This post is coming to you at the request of one of my favorite people and a fellow taco aficionado. If you too love tacos, here are four restaurants from around the Bay Area that will keep you coming back for more.
Porque No? Tacos
Porque No? Tacos started as a pop-up restaurant in Oakland. They now have a brick and mortar location inside Frank's Bar in San Leandro. The portions are hearty and they offer a full bar. So, if you are craving great tacos, and want to have a drink while watching a game, this is your go to spot.
Warm, refried bean dip with cotija cheese, jalapeños and tortilla chips.
Super taco de carne asada
This carne asada taco with sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese was excellent. I especially liked the slight crispy and slightly soft tortilla that the tender, medium rare steak was wrapped in.
Tacos Oscar
Tacos Oscar operates entirely from a brightly colored shipping container in Oakland. Out back, there is a charming courtyard with hanging lights and heat lamps. The taco menu is ever-changing, so you can come back again and again and have a completely different experience.
Mushroom Mole Coloradito Taco
Oyster, portobello and crimini mushrooms in mole coloradito, hoja santa, dukkah and onion.
Taco de Camaron
Camarones al mojo de ajo, cherry tomatoes, habanero salsa, shredded cabbage.
Chili Con Carne Taco and Asparagus Taco
Chili Con Carne: ground beef chili with cheddar cheese, onions and cilantro.
Asparagus: Charred asparagus with fermented habanero salsa, cabbage and edible flowers.
La Taqueria
Courtesy La Taqueria
La Taqueria is located in San Francisco's, Mission District. Miguel Jara opened the restaurant in 1973 and has operated it since. The meat at La Taqueria is high quality and the other taco and burrito accompaniments are fresh. This cash-only, no frills, restaurant is an enormous hit with locals, so be prepared to wait in line.
Super Carne Asada Taco
Carne asada, pinto beans, cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream.
This is my favorite taco in the Bay Area!
Los Carnalitos
Los Carnalitos serves up a taste on Mexico City in Hayward, California. The business was started by owners Alfredo Santos and Luis Alberto as a food truck in 2015. In 2018, they opened this brick and mortar location that may be tucked away in a strip mall, but hidden, it is not.
Everyone is talking about Los Carnalitos. Everyone from the San Francisco Chronicle, to Michelin, which recognized it as a Bib Gourmand restaurant in 2021.
Carne Asada Taco and Panucho
The food here is excellent and really did remind me of the food in Mexico City. The carne asada taco came on a homemade, corn torilla, with tender beef, onion, cilantro and salsa. The panucho was made using a small, handmade tostada that was stuffed with beans, and then topped with conchinita pibil, red onions, habanero and mandarin segments.
Que Onda! Taco Bar
Que Honda Taco Bar, located in Walnut Creek, is family owned and operated. This restaurant allows you to choose your meat and then load up your taco with items from their bar which include, roasted chilis, various salsas, lettuce, onions, cilantro and so much more.
Tortilla Press
The tortillas are so fresh at Que Honda, that you can literally watch yours being made.
Birria Taco and Taco De Costra
Birria: Slow cooked beef taco topped with onions, hot sauce and cilantro.
Taco De Costra: corn tortilla layered with cheese, then flipped over and left to crisp and caramelize, topped with carnitas.
Rico Rico
Rico Rico is located in Oakland, California. This spot is small, lively and conveniently located near Lake Merritt. Grab some tacos and enjoy them in the dining room, or get them to go and have a picnic at the lake.
Pescado Taco
Crispy fried fish, chipotle crema, pico de gallo, cabbage and pickled onions.
Camaron Taco
Sautéed shrimp, pico de gallo, chipotle crema, salsa.
Like Que Honda Taco Bar, at Rico Rico, you can watch as your fresh, corn tortillas are prepared.
This will not be my last post about tacos in California. Stay tuned for great tacos in other regions of the state. (See also Los Angeles and San Diego)