For National Taco Day, here’s the perfect trail of the best tacos across the Triangle
A taco is a three-bite moment of joy. A moment of discovery, of nostalgia. A moment to sweat from the heat before taking another bite.
Monday is National Taco Day, which makes it the bare minimum excuse to seek out a plate of one of the world’s most popular foods.
To name the very best tacos in all of the Triangle is a staggering impossibility. The tacos trucks that line busy streets in Durham and Raleigh, the strip mall icons and family owned restaurants that have served for generations, the modern downtown joints — all make up an exciting and rich local taco scene.
If our BBQ scene is a tie to our past, our taco scene is perhaps a reflection of where we’re heading and the central role North Carolina’s Latin American community plays in the state’s culinary landscape. Looking at our taco scene is a glimpse at who we are and how we’re growing in every direction.
Here are 17 of the Triangle’s most popular, most influential and most outlandishly delicious taquerias, food trucks and restaurants, together merely scratching the surface of all that there is to offer in the local taco scene.
Carrburritos
711 W. Rosemary St., Suite 2315, Carrboro. 919-933-8226 or carrburritos.com
Situated at the fuzzy border between Carrboro and Chapel Hill, this beloved neighborhood spot has fed UNC students and locals for more than 20 years. You don’t last a generation in Carrboro without doing everything right, and the tacos are at the top of that list for Carrburritos. Nostalgic Tar Heels living in Raleigh can soon rejoice, as Carrburritos plans to open a new RTP location this year.
Centro
106 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh. 919-835-3593 or centroraleigh.com
One of downtown Raleigh’s best restaurants, Centro has pared down its menu in the wake of the pandemic, but the tacos remain stellar. Freshly made corn and flour tortillas, filled with either fried salmon, grilled steak or bright orange cochinita pibil, honor tacos as the composed dishes they are.
Chido Taco
2330 Bale St. Suite 100, Raleigh. 919-594-1930 or chidotaco.com
This spot will remind you how much fun it is to eat tacos. The dining room is brightly lit from skylights overhead, the micheladas are large and refreshing, and there is a taco for everyone. While the classics are solid and the pineapple is nicely charred for the al pastor, Chido is a place to consider ordering something new. There’s shrimp grilled with mezcal, or a pair of chile relleno tacos, where the peppers are stuffed with steak and cheese.
Chubby’s
4711 Hope Valley Road, Durham. 919-489-4636 or chubbystacos.com
2444 Wycliff Road, Raleigh. 919-781-4480
There’s no way around it, Chubby’s is a Triangle institution. It’s like a friend you can always count on, except it’s the comforting embrace of a taco. It’s one thing to promise the World’s Greatest Salsa Bar, as Chubby’s does, and deliver it, which Chubby’s also does, with freshly made and spicy options that make any taco pop.
Crazy Tacos
911 S. 5th St., Smithfield. 919-938-0338 or facebook.com/crazytacossmithfieldnc
Truly a taco paradise, where the picnic tables are shaded by palapa umbrellas, Crazy Tacos likely has the widest draw of any taqueria in the Triangle. The small, outdoor-only taco shop is just off of Interstate 95, and travelers heading north or south regularly make a point to stop in Smithfield just for the tacos.
El Jefecito
4910 Hillsborough Road, Durham. 919-309-9390 or eljefecitofoodtruck.com
This popular taco truck recently opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Durham. The toppings are the familiar mix of chorizo or chicken, but everything else goes beyond the classic topping of cilantro and chopped onion. When it’s on the menu, al pastor is done with green apple instead of pineapple, roasted cauliflower is balanced with goat cheese and Romesco sauce.
Gonza Tacos y Tequila
7713 Lead Mine Road, Suite 39, Raleigh. 919-846-5478 or gonzatacosytequila.com
2100 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh. 919-268-8965
1849 S. Main St., Wake Forest. 919-205-2500
525-105 New Waverly Place, Cary. 919-653-7310
One of the Triangle’s busiest restaurant groups, Gonza is always lively, and you’ll want margaritas by the pitcher. This is a place for shrimp tacos topped with slaw, rich braised short ribs, or for true indulgence, scallops and pork belly.
Gym Tacos
220 E. Six Forks Road, Raleigh. 919-600-9449 or instagram.com/gymtacos
It’s easy to find Gym Tacos, the bright orange truck with the long line snaking through a Valero gas station parking lot. In just a couple of years, Gym has become a Raleigh taco phenomenon and has plans to add two new brick-and-mortar locations in 2021. Lengua lovers take note, beef tongue tacos are only offered on the weekends.
Jose & Sons
4112 Pleasant Valley Road, Raleigh. 919-571-1188 or joseandsons.com
A uniquely North Carolina restaurant, Jose & Sons is the second generation story for one of the Triangle’s most influential restaurant families. Brothers Charlie and Hector Ibarra come from the family that helped found multiple El Rodeo locations in Raleigh. With Jose & Sons, named for their father, they take classic Mexican dishes and update them with Southern ingredients. Coupled with their other restaurant, The Cortez, and the vast talent of chef Oscar Diaz, it’s one of the most powerful restaurant ideas in the modern South.
La Superior
3325 N. Roxboro Road, Durham. 919-220-3588
You’ll see towering stacks of freshly made corn tortillas and plastic trays of conchas fly out of this grocery store, butcher shop, bakery and tortilleria built in a former car dealership. The tacos are among the best in Durham, with tomatoey chicken tinga a standout order.
La Vaquita Taqueria
2700 Chapel Hill Road, Durham. 919-402-0209 or lavaquitadurham.com
Known for the large fiberglass cow on top of the building, but famous for its tacos, La Vaquita is the first name in Durham taquerias. Settle in for a wait, as it’s often busy, but crispy carnitas this tasty are worth waiting for. Also, when available, cochintia pibil studded with habaneros and picked onions is an easy order for those craving heat.
Los Cuates
4524 Old Wake Forest Road, Raleigh. 919-872-6012 or facebook.com/loscuatesraleighnc
Just beyond the Beltline in the corner shop of a strip mall is one of North Raleigh’s top taquerias. The tacos come small or large, which matters more for what comes on them, than the size of the tortillas, with small getting the traditional cilantro and onion treatment and large topped with pico and guacamole.
Namu
5420 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham. namudurham.com
One of the Triangle’s most beautiful and tranquil restaurant buildings, the former artist campus of Straw Valley, is the scene of one of Durham’s most fun restaurants. Namu is a beer garden, a coffee shop and the purveyor of the Triangle’s top Korean tacos, filled with sweet and spicy Korean barbecue and slaw.
Nuvotaco
2512 University Drive, Durham. 919-873-3033 or nuvotaco.com
Born as Nanataco but rebranded as the ownership torch was passed a couple years ago, this local take on fast casual Mexican restaurants will win the hearts of even the most ardent Chipotle haters. Look for tacos like duck, fried calamari and fried green tomatoes, plus the world’s greatest $5 margarita.
Que Chula Craft Tacos & Tequila Bar
149 W. Franklin St., Suite 110, Chapel Hill. 919-903-8000 or quechulatacos.com
“Craft taco” can be a concerning phrase for taco lovers, because it often means an overly fussy taco, long on expensive toppings and short on flavor. This relatively new Chapel Hill spot lives up to its name, though, taking classic street tacos and wrapping them in freshly made tortillas worth seeking out in a restaurant. Maybe there’s hope for Franklin Street yet.
Taqueria El Toro
3601 Junction Blvd., Raleigh. 919-661-5676 or facebook.com/taqueriaeltororaleigh
Located next door to the busy Toro Market in South Raleigh, this is one of the city’s most popular taquerias and the ideal place to start any local taco tour. Also home to one of Raleigh’s premier salsa bars.
Torchy’s
1110 Mercantile Drive, Building 6, Suite 120, Raleigh. 919-439-1177 or torchystacos.com/location/midtown-east
Raleigh claimed the only North Carolina location of this Texas taco shop with a fanatical following. The only thing larger than Torchy’s menu is the tacos themselves, with varieties straying far beyond the classics. Tacos include smoked beef brisket, jerk chicken and one with a jalapeno cheddar sausage link.
This story was originally published October 4, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "For National Taco Day, here’s the perfect trail of the best tacos across the Triangle."
