California has nearly half of the top taco spots in US, Yelp says. Here’s where
Looking to celebrate “the Taco Tuesday of all Taco Tuesdays” this year — as National Taco Day falls on Tuesday, Oct. 7?
Yelp compiled a list of the best spots in the country for your taco fix, and one state has nearly half of the top 100 spots.
“Home to a whopping 45 top spots this year, California is setting trends for all kinds of tacos — including street-food styles that are popular in Mexico,” the crowdsourced review site said. “The state also showcases its long-time-favored, seafood-forward Baja-style tacos, like at Michelin-starred, counter-order Holbox (#5) and from the garage and driveway of a private Los Angeles home, Mariscos El Chito (#10).”
After California, the best states for tacos are Texas, Arizona, and Hawaii. To score the spots, Yelp found businesses from the “restaurants and food categories” with a large amount of reviews that mentioned “tacos.” Then the site ranked the businesses across several factors, including volume and ratings of reviews that mentioned “tacos.”
Here’s where to go in California for the “best, juiciest, cheesiest, sauciest, and most craveable tacos” in the country:
What is the top-ranked taco place in the country on Yelp?
The No. 1 taco place in the U.S. is family-owned and five star rated Birrieria Familia Castro in North Hollywood, according to Yelp’s analysis.
“A closely guarded family recipe for birria earns this ‘small, humble’ hotspot in LA’s San Fernando Valley the #1 ranking for 2025. Yelpers say every bite of the ‘yummy food’ ‘feels like a warm hug on a winter night’ — and generous portions make it even better,” Yelp wrote about the best taco joint.
Owner Anthony Castro, who owns the spot with his mom and dad, Gema and José Castro, told Yelp the ”birria is a family tradition passed down from my grandmother, who learned it from her mother.”
It “takes three to four hours” each day to cook — which results in the “’incredibly tender’ meat ‘packed with savory spices’ and virtually no fat” that Yelp reviewers rave about.
“Most popular versions of these ‘juicy’ birria tacos include the quesatacos (crunchy tacos with cheese inside), vampiros (small, deep-fried, open-face tortillas with griddled cheese on top), and mulitas (two tortillas stacked like a sandwich),” Yelp said. “Yelpers highly recommend adding the housemade consomé.”
Plus the restaurant makes “everything fresh on-site, from our tortillas to our drinks and salsas,” Anthony Castro told Yelp.
““The [5-star] rating is very well deserved!” one review says.
The restaurant thanked Yelp on Instagram — and said the recognition brought many more customers wanting to try their food.
“This week has been crazy,” the restaurant said in the post. “We want to serve everyone an amazing meal. Wait times are 2 hours. Try to come early. Please be patient with us.”
Which California taco spots made it in the top 10?
No. 4: Roundhouse Deli in Roseville
No. 5: Holbox in Los Angeles
No. 9: Niko’s Tacos in Roseville
No. 10: Mariscos El Chito in Los Angeles
Which other California taco spots made it on the list?
No. 11: Locos Tacos Inc in Citrus Heights
No. 13: Terrific Tacos in San Diego
No. 14: Conchita’s Tacos in Los Angeles
No. 17: Tacos Guelaguetza in Los Angeles
No. 19: Borreguitas Bar Express in Pomona
No. 22: De Cabeza el Único in Chula Vista
No. 23: Chicana Vegana in Fullterton
No. 24: La Jalisciense in Santa Nella
No. 27: Mariscos Jalisco in Los Angeles
No. 29: Tacos La China in Los Angeles
No. 31: El Cocinero in Van Nuys
No. 32: Taqui Taqui in Los Angeles
No. 33: Birrieria Little Tijuana in Riverside
No. 37: Craft and Taco Lounge in Escondido
No. 38: Noyo Fish Company in Fort Bragg
No. 39: Ranchos Onsite Tacos in Los Angeles
No. 40: Tacos El Vampiro in Sylmar
No. 43: Hey, Sunshine Kitchen in Culver City
No. 45: The Craft Taco at SOVA in San Diego
No. 49: Birrieria Esquivel in South Gate
No. 50: Tacos Y Que in Whittier
No. 51: Compas Tacos in Lake Elsinore
No. 54: Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara in Laguna Hills
No. 55: Fredo’s Vegan Tacos in Castroville
No. 56: Crudo in Palm Springs
No. 57: Sinaloa Mexican & Seafood in Oceanside
No. 58: Mariscos Jalisco in Los Angeles
No. 59: The Waves Taco Club in San Diego
No. 61: Str8 Up Tacos in Lakewood
No. 65: Quiote in Petaluma
No. 67: Cocina Hijole Maria in Concord
No. 68: Taco Nazo in Bellflower
No. 72: Roxy’s Tacos in San Diego
No. 74: PlanTita’s Kitchen in Long Beach
No. 76: Tigres Fuego in Redondo Beach
No. 78: Al Carajo in San Francisco
No. 80: Taqueria Cuernavaca Express in Ventura
No. 85: Blady’s Tacos in Huntington Beach
No. 86: Birria Mi Rancho in Oxnard
No. 97: Martiniz Fresko Kitchen in Norco
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
