New York Dearest
The guide, $35

The Best of New York · Eat · By cuisine

The best tacos in New York.

Every one from my own visits, updated September 2026. 10 places.

I’ve eaten more tacos in this city than I care to admit. Street carts at midnight, sit-down spots where the mole takes 48 hours to make, the random truck in Queens that changed the way I think about birria forever. Spoiler alert: New York might be the best taco city outside of Mexico.

I know that’s a bold claim. LA people are already angry. But hear me out. NYC has the range. You can get a $2 taco from a cart in Jackson Heights at midnight and a Michelin-starred mole in Long Island City the next evening. Try doing that in one subway ride anywhere else.

Antonina PattizI went to every one · how I decide

Best tacos in New York, 2026

  1. Casa EnriqueRestaurant · Long Island CityBut the mole is life-changing and I don’t use that word lightly.
  2. Los Tacos No. 1Restaurant · Chelsea / Times Square
  3. Taqueria St. MarksRestaurant · East VillageThis is the spot you stumble into at 1 AM and wonder why you ever bother going anywhere else.
  4. Birria-LandiaRestaurant · Jackson HeightsThat broth is dangerously good.
  5. De MoleRestaurant · WilliamsburgThis isn’t a taco-specific spot but the tacos and entrees are excellent.
  6. El Paso TaqueriaRestaurant · HarlemThe salsa verde is homemade and it shows.
  7. Empanada MamaRestaurant · Hell's KitchenThey have dozens of fillings and everything I’ve tried has been good.
  8. Los MexicanosRestaurant · Upper East SideIt’s a neighborhood spot through and through.
  9. Roosevelt Ave Food CartsStreet · Jackson Heights$2-3 tacos, handmade tortillas, meats you didn’t know you liked.
  10. TacombiRestaurant · Manhattan / BrooklynBut Tacombi actually delivers.

Best tacos in New York, 2026

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The full guide, with the ones that didn't make it and why: Best Tacos in NYC. From Street Carts to Sit-Down..