Happy (Belated) National Taco Day

Some of our favorite Charlotte joints are dishing up this classic Mexican dish - what better way to celebrate yesterday's National Taco Day?

October 5, 2015

Sarah Nowicki,

Whether they're filled with beef, pork, chicken, beans, cheese, or something a bit rarer, the possibilities that come with tacos are endless. Since yesterday was National Taco Day, we rounded up a few of our favorite around the Queen City (in no particular order):

Paco's Tacos – The Paco's Taco: The taco named for the eatery is the one you shouldn't miss. Your choice of house made flour, wheat, low carb, crispy corn or soft corn tortilla is stuffed with a 10-hour-roasted beef brisket rubbed with chilis and nestled with carmelized onions and barbecue sauce.

Cantina 1511 – Al Pastor: This Charlotte mainstay has a lot of tacos to choose from, but this writer always goes for the al pastor pork. The meat is seasoned with anchiote and topped with a mixture of sweet grilled pineapple, crispy cabbage, and an habanero crema which gives the whole taco a slow, smoky burn.

Azteca – Taco with seasoned beef: On the menu, the name simply says "taco," but opt to fill it with seasoned ground beef, pork, chicken, or steak. It's simple, flavorful, and this Mexican eatery is muy authentico. A crispy tortilla is topped with the meat, shredded lettuce, cheese, and tomato.

Bakersfield – Huitlacoche: Think of it like a corn truffle; a specialized fungus turns corn kernals into a woodsy, mushroom-flavored delicacy, called huitlacoche. Bakersfield takes these corn truffles and pairs them with roasted poblanos, cotija cheese, and cilantro then serves them up on soft corn tortillas.

Tacos El Nevado – Taco with Chorizo: On South Boulevard Tacos El Nevado sits unadorned and quiet, but the tacos here are amazing and not unlike what you'd find on the streets of Mexico. Order up the spicy chorizo taco; it comes in a soft white corn torilla with lots of cilantro, grilled scallions, lime, grilled serranos (they're REALLY hot sometimes), and radishes to cut the heat.

RuRu's Tacos + Tequila – That's Not Snowflake: On Providence Road, RuRu's dishes up burritos, fajitas, and quesadillas; but it's the "out there" tacos we love. The "That's Not Snowflake" combines fried tofu with jalapenos, a smoky chipotle drizzle, and cilantro.

Cabo Fish Taco – Beer Battered White Fish Taco: We'd be remiss if we left off this NoDa standby. The clean, crisp fish comes served on a flour tortilla and topped with cheese, white cilantro sauce, cabbage, tomato, and avocado. Add a dash or two (or three) of hot sauce and you're good to go.