25 Essential Taco Spots You Must Try in Cincinnati

Mazunte

611 Main St., Downtown; 5207 Madison Road, Madisonville
Mazunte has been long-hailed as a "hidden gem," but hopefully this will finally put it on the map as a Cincinnati institution. Their Madisonville taqueria and downtown Cincinnati restaurant mix casual order-at-the-counter dining with high-quality Oaxaca-inspired cuisine. Both Mazunte eateries offer tacos, tamales, tostadas and margaritas, but the downtown Centro location also specializes in tortas and tlayudas (kind of like Mexican pizzas).
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Tortilleria Garcia

5917 Hamilton Ave., College Hill; 11774 Springfield Pike, Springdale; 4200 Aero Drive, Mason
Popular Springdale Mexican eatery Tortilleria Garcia has opened two additional locations in College Hill and in Mason. Omar Garcia, the restaurant's’ owner, grew up on a family farm in Michoacan, Mexico and learned how to make corn tortillas the old fashioned way from his mother and grandmother. Garcia has committed to honoring his family’s culinary history and his restaurants uncompromisingly follow the family recipe for fresh tortillas — never using flour or preservatives. Garcia’s menu consists of straightforward Mexican classics like tamales, burritos, housemade salsas and rotisserie chicken, in addition to tacos, plus his classic tortilla shells are available in two-pound packs so you can make your own inspired creations at home.
Photo: Paige Deglow

Taqueria Nogal

524 Sixth Ave., Dayton
Taco trailer Taqueria Nogal opened in September of 2019, originally in Newport. In summer of 2020 they relocated to Dayton, Kentucky while they work on their brick-and-mortar location in the neighborhood. The eatery offers a range of Mexican dishes like burritos, tacos, generously sized tortas and quesadillas with meat options including pollo (chicken), pastor (pork) and asada (beef). They also feature daily specials like their popular "elotes locos," a tasty Mexican street corn on a stick; camarones de cocktail (shrimp cocktail); and tamales.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Pata Roja Taqueria

1208 Sycamore St., Pendleton
Pata Roja Taqueria has found a permanent home in Pendleton on Bar Saeso’s patio space. The restaurant specializes in food inspired by Mexico City such as al pastor and bistec street tacos and bean stew with sausage. The bar patio provides outdoor seating to enjoy in the summer months. Guests can also choose indoor seating and order beer from the bar. This spot is perfect for a late-night dinner or quick to-go meal.
Photo: Facebook.com/PataRojaTacos

Frida 602

602 Main St., Covington
The restaurant, named after the legendary painter Frida Kahlo, has Kahlo’s portrait and famous unibrow emblazoned all over the place. The cocktail list is divided into margaritas and house cocktails made with either tequila or mezcal, and they offer both alcohols in a flight. The menu includes chips and salsas, burritos, tacos and sandwiches. The Brussels sprout and pescado tacos are local favorites.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

La Mexicana

642 Monmouth St., Newport
Home of some of the city’s best tacos: tacos al pastor with delicious 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.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Gomez Salsa

107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine; 2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills
Gomez has it all: fish tacos with slaw and Baja sauce, chips with pineapple salsa, taco salad bowls and owner Andrew Gomez’s greatest invention, the Turtle. 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.
Photo: Patty Salas

Agave & Rye

Multiple locations including 635 Madison Ave, Covington
Agave & Rye is known for its “epic” tacos and over-the-top decor. Its inventive menu includes a wide variety of eats, including a generous helping of outlandish tacos. Some of the standouts include The Bomb with carne asada steak, chopped bourbon-poached shrimp, mac and cheese, A&R spicy chili, barbecue jam and tobacco jam; and The Cat’s Meow with white cheddar, grits, andouille sausage, bourbon shrimp, green onion, jambalaya sauce and crispy bell pepper. They also have a french fry taco.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Tacos El Joven

2157 Queen City Ave., Fairmount
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

Lalo

26 W. Court St., Downtown
Lalo refers to itself as “Chino Latino” cuisine because Asia has a lot of Spanish and Latin influence. The menu ranges from tacos and burritos to rice and noodles, with dishes like Mexi Bibimbap or Mexi Pad Thai. Favorite tacos include the curry chicken, teriyaki tofu and drunken brisket. The eatery recently moved from its location on Main Street to Court Street.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Bakersfield

1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
Part bar, part taco joint, all classy. Bakersfield specializes in gourmet tacos (pollo rojo, pastor, huitlacoche, etc.), quality tequilas and whiskeys and hand-crafted margaritas made the old-fashioned way, not from a pre-made mix.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Drunken Tacos

200 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights
From the owners behind Drunken Bento, this taco joint flips the familiar menu on its head by using East Asian flavors to create surprisingly spry and versatile meals.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cancun

Multiple locations including 6385 Glenway Ave., Western Hills
This Mexican restaurant attached to Western Bowl bowling alley is an area favorite. Enjoy a menu stacked with traditional Mexican cuisine like tacos, burritos and fajitas, plus a variety cheese-smothered creations unique to the West Side joint.
Photo: Ty Wesselkamper

Condado Taco

Multiple locations including 195 E. Freedom Way, Downtown
Since 2014, Condado’s build-your-own-taco concept has taken Columbus’ taco loving population by storm, starting with their first location on North High Street. The creative taco joint has since opened three shops in Cincinnati: at The Banks, Mason and Oakley. They commit to the build-your-own tacos concept down to the type of tortillas. For protein, customers have several options (even ones for vegetarians!) — like housemade chorizo, barbecue pulled jackfruit, ghost-pepper-marinated steak and more. They’ve got the toppings, too; cilantro and onions, jicama and cabbage slaws, queso fresco and more.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Django Western Taco

401 Greenup St., Covington
This former Northside staple now resides in Northern Kentucky's new hangout hub Covington Yard. The eatery offers a spin on traditional Mexican cuisine with tacos like carnitas with barbecue pork, grandma’s pickles and cojita cheese or the buttermilk fried chicken taco with pimento cheese and chipotle honey.
Photo: Patty Salas

Taqueria Mercado

100 E. Eighth St., Downtown; 6507 Dixie Highway, Fairfield
This traditional Mexican eatery has locations in downtown and Fairfield. The restaurant offers plenty for the taco lovers, as well as plenty of other classic dishes. Go in Sunday morning for a not-so-typical American brunch; get their spicy chilaquiles with chorizo and pair it with their Michelada — it’s like a bloody mary, but with your choice of light or dark beer mixed with tomato juice, lime juice and hot sauce.
Photo: Provided

Nada

600 Walnut St., Downtown
Modern Mexican. Outstanding tacos range from Baja fish with chipotle crema and cabbage to roasted mushroom with asparagus and sweet corn puree. Churros, classic fried dough with cinnamon and sugar, are a sweet way to wrap it up. Great location next to the Aronoff Center downtown, and the patio is a big attraction when nice weather beckons.
Photo: Provided

Taqueria El Monarca

11449 Princeton Pike, Springdale
Taqueria El Monarca is a Springdale-based taqueria offering Mexican street food. Their simple yet flavorful offerings range from tacos with options like marinated pork or Mexican sausage to quesadillas, nachos and burritos.
Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Taqueria 251

4110 Hamilton Ave., Northside
Situated in the Gantry Apartments building in the heart of Northside, Taqueria 251 is designed as an homage to “famous Mexican individuals that have shaped Mexico throughout time,” says owner Emilio Santos Sada. The menu offers authentic Mexican fare and street food alongside cocktails and traditional drinks with an avant-garde twist.
Photo: Facebook.com/Taqueria251

Gutierrez Deli

1131 Lee St.,Covington
This Mexican grocery store-restaurant hybrid serves up the real deal, offering made-to-order dishes ranging from tacos to Mexican entrees and everything in between. Specialties include birria tacos, mango with Tajin seasoning and homemade tamales.
Photo: Facebook.com/GutierrezDeli