The 20 Best Places To Get Tacos In Southern California

From carnitas to al pastor, Southern California is home to some of the best street tacos in the country. That being said, the diverse and innovative culinary scene also encourages more upscale and unique concepts and creations, resulting in a rich array of restaurants, taco trucks, and street vendors. According to LA Weekly, the taco made its grand debut in Southern California in the early 1900s and has been a beloved favorite since.

Social media also helped expand the taco scene in LA and beyond, making it easier for taco trucks and vendors without a brick-and-mortar spot to get their name out and spread the word about their business (via Spoon University). Whether you're craving fresh fish tacos by the beach or crispy, late-night chicken tacos with salsa, the possibilities are endless. That being said, here are some of our top picks for the best places to get tacos in Southern California.

Los 5 Puntos is regularly named as one of the best places to grab a taco on the westside of the country, according to us and many ranking lists online. The menu is straightforward while still providing several options including affordable tacos, burritos, tortas, quesadillas, flautas, and more. When it comes to condiments, guests are able to choose between different sizes of homemade salsa, nopales, guacamole, and sangre. Los 5 Puntos is also famous for its rice and beans, which are available in three different sizes.

Keep in mind that the tacos here are super thick, starting with the tortillas. You'll most likely need a fork to eat them properly, leading Katherine Spiers at LA Weekly to write: "These start with thick tortillas, handmade on-site. Los Cinco Puntos has a huge staff of workers, most running around slicing meat and making sandwiches, but the people working the giant griddle, slapping on the masa scooped from waist-tall buckets and creating these most perfect tortillas, may be the soul of the operation."

There is nothing quite as mouth-watering as a succulent and savory birria taco. Thankfully, Teddy's Red Tacos is here to cure your craving. With locations ranging from Anaheim to Venice, Teddy's Red Tacos has expanded across Southern California and has become an incredibly popular spot for decadent, slow-cooked birria. The tacos are flavorful and have the perfect amount of spice. The recipes behind them have been passed down through the owner's family.

The tacos come with a caldo broth that is warm and savory, and dunking your tacos into the broth results in a flavor-blasting sensation that will have you coming back for more and more. Though birria tacos are traditionally made with goat meat, Teddy's Red Tacos uses beef birria. The basic taco features the red tortilla, beef birria, onion, cilantro, and salsa. Other menu highlights include its vampiro-style taco and mulita, both of which add melted cheese to the mix.

Technically, Cielito Lindo specializes in taquitos, which is a specific taco-inspired dish that is crispy, savory, and easy to eat. The mere sight of the taquitos covered in the avocado sauce will make your mouth water, and they have been loved by locals on Olvera Street since 1934. When it first opened, Cielito Lindo was nothing more than a "wooden shack" with a some benches out front and a charcoal-burning bracero that turned out the crispiest and most consistent taquitos.

Cielito Lindo is meant to be taken to-go, so don't expect to find a bunch of tables or seating options. Of course, if you can't wait to make it back home, you can dig right on the sidewalk so that the taquitos are as fresh and crispy as possible. That being said, those craving something different can enjoy a tasty burrito or a Chili Relleno. Cielito Lindo also serves refreshing aguas frescas including horchata.

Macheen Tacos has taken Los Angeles by storm with killer breakfast burritos and a mixture of upscale tacos. In addition to popping up at Milpa Grille in Boyle Heights every day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., customers can also enjoy Macheen Tacos at the legendary Smorgasborg L.A. every Sunday. The creative menu is constantly evolving with creations such as beet al pastor tacos with fennel purée, feta cheese, and frisée greens.

That being said, the birria tacos were inspired by owner Jonathan Perez's mother, making the tacos a must-order item. About the recipe developed by the chef's mother, who migrated from Guatemala to Tijuana at an early age, Bill Addison says in the LA Times, "In the beef, you can taste wafts of garlic, the herbal twang of bay leaf, and the bite of Mexican beer. Perez finishes simmering the meat in a red wine demi-glaze infused with guajillo chilies. Onions marinated in citrus deliver crunch and brightness."

King Taco keeps things simple with renowned beef and pork soft tacos and burritos. After converting an old ice cream truck into a taco truck in 1974, founders Don Raúl and Doña Lup set up on the Eastside of LA and made a name for themselves thanks to their tangy tacos. Since then, King Taco has expanded to 22 other locations across the Los Angeles area and beyond. Throughout the many ups and downs that the country has endured economically since the '70s, King Taco has survived nonetheless.

One of the best things about King Taco is that it is literally fast food, making it a solid option to turn to when you're looking for quality Mexican food on the go. Each order of tacos is served on warm corn tortillas and is topped with cilantro, onion, and King Taco's house-made salsa. There are also tons of protein options, including chicharron, carnitas, and al pastor.

Located in Westchester, Paco's Cantina has a fun and colorful patio where guests can enjoy hearty Mexican cuisine and refreshing margaritas. Though it has delicious combos and large portions, you can also order off the a la carte menu to create your feast featuring all of your favorites like chimichangas and taquitos. When it comes to tacos, guests can't go wrong with Paco's classic chicken tacos, which are served with a savory side of rice and beans.

If you're looking to indulge in a full spread, start off with some guacamole or mouthwatering queso fundido with chorizo. Though rice and beans are typically served on the side with tacos, you can also enjoy a cup of soup, salad, or even nachos. Got a sweet tooth? Despite the fact that the dessert menu is pretty small (the only dessert available is flan), this custard treat is 100% worth it.

Looking for something fast yet delicious? Los Originales Tacos Árabes de Puebla in Los Angeles has mastered the art of quick Mexican cuisine without losing the beloved flavors and spices found in Pueblan-style tacos with Arab influence from immigrants who relocated from the Middle East to Mexico (via Eater LA). 

According to Lucas Peterson at Eater, "The specialty at Tacos Árabes is, well, the taco árabe ... which is like a thin pita bread, is smothered in a generous amount of pork de trompo, or from a rotating spit, like tacos al pastor. Unlike al pastor, however, where the flavors are chile and pineapple-based, the tacos árabes have a flavor profile that leans slightly more toward the Middle East."

This beloved street vendor provides a truly special experience. Keep in mind that Los Originales Tacos Árabes de Puebla adds and changes pop-up locations, so always check the truck's Instagram so that you know where it will be and the hours.

The Taco Stand has seven locations across the country, four of which are in the San Diego and Orange County areas. The entire concept behind The Taco Stand was inspired by the street vendors and taco stands in Tijuana, Mexico, giving the restaurant a transportive appeal. From the handmade tortillas to the quality meats, everything at The Taco Stand is made fresh daily, inducing the vibrant salsa and guacamole.

When it comes to drinks, enjoy everything from imported Mexican beers or spice things up with a Michelada. If you're looking to cool off from the Southern California heat, The Taco Stand's all-natural paletas (or popsicles) are the perfect remedy. For dessert, cure your sweet tooth with cinnamon churro that is prepared fresh just as they are in Rosarito, Mexico. If you're not able to make it to SoCal for The Taco Stand, there are also locations in Las Vegas and Miami.

Looking for a place that focuses on the quality of its cuisine rather than the decor or flashiness of the space and setting? Aqui es Texcoco has locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tijuana. Though Aqui es Texcoco does offer dishes made with chicken, pork, and beef, it is most famous for its mastering of Mexican-style lamb barbeque, or barbacoa. The lamb is a traditional method that dates back hundreds of years, and this restaurant aims to maintain traditional recipes and flavors that what you are getting is exactly what you would get in the Texcoco region of Mexico.

The barbacoa at Aqui es Texcoco truly transports diners thanks to the tender texture and rich flavor. Los Angeles Magazine says rather than roasting the lamb in a pit underground (which is the traditional method), Aqui es Texcoco's owner, Paco Perez, invented an oven that results in succulent and savory meat that pairs perfectly with nothing more than a handmade tortilla and a side of consommé.

Leo's Taco Truck has seven different locations across Los Angeles, making it easier to find one close to you so that you can cure your craving. The trucks are posted up from the east to the west, serving LA residents and visitors for more than nine years. Leo's keeps things affordable, classic, and tasty. That being said, the menu item that really put this taco truck on the map is the al pastor taco, which features pork that comes directly off the spit and into a warm, melt-in-your-mouth tortilla.

One of the best parts of visiting Leo's Taco Truck is that there are so many different meat options. In addition to the pork off the spit (or al pastor), customers can also choose between chopped beef, chicken, pork stomach, braised beef head, sausage, braised pork, and beef tripe. Though you can't go wrong with any of the tacos, the torta sandwiches are just as delicious and even more filling.