Best carne asada, chicken, birria and fish tacos in Phoenix, Glendale and El Mirage
Everyone knows Arizona is a haven of great regional Mexican food, and surely, there must be some consensus about who makes the absolute best taco in metro Phoenix.
First, we asked you to tell us your favorite taco restaurant and what your go-to order is at each. After reading over 200 submissions, we put together a list of five nominees per category for birria, al pastor, chicken, seafood and veggie, and 14 nominees for the overwhelmingly popular carne asada taco category.
And the readers have spoken.
Hundreds of votes left us with seven finalists: one winner from each category (and three from carne asada).
The overall winner was a Baja-style food trailer that sells fish and shrimp tacos.
Here are metro Phoenix's 8 top tacos in every category.
Best carne asada tacos in metro Phoenix
Taco Boy's
If you’ve ever been to Taco Boys in downtown Phoenix, it should come as no surprise to see them listed as a finalist. The people of Phoenix absolutely adore this mesquite grilled option. On a random Wednesday afternoon, the line of cars in the drive-thru was so long it extended onto Seventh Street. Every parking space outside and every dining table inside were full, and the air was filled with the sound of music and the mouthwatering aroma of steak on the grill.
Details: 620 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. 602-675-3962. Additional locations at aztacoboys.com.
Ta’Carbon
Ta’Carbon has two locations, in Glendale and Phoenix, with a third coming soon to Peoria. Their straightforward menu, choose-your-own veggie and salsa bar and perfectly grilled carne asada keep fans coming back for more.
Details: 5834 W. Camelback Road, Glendale. 623-463-8134. Additional locations at tacarbon.com.
Tacos Chiwas
“We use really good protein, really good beef and that’s the main thing. The thing about carne asada is that you can’t do too much to it. It’s just well-marinated, good protein,” owner Armando Hernandez told The Republic. "We do skirt steak and we cut it into a little bit bigger format and just cook it to order. That’s what gives it the good flavor."
Details: 1028 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-358-8830. Additional locations at tacoschiwas.com.
Best birria taco in metro Phoenix
Baja Roots
"It's definitely an honor to have been nominated and voted for," Baja Roots owner Emilene Carillo told The Republic. "It's a very unique recipe that I have, and I've been very passionate behind it. It started as a seasonal item but it's been going strong now for 4 years. I'm honored to see that people have voted for it for Top Taco."
Details: @bajarootsaz on Instagram, bajarootsaz.com.
Best al pastor taco in metro Phoenix
La Bamba Mexican Grill
Housed between a laundromat and a discount store in the far northwest Valley, La Bamba is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving a small but delicious menu of tacos and quesadillas. Despite the location, La Bamba has devoted fans all over the Valley, and with good reason. Though they won the most votes for best al pastor taco, nearly all items on their menu were nominated by readers for Top Taco 2023.
Details: 12102 W. Thunderbird Road, El Mirage. 623-213-7860, facebook.com/labambamexicangrill1.
Popular choice: An out-of-state writer named this Mexican restaurant the best in Arizona
Best chicken tacos in metro Phoenix
Asadero Norte de Sonora
"It's an honor to have been nominated for Top Taco," owner Caesar Bravo told The Arizona Republic. "We work really hard to make everything fresh."
The restaurant is known for its mesquite grilled chicken served with fresh tortilla and salsa on the side as well as a large menu of ala carte tacos, tortas and burritos.
Details: 122 N. 16th St., Phoenix. 602-253-4010, asaderonortesonora.weebly.com.
Best seafood tacos in metro Phoenix
Estero Beach Tacos
“I’m super excited. Organically building our brand and just being able to bring a taste of Baja California to Arizona is my goal,” owner Jorge Picos told The Republic. "We’re just humble. We’re not a brand that’s always motivated to have foodies there. Everything has been thankfully organic and people just come in and enjoy our food and they keep coming back! So it’s really nice to hear (that Estero Beach Tacos is a Top Taco finalist)."
Details: Saturday Uptown Farmers Market, 5757 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, @esterobeachtacos on Instagram.
Best veggie taco in metro Phoenix
Tacos Chiwas (second win for calabacitas)
“We always wanted to create the best thing we can for our people. The veggie taco is a special thing that we kind of grew up with as a little side plate,” owner Armando Hernandez told The Republic. "It used to be a side plate, but we were thinking that we wanted to do something that made sense with the Mexican squash (calabacitas). I don’t like making things vegetarian just for the sake of being vegetarian, but more with focus on the flavor and that it tastes awesome. I’m really, really thankful that people love it."
Details: 1028 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. 602-358-8830. Additional locations at tacoschiwas.com.
Cocina Chiwas: The team behind this beloved Mexican restaurant just opened a new spot in metro Phoenix
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best tacos Phoenix: Mexican restaurants for carne asada, birria, fish
