Cincinnati's 16 Most Delicious Hole-in-the-Wall Taco Spots You Need to Visit

Maranata Store

1215 Rulison Ave., Price Hill
This spot is attached to a great Guatemalan corner store in West Price Hill. Don’t let the humble setup fool you — their tacos, burritos, tortas and seafood soups are fresh and delicious. The tacos are among the best in the city and topped with a refreshing radish slaw. There are only a handful of tables, but each has its hot sauce game on lock. Don’t forget to grab a churro on the way out.
Photo: Google Maps screen grab

Gutierrez Deli

1131 Lee St., Covington
This Hispanic grocery store/restaurant hybrid serves up real deal Latin flavor, offering made-to-order dishes ranging from tacos to Mexican entrees and everything in between. Check their Facebook page for daily specials like fresh tamale Fridays and items featuring mole poblano, a complex chili-chocolate sauce that typically includes about 20 ingredients.
Photo via Facebook.com/GutierrezDeli

Valle Verde Taqueria Food Truck

141 W. McMillan St., Clifton
This taqueria has a brick and mortar location on Vine Street, but the truck can be found in the UC Stop N Go parking lot on W. McMillan St. Their tacos ($2) come with a meat option, onion, cilantro and lime, but their vegetarian version is the best of the bunch. It has grilled red peppers, mushrooms, green peppers and ooey, gooey, melted cheese on top.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Taqueria Cruz

518 W. Pike St., Covington
This Covington hole in the wall sells several meat tacos, including chicken and steak as well as goat and tongue, for $2 each during lunchtime. They also sell what they refer to on the menu as "guaraches," which are similar to tacos but with a longer, thicker tortilla (the name comes from the Mexican word for sandals, "huarache," which they resemble).
Photo via Yelp/Cindy G.

Taqueria Yolandita

1881 Westwood Ave., Westwood
Taqueria Yolandita is an excellent option for people who want a lil’ more pizzazz when it comes to their taco toppings. They have a three-taco meal ($6) that comes with cilantro and onions, but they also have another trio ($7) loaded with sour cream, cheese, tomato, lettuce, cooked onions, cilantro and hot sauce. This makes them a tad messy to eat since the tortilla isn’t very big, but dirty fingers are no issue since you’ll be licking them clean.
Photo via Facebook.com/TaqueriaYolandita

Taco House

7591 Fields Ertel Road, Sharonville
This Mexican joint is such a hole-in-the-wall that it does not, in fact, even have a wall: instead, customers sit on folding chairs in a tent-like structure outside (if you really want to sit indoors, head down the street to their second location at 8729 Fields Ertel Road). It serves a variety of tacos such as steak, pork, fish, tongue and tripe. It sometimes offers unique discount days, like Taco Wednesdays and Thursdays, when tacos start at $1. Tuesdays, contrary to tradition, are for tortas, when you can get the Mexican sandwich for only $5.
Photo via Instagram/taco_house513

San Luis Grill

5836 Glenway Ave., Western Hills
This grocery store-adjacent restaurant serves $2 tacos as part of its extensive menu. Come by early for desayuno, or breakfast, and try gorditas (stuffed masa pastry), huevos (eggs) or Mexican pan (bread) and coffee.
Photo via Facebook.com/SanLuisGrill2

Tacos El Joven

2157 Queen City Ave., Westwood
When you make your way to Tacos El Joven, know that you are also en route to taco nirvana. Tacos El Joven doesn’t have much seating on-site, but you can also take your spoils to go. Two painted signs showcase their protein selection. You’ll see both what you would expect (chicken, shrimp, etc.) and more daring choices like beef tongue, brains and huitlacoche. The latter is a fungus that grows on corn, but it’s considered a delicacy and has been utilized by civilizations as far back as the Aztecs. This place really piles on the meat, too, so four tacos is a hearty meal. El Joven also offers quesadillas, tortas, burritos, huaraches and sopes.
Photo: Lauren Moretto

La Mexicana

642 Monmouth St., Newport
Home of some of the city’s best tacos: tacos al pastor with deliciously marinated pork shoulder, barbacoa, carne asada, lengua (tongue) and sesos (brains; they wash down perfectly with a cerveza). For vegetarians, wide-ranging fillings include seasoned pumpkin flower, corn truffle, hongos, beans and queso fresco. This inexpensive menu has been known to incite cravings after as little as one visit. Over the past few years, the restaurant has stepped up its game, livening up its former no-frills ambiance while still staying true to its roots.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Taco Loco

610 Northland Blvd., Forest Park
This joint offers a variety of fresh tacos under its "handheld" menu, including chicken and pork with pineapple as well as mahi fish and vegetarian ones with grilled cactus and asparagus. On taco Tuesdays, according to several excited reviewers, they sell for $1 each.
Photo via Yelp/Brandie G.

Tacos Locos

6135 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
The Tacos Locos Food Truck is generally conveniently located in BP’s parking lot on Montgomery Road. This truck has everything from tacos to tortas to quesadillas and more. They also offer vegetarian dishes and salads.
Photo via Yelp/Erica S.

Mi Tierra Supermercado

11625 Chester Road, Glendale
This gem is well-hidden, tucked away inside an unassuming Mexican supermarket. Their tacos are legit and include less-Americanized meats like tongue and beef head. Come back on Saturday or Sunday to try something from their weekend menu, like menudo (a traditional Mexican soup that features cow stomach in a red chili pepper broth) or caldo de mariscos, a seafood soup literally overflowing with crab.
Photo: Mi Tierra Supermercado y Taqueria Facebook

El Valle Verde #1

6717 Vine St., Carthage
Another great taqueria serving Latin-American fare next door to a tienda, but this is a full-on sit-down experience. There are plenty of great Mexican and Guatemalan dishes on Valle Verde’s huge menu, including many that feature delicious carne asada, chorizo, nopales, seafood and other favorites. Try the super tacos stuffed full of chorizo and steak. They also have a wide array of tortas — delicious Mexican sandwiches featuring your choice of meat.
Photo via Yelp/J N.

Taqueria San Marcos

5201 Carthage Ave., Norwood
This Norwood taqueria is a hole-in-the-wall treasure. The thorough menu of tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tortas, burritos and more is sure to have you leaving with a full belly.
Photo: Paige Deglow

Litas Tacos

8450 US-42, Florence
This family-owned taco shack started out as a food truck, origins that are still reflected in its simple menu: Choose from steak carne asada or chicken pollo tacos and meat or no meat nachos. Though its menu (and the tacos themselves) may be small, fans come here for the true Mexican street food taste.
Photo via Instagram/LitasTacos

Gomez Salsa

107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine
Gomez’s walk-up taco window in OTR has it all: mahi-mahi tacos with slaw and Baja sauce, chips with pineapple salsa, taco salad bowls and owner Andrew Gomez’s greatest invention, the Turtle Shell. Take a tortilla, stuff it with rice, beans, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, meat, veggies and cheese, layer in a tostado for crunch, put some cheese on the top and then brown it. It’s a fat little crunchy burrito envelope, a walking taco. Perhaps on a different caliber than other listed in the round-up, but customers do, in fact, order tacos through a hole in the wall. Photo: Lindsay McCarty