We hate to be the ones that have to break this to you, but Taco Bell does not actually make the best tacos in Jacksonville.
We point this out because when we asked for recommendations recently, one poster was adamant that the crunchy tacos at Taco Bell were unbeatable. Other posters quickly shouted him down, one even offering to take him to TacoLu and show him the error of his ways.
Tacos, as with just about anything, are a personal choice. Some folks love those $1.49 hard shell/ground beef/lettuce/cheese Taco Bell offerings, other prefer their tacos made with beef tongue, chorizo, steak, chicken, shrimp or birria.
We asked for recommendations, then dug through previous Times-Union reporting and online reviews and menus to find some of Jacksonville's
favorite tacos. Dig in!
Alien Taco & Tequila Bar
7643 Gate Parkway, alientaco.net
The decor is definitely part of the appeal at Alien Taco; you can spend an afternoon looking at the odd alien paintings and bizarre heiroglyphics on the walls, and there's an extraterrestrial looking at you in just about every seat.
But the tacos are, as they say, "out of this world." They have a selection of birria tacos, but the specialty-taco menu is where you'll find the real fun stuff. The Frying Saucer, for instance, is stuffed with fried chicken parmesan, and you can get the Earthling Taco with ground beef, chicken or barbacoa steak. We're partial to the Mexico City Cheesesteak Taco, with chimichurri grilled steak, peppers and onions.
El Castillo Market & Restaurant
![Callerjero style Asada taco, top and Carnitas taco, bottom, both served with cilantro and onions, can be enjoyed at El Castillo Market & Restaurant, located at 9735 Old St. Augustine Rd. in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2026/09/15/NFTU/91779867007-el-castillo-market-restaurant-004.JPG)
9735 Old St. Augustine Road, (904) 328-5135, elcastillomarketrestaurant.shop
Reddit users were quick to recommend the hard-shell tacos at El Castillo, which strives to deliver authentic Mexican fare. It's one of those places with a meat market and store right on the grounds. They have a dozen tacos on the menu, with none listed at more than $6.50. You can get them with chicken, ground beef, chorizo, pork, beef tongue, veggies or cabeza (if you don't know what that is, you might not want to ask).
El Agave Azul
Food truck, (904) 651-3274, elagaveazuljax.com
There are those who swear that the best tacos come from a truck. In El Agave Azul's case, they might not be wrong. They operate two trucks that can be found all over the Jacksonville area, and there's usually a line of people waiting for tacos. Check their website for a schedule.
The Veggie Taco, with bell peppers and grilled onions, is a popular choice even for non-vegetarians. If you're feeling more carnivorous, try tacos stuffed with ground beef, chorizo, steak, pulled pork or chicken.
Happy Taco Feliz!
Food truck based at 12553 Main St., (904) 415-7689, yelp.com
Real fans know that if the bright-red trailer is open for business, they need to get in line. It sets up in the parking lot of a gas station and convenience store and keeps it simple. Do you want a burrito, a taco, a torta, a gringa or a quesadilla? Do you want it with steak, chicken, chorizo, pork or cow tongue? Specialty tacos come with cooked onion and cilantro, green salsa and cilantro or green pepper, tomato and onion.
La Michoacana Taqueria
9827 Beach Blvd., (904) 593-9281, lamichoacanataqueriafl.com
This isn't an easy place to find, tucked back in a shopping center near Beach and Southside, but it's worth the hunt. It's one of the few places in town with a salsa bar, and diners rave about the service.
The quesabirrias, or birria tacos, are filled with a stewed meat and served on housemade tortillas and are a big draw. Another is the Mexican street tacos, served on corn or flour tortillas and topped with sauteed onions.
La Nopalera
9734 Crosshill Blvd., (904) 908-4250; 12640 Bartram Trail Blvd., (904) 551-7691; 1571 CR 220 in Fleming Island, (904) 215-2223; 111 Bartram Oaks Walk in St. Johns, (904) 551-5612, eatatlanopalera.com
La Nopalera locations around Jacksonville seem to come and go fairly often, but the core menu of simple, authentic Mexican food remains. Order tacos with steak, chorizo, grilled chicken, flank steak, pork, tripe of beef tongue, or get something from the specialty menu, where you'll find fish, shrimp and birria options.
Mi Veracruz
4143 Philips Highway, (904) 396-2626, miveracruzrestaurant.com
They keep it simple at Mi Veracruz. You can get "American" tacos, stuffed with beef or chicken and topped with cheese, lettuce and tomato (hard shell or soft), or "Mexicanos" style, served on a soft tortilla with steak or chicken and pico de gallo. They also have fish tacos on the menu.
No Manches Wey
174 Blanding Blvd, in Orange Park, (904) 579-4853, nomancheswey.toast.site
Murals of futbol players cover the walls and flags hang from the ceiling at this Orange Park favorite, which offers indoor and outdoor seating. They serve street tacos in the American style (flour tortilla with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream) or Mexican style (corn tortilla with raw onions and cilantro), plus fish, shrimp, vegetarian, steak and beef tongue tacos. The name, by the way, roughly translates to "No way, dude."
TacoLu
1712 Beach Blvd., (904) 249-8226, tacolu.com
TacoLu's Beach Boulevard taqueria is reportedly haunted by the ghost of Alpha Paynter, who owned a restaurant that previously occupied the same spot. But maybe Paynter's ghost just loves a good taco. TacoLu has been the Beaches' go-to taco spot since it opened in 2008 and moved to its current spot four years later, and the menu includes seven diffferent fish tacos, five made with beef, four with pork, three with chicken and two for vegetarians. The $10 Taco (which actually costs $5.99) has grilled filet mignon, cojita cheese and pico de gallo.
Taqueria CINco
809 Lomax St., (904) 312-9113, taqueria5points.com
Just around the corner from Five Points, you'll find some of the most authentic Mexican fare in the city. Tacos are served on tortillas made with whole kernel corn masa, not from processed corn flour, and ingredients are locally sourced when possible. The menu includes 13 tacos, ranging from ribeye steak to beer-battered fish.
Tom Szaroleta has been covering entertainment in Jacksonville for more than 25 years.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Looking for a great taco in Jacksonville? Here's where to find them
