Taco Tuesday, Taco Thursday, who really cares? Tacos are delicious and these 30 spots do them better than anywhere else in town.

La Placita 2511 Clark Ave., Cleveland At this Hispanic-themed open-air market in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, street food vendors sling tacos, empanadas and more. Tacos that are cooked up in front of you are a staple here. Enjoy it with a side of plantains and live music. The plan or La Placita is to evolve into a permanent indoor, year-round operation that houses micro-retail businesses within La Villa Hispana – which means tacos in every season. Photo via La Placita/Facebook
Villa Y Zapata 8505 Madison Ave., Cleveland Zapata is a no-frills Mexican restaurant with hefty portions. Heaping plates of chile rellenos, poblanos and chimichangas are all worth revisits. But since we’re talking tacos, it’s no surprise Villa does these right. One tip: Don’t skip the delicious quac. Photo via Villa Y Zapata/Facebook
El Taco Macho 1613 Mentor Ave., Paynesville This hip Painseville taqueria opened in 2016 to much fanfare. They serve traditional tacos and also more modern ones. The quesadillas and burritos are delicious as well and the homemade salsas are *chef’s kiss*. Photo via El Taco Macho/Facebook
Nuevo Acapulco 24409 Lorain Rd., North Olmsted Too many margaritas? Too full of tacos to move? Never fear, you’re already in a restaurant connected to a motel! Coincidence? Don’t ask questions, just down another chorizo, steak, chicken, beef or cheese taco. It’s an unexpected location for Mexican cuisine, and coupled with the occasional roaming magician it’s delightfully quirky. Photo via Nuevo Acapulco/Facebook
Hola Tacos 12102 Madison Ave., Lakewood From the family who also operates the beloved Barroco Arepa Bars in Lakewood, Westlake and on Larchmere, they have assembled a concise but compelling menu of traditional tacos that represent a nice selection of regional classics at Hola Tacos. Al pastor tacos are made “al trompo,” with thin-sliced pork carved from a rotating spit and garnished with pineapple, onions and cilantro. Cochinita pibil tacos consist of slow-roasted adobo-marinated pork capped with pickled red onion. Coal-fired steak is at the heart of the carne asada tacos and roasted cauliflower serves as the filling for a vegetarian selection. Photo via Scene Archives
Merry Arts Pub and Grill 15607 Detroit Ave., Lakewood Forget Taco Tuesdays, it’s Taco Thursdays at Lakewood watering hole Merry Arts. The crispy fried-flour shells have garnered this low-key pub a cult taco following. Don’t forget to thank Patty, the weekly taco chef, when she brings them over to your table. Photo via Merry Arts Pub and Grill/Facebook
Luchita’s 3456 West 117th St., Cleveland One of the oldest Mexican joints in town, this place has been serving up food from south of the border since 1982. Their carne asada tacos are otherworldly. Photo via @ScottBeNimble/Instagram
La Plaza Supermarket 13609 Lakewood Heights Blvd., Lakewood All it takes to get your hands on what many deem the best tacos in Cleveland is venturing to the far back corner of a supermarket. This small hot food station cooks up barbacoa, carnitas, chorizo and al pastor tacos in front of your eyes. They’re served up as-is, but load up on diced onion, cilantro, guac and salsas to your heart’s desire. Tip: You can pre-pay for your tacos at the front counter, but keep it simple and just carry cash. Photo via La Plaza Supermarket/Facebook
El Jalapenos 1313 W. 117th St., Cleveland These delicious tacos are only $1.25 all night on Taco Tuesday’s (and every night of the week during happy hour) and they’re delicious, with many options, including a salsa bar to dress them up yourself. Photo via El Jalapenos/Facebook
Hoopples 1930 Columbus Rd., Cleveland We give a lot of credit to Hoopples for having one of the best views in the city with its industrial panoramic of the river and Cleveland skyline backdrop. An even more glorious scene: a basket full of filled-to-the-brim tacos. Sure, Tower City looks nice all lit up, but it’s twice as nice with cheap chicken, beef and black bean tacos. Photo via Scene Archives
Nuevo Modern Mexican 1000 E 9th St., Cleveland Right on Lake Erie, Nuevo is the spot to hit up before visiting the Rock Hall. They originally opened in Akron and expanded to the banks of Lake Erie in 2016 and have been serving up tacos and tequila since. Photo by Doug Trattner
El Torito Taqueria 1572 West 117th St., Lakewood El Torito occupies an unassuming storefront in Lakewood but its tacos are anything but unassuming. The simple tacos, topped with cilantro and onion, come in double-wrapped in corn tortillas and can in the styles of steak, shredded pork, chicken, chorizo, beef tongue, al pastor and barbacoa. Photo via El Torito Taqueria/Facebook
El Señor’s at La Mexicana Grocery 170 East Washington St., Painesville We promise your trip to be Painesville will be well worth the drive when you get your hands on El Señor’s tacos. A small restaurant attached to a supermarket, seating here is limited but flavor is plentiful. Choose from pork, beef, beef tongue and pork stomach For a little refreshment, cool down with a Jarritos. Photo via Scene Archives
Cilantro Taqueria 2783 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights Fans of authentic Mexican and Cal-Mex food like tacos, tortas, burritos and bowls got a nice treat when this place opened in Cleveland Heights in early 2019, replacing a Chipotle. It’s rare to find real tacos al pastor in these parts, slabs of achiote and pineapple marinated pork layered onto a vertical spit, or trompo, that cooks as it twirls. In Salinas and elsewhere in California, the items often go by the name tacos de adobada. You can find them here, and they’re delicious. Photo by Douglas Trattner
Sachsenheim Hall 7001 Denison Ave., Cleveland If you’re looking for a place brimming with two important qualities – lots of character and lots of tacos – you’ve met your match. The German pub has been going strong for nearly a century. Its legendary Taco Tuesday serves up varieties like green chili, chicken paprikash and mesquite chipotle pork all by a man known solely as “Grumpy.” Wash it all down with a beer-filled boot. Photo via Sachsenheim Hall/Facebook
Pupuseria La Bendicion 3685 West 105th St., ., Cleveland – Of course pupusas are the main attraction at this Salvadoran restaurant, but their beef tongue, chicken and carne tacos have also attracted their own fans. Garnished with lettuce, tomato, lemon, cilantro, and spicy salsa, it’s just the right amount of flavor to keep things fresh. Photo via Pupuseria La Benidicion/Facebook
Camino Taco and Tequila Bar 1300 West Ninth St., Cleveland This contemporary taco and tequila bar, that opened in 2014, fits right into the Warehouse District neighborhood it calls home. This locally owned spot keeps things simple with a streamlined menu that focuses on snacks, small plates and their outstanding tacos. A great meal can be made just from the starters, paired with a cold Mexican beer or Margarita. Photo via @CaminoCleveland/Instagram
Tapatias Taqueria 12501 Lorain Ave., Cleveland The great thing about this relatively new West Side taqueria is the amount of different offerings available for your taco or burrito. Choose from chicken, steak, chorizo, carnitas, tripa, lengua, barbacoa or pastor. They also have a dozen delicious big plates built around items like grilled steak, whole fried fish and grilled shrimp all come with Spanish rice, refried beans and a short stack of warm tortillas. Photo via Tapatias Taqueria/Facebook Credit: Scene Archives
Barrio Multiple Locations Barrio has blown up in recent years with locations all over town. Their expansion has just made them more beloved in the eyes of Clevelanders. Photo via Scene Archives
Tacos Mexicanos 223 Highland Rd., Macedonia Head out to Macedonia for one of the more beloved Mexican spots in town. You can’t go wrong with any of their traditional tacos here. Photo via @Tacos_Mex_Macedonia/Instagram
Puente Viejo 1220 Huron Rd., Cleveland Designed for the downtown crowd, this Playhouse Square eatery that opened in 2017, shuns the classic chassis in favor of one that could just as easily dispense sushi or steak. The renovated warehouse-style space features exposed brick, industrial lighting, marble-topped bar, and a tastefully understated line-drawing mural of the puente viejo, or old bridge. Photo via Puente Viejo/Facebook
Bomba Tacos And Rum Multiple Locations Paladar Latin Kitchen served its first mojito in Woodmere a decade ago. Since then, owner Andy Himmel has added locations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. Next up for Himmel was Bomba Tacos & Rum, which started in Rocky River and has spread to Fairlawn. Those two Latin-themed taco and rum joints was recently joined by a third in Beachwood and you really have no excuse to hit one of these locations up for tacos because there’s gotta be one close to you. Photo via Bomba

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