If you had to spend a year away from Tucson, what would you miss the most?
While “friends, family, and Eegee’s” might be a popular response, the right answer is tacos. Explore elsewhere in the U.S. and you’ll likely have a hard time finding Mexican food outside the realm of Tex-Mex’s lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, and hard shell.
We’re fortunate to have a never-ending variety of pillowy corn and flour tortillas, complex roasted and spicy salsas, and mesquite-grilled meats. It’s not just Tucson’s proximity to the Mexican border that helps — our neighbor Hermosillo is the home of our beloved Sonoran hot dog. Additionally, the prominence of cattle ranching and mesquite trees resulted in the style of mesquite-grilled carne asada we’re so fond of today.
Perhaps someday we’ll have tacos on every corner, but in the meantime, most quality tacos are condensed along the western perimeter of Tucson. While it’s nigh impossible to get tired of tacos, it takes too much time and driving to try a different taco each day.
Our solution? Take a taco tour. Go taco hopping. Whatever you want to call it. Grab a group of friends and order a batch of tacos so each person can eat a single taco, then move on to the next nearby taco joint.
Here’s a map of some of our favorites grouped geographically to minimize driving (and in some cases walking). We capped each group to six taquerias, but just order more tacos if you’re still hungry.
South 12th Avenue Taco Tour
Original Taco Tour Post (the map is here): Tour de Taco’ Part I: South 12th Avenue (Interactive Map)
Tacos de Cabeza, 5245 S. 12th Ave.
BK Tacos, 5118 S. 12 Ave.
For more information, visit bktacos.com.
Taco Fish, 4841 S. 12th Ave.
For more information, visit tacofishtucson.com.
Taqueria Porfis, 3553 S. 12th Ave. Ste. 117
Tacos Apson, 3501 S. 12th Ave.
Keep up with Tacos Apson on Facebook.
For additional details on South 12th Avenue’s taco scene, read ‘Tour de Taco’ Part I: South 12th Avenue (Interactive Map).
South Taco Tour
Original Taco Tour Post: Tucson Tour de Taco Part II: West 22nd Street & South Sixth Avenue
Maico Restaurant Mexican Food, 835 E. 22nd St.
Keep up with Maico Restaurant Mexican Food on Facebook.
Birrieria Guadalajara, 304 E. 22nd St.
Keep up with Birrieria Guadalajara on Facebook.
Taqueria Pico de Gallo, 2618 S. Sixth Ave.
Carnitas La Yoca, 3530 S. 6th Ave.
Keep up with Carnitas La Yoca on Facebook.
For additional details on West 22nd Street & South Sixth Avenue’s taco scene, read Tucson Tour de Taco Part II: West 22nd Street & South Sixth Avenue (Interactive Map).
West Tucson Taco Tour
Original Taco Tour Post: Taco Tour Part III: West Tucson (Interactive Map)
Seis Kitchen, 130 S. Avenida del Convento. Ste. 100
For more information, visit seiskitchen.com.
La Fresita West, 1450 W. St Mary’s Rd.
Keep up with La Fresita West on Facebook.
Taqueria Juanito’s, 708 W. Grant Rd.
Keep up with Taqueria Juanito’s on Facebook.
Aqui Con El Nene, 4415 N. Flowing Wells Rd.
Keep up with Aqui Con El Nene on Facebook.
For additional details on west Tucson’s taco scene, read Taco Tour Part III: West Tucson (Interactive Map).
Downtown Tucson Taco Tour
Original Taco Tour Post: Taco Tour Part IV: Downtown Tucson (Interactive Map)
Anita Street Market, 849 N. Anita Ave.
Keep up with Anita Street Market on Facebook.
Street Taco and Beer Co., 58 W. Congress St.
Keep up with Street Taco and Beer Co. on Facebook.
Penca, 50 E. Broadway Blvd.
For more information, visit pencarestaurante.com.
Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar, 220 N. Fourth Ave.
For more information, visit ermanosbrew.com.
La Indita, 622 N. Fourth Ave.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXyX1uNhAGh/?taken-at=1900805
For more information, visit lainditarestauranttucson.com.
BOCA Tacos y Tequila, 533 N. Fourth Ave.
For more information, visit bocatacos.com.
For additional details on downtown Tucson’s taco scene, read Taco Tour Part IV: Downtown Tucson (Interactive Map).
Central Tucson Taco Tour
Original Taco Tour Post: Tucson Taco Tour Part V: Central Tucson
The Quesadillas, 2418 N. Craycroft Rd.
For more information, visit queso520.com.
Karamelo King, 3752 E. Grant Rd.
La Botana Tacos + Patio + Amigos, 3200 N. First Ave.
For more information, visit labotanagrill.com.
For additional details on central Tucson’s taco scene, read Tucson Taco Tour Part V: Central Tucson.
East Tucson Taco Tour
Carnitas Estilo Michoacán Los Gordos, 4545 E. 22nd St.
Keep up with Carnitas Estilo Michoacán Los Gordos on Instagram.
Carniceria Los Vaqueros, 2023 S. Craycroft Rd.
Keep up with Carniceria Los Vaqueros on Facebook.
Taqueria y Raspados Jason, 6039 E. 22nd St.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BidXT5UA0ze/
Keep up with Taqueria y Raspados Jason on Facebook.
Toro Loco, 7940 E. Broadway Blvd.
Read our July 2019 article Toro Loco to open Friday, Aug. 2 with craft tacos, french fry-stuffed burros.
For more information, visit torolocotacos.com.
Salsa Verde, 210 N. Pantano Rd.
Read our August 2018 article “Salsa Verde” restaurant a new east Tucson favorite for Mexican comfort food.
Keep up with Salsa Verde on Facebook.
For a more comprehensive taco list, read our February 2020 article Your guide to over 50 mouth-watering Tucson tacos.
For a one-stop shop for multiple taquerias, read our September 2019 article The Tohono O’odham Swap Meet is Tucson’s secret taco heaven.
Have some favorite tacos not on this list? Let us know in the comments.
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
