A taco stand or taquería is a

food stall A food boothalso called a food kiosk, food stand, food stall or temporary food service facilityis a temporary structure used to prepare and sell food to the general public, usually where large groups of people are situated outdoors in a park, at ...

food cart A food cart is a mobile kitchen set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by. Food carts are often found in cities worldwide selling food of every kind. Food carts come in two basic styles. One allows the vendor to sit ...

or restaurant that specializes in

taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican cuisine, Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn tortilla, corn- or Flour tortilla, wheat-based tortilla topped with a Stuffing, filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and fing ...

s and other Mexican dishes. The food is typically prepared quickly and tends to be inexpensive. Many various ingredients may be used, and various taco styles may be served. Taco stands are an integral part of

Mexican street food Mexican street food, called ''antojitos'' (literally "little cravings"), is prepared by street vendors in Mexico City, street vendors and at small traditional markets in Mexico. Street foods include tacos, tamales, gorditas, quesadillas, Empalme ...

. Tacos became a part of traditional

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cuisines and associated traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican Cuisine, Mesoamerican cuisine. Mexican cuisine's ingredients and methods arise from the area's first agr ...

in the early 20th century, beginning in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, as what had been a miner's snack began to be sold on street corners in the city.
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Shops selling tacos have since proliferated throughout Mexico and other areas with a heavy Mexican culinary and cultural influence, including much of the

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

and most other larger American cities. More typical taquerías specialize in tacos, as expected, but in some localities it can be used to refer to

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

s specializing in

burrito A burrito (, ) or burro in Mexico is, historically, a regional name, among others, for what is known as a taco, a tortilla filled with food, in other parts of the country. The term ''burrito'' was regional, specifically from Guanajuato, Guerre ...

s, where tacos themselves are less of a point of emphasis. In Mexico, taco stands are commonly referred to as taquerías, because originally a taquería was typically a

street vendor A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationa ...

. However, many taquerías today are restaurants located in buildings. Taco stands may be located at roadsides and in areas where people gather, such as at outdoor mall areas. Taco stands are typically located outdoors, although the term is also used at times to refer to taco restaurants. Some taco stands are temporary operations, set-up for events such as fairs and festivals.

Fare

Meats used include beef (such as

carne asada Carne asada is grilled and sliced beef, usually skirt steak, flap steak, or flank steak though chuck steak (known as ''diezmillo'' in Spanish) can also be used. It is usually marinated then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor. Car ...

and

cabeza In Mexican cuisine, ''cabeza'' (''lit.'' 'head'), from barbacoa de cabeza, is the meat from a roasted beef head, served as taco or burrito fillings. It typically refers to barbacoa de cabeza or beef-head barbacoa, an entire beef-head traditionall ...

), pork (such as

al pastor (from Spanish, "herdsman style"), ''tacos al pastor'', or ''tacos de trompo'' is a preparation of spit-grilled slices of meat, usually pork originating in the Central Mexican region of Puebla and Mexico City, where they remain most prominent; ...

goat meat Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat (''Capra hircus''). The term 'goat meat' denotes meat of older animals, while meat from young goats is called 'kid meat'. In South Asian cuisine, goat meat is called mutton, along with sheep meat.''O ...

(such as tacos de birria), shrimp and fish, as used in

fish taco A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of fillin ...

s. Additional ingredients used include cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, various vegetables such as onion and cilantro, and hot sauce, among others.

By location

Mexico

Taco stands are common in Mexico For example,

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

, Mexico has a diverse variety of taco stands in many of its neighborhoods. In Banderas, taco stands serve as gathering places for local residents, and stands develop reputations based upon variables such as food quality and variety. El Taco de la Ermita is a popular outdoor taco stand in

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, Mexico that serves a diverse variety of gourmet-style tacos. Wait times can be an hour or longer, and the stand typically has an armed security guard on premises to maintain order. File:TacoStandTacubayaDF.JPG, A taco stand in the

Tacubaya Tacubaya is a Poverty in Mexico, working-class area of Mexico City in the borough of Miguel Hidalgo, D.F., Miguel Hidalgo. The ''colonia (Mexico), colonia'' Tacubaya and adjacent areas in other colonias are collectively referred to as Tacubaya. ...

neighborhood of Mexico City File:TacoPlacesPetatlan.JPG, Taco stands along a street in

Petatlán Petatlán is a city in the municipality of Petatlán located along the Pacific Coast of the Mexican state of Guerrero. It is part of the Costa Grande region between Zihuatanejo and Acapulco. The city is known for the Sanctuary of the Padre Jes ...

, Guerrero, Mexico File:Tacos de suadero.jpg, Tacos with beef

suadero Suadero, in Mexican cuisine, is a thin cut of meat from the intermediate part of the cow or pig between the belly and the leg. Suadero is noted for having a smooth texture rather than a muscle grain. Typically, suadero is confited or fried and u ...

being prepared at a taco stand in Mexico

United States

In the United States, some brick-and-mortar restaurants may be referred to as taco stands. Some American chefs and service industry professionals have left their employment positions to open their own taco stands.

Ninfa Laurenzo Maria Ninfa Rodriguez Laurenzo (nicknamed Mama Ninfa,
." Ninfa Laurenzo Early Childhood Center. Retrieved on Febr ...

, founder of the

Ninfa's The Original Ninfa's on Navigation is a popular Mexican restaurant located at 2704 Navigation Boulevard in Houston, Texas. The restaurant serves both Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine. The Original Ninfa's was started by Ninfa Rodríguez Laurenzo, ...

restaurant chain A chain store or retail chain is a retail outlet in which several locations share a brand, central management and standardized business practices. They have come to dominate many retail markets, dining markets, and service categories in many pa ...

, started out running a single taco stand in

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

, Texas. Prior to establishing the

Taco Bell Taco Bell Corp. is an American multinational chain of fast food restaurants founded in 1962 by Glen Bell (1923–2010) in Downey, California. Taco Bell is a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. The restaurants serve a variety of Mexican-inspired ...

restaurant chain,

Glen Bell Glen William Bell Jr. (September 3, 1923 – January 16, 2010) was an American restaurateur who founded Taco Bell. Biography Glen Bell was born in Lynwood, California, to Glen William Bell Sr. and Ruth Elizabeth Bell (née Johnson). His paren ...

, the company's founder, opened a small chain of taco stands named Taco-Tia in

San Bernardino San Bernardino ( ) is a city in and the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 census, making it the List of ...

, California. Bell owned and operated a hamburger stand prior to opening Taco-Tia. In 2012, Taco Bell sold over two billion tacos annually, and had around 6,500 locations in all U.S. states and in several countries.

California

Due to its proximity to the

Mexican border Mexico shares international borders with three nations: *To the north the United States–Mexico border, which extends for a length of through the states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. *To the sou ...

California is home to many taco trucks. Although it is famed for its fusions of flavors within this cuisine, perhaps the most famous one is the

Korean taco Korean tacos are a Korean-Mexican fusion, Korean-Mexican fusion cuisine, fusion dish popular in a number of urban areas in the United States and Canada. Korean tacos originated in Los Angeles, often as street food, consisting of Korean cuisine, ...

. The Cielito Lindo Food Stand in Los Angeles, California is well known for its

taquito A taquito (, Spanish for "small taco"), taco dorado, rolled taco, or flauta (, Spanish for "flute") is a Mexican dish that typically consists of a small rolled-up tortilla that contains filling, including beef, cheese or chicken.Castro, Raf ...

s, and has been in business since the 1930s. Tito's Tacos is a family-owned taco stand in

Culver City Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. It is mostly surrounded by Los Angeles, but also shares a border with the unincorporated area of Ladera Heights to the ea ...

that has been in operation since 1959. Featuring a short menu that has not changed in decades, the stand sells American-style hard-shell tacos filled with shredded beef and topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, and cold, grated cheddar cheese. It has a loyal customer base and is frequently seen with long lines, though the lines "move quickly". Henry's Tacos was a well-known taco stand restaurant in

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood and district in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, El Portal Theater, several art galleries, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Th ...

that was in operation for 51 years. It went out of business in January 2013. Prior to establishing

Jimboy's Tacos Jimboy's Tacos is a fast food restaurant chain and franchise, serving Mexican-American cuisine. The company was founded in 1954 by Jim and Margaret Knudsen, and is headquartered in Folsom, California. Its signature dish is a Parmesan dusted ta ...

, Jim and Margaret Knudson ran a mobile taco stand named Jimboy's Spanish Tacos in a converted trailer at King's Beach,

Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe (; Washo language, Washo: ''dáʔaw'') is a Fresh water, freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the Western United States, straddling the border between California and Nevada. Lying at above sea level, Lake Tahoe is the largest a ...

, California. La Reyna is a well-known taco stand in the

Arts District An arts district or cultural district is a demarcated urban area, usually on the periphery of a city centre, intended to create a 'critical mass' of places of cultural consumption - such as art galleries, theatres, art cinemas, music venues, and p ...

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) is the central business district of the city of Los Angeles. It is part of the Central Los Angeles region and covers a area. As of 2020, it contains over 500,000 jobs and has a population of roughly 85,000 residents ...

that serves tacos in front of its identically-named brick-and-mortar restaurant. Alebrije's Grill Taco Truck based in Santa Ana is a bright pink truck home to the renowned 'Battleship Taco.' This consists of breaded steak, with rice, grilled onions, roasted cactus and hot sauce on a fresh tortilla. This style of taco has become very popular in the area.

Texas

In August 2006, "hundreds of taco stands" existed in

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

, Texas. AVATACO is a business association of taco stand owners in Austin that was formed circa April 2006.

Wyoming

Taco John's Taco John's International, Inc. is an American fast food restaurant. The chain serves Mexican-inspired fast food as well as the company's signature dish, Potato Olés, which are bite-sized deep-fried potato nuggets coated with a proprietary bl ...

began as a small taco stand in

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. The Cheyenne comprise two Native American tribes, the Só'taeo'o or Só'taétaneo'o (more commonly spelled as Suhtai or Sutaio) and the (also spelled Tsitsistas, The term for th ...

, Wyoming named "Taco House" that opened in 1968.

Kansas

In early 2021, ''Forbes'' magazine named Kansas City, Kansas as the "true taco capital of the United States".

References

{{Mexican cuisine, state=collapsed Food trucks Street food Street food in Mexico Taco