Best Taco Spots Across the Country

First it was burgers. Then pizza. Now, American chefs are obsessed with tacos. Here are the some of the best places to get them.

F&W offers an extraordinary taco tasting, from hot spots like a Pepto-pink truck in Los Angeles and a self-proclaimed "hillbilly dive" in Chicago. Among the favorite taco spots are four picked by chef Paul Kahan, who ate tacos around the U.S. before opening Chicago's Big Star.

La Super-Rica

Julia Child was famously a fan of this authentic Santa Barbara taqueria. Locals know to go on Mondays, when the lines are shortest.

Photo courtesy of Kogi BBQ.

Kogi BBQ

Los Angeles's Kogi BBQ truck started the Korean-taco craze. Chef Roy Choi also loves the trashy ingredients (processed cheese! pork rinds!) sold at American gas stations.

Pica's

This Jackson Hole, Wyoming, spot makes its own tortillas every day. Chef Paul Kahan particularly loves the richly caramelized al pastor tacos.

Photo courtesy of Dos Toros.

Dos Toros

At New York City's Dos Toros, brothers Leo and Oliver Kremer offer amazing San Francisco–style tacos, burritos and quesadillas—simple, fresh and sustainable.

Big Star

"Tacos, whiskey, hillbilly music"—that's the promise of Chicago's Big Star, famed chef Paul Kahan's new project with Donnie Madia and mixologist Michael Rubel of Violet Hour. Though they call the place a dive (it's not), the classic tacos—like the exceptional grilled-pork—are impressively fresh. And there's a take-out window.

Photo courtesy of Flying Pig.

Flying Pig

From his Pepto-pink truck, Joe Kim of the Flying Pig sells French-Asian tacos and sliders all around L.A., playfully combining ingredients like fried tofu and peanuts.

slideshow Plus: View 5 more fabulous taco spots across the U.S.

Published May 2010

Taco World