New York City / Tacos
Best Tacos
in NYC
The adobada, the birria, the $3 fish taco, and the one taquería with a real happy hour.
Most NYC taco spots skip happy hour — Mezcali’s $9 margaritas (Mon–Fri 3–6pm) are the exception.
- 10 verified taquerías
- tacos from $3
- 1 Michelin star
- open till 2am
The short version
- Best overallLos Tacos No. 1 – adobada ~$5.50, standing at Chelsea Market.
- Best fish tacoLos Mariscos – $3 fried fish taco, same market.
- Best birriaBirria-Landia – quesabirria + consommé, $3.50, the OG truck.
- Best sit-downOxomoco – Michelin star, wood-fired lamb barbacoa.
- Best dealMezcali – $9 margs, Mon–Fri 3–6pm, real tacos.
The best tacos in NYC right now: Los Tacos No. 1 for the adobada (about $5.50, eaten standing at Chelsea Market), Los Mariscos for a $3 fried fish taco a few feet away, Birria-Landia’s Jackson Heights truck for quesabirria with consommé, and Oxomoco in Greenpoint for the one Michelin-starred taco on the list. If you want a deal, Mezcali in FiDi runs a real happy hour — $9 margaritas, Mon–Fri 3–6pm — while it slings Diablo Steak tacos. This is a taco-first guide; for full sit-down rooms and regional Mexican beyond tacos, see our best Mexican restaurants in NYC. Below: the counter icons, the birria and fish specialists, and the sit-down spots, mapped across three boroughs.
At a glance
Cheapest and best up top. Tap a number on the map to place it — these run across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
| Bar | The deal | Days | Window | $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Tacos No. 1 | Adobada + carne asada tacos | Daily | 11am–10pm | $$$ |
| Taqueria Ramírez | Campechano (suadero + longaniza) | Tue–Sun | 12–10pm | $$$ |
| Taqueria St. Marks Place | LA-style tacos, late-night menu | Daily | 12pm–12am | $$$ |
| Birria-Landia | Quesabirria tacos + consommé | Daily (truck) | eve–late | $$$ |
| Los Mariscos | Fish taco $3 / shrimp $5.50 | Daily | 11am–late | $$$ |
| Fonda | Enchiladas in black mole | Daily | Lunch–late | $$$ |
| Casa Enrique | Mole de Piaxtla; enchiladas suizas | Daily | Dinner + wknd brunch | $$$ |
| Oxomoco | Lamb barbacoa; wood-fired masa | Daily | Lunch + dinner | $$$ |
| Tacombi | Combi tacos; Taco Tuesday BOGO | Daily | 11am–11pm | $$$ |
| Mezcali | $9 margs; Diablo Steak tacos | Mon–Fri | 3–6pm | $$$ |
Map: where these 10 spots are
Three boroughs: a Chelsea Market pair, Greenpoint, LIC, Jackson Heights, and one in FiDi. Not a walkable crawl — pick your neighborhood.
Pins are numbered to match the table above – tap any pin for the deal and directions.
Taquerías & standouts
The counter icons — order at the window, eat standing. More south-of-the-border picks in our best Mexican restaurants in NYC guide.
Los Tacos No. 1
The Verdict: the adobada is the best taco in Manhattan, and it runs about five bucks. Marinated pork shaved off the spit with a slice of grilled pineapple, on a handmade corn tortilla — order it, add a grilled cactus, and eat standing at the rail, because there are no seats and never will be. The line at Chelsea Market moves fast; the guys on the plancha don’t stop. The Local Move: hit the smaller Times Square or Village counters when the Market line is out the door. Skip the guac upcharge and put that money toward a second taco.
Taqueria Ramírez
The Verdict: the closest thing to a Mexico City street taqueria in NYC, and it’s in Greenpoint. Meat off a custom comal, standing room, no frills. Order the campechano — suadero and longaniza together — which landed on the NYT’s best-dishes list, or straight suadero if you want to taste the griddle. The Honest Caveat: it’s dine-in only, cash-forward, and closed Mondays, and the good cuts sell out. The Local Move: get there before 8pm, and try the blowtorched tripa if you’re the adventurous one at the table.
taqueriaramirezbk.com · See our best Mexican restaurants in NYC
Taqueria St. Marks Place
The Verdict: an LA-transplant taco counter bolted onto a dive bar, open to midnight every night — the move when you want tacos and a beer at 11pm. It won’t win the platonic-al-pastor debate and doesn’t try to. It’s cheap, it’s late, and there are actual seats, which on St. Marks counts for something. Order a few al pastor, grab a Tecate, and let the East Village happen outside. The Honest Caveat: cards work but there’s no real website — just show up. Best as a pre-bar or post-bar stop, not a pilgrimage.
toasttab.com · See our East Village happy hours
Birria & fish tacos
The specialists worth a trip: quesabirria with consommé, and a $3 fish taco. See also our best seafood in NYC.
Birria-Landia
The Verdict: the truck that kicked off NYC’s birria obsession, and still the one to beat. Park at the original Jackson Heights truck at Roosevelt and 78th and order the quesabirria — cheese-crisped tacos of stewed beef — with a cup of consommé to dip. Three-fifty a taco in Queens. The Local Move: the dip is the whole point, so submerge the taco, don’t dab. There are spinoffs now in Williamsburg, the LES and the Bronx, but the JH truck is the real one. The Honest Caveat: it’s a truck — hours and the exact spot drift, so go hungry and bring cash.
Los Mariscos
The Verdict: the best fish taco in NYC, hiding a few feet behind Los Tacos No. 1 in the same market and run by the same team. The fried fish taco is three dollars and does everything a fish taco should — crunchy, slaw on top, a hard squeeze of lime. Get two of those, a shrimp taco ($5.50), and an aguachile if you’re making it a meal. The Honest Caveat: it’s a counter with almost nowhere to sit inside Chelsea Market’s crush, so this is grab-and-stand, not a sit-down. Enter from the 15th Street side to dodge the worst of the crowd.
losmariscos1.com · See our best seafood in NYC
Sit-down, mezcal & margaritas
Tacos as a real dinner — mole, wood fire, and the one spot with a happy hour. More in best Mexican restaurants in NYC.
Fonda
The Verdict: Roberto Santibáñez’s contemporary Mexican, and the Chelsea room is the one to book. Come for the enchiladas in black mole and the duck zarape, not a quick taco — this is sit-down territory. The guacamole is made to order and the margaritas are honest. The Local Move: head upstairs for the quieter, more romantic room. Worth It for a date or a group dinner. The Honest Caveat: the old East Village branch closed, so don’t wander to Avenue B looking for it — Chelsea, Tribeca and Park Slope are the live addresses.
fondarestaurant.com · See our best Mexican restaurants in NYC
Casa Enrique
The Verdict: the most polished Mexican room in Long Island City, worth the 7 train. Chef Cosme Aguilar held a Michelin star here from 2014 to 2022 — it’s since dropped, but the cooking didn’t. Order the mole de Piaxtla, his family recipe: chicken under a mole that took days. The enchiladas suizas are the safe, excellent bet. Worth It: a mezcal flight and the weekend brunch tacos. The Why: this is a sit-down occasion, not a counter run — come for a real dinner, and book ahead on weekends.
casaenriquelic.com · See our best Mexican restaurants in NYC
Oxomoco
The Verdict: the one Michelin-starred spot on this list, and it earns it without getting precious. Wood-fired cooking, blue-corn masa, a serious agave list, and a Greenpoint patio you’ll want to linger on. The lamb-barbacoa taco with salsa de pipicha is the order; add a tlayuda to share. Worth It if you want tacos as a real dinner with the best margaritas in the neighborhood. The Honest Caveat: it books up — reserve, especially for the patio — and it’s priced like the destination it is. This is the night-out version, not your $3 stop.
oxomoconyc.com · See our best new restaurants in NYC
Tacombi
The Verdict: the VW-bus taqueria that grew into a small empire, and the Nolita flagship is still the fun one — an airy, garage-style room built around an actual combi van. The tacos are solid rather than transcendent, but the vibe carries it, and Taco Tuesday is a genuine deal: buy-one-get-one tacos all day. The Local Move: come on a Tuesday, get the BOGO, order a margarita. The Honest Caveat: there are around a dozen locations now, so it’s a mini-chain — set expectations accordingly. Great for groups and first dates, less so for purists chasing the perfect al pastor.
Mezcali On now
The Verdict: the rare taco spot with an actual happy hour — Mon–Fri 3–6pm, $9 margaritas and mezcalitas, shareables under $10 — in FiDi, of all places. Cali-Mex with skate-shop energy and a late kitchen (2am Thursday through Saturday). Order the Diablo Steak tacos, Oaxacan steak under diablo sauce, and the birria dumplings, which are exactly as good as they sound. The Local Move: post up at 3pm for the $9 margs before the after-work crowd lands. The Why: it’s the one place here where the deal and the food both deliver.
mezcalinyc.com · See our FiDi happy hours
Tacos happy hour: FAQ
What are the best tacos in NYC?
Los Tacos No. 1 (adobada, Chelsea Market), Los Mariscos (fish tacos), Birria-Landia (birria, Jackson Heights), Taquería Ramírez (Greenpoint) and Oxomoco (Michelin-starred, Greenpoint) are the top picks in 2026.
Where’s the best birria in NYC?
Birria-Landia’s original Jackson Heights truck — quesabirria tacos ($3.50) with a cup of consommé to dip. Spinoffs exist in Williamsburg, the LES and the Bronx, but the Queens truck is the original.
Where can I get the best fish tacos in NYC?
Los Mariscos in Chelsea Market, from the Los Tacos No. 1 team. The fried fish taco is $3; add a shrimp taco and an aguachile.
Are there any Michelin-starred taco spots in NYC?
Oxomoco in Greenpoint holds a Michelin star for its wood-fired Mexican; the lamb-barbacoa taco is the order. Casa Enrique in LIC held a star from 2014 to 2022.
Do any NYC taquerías have a happy hour?
Most don’t. Mezcali in FiDi is the exception: Mon–Fri 3–6pm, $9 margaritas and mezcalitas plus shareables under $10, alongside its Diablo Steak tacos.
Last updated: July 2026. Deals and hours change – confirm with the venue before you go. Spot something out of date? Let us know.
