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Grilled Zucchini and Corn Tacos With Quick-Pickled Chiles for Voraciously Newsletter... Photo by Rey Lopez for The Washington Post via Getty Images; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post via Getty Images

21 Top-Notch Tacos to Try in Orlando

Whether it’s trendy birria, al pastor shaved off the trompo, or all-American ground beef tacos, Orlando has plenty to offer.

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The city’s taco game is stronger than it’s ever been thanks to the diverse array of gourmet, street, and fusion taquerias spread across all corners of the city. While the birria trend is en fuego, purists can still stuff their yaps with luscious barbacoa on housemade corn tortillas as well as tacos al pastor shaved off the trompo. From the tourist sector to the suburbs, Orlandoans are living la vida taco and these taquerias are, arguably, the best in town. Let the arguments begin.

Editor’s Note: The latest CDC guidance for vaccinated diners during the COVID-19 outbreak is here; dining out still carries risks for unvaccinated diners and workers. Please be aware of changing local rules, and check individual restaurant websites for any additional restrictions such as mask requirements. Find a local vaccination site here.

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Francisco's Taco Madness

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The $2 tacos served from this sizeable truck parked outside a used car lot in Fern Park are fried to a malleable crisp, which is strong enough to envelop the splurting fillings in the potato taco, yet supple enough to offer a textural complement to the proteins. Asada, pastor, barbacoa, chicken, pernil, shrimp, chorizo, and even ground beef are offered in either Mexican or American styles. Limeade is a must.

Jalapenos Mexican Eats

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Lush barbacoa on housemade corn tortillas stars at this Maitland taqueria, though chicken tinga and pineapple-laden al pastor are no protein pushovers. Tamales, offered in both chicken and pork varieties, prove popular among the lunch crowd, as do horchata and lemonade. 

La Hacienda

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An expansion of the space of this Winter Park stalwart in 2020 resulted in the expansion of many waistlines soon after. The primary culprit? Tacos of course. More than 15 meat varieties are offered in its double-wrapped corn tortillas, including cecina (salted beef) and suadero (brisket). Quesabirria comes with a trio of fried tacos and consomme for just $8.99. Don’t pass on sampling one of the six different aguas frescas offered.

Quesa Loco

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After Queso Loco’s food truck garnered a fiercely loyal following, the owners opted to permanently park the truck and go full brick and mortar. The newly opened Winter Park taqueria is a haven for birria lovers with no less than 11 birria options, including street tacos, fried red tacos, and mulitas. Also on the taco roster: double-fried Tijuana-style tacos as well as tacos de Cecina with fried skirt steak, a traditional offering from Tampico, Mexico.  

Hunger Street Tacos

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As sons of missionaries in Guadalajara, Joe and David Creech appreciated the intricacies and nuances of Mexican cuisine at a very early age — an appreciation that blossomed during the pandemic when they began making tortillas using imported blue Oaxacan heirloom corn. The result: tacos and quesadillas of the highest order, be they stuffed with veal cheeks or chorizo and potato. But their birria “machete” — a giant heirloom tortilla rolled in a spicy beef stew — not only speaks to the Creech’s Jaliscan roots, but set the town ablaze (in a good way).

Frutamix

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The beverage game is strong with a host of fruit quaffs including smoothies, milkshakes, and aguas frescas. But three gloriously magical words “birria queso tacos” keep regulars flocking back to this roadside taqueria. Pair them with elotes and end with paletas con chile. The larger Frutamix in nearby Winter Garden features a full bar.

The Ocoee Taco Company

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Just past the western fringes of the city sits this roadside taqueria plating lengua, shrimp, barbacoa, and flounder tacos out of its humble (and cute) digs ever since going brick-and-mortar in 2015. Quesatacos (a quesadilla-taco crossover) are a signature offering. For the tortilla-averse, lettuce shell as well as crispy-fried cheese shell tacos are offered.

Black Rooster Taqueria

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Housemade corn tortillas, enveloping everything from smoked lengua to pork fat to Angus brisket, is what really impresses at BRT’s original location in Mills 50, and the newer, larger taqueria in Curry Ford West with its sizeable outdoor patio. Pozole verde and beef achiote bowls shouldn’t be overlooked either.

TaKo Cheena

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Eclectic vibes and equally eclectic Latin-Asian tacos sets this taqueria apart from the rest. Fillings range from hoisin- and ginger-marinated braised beef to char siu barbecue pork to tom yum mojo shrimp. Boffo-sized burritos, like the butter chicken with chickpeas, sweet potato, and basmati come with a choice of salsa—both habanero-jackfruit and sweet chili and smoked ghost pepper are tantalizing toppings.

MX Taco

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The Milk District taqueria is humble in stature but grand on offerings. MX Tacos sets itself apart by offering tacos from every region in Mexico: sweet potato and mole from Oaxaca; braised steak, avocado and salsa roja from Sonora; and confit pulled pork from Michoacan to name just a few. Tacos al pastor are offered on select days, including tacos al pastor negro in the days leading up to Día de los Muertos.

Gringos Locos Washington

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The local chain has expanded in recent years, but the original grungy downtown locale is where clubbers and late-night revelers get their drunk-food fix. Sure, it has Mexican street tacos with a choice of chicken, beef, or roasted pork on a corn tortilla, but the sloppy taco with ground beef lathered in cheese inside a flour tortilla makes the ideal meal to soak up the excess alcohol. It’s open until 3 a.m. too.

Tin & Taco

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The hearty, filling, and very un-Mexico-City-like tacos at this bustling downtown taqueria keep party-goers satiated in between club hopping. Of note: the beefy “Tacosaurus” with ground beef, Jack cheese, and crushed Doritos served on a parmesan-crusted taco shell, and the al pastor with pineapple pico de gallo and mango-pineapple vinaigrette. Bonus: It’s open until 3 a.m.

Taqueria Ameca (Jalisco)

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Tripa, lengua, cabeza and buche fanatics flock to this OBT stalwart for an offal fix. Sure, the tacos are a tad on the smaller side, but no one’s going to complain about eating more tacos, especially when they’re less than $2. 

Las Cazuelas -Tienda Mexicana & Restaurant

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Equal parts grocery store, butcher shop, and taqueria, Las Cazuelas also has the avocado green walls and fluorescent lighting to set the taco-eating mood. Al pastor shaved off the trompo is just one of ten meats offered, including lengua, cabeza, and chorizo, all which are double tortilla’d to make messy eaters a little less messy. Also on the menu: gorditas, sopes, tortas, and breakfast served daily starting at 7 a.m. On weekends, soups and stews are a draw.

Border Grill Fresh-Mex

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Since 2010, this Universal-area taqueria run by Mexico City couple Chris Starling and Veronica Hernandez-Starling offer a treasure trove of tacos (lengua, chorizo, and grilled chicken are favorites) served either CDMX style with onions and cilantro on corn tortillas, or Supreme style with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and queso fresco. Homemade salsas can be downright infernal, but aguas frescas (get the watermelon) make effective extinguishers.

Tortilleria La Mexicana

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It’s a popular destination among the city’s Mexican residents for everything housed within its walls — a market, bakery, carniceria, and restaurant plating a bevy of south-of-the-border dishes. On the taco front, tortillas are made in house (this is a tortilleria after all) with fillings ranging from chicharron and al pastor to cabeza and nopales. Pollo a la plancha is a higher-ticket protein worth a try, as are the shrimp tacos offered at $9.99 for three. Another must: the michelada.

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

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The humble taqueria inside a Chevron gas station has gone all in on the birria craze serving birria pizza, birria mulitas, birria ramen, birria quesadillas, birria spring rolls and, of course, birria tacos. Note: the consomme is $2 extra. Esquites and mangonadas make for complementary pairings.

Tortas El Rey

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Housed in a remodeled Checkers drive thru, Tortas el Rey has long reigned supreme in Mexican sandwich realms, but its double corn tortillas enveloping everything from juicy al pastor to braised cabeza have been responsible for staining the clothes of many a patron while seated in their cars. Lunchtime is particularly busy thanks to a special of four tacos (pollo or carnitas) and a drink for $8.50. Tex-Mexers can get hard shell tacos filled with ground beef, potatoes, lettuce, and cheese for a mere 75 cents.

bartaco

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Bartaco’s vibe is inspired by the beach culture of Brazil, Uruguay, and SoCal, but its tacos fuse Mexican tradition with Latin, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors and ingredients. Think duck confit in tamarind glaze, rotisserie pork pastor, and soy-, sesame- and sriracha-marinated ribeye topped with kimchi, all served on four-inch corn tortillas. Vegetarian options (falafel, cauliflower, portobello) abound, but don’t overlook other items like duck birria and grilled corn rolled in lime, cayenne and cotija.

La Eskinna

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Some of the best Mexican street fare in the city can be found at this taqueria situated in a desolate, dirt lot surrounded by chop shops, shipping containers and truck trailers. La Eskinna (not to be confused by Soho celeb hotspot La Esquina in New York City) may be a navigation system’s nightmare but finding the food truck yields some delicious dividends. They come in the form of birria-painted tacos stuffed with mystery steak (the mystery is actually in the cheesy sauce), birria tacos, and birria ramen — ramen noodles lolling in the heady, beefy broth.

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant

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The festive Kissimmee cantina has been a longtime favorite for its pleasing aesthetics and enormous menu of homegrown Mexican fare, but the $1.75 tacos can’t be beat. Achiote-rubbed al pastor on double tortillas have cemented El Tenampa with mainstay status, but buche and cueritos are also offered for those who prefer a little bite to their porcine folds. The market next door tends to all tienda needs. 

Francisco's Taco Madness

The $2 tacos served from this sizeable truck parked outside a used car lot in Fern Park are fried to a malleable crisp, which is strong enough to envelop the splurting fillings in the potato taco, yet supple enough to offer a textural complement to the proteins. Asada, pastor, barbacoa, chicken, pernil, shrimp, chorizo, and even ground beef are offered in either Mexican or American styles. Limeade is a must.

Jalapenos Mexican Eats

Lush barbacoa on housemade corn tortillas stars at this Maitland taqueria, though chicken tinga and pineapple-laden al pastor are no protein pushovers. Tamales, offered in both chicken and pork varieties, prove popular among the lunch crowd, as do horchata and lemonade. 

La Hacienda

An expansion of the space of this Winter Park stalwart in 2020 resulted in the expansion of many waistlines soon after. The primary culprit? Tacos of course. More than 15 meat varieties are offered in its double-wrapped corn tortillas, including cecina (salted beef) and suadero (brisket). Quesabirria comes with a trio of fried tacos and consomme for just $8.99. Don’t pass on sampling one of the six different aguas frescas offered.

Quesa Loco

After Queso Loco’s food truck garnered a fiercely loyal following, the owners opted to permanently park the truck and go full brick and mortar. The newly opened Winter Park taqueria is a haven for birria lovers with no less than 11 birria options, including street tacos, fried red tacos, and mulitas. Also on the taco roster: double-fried Tijuana-style tacos as well as tacos de Cecina with fried skirt steak, a traditional offering from Tampico, Mexico.  

Hunger Street Tacos

As sons of missionaries in Guadalajara, Joe and David Creech appreciated the intricacies and nuances of Mexican cuisine at a very early age — an appreciation that blossomed during the pandemic when they began making tortillas using imported blue Oaxacan heirloom corn. The result: tacos and quesadillas of the highest order, be they stuffed with veal cheeks or chorizo and potato. But their birria “machete” — a giant heirloom tortilla rolled in a spicy beef stew — not only speaks to the Creech’s Jaliscan roots, but set the town ablaze (in a good way).

Frutamix

The beverage game is strong with a host of fruit quaffs including smoothies, milkshakes, and aguas frescas. But three gloriously magical words “birria queso tacos” keep regulars flocking back to this roadside taqueria. Pair them with elotes and end with paletas con chile. The larger Frutamix in nearby Winter Garden features a full bar.

The Ocoee Taco Company

Just past the western fringes of the city sits this roadside taqueria plating lengua, shrimp, barbacoa, and flounder tacos out of its humble (and cute) digs ever since going brick-and-mortar in 2015. Quesatacos (a quesadilla-taco crossover) are a signature offering. For the tortilla-averse, lettuce shell as well as crispy-fried cheese shell tacos are offered.

Black Rooster Taqueria

Housemade corn tortillas, enveloping everything from smoked lengua to pork fat to Angus brisket, is what really impresses at BRT’s original location in Mills 50, and the newer, larger taqueria in Curry Ford West with its sizeable outdoor patio. Pozole verde and beef achiote bowls shouldn’t be overlooked either.

TaKo Cheena

Eclectic vibes and equally eclectic Latin-Asian tacos sets this taqueria apart from the rest. Fillings range from hoisin- and ginger-marinated braised beef to char siu barbecue pork to tom yum mojo shrimp. Boffo-sized burritos, like the butter chicken with chickpeas, sweet potato, and basmati come with a choice of salsa—both habanero-jackfruit and sweet chili and smoked ghost pepper are tantalizing toppings.

MX Taco

The Milk District taqueria is humble in stature but grand on offerings. MX Tacos sets itself apart by offering tacos from every region in Mexico: sweet potato and mole from Oaxaca; braised steak, avocado and salsa roja from Sonora; and confit pulled pork from Michoacan to name just a few. Tacos al pastor are offered on select days, including tacos al pastor negro in the days leading up to Día de los Muertos.

Gringos Locos Washington

The local chain has expanded in recent years, but the original grungy downtown locale is where clubbers and late-night revelers get their drunk-food fix. Sure, it has Mexican street tacos with a choice of chicken, beef, or roasted pork on a corn tortilla, but the sloppy taco with ground beef lathered in cheese inside a flour tortilla makes the ideal meal to soak up the excess alcohol. It’s open until 3 a.m. too.

Tin & Taco

The hearty, filling, and very un-Mexico-City-like tacos at this bustling downtown taqueria keep party-goers satiated in between club hopping. Of note: the beefy “Tacosaurus” with ground beef, Jack cheese, and crushed Doritos served on a parmesan-crusted taco shell, and the al pastor with pineapple pico de gallo and mango-pineapple vinaigrette. Bonus: It’s open until 3 a.m.

Taqueria Ameca (Jalisco)

Tripa, lengua, cabeza and buche fanatics flock to this OBT stalwart for an offal fix. Sure, the tacos are a tad on the smaller side, but no one’s going to complain about eating more tacos, especially when they’re less than $2. 

Las Cazuelas -Tienda Mexicana & Restaurant

Equal parts grocery store, butcher shop, and taqueria, Las Cazuelas also has the avocado green walls and fluorescent lighting to set the taco-eating mood. Al pastor shaved off the trompo is just one of ten meats offered, including lengua, cabeza, and chorizo, all which are double tortilla’d to make messy eaters a little less messy. Also on the menu: gorditas, sopes, tortas, and breakfast served daily starting at 7 a.m. On weekends, soups and stews are a draw.

Border Grill Fresh-Mex

Since 2010, this Universal-area taqueria run by Mexico City couple Chris Starling and Veronica Hernandez-Starling offer a treasure trove of tacos (lengua, chorizo, and grilled chicken are favorites) served either CDMX style with onions and cilantro on corn tortillas, or Supreme style with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and queso fresco. Homemade salsas can be downright infernal, but aguas frescas (get the watermelon) make effective extinguishers.

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Tortilleria La Mexicana

It’s a popular destination among the city’s Mexican residents for everything housed within its walls — a market, bakery, carniceria, and restaurant plating a bevy of south-of-the-border dishes. On the taco front, tortillas are made in house (this is a tortilleria after all) with fillings ranging from chicharron and al pastor to cabeza and nopales. Pollo a la plancha is a higher-ticket protein worth a try, as are the shrimp tacos offered at $9.99 for three. Another must: the michelada.

Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food

The humble taqueria inside a Chevron gas station has gone all in on the birria craze serving birria pizza, birria mulitas, birria ramen, birria quesadillas, birria spring rolls and, of course, birria tacos. Note: the consomme is $2 extra. Esquites and mangonadas make for complementary pairings.

Tortas El Rey

Housed in a remodeled Checkers drive thru, Tortas el Rey has long reigned supreme in Mexican sandwich realms, but its double corn tortillas enveloping everything from juicy al pastor to braised cabeza have been responsible for staining the clothes of many a patron while seated in their cars. Lunchtime is particularly busy thanks to a special of four tacos (pollo or carnitas) and a drink for $8.50. Tex-Mexers can get hard shell tacos filled with ground beef, potatoes, lettuce, and cheese for a mere 75 cents.

bartaco

Bartaco’s vibe is inspired by the beach culture of Brazil, Uruguay, and SoCal, but its tacos fuse Mexican tradition with Latin, Mediterranean, and Asian flavors and ingredients. Think duck confit in tamarind glaze, rotisserie pork pastor, and soy-, sesame- and sriracha-marinated ribeye topped with kimchi, all served on four-inch corn tortillas. Vegetarian options (falafel, cauliflower, portobello) abound, but don’t overlook other items like duck birria and grilled corn rolled in lime, cayenne and cotija.

La Eskinna

Some of the best Mexican street fare in the city can be found at this taqueria situated in a desolate, dirt lot surrounded by chop shops, shipping containers and truck trailers. La Eskinna (not to be confused by Soho celeb hotspot La Esquina in New York City) may be a navigation system’s nightmare but finding the food truck yields some delicious dividends. They come in the form of birria-painted tacos stuffed with mystery steak (the mystery is actually in the cheesy sauce), birria tacos, and birria ramen — ramen noodles lolling in the heady, beefy broth.

El Tenampa Mexican Restaurant

The festive Kissimmee cantina has been a longtime favorite for its pleasing aesthetics and enormous menu of homegrown Mexican fare, but the $1.75 tacos can’t be beat. Achiote-rubbed al pastor on double tortillas have cemented El Tenampa with mainstay status, but buche and cueritos are also offered for those who prefer a little bite to their porcine folds. The market next door tends to all tienda needs. 

Related Maps