Taco Town: 50 great Triad taco spots

by Brian Clarey, Naari Honor and Eric Ginsburg

The Triad wasn’t always a Taco Town.

Time was that taco meant just one thing around here: a hard shell dripping with grease, topped with lettuce and cheese and, if you’re lucky, maybe a tomato.

It’s why we have so many Taco Bells.

But the gringo’s favorite gave way to the more traditional style as embraced by old-school taco trucks and real-deal Mexican joints, some of which were steering away from the homogenized Tex-Mex style and building tacos the way they were meant to be: barbacoa, carne asada, al pastor, with a little onion and cilantro, and maybe a slice of radish.

Then foodies got in the game, bringing kimchi, porkbelly, pulled pork and everything else into the mix, creating a scene and a taste for bougie tacos felt throughout the Triad.

And now, while we don’t quite have taco trucks on every corner, whether you’re in Greensboro, Winston-Salem or High Point, you’re never too far from a taco.

This user’s guide may not be exhaustive, but there’s enough taco action on here for a year’s worth of Taco Tuesdays. Tell us about your favorite taco or let us know what we missed in the comments section at triad-city-beat.com.

GREENSBORO

Crafted: The Art of the Taco, 219-A S. Elm St., eatatcrafted.com
The flagship shop of Kris Fuller’s culinary empire, which expanded its presence to Winston-Salem last week, turns the staple on its head. Pulled pork with mac & cheese, falafel and pickles, brisket and pineapple, rare tuna and kimchi all come together in these bougie masterpieces.

Taqueria el Azteca, 5605 W. Friendly Ave., taqueriaelazteca.com
Old-school and genuine, Azteca offers a basic slate of tacos at its storefront in the west and a roving truck.

Pedro’s Taco Shop, 948 Walker Ave., pedrostacoshop.com
Worlds collide at Pedro’s just off Tate Street: the basics of chicken, carne asada and al pastor are covered, along with fish, shrimp and a veggie option. But the best may be the Carolina BBQ taco, with pulled pork and a cilantro-lime slaw.

Jake’s Billiards, 1712 Spring Garden St., Facebook page
When Jakes ramped up the menu a few years ago, it brought back Taco Tuesdays with a full line of classic selections, though insiders say the shrimp taco is the best of the lot. And Ginsburg swears by the spicy chicken baja tacos.

Rio Grande, 6909 Downwind Road and 1614 Highwoods Blvd., riograndemexicankitchen.com
This one’s a full-on Mexican restaurant with an extensive menu, just one of which is tacos. But they’re the real deal, served Jalisco style with a specialty of chorizo and steak called the “diablo.”

La Fiesta, 1312 Bridford Pkwy, restaurantelafiesta.com
La Fiesta’s chain stretches from High Point to Mebane, and its tacos are quite basic and buried within a larger menu. Here, the grilled fish taco with pickled cabbage is the pick of the litter.

Speakeasy Tavern, 1706 Battleground Ave., speakeasytavern.com
It’s more or less a bar with a pretty good menu, so Speakeasy’s tacos are confined to flour shells, but the fish tacos are no joke: fried cod, house pico and cucumber wasabi.

Monterrey, Brassfield Shopping Center, monterrey29.com
One of the last of the old guard of Greensboro’s legacy Mexican restaurants, Monterrey still serves its tacos gringo-style, with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar and sour cream.

Fishbones, 2119 Walker Ave., fishbonesonline.net
The taco deck at this Lindley Park bistro come tucked inside “two handsome corn tortillas,” with selections from filet mignon to ahi tuna, and something called the “twisted chicken.”

Casa Vallarta/San Luis, sanluisrestaurant.com
This family-owned operation made its name on authenticity while other Mexican joints in town catered to a more homogenized clientele. The tacos run true: carne asada, pollo, pastor, chorizo, lenguas and carnitas. Three per order.

Kiosco Mexican Grill, 3011 Spring Garden St., kioscomexicangrill.netwaiter.com
Not far from UNCG, amid the Spring Garden business corridor, Kiosco’s taco choices are limited to a steak soft taco and beef or chicken gringo style.

La Vaca Ramona, 4516 W. Market St.
If all the best tacos come from neighborhood bodegas, then La Vaca Ramona — Ramona the Cow? — a Latino superstore of sorts on the west side of Greensboro, makes a strong case for the best in town. As in all bodega-style counters, the meat gets cut on premises, the tortillas are pressed in-house and you can buy a piñata if you need one. No need to get fancy: Order the carne asada and smile.

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Villa del Mar, 3738 High Point Road, villadelmargreensboro.com
The hipsters discovered Villa del Mar about five years ago, coming for the real-deal tacos and, according to Ginsburg, the strongest chicken burrito in town. The tacos are great as well, and Ethnosh recently featured the hole-in-the-wall.

Taqueria Hidalgo, 2609 Randleman Road
The official taco shop of the Triad City Beat staff is a mid-sized bodega in a non-descript strip mall. Tasty tacos, with a bunch of great cane-sugar sodas and a friendly staff.

Mercadito #1 and #2, Spring Garden Street, Gate City Blvd.
The Mercadito on Spring Garden was the first of the city’s bodega-style taco joints to be infiltrated by the Greensboro’s foodies, gushed over in small-group conversations with testimonials like “authentic” and “provincial” and “the only white people there.” They’re both hard to find, and both reward the curious gourmand.

Taqueria Latinos, 1601 E. Bessemer Ave.
With virtually no online presence save for a Yelp page they seem to be ignoring, Taqueria Latinos regardless does a brisk business in the multicultural stew on Bessemer Avenue. They have all the basics down to the tripe and the tongue, and also a barbacoa taco that is harder to find in the Triad than you might think.

San Miguel Restaurant, 3107 Yanceyville St.
Publisher Brian Clarey regards San Miguel as his go-to taqueria, a small bodega with fresh ingredients, friendly staff and a deep selection of pastries in the panadería case.

HIGH POINT

Mi Taqueria, 800 W. Green Drive, or on Facebook
Mi Taqueria is family-style restaurant and bar that offers several taco plates including tacos dorados (chicken fried tacos), and a $6.99 four-taco plate with your choice of chicken, marinated pork, shredded pork, barbacoa, chorizo, tripe, lengua, alambre (beef and bacon combination) and campechanos (generally a beef and pork combo).

Dos Toros Meat Market / Taco Toro, 810 S. Main St., or on Facebook
The grocery store and butcher block is also home to a homestyle Mexican joint that sells tacos accompanied by a jalapeño pepper that has somehow managed to contain the heat of hell within its casing. The all-Spanish menu includes $2 tacos with choice of asada, chicken, lengua, tripe, carnitas, barbacoa, chorizo, pescado and al pastor.

El Pequeño Mexico Tienda, Taqueria y Carniceria, 800 S. Main St., or on Facebook
This little bodega contains a gem, Taco Corner, which appears to employ everyone’s favorite soul-food cooking aunt. While the menu may be solely written in the native tongue, it doesn’t take an interpreter to figure out what is cooking in the back.

Pancho Villa’s Mexican Restaurant, 206 W. Fairfield Road, mypanchovillas.com
Pancho offers a plethora of dishes — more than 20 — that include a taco or two with choice of a corn or flour tortillas, along with plates that solely focus on taco entrees. Aside from the classics, the restaurant also offers fish and shrimp tacos.

Taquitos to Go, 2033 W. Green Drive, or on Facebook
This festive establishment is the home of daily specials, including $1 tacos on Thursdays. Top choices include marinated chicken, adobo marinated beef, pork crackling in green salsa, adobo marinated pork, shredded beef or shredded pork taco.

Casa de Soto’s, 1800 Westchester Drive, or on Facebook
This place serves up the basics — pick a chicken, steak, beef or shrimp taco, all of which go well with a smear of house guacamole.

WINSTON-SALEM

Pancho Villa’s, 799 S. Stratford Road, mypanchovillas.com
Whether you want hard or soft tacos, or even a taco salad, Pancho Villa’s in west Winston-Salem has you covered. Try the house specialty Pancho’s Tacos with chorizo and avocado slices or the Tacos Mexicanos special that can feature carne asada, pollo asado or carnitas.

La Botana, 1547 Hanes Mall Blvd., labotana-ws.com
Known for its extensive vegetarian menu, La Botana also specializes in Tacos Norteños, which come with steak, bacon, radishes, avocado and green onions on flour tortillas, described as Nuevo Leon style.

Señor Bravo, 241 S. Marshall St., senorbravo.com
The downtown Mexican restaurant with a second location planned for Trade Street is the most centrally located taco outlet in town.

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Papa Nachos Cantina, 564 Hanes Mall Blvd., papanachoscantina.net
If you want tacos at Papa Nachos, be prepared to order four for around $10, with rice and beans on the side. Formerly known as Nacho Daddy’s.

Mi Pueblo, 2905 Reynolda Road, 644 S. Stratford Road, mipueblomexgrill.com
A chain with eight locations, including two in High Point and two in Winston-Salem, Mi Pueblo offers a dinner special with a beef taco, beef enchilada, tamale, chalupa and chile relleno. Come hungry.

Taco Riendo 3, 3619 Reynolda Road, find on Facebook
There’s a reason that this is the only place in Winston-Salem with “taco” in the name (yes, others do say taqueria), though that’s far from the only dish served here. Taco Riendo 3 may be located next to a gas station, but it’s easily one of the best options in town.

La Casa Lopez, 3028 Healy Drive, find on Facebook
The restaurant run by Jesus and Silvia Lopez brags that it offers “authentic Mexican tacos, such as lengua, al pastor and chorizo.”

El Torero, 5900 University Pkwy., or on Facebook
Way out by SciWorks in the northern part of the city, there isn’t a whole lot of information about El Torero online, but commenters recommend the carnitas tacos.

Tequila Mexican, 2802 Reynolda Road, tequilarestaurantws.com
The closest Mexican restaurant to Wake Forest University’s campus has all sorts of margarita specials and emphasizes its carne asada tacos on its new website.

Antojitos las Delicias, 1521 E. Fifth St., antojitos-las-delicias.com
One of the few Mexican restaurants located in east Winston-Salem, Antojitos only provides outdoor seating. Tacos come with a meat, onion, cilantro and hot sauce in a corn tortilla. Try the huaraches and pupusas while you’re here.

La Perlita, 1001 Waughtown St., find on Facebook
There are several Mexican joints and Latino-run businesses in Winston-Salem’s Waughtown neighborhood, and La Perlita is one that you should not miss.

Camino Real, 3800 Reynolda Road, elcaminoreal01.com
The new location of this Greensboro-based favorite helps the Camel City up its taco game with shrimp and fish tacos, as well as the more usual fare.

El Rancho Taqueria, 613 E. Sprague St., elranchotacos.com
Featured in one of the very first Triad City Beat food articles, there’s a reason that people all across the city talk about El Rancho in the Waughtown area. The menu brags “tacos con sabor a Jalisco.”

The Porch Kitchen & Cantina, 840 Mill Works St., dinnersontheporch.blogspot.com
Everyone seems to love this Tex-Mex restaurant, so much so that it’s often challenging to get a table. That just means the tacos here are well worth the wait.

Mambo Café & Bar, 1527 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, find on Facebook
This Salvadoran restaurant serves Mexican and Honduran food as well, but it may be better known as a discoteca. Find tacos at this spot not far south of Winston-Salem State University.

TACO TRUCKS

Luciano’s (W-S) 336.755.4782 or Taqueria Luciano’s on Facebook
Arguably the best taco truck in the Triad, Luciano’s bounces around Winston-Salem, popping up at farmers markets, Reynolda Village, Krankies and more. The Facebook and Twitter aren’t up to date, so calling is best.

Bandito Burrito (GSO) @banditotruck on Twitter, or on Facebook. 336.601.3383
This food truck is the easiest to find among the bunch, because of its strong web presence. Tacos range from the more traditional to a fantastic Asian-style option.

El Torito (GSO) 336.324.0488
Regularly found on Battleground Avenue just north of the intersection with Cone Boulevard, El Torito serves delicious, cheap tacos including al pastor, barbacoa, chicharron and tripe.

Taqueria Taquito Estrella (GSO)
Estrella and Torito are similar trucks in terms of selection, taste and sometimes locale. Both have been spotted on Gate City Boulevard — try the intersection with Hilltop Road first for Estrella.

Other
El Camino Real and Crafted (@foodtruckcrafted on Facebook) — two restaurants started in Greensboro that now have Winston-Salem locations as well — also added food trucks to their lineup. Crafted’s is particularly unique. Greensboro’s El Azteca (@tacotruckgso on Twitter) jumped on the food truck game early, and can frequently be found near Winston-Salem’s Bailey Park. Several other taco trucks are registered with the local county health departments — 1-2-3 Tacos and Taqueria Dona Ana/Anita Cocina Economica in Greensboro, Tacos El Chanfle in Winston-Salem and even El Taco Vaquero in Rural Hall — but none have any online presence. Serious taco fiends can find their numbers on the Guilford and Forsyth health departments’ websites, however.

Brian Clarey’s ode to his neighborhood taco truck.

Eric Ginsburg’s final word on tacos vs. burritos.