! You can buy individual tacos and items or meals. I’m a big fan of the two types of shrimp tacos. The elaborate salsa bar, with about a dozen varieties, is a nice treat to go along with the heaping pile of homemade chips provided for every person. This is the kind of place where you stand and order, fill your own drinks (and obtain your salsas of choice!) then the food is brought to your table. There is some outdoor seating as well.
Overall — friendly workers, tasty food, quick, easy, and priced nice and low! I’m hooked.

Best Mexican food. We always order chips, fish taco and carnita chubby changa.
Fish taco — I like fish, but don’t enjoy fish taco because fish in fish taco do usually not much have fish flavor. Chubby fish taco different from any other fish taco i ever had. it’s so good. In addition to fish, the sauce and vegi toppings are very fresh and full of flavor.
Carnita Chubby changa — it just melt. Crispy, but soft and melting.
Free salsa — Better than any other salsa.

Stopped in after seeing some favorable reviews and solid pics.
The line was about 5 — 10 minutes long, but there were enough choices on the menu that I had an order in the queue, but could have made changes for another few minutes.
Ordered the combo steak/​chicken fajitas and a chorizo taco, because chorizo is the bomb.
They said about 10 minute for the order to be completed, which a negro modelo helped feel like 2 minutes.
The salsa bar is well references in other reviews, and doesn’t disappoint.
My food was still hot after a 5 – 10 minute walk home, and very good. The rice was probably the only slightly underwhelming part, but the chicken, steak, beans, and chorizo were excellent. As expected, it was a bit salty, but nothing out of the ordinary.
If you’re a local, you’ve probably tried Chubby’s, if you’re like me, and here for a quick visit, I’d check it out if you want cheap, quick, good eats.

This is the first Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to that uses 2 corn tortillas per taco, an ingenious idea because as Alex S. mentioned, my tacos didn’t fall apart! My friend and I ordered taco combos at the counter, filled a few salsa containers at the salsa bar, and sat outside in the balmy evening. Our food arrived really quickly, as we were one of the few customers at 4:30 on a Wednesday night. By 6pm the restaurant was definitely hopping with a longer line though.
My friend B ordered the fajita taco, with chicken, green peppers, and onions, and I ordered a carnitas taco and a chorizo taco. We both made our tacos a combo ($ 2.99 extra) to include refried or black beans, rice, chips, and a soda. It’s a really great deal for all the food! If I come hungrier next time I’m ordering 3 tacos instead of 2 since they are on the smaller side.
Unfortunately a large gust of wind outside blew my poor tray of chips completely off the table and we retreated inside the restaurant. I asked the waitress if I could have more chips because I only ate one before they all fell onto the ground… but I think she misunderstood because she went outside to clean up the broken chips and didn’t replace my tray of chips. I decided not to pursue the matter because the rest of my plate was pretty filling anyways.
The chorizo taco was hands down my favorite of the two tacos. The sausage was just the right amount of spiciness and came topped with fresh onion and cilantro. It tasted even better with pico de gallo and mild salsa. The carnitas was also good, but the meat wasn’t as tender as I would’ve liked. The refried beans were well done – well-​flavored, not too mushy.
The 2 tacos combo meal was about $ 9 total – not bad!
I forgot to try out their horchata this time around but will be back next time to try it and other tacos!

I’ve lived in San Diego AKA the mecca of good Mexican food, so to say my standards for Mexican food are high is putting it lightly.
I knew I had to give Chubby’s a try when I saw an earlier review from another Californian giving this place rave reviews. And I’m happy to say Chubby’s meets the Gold Standard of San Diego-​esque Mexican food! (yes I just made that standard up?)
It’s a little hole in the wall-​ish; there is some seating inside but it’s not the most inviting ambiance. But hey, you’re mainly here for the food. I tried the grilled chicken taco and spicy tinga chicken taco. BOTH delicious, but the spicy tinga chicken was insanely good! It’s shredded chicken cooked in a delicious spicy and tangy chipotle sauce with onions– you really can’t go wrong. I loved the flavor and will definitely be back so I can have more spicy tinga chicken tacos in my life.
There’s a nice salsa bar in the back with a good variety of salsas at different spice levels. You get chips with your order too so stock up on the salsa! The chips were also surprisingly good – light and crispy and nicely seasoned. Great prices + delicious tacos= A+ in my book! I only knocked a star off because I didn’t love the interior too much. Don’t forget– try the spicy tinga!

Chubby’s draws the line between 3 – 4 stars for me. It’s a local staple for anyone living in the triangle for cheap and tasty mexican food. It’s not the décor or cleanliness that draws the local crowd nor is it the hit or miss service, it’s the familiar taste. I’ve tried the tacos, burritos and enchiladas at Chubby’s and my favorite are the tacos hands down. The burritos don’t stand out as a staple and the enchiladas are average. The meats are hit or miss but I would definitely recommend the Carnitas or Spicy Tinga Chicken, I haven’t tried the Barbacoa but it sounds like it would be up my alley as well.
The reason I keep going back is the fantastic salsa bar. With 6 – 8 fresh salsas varying in heat, pico de gallo and jalapenos, you just can’t go wrong. You receive a basket of chips with each meal and go to town to figure out which salsa is your favorite of the day. I love the house salsa as well as the play on guacamole salsa. It’s really the salsa bar that makes Chubby’s — it jazzes up the food and keeps people coming back! So for below average service and atmosphere mixed with average food and above average salsa bar, I think three stars is pretty fair.