Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in California, Maryland, according to Yelp

Depending on who you ask, tacos are more than just a quick snack you can grab off a truck for lunch. They're an experience. One that allows the chef to layer flavor and textures—from the fresh crunch of the cilantro and onions to the smoked heat of roasted chiles cavorting with the savory delight of your protein of choice—all onto one delicious tortilla, freshly crisped over an open flame…sorry is anyone else hungry?

Much like the food, the origin story has a fairly layered history. Both Mayan and Aztec civilizations were said to have eaten a food similar to what we know as a taco, but the modern iteration traces back to the 1800s in Mexico. Born of a need to ensure that miners had a means to easily consume hearty food while on the job, piles of meat would be rolled into corn tortillas and packed for the road. During hours upon hours of hard labor in horrible conditions, the ability to pull out a few taquitos (named for the gunpowder role the miners carried with them) was practically life-saving.

Considering LA Taco once called the dish a "multifaced god" it's clear that the reverence for this dish has traveled across time and space—which resulted in a plethora of places to choose from. So where do you go to get the best taco?

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for tacos in California using data from Yelp. See if some of your favorites are on the list, or go find some new favorites to enjoy! Note, some restaurants may have recently closed, so be sure to double-check.

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#30. Kokee Kitchen

- Rating: 4.0/5 (62 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 6500 Springfield Mall Springfield, VA 22150
- Categories: Korean, Barbeque, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. Taco Bamba

- Rating: 4.0/5 (813 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 6691-A Backlick Rd Springfield, VA 22150
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Bartaco

- Rating: 4.0/5 (155 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 4238 Wilson Blvd Ste 120 Arlington, VA 22203
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Taco Bamba

- Rating: 4.0/5 (157 reviews)
- Address: 4000 Wilson Blvd Ste C Arlington, VA 22203
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#26. Chop Shop Taco

- Rating: 4.0/5 (208 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 1008 Madison St Alexandria, VA 22314
- Categories: Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. El Bebe

- Rating: 4.0/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 8354 Broad St Tysons, VA 22102
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Iron Grill Food Truck

- Rating: 4.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: Washington, DC 20007
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Surfside Wharf

- Rating: 4.0/5 (86 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 33 District Square SW Washington, DC 20024
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. El Bebe Tacos + Tequila

- Rating: 4.0/5 (290 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 99 M St SE Ste 120 Washington, DC 20003
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Bartaco Mosaic

- Rating: 4.5/5 (937 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 2920 District Ave Ste 120 Fairfax, VA 22031
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Tequila & Mezcal

- Rating: 4.5/5 (111 reviews)
- Address: 3475 14th St NW Washington, DC 20010
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Bartaco

- Rating: 4.5/5 (24 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 475 K St NW Washington, DC 20001
- Categories: Latin American, Tacos, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Sofia's Pupuseria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (131 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 3610 Columbia Pike Arlington, VA 22204
- Categories: Salvadoran, Honduran, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. Chaia

- Rating: 4.5/5 (164 reviews)
- Address: 615 I St NW Washington, DC 20001
- Categories: Tacos, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. Taco Bamba

- Rating: 4.5/5 (2171 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 2190 Pimmit Dr Ste G Falls Church, VA 22043
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Gerrard Street Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 1515 Rhode Island Ave NW Washington, DC 20005
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Sushi Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Taqueria Al Lado

- Rating: 4.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 809 12th St NE Washington, DC 20002
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Taqueria Nacional

- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 3213 Mt Pleasant St NW Washington, DC 20010
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Fish Taco

- Rating: 4.5/5 (139 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 1644 Boro Pl Tysons, VA 22102
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Shawarma Taco

- Rating: 4.5/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 6500 Springfield Mall Springfield Town Center Springfield, VA 22150
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Halal, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Taqueria Cancun

- Rating: 4.5/5 (127 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 7810 Lee Hwy Falls Church, VA 22042
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Tiki Taco

- Rating: 4.5/5 (374 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 2010 P St NW Washington, DC 20036
- Categories: Tacos, Hawaiian, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Chaia

- Rating: 4.5/5 (764 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 3207 Grace St NW Washington, DC 20007
- Categories: Vegetarian, Tacos, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Taqueria El Tony

- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 14041 Worth Ave Woodbridge, VA 22192
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. Dosirock

- Rating: 4.5/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 2042 Daniel Stuart Sq Woodbridge, VA 22191
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Korean, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Fast And Saucy

- Rating: 4.5/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: Washington, DC 20002
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Wild Tacoz

- Rating: 4.5/5 (156 reviews)
- Price: $$
- Address: 7167 Lee Hwy Falls Church, VA 22046
- Categories: Tacos, Vegetarian, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Del Campo Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 2780 Metro Plz Woodbridge, VA 22192
- Categories: Latin American, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Tacos El Chilango Food Truck

- Rating: 4.5/5 (620 reviews)
- Price: $
- Address: 1723 14th St N Arlington, VA 22209
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

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#1. Taqueria La Ceibita

- Rating: 5.0/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 4625 Columbia Pike Arlington, VA 22204
- Categories: Tacos, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp