A National Taco Day Taqueria List

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)

Previously

Welcome to a Special Taco Week at the Taco Trail