Set on University Avenue in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego, Mamá Testa Taqueria is not your typical taco shop. You won’t find any cheddar cheese topping or flour tortillas here, just authentic, time-honored recipes straight from Mexico. Owner Cesar Gonzalez wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ever since Gonzalez moved to the United States from Mexico with his family as a boy, he knew he wanted to share the rich traditions and flavors of his native country. “I promised myself that one day I was going to open a restaurant, a place where people like me could go in and say, ‘This is how I eat it; this is how I know it.’” Gonzalez said.

Since 2004, Mamá Testa has been serving it to San Diegans just the way Gonzalez remembers it. The menu is based on the different flavors and styles of tacos throughout Mexico, from Yucatan to Tijuana and everywhere in between. There is no twist on the traditional recipes; Mamá Testa gives it to you the way it has been done in Mexico for decades.

Just like the large variety of tacos found throughout Mexico, Mamá Testa’s menu offers an array of Mexican flavors. Choose from the blanditos, soft corn tortilla tacos, mainly from the northern states of Mexico; guisados, Mexican city-style soft tortilla tacos stuffed with hearty stews; duros with crunchy hard shell-like tacos from the states of Guerrero and Jalisco; and the cesta-style steamed tacos served like they do in Guanajuato.

Mamá Testa takes pride in what they do. They make all of their dishes from scratch, using only the freshest produce and free-range meats. Every day, their salsa bar is stocked with eight delicious flavors, from mild to super spicy, to please any palate.

But for Cesar, it’s about more than just the food. It’s about bringing a taste of true Mexican culture to San Diego too, allowing for a more realistic Mexican experience than just tequila and mariachi music. From the musica Latina to the telenovelas, wrestling and futbol games playing on the TV; from the authentic décor from around the country, to Cesar’s friendliness and playful sarcasm, Mamá Testa feels more like a big home than a restaurant. “We give you the sights, the sounds and the smells that Mexico has,” Cesar says. “You don’t have to bring your passport to get in. You come here and you can travel to the thirty-one states of Mexico.”