Just like with hamburgers, when it comes to tacos, sometimes elegance and atmosphere need to take a backseat to taste. It’s not about luring diners in with water views and fancy decor, it’s about serving up food so good it’ll make people forget they’re sitting on the curb eating their meal. These 11 places range from taco trucks, to gas stations, to the considerably more upscale, but they all share one common bond: they make a mean taco.

Broward-Palm Beach

Tacos al Carbon

Not only does Tacos al Carbon serve authentic Mexican soul food good enough to grace the table of any proud abuelita; it’s also open 24 hours a day, meaning that sweet release never has to wait. Tacos al Carbon spares no parts, crafting more than a dozen varieties of tacos out of succulent…More >>

Dallas

Fuel City

Not that this truck stop needs any more love. Texas Monthly already called their tacos the Best in Texas, and we once wrote a cover story about the truck stop itself, calling it the best truck stop in the world or something like that. It is a delightfully weird place with a swimming pool, a…More >>

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Good cheap eatin’ at Fuel City in Dallas

Denver

Tacos D.F.

Sometimes the simplest spots are best, and it doesn’t get much simpler than Tacos D.F. Basically a taco truck parked indoors, Tacos D. F. hands you the best tacos in the city, hands-down, through a hole in the back wall. It cooks up plenty of other things (soups and stews, tortas and burritos),…More >>

Houston

Berryhill Baja Grill

Berryhill Baja Grill is a Houston-based chain that’s vegetarian-friendly. They’ve been serving up their famous fish tacos since 1993 and know how it’s done. Both the grilled and tempura varieties come out fast, with crunchy cabbage and a generous dollop of Baja-style sauce on top. On…More >>

Kansas City

Cancun Fiesta Fresh

The versatility of the taco is a splendid thing. At any time in Kansas City, one can find tacos in KCK with cabeza (head) or lengua (tongue) inside, puffy tacos in the River Market, Choco Tacos on an ice-cream truck in Merriam, or pan-seared tuna tacos with jicama slaw and a pomegranate…More >>

Teocali

When Enrique and Chela Gutierrez opened Teocali in August 2006, they wanted to stay true to their Mexican roots. They’ve since brought family recipes straight out of Teocaltiche, Jalisco, to dinner plates in Kansas City. That includes the staple known as the taco. And though we often have a hard…More >>

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Inside Kansas City’s Teocali

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