What makes a great taco? Is it the quality of the tortilla, the tastiness of the filling, or all the extras sprinkled and drizzled on top? The very best excel at all of the above, and then some. From traditional soft tacos with tender meats to crispy shells, inventive fillings, and vegan versions, we've found the tastiest tacos in every US state. Get ready for National Taco Day (October 1) or enjoy delicious tacos any time you like with our ranking of the very best.

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the tastiest tacos in every state – counting down to the most unmissable of all.

We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each taco in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

Get your morning off to the right start with the bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos at Tin Roof Tacos. The joint is run by two sisters from Texas, and patrons love the customer service and value for money. As well as the wide range of breakfast tacos, there's an enticing menu of pork, chicken, beef, and veggie varieties on offer.

A 1950s dining car revamped into a modern taqueria, El Cortijo is bursting with retro appeal. It's a popular spot, so there's often a wait for tables, but happy customers say it's worth it. One of the most highly rated dishes is the chorizo taco dinner plate, featuring pork sausage, guajillo (dried chili) salsa, queso fresco, cabbage, cilantro, and onion.

Loved by the locals, Su Casa is a little roadside Mexican restaurant in Sinclair. The taco options here aren't vast, but there are some amazing monthly specials, like the beef taco plate – and all the sauces and dips are fantastic. While it's not strictly traditional, many consider it the best Mexican joint in the Cowboy State.

Popular counter-serve spot Taco Montes dishes up delicious classic tacos, from al pastor to carnitas, as well as great vegetarian options like fried avocado tacos. There are some interesting creations here too, like the wonderfully messy Frito pie taco: a pile of Fritos inside a tortilla, topped with Texas-style chili, Monterey Jack cheese, roasted habanero crema, and scallions.

A joint attached to a gas station isn't, perhaps, the first place you'd look for excellent tacos – but locals just can’t get enough of Taqueria El Guerro LLC in Mandan. The interior is very casual, as the focus here really is on the food. Check out the tacos al pastor, with marinated pork, onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole. The carnitas tacos are also incredible, as are the house-made chips.

The unassuming La Tienda is where you'll find some of the best carnitas tacos in the state. Don’t expect them to be anything fancy – just warm, flaky tortillas encasing perfectly seasoned pork. The meat alone has so much flavor, you barely need the cilantro and onion! If you ask us, the restaurant is Iowa’s best-kept secret.

If you’re after Mexican food in New Hampshire, tiny El Rincón Zacatecano Taquería is a must-visit. Don't leave without trying the Shrimps El Rincón: three soft tacos filled with fried shrimp and topped with avocado sauce, pico de gallo, and red cabbage. Satisfyingly filling, they come with a side of rice.

For carnitas tacos that deliver time and time again, El Coyote in Portland is the place to go. It's a food truck, so you have to eat outside – but loyal customers aren’t coming here for a Michelin star experience. Reasonably priced crispy pork tacos with green sauce are the highlight here. 

Head to Café Corazón, which has three outposts around Milwaukee, for tasty tacos and potent Margaritas in the coziest setting. The Taco Truck Dinner lets you choose three different fillings from options such as chicken, ground beef, carne asada, and chorizo. The tacos are topped with onion, tomato, queso fresco, and radish, and served with a side of rice and beans.

In the mood for a seared tuna taco? How about an asparagus version? If you're looking for something a bit different, check out the unconventional flavors at Black Sheep Burrito & Brews, which has locations in Huntington and Charleston. The avocado tacos – tempura avocado, chipotle mayo, salad, and pico de gallo served in corn or flour tortillas – are a particular favorite.

Head to Colita for seriously fancy Mexican fare. The tortillas here are made with masa dough that’s ground on site, then allowed to hang out to ferment (which adds more flavor). The lamb barbacoa tacos with anchovies, caper berries, onions, and cilantro are rated highly by customers.

For incredible seafood tacos in New Jersey, look no further than Fat Fish Taco, a cozy restaurant in Caldwell. With so many options to choose from, including grilled mahi-mahi, spicy shrimp, and pork belly, you're spoiled for choice. However, many customers suggest going straight for the blackened fish tacos. They're hot but perfectly balanced, topped with cooling crema, crunchy cabbage, chipotle aioli, and pico de gallo.

Tacos in a fancy setting is what you’ll get at Nada, a small chain of three beautifully designed restaurants with great cocktails. The Baja-style tacos, featuring beer-battered mahi-mahi (or shrimp), cabbage, and chipotle crema, look and taste amazing. There are outposts in Cincinnati and Columbus, plus a spot in Indianapolis, Indiana.

With two locations in Providence and one in Jamestown, Tallulah’s Taqueria is a small local chain with a reputation for big flavors. It's so popular, there's often a line snaking out of the door. Its carnitas tacos, featuring sumptuously tender braised pork, are a favorite. The extra toppings – guacamole, onions, cilantro, salsa, and radish – are simple, classic, and just perfect.

This small, unassuming spot in Philadelphia’s Little Saigon rose to fame after appearing on Netflix's Chef's Table, and with good reason. South Philly Barbacoa specializes in barbacoa-style tacos packed with tender, slow-cooked meat, crunchy vegetables, and a lot of flavor. The lamb tacos are the best thing on the menu here; you can choose toppings like peppers, onions, carrot, cilantro, and tomatillo, or keep it simple so the meat is the star.

Open since 1998, Tacos Don Rafa is one of the original – and best – street stand taco vendors in Utah, and it now has four locations (in Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Millcreek, and Roy). Each spot serves affordable street tacos, and they're so good that the company is frequently booked for weddings and parties. Get the carnitas tacos, featuring juicy roasted pork smothered in zesty sauce.

You’ll have to visit this taco truck at the right time if you want to catch its Korean beef bulgogi special. A regular feature on the menu (but not a permanent one), these tacos are filled with marinated and grilled Korean-style beef, topped with tangy kimchi, and served with lime for a sweet and sour kick. The truck offers four kinds of salsa, too – take your pick from pico de gallo, salsa roja, salsa verde, and tomato chipotle salsa.

Founded in 2013, small modern Mexican chain Taco Bamba has proved such a big hit that it's now expanded – with several locations in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The restaurant specializes in cutting edge creations such as Robinson ramen tacos (available at some locations, including Fairfax). They come piled with noodles, soy sauce–seasoned carnitas, salsa, sweetcorn, scallions, and Japanese spices – and somehow, the whole thing just works.

Meat lovers will be in heaven at Mexican steakhouse Asadero, which has a restaurant in Seattle, plus one in nearby Kent. Jump in at the deep end with the highly recommended doraditos: three mesquite-smoked hard corn tacos with cheese, beans, carne asada, and guacamole. All of the ingredients are of the best quality, and the tortillas are made fresh on site.

Regulars rave about the pork tacos at El Taco Real. Keeping it simple, the meat filling is combined with salad, salsa, and cheese in soft flour, corn, or hard corn shells. There’s a reason El Taco Real has stayed in operation since 1974 – it’s because loyal customers love it. Prepare to become one of them!

The ultimate destination for tacos and cocktails, Bartaco has a tempting menu to work your way through. Here, you can try everything from Baja fish (spicy tempura cod) and chili-lime shrimp tacos to crispy oyster and spiced chicken verde varieties. The glazed pork belly tacos – served with spicy árbol chile sauce (a potent Mexican variety), cilantro, and mini corn tortillas – are a hit with customers.

The tacos dished up at Taco Buddha taste as vibrant, zingy, and delightful as they look. The menu features a selection of Tex-Mex and Cali-Mex classics (plus twists like Nashville hot chicken), and there's a different special every month. The Taos bursts with green chili–marinated pork, crunchy cabbage, avocado, citrus-pickled red onion, Cotija cheese, and cilantro. There's a lovely outdoor patio too, perfect for dining on summer nights.

At chic Chicago taqueria Antique Taco (which has two outposts in the city), the garlic shrimp tacos – house-made corn tortillas stuffed with shrimp, spiced cauliflower, basil, avocado, and fried kale – are the ones to try. Looking for something to wash them down with? The joint's Rosemary Margarita would make the perfect accompaniment.

It's the little touches at M Cantina that make its gourmet tacos a cut above the rest. For example, the beloved chiles rellenos tacos feature deep-fried poblano peppers stuffed with queso fresco (a light, crumbly cheese), plus fresh salsa, rice, and beans – and the whole thing is finished off with micro popcorn.

What better place to order seafood tacos than this seasonal seafront taqueria on Fenwick Island? The menu at Grab & Go Taco is simple, with just a handful of options – including blackened or beer-battered fish (catch of the day), shrimp, steak, chicken, or veggie tacos. Customers love the blackened fish tacos, but whatever you choose, you can guarantee it'll be served fresh and topped with cheese, slaw, and a house-made avocado sauce.

The top-rated taco joints are often found in smaller cities – just take this restaurant and tapas bar in Spearfish for proof. The buffalo carne asada tacos at Antuñez get regular shoutouts from satisfied customers. They come with half a pound of juicy buffalo skirt steak (which is grilled to perfection with green onions for amazing flavor), and they're served street style, topped with fresh onions, cilantro, and lime juice.

The tacos at El Rey del Taco, located just outside Atlanta, are raved about by customers. The late-opening Mexican taqueria serves tacos filled with carne asada (grilled and sliced beef), barbacoa (slow-cooked goat meat), and Mexican-style chorizo. Filled with slow-cooked pulled pork, the carnitas tacos are known for being full of flavor.

All the tacos at authentic Mexican restaurant El Tarasco Taqueria & Restaurant are packed with flavor, but many customers agree that the tacos al pastor are particularly delicious. They’re filled with crisp, beautifully marinated pork, herbs, and crunchy vegetables, and every bite explodes with flavor. Be sure to get a side of the excellent guacamole too, and look out for the spicy red sauce.

Casual Cajun-influenced taqueria Voodoo Taco is an Omaha favorite. On the menu you'll find traditional tacos (like brisket and shrimp) as well as less expected fillings like smoked alligator sausage. Customers recommend the slow-cooked barbacoa beef tacos, which are served with a barbecue sauce, avocado, Cotija cheese, and cilantro. There are several locations in the city, plus another in Gretna.

Mexican street food vendor Big Truck Tacos rose to fame after appearing on Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race. You’ll find cars lining up at its drive-thru (and people waiting at its food vans) to try creations such as brisket quesabirria tacos, filled with slow-braised meat and melty cheese, and served with a classic dipping sauce on the side. Look out for the regular '5th Amendment' specials, too.

If you like steak tacos, chic RuRu’s Tacos + Tequila, set in a historic villa in Charlotte, is the place for you. There are three options on the menu, but the Long Duck Dong tacos – warm flour tortillas stuffed with Korean-style sweet and spicy steak, pickled cabbage, sesame seeds, and cilantro – are especially popular. There's a second Ruru's location in Charleston, South Carolina.

Those who've discovered Thyda’s Tacos, a colorful food truck in Honolulu, say it gives California’s Mexican-style restaurants and taco trucks a run for their money. The carne asada here is particularly good; it's well seasoned, tender, and it comes stuffed inside tacos with crunchy, zingy vegetables, herbs, and sauces. The portions doled out here are pretty generous, too.

If you’re heading to Tacos Tequila Whiskey, a loud and lively restaurant with two locations in Denver, the pork belly pastor street tacos are not to be missed. They feature succulent pork that's marinated for 24 hours before being grilled – and they come finished off with charred pineapple and árbol chile salsa, grilled pineapple, pickled onions, and radish.

Back when he was a commercial fisherman, the owner of Deckhand Dave's used to cook fresh catches for his crewmates – but these days, he prepares fresh fish tacos from his waterfront food truck in Downtown Juneau. When it's open (May-October), don't miss the beer-battered halibut tacos, which are served with red cabbage slaw, pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa), crema, and cilantro.

If you take tacos seriously, super-casual joint Bandido Taqueria Mexicana is for you. The Maui Wowie soft tacos, loaded with marinated pork, grilled pineapple, cilantro, guacamole, and onion, are just perfect. Want even more deliciousness? You can customize your tacos at the salsa bar by adding house-made salsas, grilled jalapeños, and veggies.

Taquiza helped to put Miami’s Mexican cuisine on the culinary map – mostly thanks to its fabulously flavorful tacos. If you want something a little different, order the lengua tacos: blue tortillas stuffed with tender, well-seasoned beef tongue that's been braised to perfection in Victoria beer, bay leaf, and onion. It's a standout dish.

Head to dive bar The Fold in Little Rock to try some of the best shrimp tacos around. Bursting with flavor, they consist of grilled shrimp, scallions, spicy chipotle crema, cheese, and cilantro in a corn tortilla. You get three per plate – and a choice of red or black beans, which customers love. The Margaritas are excellent, too.

Porky’s Pride has won several awards for its steak tacos – and customers confirm that they truly are excellent. You get two per order, and they're filled with brisket (or pork), hot slaw, crema, red sauce, cheese, and scallions. Formerly a food truck, Porky’s has now moved into a permanent bricks-and-mortar location, making these tacos much easier to find.

At classy taco joint Clavel, owned by Mexican-born chef Carlos Raba, the lengua tacos are the star dish. Diced beef tongue is cooked until tender, then served in corn tortillas with zingy salsa verde. Customers say the meat melts in your mouth – and that the restaurant prepares the dish perfectly.

The signature dish at fun taco joint Pacos Tacos is Rock Tacos: hard tacos filled with slow-cooked chuck roast and cheese, with a tub of consomé on the side for dipping. Customers can’t get enough of them, especially as the prices are so reasonable.

The menu at La Guelaguetza comes straight from Oaxaca. Run by five brothers (and named after a Oaxacan cultural festival), the restaurant puts the food of the region front and center. The quesabirria tacos are the ones to go for here; the melt-in-your-mouth meat is complemented perfectly by red onions, cilantro, and cheese, and the dish is served with a gorgeous dipping sauce.

At tiny street-style taco house El Camino Real, you can get tacos al pastor (filled with spit-grilled pork) for just a couple of dollars – and you'll be served complimentary chips and salsa on arrival. Not only that, but the service is always friendly, and you can watch as the fresh corn tortillas are prepared from scratch and as the meat sizzles away on the spit.

For great barbacoa tacos, low-lit, buzzing Lone Star Taco Bar is the place to go. A favorite among customers, they come loaded with avocado crema, juicy brisket, pickled onions, and crumbled cheese. The Baja fish, carnitas, and huevos rancheros tacos come highly recommended, too.

There are four Las Vegas outposts of wildly popular fast casual taqueria Tacos El Gordo, so you can get your Tijuana-style taco fix wherever you are in the City of Lights. The adobada tacos – which feature sweet, spicy pork on corn tortillas with sour cream and cilantro – are especially delicious. You can also find them at the small chain's California restaurants.

You might not expect to find South Carolina's best tacos at the back of a convenience store, but that's exactly where they're hiding. Customers agree that Torres Superettes turns out superior topped tortillas. Carnitas tacos are a popular choice, featuring flavorsome pork on corn tortillas. Be sure to check the board to see the daily specials, too.

Serving a mixture of Southern, Mexican, and Southeastern cuisine, Taqueria del Sol is a favorite among Nashville locals. The Memphis tacos – smoked pork, spicy jalapeño coleslaw, and tequila barbecue sauce, all piled on top of soft flour tortillas – are especially popular. The restaurant also serves up weekly specials like tilapia pesto tacos.

It’s tough to choose the best tacos in Texas – they're so loved here, there have been calls to make them the state dish. However, we decided on this Austin-based taco truck that specializes in one dish only. Discada serves (and is named after) juicy discada taquitos – a Northern Mexican–style mix of pork, beef, and vegetables in tiny corn tortillas, topped with salsa and lime. They're an absolute must-try if you're in town.

Starting out as a food truck, Teddy's Red Tacos got so popular that it was able to expand to several bricks-and-mortar locations in Los Angeles (though there are still food vans, too). Teddy's specialty is rich and spicy beef birria tacos, complete with red consomé and cheese. Nowhere else does them quite like this, so it's no surprise that the mini chain gets a lot of media attention.

The Mission – which has two restaurants in Scottsdale – serves modern Latin American food, and everyone who visits raves about the roasted pork shoulder tacos. The meat is smoked and braised slowly, then covered in a pineapple-habanero glaze. It comes as a shareable dish with 10 hand-pressed tortillas, so you can build your own tacos.

Choosing the best tacos in New York City alone is nearly impossible. However, there’s a reason why Chelsea Market stall Los Tacos No.1 regularly has a line that snakes out of the door – in fact, sometimes, it even starts to make its way around the block. Its freshness is no secret, as the tortillas are prepared before your eyes while the sweet chili pork (for the adobada tacos) roasts on a rotating spit. Paired with pineapple and salsa, customers say the tacos are utter perfection. There are several other locations in the city, too.

Now discover the best Mexican restaurant in every state

Last updated by Laura Ellis.