Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in the Washington, D.C. area by diners

Written by:
April 28, 2023
George Dolgikh // Shutterstock

Highest-rated restaurants for tacos in the Washington, D.C. area by diners

Across the United States, tacos have long been a popular food for good reason. These handheld treats are easy to eat and have an endless variety of filling options, so your tastebuds won't get bored. A staple of Mexican cuisine for centuries, tacos also showcase the country's diverse culinary traditions, from Afro Caribbean-influenced fillings served along the Gulf to indigenous ingredients, like achiote-marinated pork, that appear in tacos from southern Mexico.

Many of these variations have migrated north of the border to become must-haves in America. For example, fish tacos came from the Baja coast to Southern California in the 1970s, while Texas' famed breakfast tacos draw their lineage from the state of Monterrey. In more recent years, we've seen the rise of other regional specialties like birria tacos. Made with spiced, stewed meat, birria originated in southwestern Mexico and Tijuana but can now be found in U.S. eateries from coast to coast.

Tacos' versatility has also inspired countless fusion dishes, like tortillas stuffed with South Asian chicken tikka or Korean barbecued short rib. With all of these different options, it's no wonder that tacos have generated plenty of online buzz. Tastewise's 2025 trends report on tacos found that social media conversation about this classic dish has grown by nearly 33% in the past year. And all of that hype is especially important for restaurants selling tacos, considering that 37% of American consumers look to social media pages for dining information, according to a 2023 survey from PYMNTS.com.

No matter how you find your next taco fix, though, determining the best of the best taco restaurants near you can be a challenge. To help, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated taco restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area using data from Yelp as of July 15, 2025. Businesses under the category "tacos" were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value using the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews, and within a 10-kilometer radius of Washington, D.C., were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally (based on our Yelp data) were not included.

1 / 25
Millie's

#25. Millie's

- Rating: 3.5/5 (321 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4866 Massachusetts Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 25
Jerk At Nite

#24. Jerk At Nite

- Rating: 3.5/5 (513 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2149 Queens Chapel Road Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Caribbean, Food Trucks, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 25
El Techo

#23. El Techo

- Rating: 3.6/5 (468 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 606 Florida Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tapas Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 25
El Pollo Sabroso

#22. El Pollo Sabroso

- Rating: 3.6/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1434 Park Road Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Latin American, Peruvian, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

5 / 25
Surfside

#21. Surfside

- Rating: 3.6/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4200 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Tex-Mex
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 25
The Big Board

#20. The Big Board

- Rating: 3.7/5 (427 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 421 H St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Tacos, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 25
Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub

#19. Irish Channel Restaurant & Pub

- Rating: 3.8/5 (285 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 500 H St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Irish Pub, Tacos, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 25
bartaco

#18. bartaco

- Rating: 3.8/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 645 Wharf St. Southwest Ste 835 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

9 / 25
TaKorean Korean Taco Grill

#17. TaKorean Korean Taco Grill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1309 5th St. Northeast Union Market Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Korean, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

10 / 25
Super Tacos & Bakery

#16. Super Tacos & Bakery

- Rating: 3.8/5 (399 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1762 Columbia Road Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Bakeries, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 25
TaKorean Korean Taco Grill

#15. TaKorean Korean Taco Grill

- Rating: 3.9/5 (289 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1212 4th St. Southeast The Yards Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Korean, Asian Fusion, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 25
Korean BBQ Taco Box

#14. Korean BBQ Taco Box

- Rating: 4.0/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Food Trucks, Korean, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 25
Surfside Dupont

#13. Surfside Dupont

- Rating: 4.0/5 (682 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1800 North St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 25
Taqueria Al Lado

#12. Taqueria Al Lado

- Rating: 4.0/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1792 Columbia Road Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Breakfast & Brunch, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

15 / 25
El Pollo Sabroso

#11. El Pollo Sabroso

- Rating: 4.0/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3153 Mt Pleasant St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Latin American, Tacos, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 25
Bartaco Mt Vernon

#10. Bartaco Mt Vernon

- Rating: 4.0/5 (135 reviews)
- Address: 1025 5th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 25
Far East Taco Grille

#9. Far East Taco Grille

- Rating: 4.1/5 (204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 635 Florida Ave. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Asian Fusion, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 25
Surfside Taco Stand

#8. Surfside Taco Stand

- Rating: 4.1/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 33 District Square Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tex-Mex, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 25
El Bebe Tacos + Tequila

#7. El Bebe Tacos + Tequila

- Rating: 4.2/5 (374 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 99 M St. Southeast Ste 120 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

20 / 25
Bandit Taco

#6. Bandit Taco

- Rating: 4.3/5 (150 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4629 41st St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

21 / 25
Tequila & Mezcal

#5. Tequila & Mezcal

- Rating: 4.3/5 (137 reviews)
- Address: 3475 14th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 25
Muchas Gracias

#4. Muchas Gracias

- Rating: 4.3/5 (102 reviews)
- Address: 5029 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 25
Chaia

#3. Chaia

- Rating: 4.4/5 (207 reviews)
- Address: 615 I St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

24 / 25
Tiki Taco

#2. Tiki Taco

- Rating: 4.4/5 (443 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2010 P St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Tacos, Hawaiian, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

25 / 25
Chaia

#1. Chaia

- Rating: 4.4/5 (814 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3207 Grace St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Vegetarian, Tacos, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 166 metros.

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