Why wait for Tuesday?
Any day of the week would make a great time to hop in the car and hit the road in search of the best tacos that America has to offer.
We're not talking about ground beef cooked with seasoning from a packet and served with orange cheese inside a tortilla from a box.
Our USA TODAY Network food writers have held double-corn tortillas over paper plates, orange oil dripping down their wrists. They've sipped spicy cucumber margaritas. They've squeezed lime after lime after lime.
Tikka and tongue. Chorizo and carnitas. Al pastor and paseados. These tacos are authentic — and twists on the traditional. (Lobster on Cape Cod, anyone?)
And yes. Of course you'll find birria. Lots and of birria.
Grab the keys, set the GPS and hit the road
for the best tacos in America.
Taquería El Campesino | Montgomery, Alabama
Details: 1550 Mt. Meigs Road; 334-312-5194, taqueriaelcampesino.toast.site.
Serving authentic tacos is a way of life for 19-year-old Christian Terrones, manager of his family's restaurant Taquería El Campesin. In English, the restaurant's name means "The Farmer's Taco Shop," and they they take pride in serving plates filled with street-taco-style double tortilla tacos filled with steak, barbacoa, chorizo, beef tongue, and many other meats. Each offers a unique and satisfying bite. "You want it to be tender. You want it to be flavorful," said Terrones. "I don't like to confine myself to just one meat." — Shannon Heupel, Montgomery Advertiser
Taco Papi | Scottsdale, Arizona
Details: 14891 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 119; 480-794-1404, tacopapi.com.
Business partners and friends Harsimran Sodhi and Gabriel Betancourt opened Taco Papi in Scottsdale, Arizona after Betancourt got his start selling tacos on the street. The restaurant was crowned The Arizona Republic's Top Taco 2025 champion for its carne asada, which is cooked over a mesquite grill, giving it a smoky flavor that Betancourt said is authentic to Mexico. The other popular tacos they serve are the quesabirria dipped in consomme.— Eddie Fontanez, The Arizona Republic
Baja Springs Market and Taqueria | Palm Springs, California
Details: 1800 N. Sunrise Way; 760-322-9988, instagram.com/bajasprings.
Baja Springs Market will always have a special place in my heart because 1) it's affordable and 2) it's the first hole-in-the-wall taco shop I ever tried upon moving to Southern California. Located inside a Mexican meat market and convenience store, it has a humble dine-in section right in front of the meat display (you can usually catch a soccer match playing on the adjacent TV while you eat). I first came in when I learned of their 99 cent Taco Tuesday, but now I go back any day of the week for three words: amazing fish tacos. The crispy battered fish melts in your mouth, and their Baja-style crema sauce is the perfect topping. — Niki Kottmann,Palm Springs Desert Sun
Tortillas Las 4 Americas | Fort Collins, Colorado
Details: 1669 S. College Ave.; fortcollins.las4americas.com
Best known for its market packed with fresh tortillas, Mexican goods, pastries and candies, Tortillas Las 4 Americas is also home to some of Fort Collins' best street-style tacos. Rather than relying on elaborate toppings, the meats take center stage and are finished simply with cilantro, onion and radish. A selection of fresh salsas at the counter allows diners to add as much heat and flavor as they like. In addition to tacos, Las 4 Americas also serves tortas, menudo, smothered burritos and other Mexican staples. — Abigail Flores-Johnson, Fort Collins Coloradoan
Del Pez Gastropub | Wilmington and Newark, Delaware
Details: 400 Justison St., Wilmington, 302-691-7974; 501 Grove Lane, Newark, 302-273-3788; delpezmexicanpub.com.
If you're in a taco rut, this place is ready to shake you out of it. Del Pez has unique "pub taco'' platters featuring octopus tacos or "Pulco Pulco" (grilled Spanish octopus with mango sauce and red cabbage), or Baja Mahi tacos (beer battered Mahi, mango salsa and Amarillo). Taco lovers also can choose from cheesesteak tacos, a traditional street taco menu, burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, nachos, vegetarian options and much more. Consider ending things on a sweet note with Warm Chocolate Mexican Cake or classic churros. — Andre Lamar, Wilmington News Journal
Taqueria San Julian | Naples, Florida
Details: 3575 Bayshore Dr.; 239-775-6480, taqueriasanjulian.shop
Inside a yellow building in East Naples is Taqueria San Julian, an authentic Mexican taco restaurant serving some of the best street tacos Naples has to offer. Living 10 minutes from this hidden gem means this reporter has tried nearly everything on the menu. If you can only order one thing, make it the chicken soft taco. A soft tasty corn tortilla is topped with tender and flavorful shredded chicken, cilantro, and diced onions. It's simple, delicious and only $3.75. The sausage taco and beef taco are also delicious and totally worth more than the $3.75 price tag. — Kendall Little, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News
Rocco’s Tacos | West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Delray Beach
Details: 224 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach; 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton; 5090 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens ; 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. roccostacos.com
What began as a single restaurant in West Palm Beach in 2007 is now one of the nation's most recognizable taco brands. Founded by Rocco Mangel, the chain is known for its lively atmosphere, handcrafted margaritas and menu of Mexican favorites. Insider tip: Order the guacamole for its famous tableside presentation. — Diana Biederman, Palm Beach Post
Julieta | Indianapolis, Indiana
Details: 1060 N. Capitol Ave.; julietatacoshop.com
The abundance of commendable taquerias around Indianapolis proves you do not in fact need to work at one of its most acclaimed restaurants to produce an excellent taco. But it sure doesn’t seem to hurt. Julieta chef-owners Esteban Rosas and Gabriel Sañudo walk the line between tradition and curiosity with toppings like charred broccolini and fried mushroom to complement more conventional toppings like pork al pastor with pineapple or the ludicrously tender, brisket-ish suadero. Not for nothing, the housemade salsas are pretty unreal, too. — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar
Tacos La Familia | Des Moines, Iowa
Details: 1610 Sixth Ave.; 515-244-6659, tacoslafamiliaia.com.
This humble, family-run taqueria with a loyal following is often cited as one of the Des Moines area's birria pioneers — perfecting the recipe long before birria became a national trend. The ambiance is casual and unfussy: bright lights, quick service and a focus on the food. Order the tacos ahogados, a Des Moines signature drenched in rich birria consommé, or the classic birria tacos. Classic street tacos with authentic proteins like carne asada, al pastor or barbacoa are other great options. Tacos La Familia is on the Des Moines Register's Essential Restaurants list for 2025. The restaurant moves across the street this fall. — Susan Stapleton, The Des Moines Register
Taco City | Louisville, Kentucky
Details: Multiple locations in Louisville; tacocitylouisville.com
The packed menu at this wildly popular spot with four locations in Louisville includes 23 taco options, with highlights like tacos filled with pork belly, Korean barbecue beef and street corn with grilled chicken. Along with vibrant murals, twinkly lights and neon signs proclaiming that Taco City serves "homemade tortillas," each location offers a unique selection of drinks, such as a frozen margarita flight, a spicy cucumber margarita and the social media viral soft serve margaritas. — Amanda Hancock, The Courier Journal
Loco Coco's Tacos | Kittery, Maine
Details: 36 Walker St., Kittery, 207-438-9322, locococostacos.com
Family-owned and serving Kittery since 2004, Loco Coco’s Tacos offers 10 different tacos from Traditional-Style to American-Style to Mexican-Style, Barbacoa, Special Carnitas, Fried Baja Shrimp and Banh Mi Pork among others, all made with soft corn tortillas, topped with cilantro and white onion, and served with tomatillo salsa and a squeeze of lime. You can order one or an entree of three. It also offers an entree Tacos Di Birria, which features three corn tortillas dipped in beef consomme filled with slow-roasted pulled beef with pepper jack cheese, and served with an adobo chili sauce topped with cilantro and white onion, as is Loco Coco’s custom. — Jane Murphy, Seacoastonline.com
Lockheart | Newton, Massachusetts
Details: 70 Union St., Newton, MA; Website: https://lockheartnewton.com/
The $7.50 “Smash Taco” at Lockheartin Newton combines a smashed burger with shredded cheese, lettuce, onion, cilantro, pickles and spicy aioli on a flour tortilla. “Where food and atmosphere meet” is Lockheart’s slogan, and the family-friendly neighborhood restaurant emphasizes affordability and quick service. Its new Newton location adds a dose of history: The restaurant occupies a 19th-century building that served as a railroad station from 1891 to 1959. The décor nods to that past with a “Boston Train Approaching” sign, an original train schedule and a shadow box displaying a model train. — Joanna Tzouvelis, Wicked Local
Quicks Hole Taqueria | Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Details: 6 Luscombe Road; 508-495-0792; quicksholetaqueria.com
You can enjoy your tacos while watching ferries travel back and forth to Martha’s Vineyard in the outdoor seating area at this quirky, casual taqueria on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Fittingly, co-owner Emilia Tartaro said their most popular tacos are seafood-based, especially the Original Lobster Taco, featuring chilled lobster, baja sauce, cabbage, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. Tartaro also names grilled and fried cod tacos and blackened mahi mahi as customer favorites. — Jason Savio, Cape Cod Times
Cinco’s Cantina | Dover, Rochester, Epping, New Hampshire
Details: 446 Central Ave., Dover, 603-343-4729; 1 Brickyard Square, Epping, 603-734-2191; 22 South Main St., Rochester, 603-403-8027; cincoscantina.com
The Birria Taco — stewed beef topped with melted cheese and fresh sliced radishes, onions and cilantro — is not to be missed at Cinco’s Cantina, the dream of brothers Crescencio and Miguel Tellez, who were born and raised in northern Mexico. They wanted to create a welcoming place to serve the authentic, handmade, fresh food just like they had back home. To that end, you'll also find Tacos Paseados (grilled bean tacos); Grilled Pina Tacos (onions, peppers and pineapple); and Escuinapa Tacos (grilled shrimp and melted cheese served with black bean dipping sauce). Cinco’s has been named a finalist for Best of the Seacoast in the local Community Choice Awards each of the last five years. — Jane Murphy, Seacoastonline.com
Los Barbaros Birria | Asbury Park and Belmar, New Jersey
Details: 704 Main St. in Asbury Park, 732-361-5460, and 1110 Main St. in Belmar, 848-404-9041; losbarbarosbirriabelmar.com
When the birria bug hit New Jersey a handful of years ago, Los Barbaros Birria was among the Shore's first to serve the slow-cooked, Tijuana-born stew (traditionally goat, but more commonly beef), which is tucked inside tortillas that are dipped in the rich cooking liquid and crisped on a griddle. The restaurant is a true birrieria, meaning it sells only birria. Try it as a taco with a cup of consomé for dipping, or as a mulita, a dish similar to a quesadilla but not folded; as a sandwich called a tortuga; and in quesabirrias and in ramen. — Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
Axo Restaurant | Lindenwold, New Jersey
Go: 4 North White Horse Pike; 856-435-1111, axorestaurant.com
Before Jose Lorenzo opened Axo Restaurant in 2023, he managed a Philadelphia pizza place and sold tacos out of his garage. Then he and his wife, Maricela Palillero, began selling their food at Camden County's Clementon Park as a pop-up, and things quickly took off. They soon were able to open their first brick-and-mortar location, which in August won the Courier-Post's best tacos in South Jersey poll. In addition to their popular beef birria tacos, Axo fills theirs with shrimp, carnitas, surf 'n' turf (shrimp and steak) and seafood (salmon, shrimp and crab). The Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant also serves dishes like Korean al pastor tacos, birria egg rolls, and rib-eye ramen. — Celeste E. Whittaker, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Chofi Taco | Union City, New Jersey
Details: 1711 Summit Ave.; 201-902-9395, chofitaco.com
Chofi Taco has two claims to fame: hand-pressed nixtamal tortillas (to order, because chef Kim Martin never cuts corners) and the best birria tacos in New Jersey. Slow-braised and "crisped on the griddle in its own fat," the meat of their birria taco has gained quite the cult following, with regulars praising its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness and rich, savory flavor. Similar to the protein, the corn tortillas are fried in fat, giving them that signature orange glow. The consommé served with each is loaded with diced onion, and the plates holding those components together are fun and vibrant. Aesthetic to taste — with texture, presentation and originality between — there's nothing not to love about Martin's most acclaimed dish. Should you not be a birria fan, this gem also offers carnitas tacos, carne nortena and more. Loaded nachos with mushrooms and poblanos are another winner, while the chicken tinga tostada (when available) is a showstopper. — Kara VanDooijeweert, The Record and northjersey.com
Taqueria Monterrey | Rochester, New York
Details: 627 Culver Road; 585-360-4545, taqueriamonterreymx.com.
Taqueria Monterrey is a cozy counter-service restaurant based on the food of Monterrey, in Northern Mexico. Tacos are made with two homemade corn tortillas and filled simply with a traditional meat, chopped raw onions and cilantro. You can mix-and-match proteins, which include bistec (seasoned steak), trompo (sliced pork), babacoa (slow-cooked pulled beef) and pollo (chicken). Be sure to get at least one with homemade chorizo if it’s available as a special. Spice up your tacos with your choice of five homemade salsas − try the mild zucchini salsa − as well as garnishes from its topping bar. Tacos are served alongside homey, well-seasoned potatoes and sauteed onions − a departure from the usual rice and beans, but common in northern Mexico. — Tracy Schuhmacher, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Taqueria El Joven | Cincinnati, Ohio
Details: Tacos El Joven, 2157 Queen City Ave.; 513-208-1713
Taqueria El Joven is a food truck located in the parking lot of an Ethiopian grocery store in the Westwood neighborhood of Cincinnati. Popular among construction workers and taco enthusiasts alike, it's a place where the hand-painted menu boasts fillings such as tripe, tongue and huitlacoche, an edible fungus that grows on corn and tastes like smoky, earthy mushrooms.
Try everything. Their barbacoa is fantastic, with its rich consume, as is their al pastor, which is citrussy and complex. And while some chicken tacos tend to be dry and flavorless, these are juicy and perfectly seasoned. All are served on hot-off-the-griddle corn tortilla heaped with enough meat, fish or vegetables to make two or three of them into a meal. – Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer
La Casa de la Birria | Columbus, Ohio
Details: 1102 W. Mound St.; 614-360-4237; linktr.ee/LaCasaDeLaBirria
Birria tacos of stewed beef and melted cheese served in crisped-up tortillas with a side of richly seasoned consommé give this Columbus food truck its name. But fans also recommend La Casa de la Birria's other tacos (steak, chicken and marinated pork with pineapple), which require far fewer napkins. Its agua fresca selection also gets high marks.
And just as taco choices aren't limited to birria, the food truck's birria options aren't limited to tacos. Birria at La Casa de la Birria is also available in burritos, quesadillas, soup, sandwiches, burgers and even pizza and ramen. — Bob Vitale, The Columbus Dispatch
El Colibri | Bristol, Pennsylvania
Details: 815 Bristol Pike; no phone or web.
In July, 2026, El Colibri was voted best taco spot in Bucks County by readers of PhillyBurbs.com. The mother-daughter owned business started 20 years ago as a small takeout taqueria in the back of La Mexicana Grocery Store and has since grown a large following through word-of-mouth and social media. Try the regional Mexican recipes and street food favorites, such as tacos, gorditas, enchiladas, sopes, tortas, elote, carnitas, tamales and many other specialty dishes, including Huevos a La Mexicana, Coctel de Camaron and Chicharron Preparado. — Michelle Haddon, PhillyBurbs.com
La Mexicana Mini Mart & Tortillería | Providence, Rhode Island
Details: 403 Plainfield St., Providence; 401-228-8553; facebook.com/tortillaslamexicana.
Some of the best tacos in Rhode Island can be found in the back of a grocery store. Walk down an aisle, through a small doorway, and find a deli counter with English and Spanish menus advertising the shop’s premium deal: $9.75 for three tacos. The carnitas taco, built with a freshly made tortilla, overflows with portions of crispy, melt-in-your-mouth pork. — Bella DeCrescenzo, Nolan Rogalski, The Providence Journal
Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana | East Memphis and Germantown, Tennessee
Details: 6300 Poplar Ave., #115, in East Memphis and 1215 S. Germantown Road in Germantown; delimexicana.com
Does anything sound more indulgent than a filet mignon taco? Actually, the better question: Is there anything more delicious than a filet mignon taco? The answer: not really. Considered a must-try by anyone who encounters it, the filet mignon taco features a generous 7 ounces of grilled filet tucked into warm corn tortillas and finished with sweet onion, fresh cilantro and a substantial helping of avocado. With two locations, Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana has been a Memphis-area crowd-pleaser since 2002, serving up satisfying Mexican food with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and homemade flavor. And did we happen to mention the filet mignon tacos? — Brian Strickland, Memphis Commercial Appeal
El Tlaxcalteca | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Details: 1300 W. Burnham St.; 414-312-8436
This bustling little restaurant on Milwaukee’s south side has a sprawling menu of Mexican dishes, a few paying homage to the brother-owners' home state of Tlaxcala, Mexico. Of course, there are tacos, in more than a dozen styles and made with hand-pressed tortillas. Find ubiquitous favorites including asada, pastor, chicken and carnitas, as well as fillings like barbecued lamb, chicharrónes, huitlacoche, cactus, lengua and cabeza, the tender, slow-roasted meat from beef head. One of the house specialties is the birria de res tacos, stuffed with shredded beef stewed in rich adobo sauce. They’re fried in chili oil, staining them red and giving them an irresistibly crispy bite. Dunk them into a side of deeply flavorful consommé to take them to the next level. - Rachel Bernhard, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are the best tacos in America, according to our food writers
