Lucha Lucha

Great place to bring a beer and sit at the counter and eat delicious tacos and burritos. Try the campechano tacos!!! The meat is marinated to perfection. So much flavor!

Most authentic tasting California burrito (Carne Asada Fries in a Tortilla!) I’ve had in a long time. Got nostalgic about SoCal while munching on it. Definitely going back and bringing a crew

Luckily this place is a little on the high side or else I would eat here all the time. Carne Asada fries are to die for and you could probably eat twice off of them. California Burrito will satisfy any appetite.
One of the owners, Jay, is usually there and is very passionate about bringing this type of food to the area. He’s always one for a good conversation.

We ended up here after Chilos was closed and were pleasantly surprised how enjoyable our meal was. We tried the salsa and chips, beef, chicken and chorizo tacos. The tortillas used were very fresh and the fillings were perfectly seasoned. The standout for me was the asada as the steak was very tender and nicely charred. Tacos came dressed with the usual suspects cheese, cream and tomatoes. Service was fast. CASH only establishment.

I just moved here from San Diego and this place is no joke. I researched far and wide on Unilocal and have tried several places in Manhattan but nothing was measuring up. We finally decided to make the hour long trek to try these burritos and they definitely did not disappoint.
The California Burrito is the right size and they pass on stuffing it with fillers like beans and rice. When you come here, you are getting an authentic California Burrito. We got two extras to bring home and stick in the fridge — they are THAT good!
The owner is a San Diego native and super friendly. It’s a small spot with a nice vibe. I’d definitely recommend these guys and I’ll be taking the trip out to see them often!

I almost can’t believe a tempeh/​french fry/​guacamole burrito exists, but I’m so glad it does. Ultimate vegan comfort food.
The mushroom burrito was pretty good too, but next time will order the mushrooms in taco form. I think they would stand out more without the rice and beans.

I love this place so goddamn much.
As a SF transplant in Brooklyn, I have been in pain trying to find a decent place for burritos out here. And I’ve come up short everywhere.
BUT. This chill-​ass californian dude shows up in Bed-​Stuy with his delicious blend of San Diego mexican food and I am ALL IN.
thank you, chillest man on earth, for the calfornia burritos you have brought us.

Nope. So disappointing. First bite of the carne asada burrito and I almost cried. I’m from San Diego and am on a forever-​quest (well, for the past 9 yrs) to find a carne asada burrito in NYC which tastes anything like the perfect specimens produced in San Diego.
After reading these reviews about Lucha Lucha, I was so optimistic! I should have known better than to get my hopes up. The meat was spiced all wrong, the guac/​cheese and even the sour cream was totally off base! Not even CLOSE to southern Ca Mexican. There was NOTHING about it which reminded me of a SD carne asada burrito. I should probably just give up. Or move back to SD.

The Good: Most importantly, the food is good.
The Bad: the most basic requests aren’t allowed. I requested extra cilantro and they said no. It’s fairly slow. And although it’s decorated cute, it lacks an overall welcoming vibe
Overall: probably best for delivery or pick ups to go.

I love that this place has vegan options other than the typical sautéed onions and bell peppers! They actually have a vegetarian protein on the menu– tempeh. It’s an unusual choice for a burrito but it works. It would be better if the marinade was slightly different or if the tempeh was fried and crispy– something to make the texture more fitting for a burrito. As it is now, it tastes a bit bland. That being said, it’s the only vegan option like it around and I’ll definitely keep coming back. They also deliver, too. The space is very small, so it’s best to order take out if you’re in a party bigger than 2.

Great food at lucha lucha! Very flavorful, and a great portion. I had the carne asada fries and they were delicious. Definitely enough for 2 people.
Will definitely be back here soon because I like the feel of this place as well. Hope a lot of people support this spot because they’re serving up quality.

My hunt for the best San Diego-​style burrito in the city continues, this time with a recommendation from some SoCal natives. And the rec was spot on: This is a true California burrito.
It’s the perfect size, filled with fries and no rice (as all burritos should be) and the meat is seasoned to perfection. The only other place that comes close in flavor is the Smorgasburg burrito spot.
As with others, I’m docking a star for cash only. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, but while we were in there the cashier loudly complained that they didn’t have enough change to give to people, and he was «using money from [his] own wallet.» Uhh, I said, «have you guys ever heard of Square?» Blank stare. This is silly, considering they have the FANCIEST iPad apparatus for keeping track of purchases that I’ve ever seen. C’mon, guys! Upgrade. Thanks for the ATM, but please… this is 2015.

The fiancé and I moved from San Diego to Brooklyn last summer, and besides the weather and great mountain biking, about the only thing we REALLY miss is the border Mexican food.
We’ve tried a few shops in the Clinton Hill/​Fort Green/​BedStuy area, and a couple were decent Mexican food, but none of them were of the SoCal variety we miss so much. We saw Lucha Lucha on Unilocal a few times, but were getting jaded by NYC’s legendary lack of SoCal/​border Mexican food.
So today we decided to just give it a shot, seeming how the guy that runs it is FROM San Diego… and boy are we glad that we did!
The guac is legit: fresh, with some salt and lime like it should have, and CHUNKS of avocado — Hellyeah.
We ordered a Carne Asada burrito, and a California burrito as well, and both were legit. A taste of home in our new home. The only other thing I really wish they offered is a Chimichanga, but Jay, one of the owners, said that’s already in the works, along with a few other surprises — awesome!
Jay is a chill guy; down to earth, and friendly. We’re stoked to find this gem so close to us!
Like the Governator famously once said: «I’ll be back!»

Me likey! Solid flavors.
I had the California burrito, my BF had the carne asada burrito and carne asada quesadilla. The California had beef, guacamole, cheese and French fries! I love the beef– well seasoned, the guacamole– spicy but flavorful. The fries made this so filling that I could only eat half in one sitting. Thumbs up for leftovers! A little pleasing side note; there were a few crispy tortilla chips sitting next to my burrito in the serving basket. I appreciate this gesture Lucha Lucha :) I get two textures with my meal, awesomeness!
I did try my BF quesadilla and the bite was great! The beef was in a mole type sauce giving the cheese and tortilla a moist piquancy.
The décor is cute– Nacho Libre themed as you see in the pictures. The place is a bit small but not cramped.
One star off for cash only. All and all I ‘m big fan of Lucha Lucha and will be returning.

As a real Mexican, I’m quite impressed with this place.
It definitely feels like San Diego style with a little bit of an elevated feel.
My family cooks very traditional Mexican so that’s what I know, but this is a great step into something with some flare.
I had the tacos with carne asada and they were so good. Anything here is really a good option. Don’t miss out on this place!

Food is good. So far it is always fresh. The rice bowl is my absolute favorite. I have also heard and seen great things about the burrito with fries. However, I did try the beef and it was salty as some people have said.
The cons (and the star removal) would really be the cashier, she doesn’t acknowledge people until she’s finished with her side conversations, also she treats the plastic bags as if they are gold. I’m sorry but carrying a hot foil plate in a brown paper bag as I take it home is not my idea of customer satisfaction. One the foil container is extremely hot on the fingertips and if you try to hold it on one side you end up causing the plastic cover to cave in.
Secondly, you should always make sure your paid and leaving customers have everything they need (hot sauce, utensils etc) before you turn to get into deep conversation with other patrons, especially if you see them still standing there (clearly that means they still require something)
Also, I don’t like to see coworkers be aggressive to one another especially when it’s not your business. (myself and others have seen her reprimand fellow staff over minor things that she does herself)
Also her swinging around her massive amounts of hair around the food she is not cooking is not cool because the day I find a hair in my food, that will be my last day giving this potentially awesome establishment my business (and that of the people I have referred)

The best burrito I’ve ever had. Jay was super nice and gave me the low-​down on a campechano California burrito (recommend getting for true San Diego experience).
Great flavor, great portions, great service. Welcome to the neighborhood!

ALERT: Large portions, so go with a friend so you can share and titillate your taste buds with various flavors.
Lucha Lucha markets itself as San Diego (SoCal) Mexican food in Brooklyn. That it is. So any reviewer who makes some inane comment about how «authentic» it is — just stop. It’s not *trying* to tout itself as such.
Vegetarians will love it because there are actual fake meat options (Mushrooms or Tempeh). You don’t have to be subjected to marinated veggies and beans.
My favorite was the Mushroom Nachos — tons of flavors, layers and really fresh. AND it was not inundated with cheese. I was actually shocked that I enjoyed the nachos so much! I could not stop devouring them.
The Tempeh California Burrito was tasty — but, to be honest, I didn’t really love it. The ratio of fries to tempeh/​other ingredients was off — wayyyyy too many fries and they weren’t great fries — too starchy. [For reference — the BEST fries in sandwich/​burrito/​wrap that I have ever had was at Bucharest Grill in Detroit — the Bucharest Shwarma — fries in chicken shwarma with garlic sauce. I could potentially go back to eating chicken just to experience that again].
The sauces were a major highlight. Specifically, Chipotle, Carrot Habanero and Pineapple Habanero. Dripping them on each bite was lovely.
Next time I go I will order the mushroom nachos and tempeh tacos or something without the fries… Because it was clear that the ingredients and accompaniments were fresh and tasty (Their guacamole, salsa, sauces, etc… are all homemade, simple and fresh).
If I want «authentic» tacos/​Mexican food I will continue to go to the taco truck at Chilo’s a few streets over. But, when I want interesting vegetarian SoCal, Mexican fusion food I will definitely come back to Lucha Lucha.
*CASH ONLY

Not a bad spot. The owner (or whoever was at front counter) was a super-​chill guy. Had the three tacos (steak, chicken, chorizo) for $ 10, which is a solid deal considering they come with guac, but the proteins were just average. Also had a side order of chips and salsa ($ 3), which actually featured a real adult-​sized bowl of normal freaking salsa (i.e. simple tomatoes and lime instead of NYC’s usual thimble of over-​the-​top smoked-​poblano-​and-​cascabel blend) just like you’d get in California.
However, the tortillas really need some work — not of high quality and the ones with the tacos were soft and completely lacking any oil, as if they’d been steamed instead of griddled. Ditto for the chips, which seemed like they were baked. I will say that the burritos other diners were eating had flour tortillas that looked really nice — lightly browned and slightly flaky, as opposed to the too-​thin or too-​thick varieties normally found around town.

So here’s the thing… It’s pretty well documented at this point that New York has some good Mexican food. Different dishes, different regions, different styles, all represented. And I’d think if you were a relatively new restaurant, you’d want to try to carve out your own little spot in the culinary landscape. But Lucha Lucha doesn’t really seem to do that.
The tortillas are from a bag. The carne asada was overly salty, the chorizo was kind of bland. Both were strangely acidic. The mushrooms were okay, but nothing wonderful. Just a sub par taco experience that I’d prefer to never experience again.
On the plus side, the servers were very nice. And despite not being made to order, the guacamole was pretty good and plentiful for the price. And if you like Mexican Coke, well they have it, so there’s that. But if this were my local taco joint, I’d ignore it until a better option opened.