Come National Taco Day, Friday, you’ll be required to eat a plethora of tacos. You’ll be overwhelmed with choices. So, we thought we’d offer a few choices. The following selections were compiled with the help of fellow taco enthusiasts across the United States. If your city is mentioned below, these joints are where you grab a taco or nine, especially if you haven’t visited it. Adventure is an integral component of the enjoyment of tacos.
California
Colonia Taco Lounge, 13030 E. Valley Blvd., La Puente, CA 91746, 626-363-4691, Facebook. Coliflor with a caper salsa on tortillas molded by ex-Bouchon head baker’s hands (te la puedes imaginar), taco de chayote with calabacita succotash, pork and kabocha squash pumpkin carnitas with a salsa seca
Diablo Taco, 3129 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026, 323-666-4666, Facebook, Twitter, www.diablotaco.com. Coca-Cola asada, caramelized onions and white bacon beans (pictured) or the maple-fried chicken and kale.
El Faisan y El Venado, 231 N. Ave. 50, Los Angeles, CA 90042, 323-257-1770. Escabeche Oriental
La Taqueria, 2889 Mission St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, 415-285-7117. Carne asada, lengua tacos (bonus: carnitas burrito)
Taqueria Sinaloa, 2138 International Blvd., Oakland, CA 94606, 510-535-1206. Carnitas, tostada de ceviche
Taqueria Vallarta, 3033 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, 415-826-8116. Lengua, tripa, chorizo
Florida
Taco Bus, multiple locations, Facebook, Twitter, www.taco-bus.com. Carne de res deshebrada, cochinita pibil
Illinois
El Asadero, 2213 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago, IL 60618, 773-583-5563. Carne asada
La Chaparrita , 2500 S. Whipple St., Chicago, IL 60623, 773-247-1402. Tacos de fritangas
Oregon
Antojitos Yucatecos, SE Stark St. and 102nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97216, 503-867-2328. Panuchos, cochinita pibil on handmade tortillas made with fresh nixtamal
La Bonita, 2839 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211, 503-281-3662, www.labonitarestaurant.net. Carnitas, pastor, lengua, fish on handmade tortillas
Las Casitas, 19401 SW Boones Ferry Road, Tualatin, OR 97062, 503-563-5088, review. Tinga, birria, lengua, cabeza on handmade tortillas
Oregon Flea Market, 18340 SE Stark St., Gresham, OR, 97233. Barbacoa de borrego, cecina on handmade tortillas
Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon, 16223 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97230, 503-255-4356. Cochinita pibil, beef with cactus, various other rotating guisados (stews), carnitas on freshly made tortillas
Texas
Fito’s Tacos de Trompo, 2808 W. Clarendon Dr., Dallas, TX 75211, 469-499-4820. Tacos de trompo, al pastor, carne asada (bonus: Norteña Burger)
El Corazon de Tejas, 110 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75208, Facebook, Twitter, www.elcorazondetejas.com. Lengua, tacos norteño, brisket, all on homemade tortillas
El Globo Taqueria, 212 S. Llewellyn Ave. Dallas, TX 75208, 214-942-7963. Chicken, carne asada, barbacoa
El Rincon Tapatio, 127 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas, TX 75208, 214-946-1610. Barbacoa, carne asada, beef crispy taco
El Taco del Rincon de Villa, 6867 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX 214-691-TACO, review. Barbacoa de borrego, carnitas, tinga de pollo, nopales con queso, rajas con queso
El Tizoncito Taqueria, multiple locations, Facebook, Twitter, www.eltizoncitous.com, review. Tacos al pastor, alambres
Guero’s Taco Diner, 20323 Huebner Road, San Antonio, TX 78288, review. Barbacoa, the Bicycle
Henry’s Puffy Taco Express, 3202 W. Woodlawn Ave., San Antonio, TX 78228, 210-433-7833, Facebook, Twitter, www.henryspuffytacos.com. Puffy tacos
Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop, 2305 East 7th Street, Austin, TX 78702, 512-472-0017, www.joesbakery.com, review. Bacon, refried beans and cheese, barbacoa, egg and sausage
La Estrella Mini Market, 602 E. McKinney St., Denton, TX 76209, 940-566-3405, review. Tacos al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, chicken
La Nueva Fresh & Hot Tortilleria, 9625 Webb Chapel Road, Dallas, TX 75220, 214-358-7261, review. Guisado verde, barbacoa de borrego, nopales con queso
Los Torres Taqueria, 1322 W. Clarendon Dr., Dallas, TX 75208 214-946-3770, review. Barbacoa roja estilo sinaloa, chivo tatemado, cabeza, taco ahogados
Mi Tierrita Taqueria y Pupuseria, 2838 W. Davis St., Dallas, TX 75211, 214-333-2300, review. Tacos de trompo, pirata, campechana
Piedras Negras Taqueria #2, Pleasant Valley & Ceasar Chavez, Austin, TX 78702. Carne asada, barbacoa
Ray’s Drive Inn, 822 Southwest 19th Street, San Antonio, TX 78207, 210-432-7171. Puffy tacos
Revolver Taco Lounge, 2822 W. Seventh Street, Fort Worth, TX 76017, 817-820-0122, Facebook, Twitter, www.revolvertacolounge.com, review. Huitlacoche, carnitas, lobster, al pastor, daily special
Taco Haven, 1032 S. Presa St., San Antonio, TX 78210, 210-533-2171, Facebook, www.tacohavenpresa.com. Chorizo and egg, barbacoa
Taco Party, 214-457-1045, Facebook, Twitter, review. Fried potato tacos, al pastor, barbacoa, white salmon
Taco Stop, 1900 Irving Blvd., Dallas, TX 75207, 972-971-4859, Facebook, www.tacostopdallas.com. Barbacoa, prime rib, veggies
Tacodeli, multiple locations, Facebook, Twitter, www.tacodeli.com. The Vaquero, the Cowboy, mole, daily special
Taqueria La Candelaria, 200 N. Coit Road, Richardson, TX 75080, 972-234-4262, review. Chivo, cabeza
Taqueria La Salsa Verde, 14225 Coit Road, Richardson, TX 75240, 972-330-0403, review. Tacos de cabeza al vapor, choriqueso
Urban Taco, multiple locations, Facebook, Twitter, www.dinedsrg.com. Tacos al pastor de trompo (at the McKinney Ave. restaurant), red snapper, mole (bonus: the peanut habanero salsa)
Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que, 2404 Southmost Road, Brownsville, TX 78521, 956-546-4159. Barbacoa: cachete, ojo, mixta
And from/for our friends to the north, a Canadian selection:
British Columbia
Tacofino, 2327 E. Hastings St.,Vancouver, BC V5L 1V6 (and 2 trucks), 604-253-TACO, Facebook, Twitter, www.tacofino.com, Pork jowl, albacore tuna
La Taqueria, multiple locations, Vancouver, BC, www.lataqueria.ca. Al pastor, tinga de hongos
Ontario
El Camino, 380 Elgin St., Ottawa, ON K2P 1N1, 613-422-2800, www.eatelcamino.com. Crispy fish, ox tongue
Los Tacos de Mauro, 349 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, ON K1N 7G1, 613-562-9756, Facebook. Barbacoa, carnitas
La Carnita, 501 College St., Toronto, ON M6G 1A5, 416-964-1555, Facebook, Twitter, www.lacarnita.com. Beef cheek, cod
Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos, 69 Kensington Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2K1, 416-393-4636, Facebook, Twitter, www.sevenlives.ca. Gobernador taco, ceviche tostadas
Quebec
Grumman78, 630 De Courcelle St., H4C 1L5 (and one truck), Montreal, QC, 514-290-5125, Twitter, Facebook, www.grumman78.com. Pork banh mi, pimento feta
La Tamalera, 226 Fairmount Ave., Montreal, QC, H2T 2M7, 438-381-5034, Facebook, www.latamaleramontreal.com. Shrimp, cochinita
What taquerias would you recommend?
Contributors: Javier Cabral (@theglutster), ChiChow Czar (@chibbqking), Kathy Ferguson (@Street_Eater), Pete Kane, Robert Spuhler, Rich Vana (@entreedallas), Claire Weissbluth (@laosagolosa), and the Taco Trail staff: Obed Manual (@obedmanuel), José Ralat-Maldonado (@TacoTrail) and Nick Zukin (@extramsg)
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