Tacos in Atlanta: Trucks, Taquerias and What to Order

Tacos in Atlanta run from a counter at the back of a grocery store to a West Midtown taqueria with a trompo turning behind the bar. Five places that recent local coverage keeps returning to are El Progreso, El Santo Gallo, Vice Taco, Taqueria del Sol and El Tesoro, and this page explains what each is known for.

What makes tacos in Atlanta worth a trip across town?

Atlanta is a spread-out city, and its tacos are spread out with it. The good ones sit in grocery stores, in strip malls, on trucks that change location and in dining rooms with tile walls. That is part of the pleasure, and part of the problem: a name you hear from a friend may be a ten-minute drive or a forty-minute one.

So decide first what kind of taco you want. A street taco is small, usually two corn tortillas, a portion of meat, onion, cilantro and salsa. A Southern-style or fusion taco is bigger, with a filling you would not find in Mexico City. Both are worth eating. They are different meals, and they sit in different parts of the city.

Which Atlanta taco trucks and taquerias do people go to?

Each of these appears in at least two independent outlets, and each was described as open in recent coverage.

El Progreso. The Infatuation places it in Benteen Park as a counter-service taqueria inside a Mexican grocery store, with lengua as a favorite. The AJC describes double-corn-tortilla street tacos served on a foam plate, with the chorizo topped with lime and avocado salsa verde. You order and pay at the register, then wait for your number.

El Santo Gallo. Both outlets place it on the Westside. The Infatuation notes a rotating vertical spit of pork, handmade corn tortillas and a short list of four proteins. The AJC adds the tile walls, the large trompo and the owners' Mexico City roots, and mentions that the team also runs a food truck.

Vice Taco. A truck rather than a room. The Infatuation connects it with Reynoldstown and highlights blue corn tortillas and a creamy avocado sauce. The AJC calls its salsa verde a must-have and says the truck moves around, so check where it is parked before you set out.

Taqueria del Sol. The Infatuation lists it on the Westside for Southern-style tacos, with the Memphis taco, which pairs tequila barbecue pork with jalapeno coleslaw, as the one it names. Atlanta Magazine's older taco list also files it under tacos that cross cuisines.

El Tesoro. More on this one in the breakfast section below.

How do you order street tacos in Atlanta?

Start with the meat. Names you will meet on a street menu include al pastor, which is pork cooked on a vertical spit, carne asada for grilled beef, chorizo for the spiced sausage, lengua for beef tongue and cabeza for head meat. If a name is new to you, ask what it is. Counter staff at a good taqueria are used to the question.

Then decide how many. Street tacos are small, so most people order three or four and add more if they are still hungry. Ask for the salsas on the side if you are not sure about heat, and take a few napkins. A squeeze of lime and a spoon of green salsa is the usual finish.

At a counter inside a grocery store, expect to order and pay at the register, take a number and wait. At a truck, ask where it is parked today. If you are going with friends, order a spread, share, and let everyone try the one they would not have picked.

Where do Atlanta breakfast tacos fit in?

Breakfast tacos are a different order from a lunch taco: scrambled eggs or chorizo and eggs in a flour tortilla, often with potato or beans. The Infatuation singles out El Tesoro in Edgewood for them, especially the ranchero, which includes chopped smoky salchichon. Atlanta Magazine has also covered El Tesoro as a taqueria with a gravel yard under patio umbrellas.

Dogs are welcome in some outdoor seating, and El Tesoro's yard is among the places the dog-friendly restaurants guide mentions. If you want a cold-weather alternative to a taco, the ramen guide covers broth bowls. If you want more than tacos in the morning, the Atlanta brunch guide covers the sit-down side, and the Atlanta breakfast guide covers biscuits and grits.

How do you judge a taco so your rating helps the next person?

Use the same four checks every time, so one visit compares with the next.

• The tortilla. Is it warm, fresh and a little toasted? Handmade corn tortillas hold their shape.
• The meat. Is it seasoned and cut small enough to eat in two bites? Al pastor should be tender, not dry.
• The salsa. Is there more than one, and do they taste fresh?
• The finish. Do onion, cilantro and lime arrive on the taco or on the side?

Write down the taco you ordered, not only the place. A lengua taco and a chorizo taco at the same counter are different dishes and can deserve different stars.

How can you rate and keep Atlanta taco places in Mosey?

Mosey is a food app, and a taco crawl suits it. Only a place and stars are needed for a rating, but you can also rate each taco by name, add tags such as Food Truck, Quick Service or Great Value, and attach a photo and a few words. The ratings page explains how it works.

Save each stop to a list called Atlanta tacos, add a note on what to order, and send the invite link to the friends you are eating with. If one of them follows you, they can add their own rating of the same meal when you tag them.

For a wider tour, the Buford Highway guide covers the international corridor, and the Atlanta town hub and the US food guides have the rest.

Your next taco is worth a line in the Mosey app: rate it by name, tag it and add the place to the list your friends can build with you.