Eat Great Cheap 2022: Washington’s Best Taco Spots

Our 30 favorite places to satisfy a craving for carnitas or quesabirria.

Written by Ann Limpert , Anna Spiegel and Cynthia Hacinli | Published on August 18, 2022

TACOBAMBA062022_0027-REV - Washingtonian

Street-style and new-wave tacos from Taco Bamba. Photograph by Scott Suchman

Eat Great Cheap 2022: Washington’s Best Taco Spots

Our 30 favorite places to satisfy a craving for carnitas or quesabirria.

Written by Ann Limpert , Anna Spiegel and Cynthia Hacinli | Published on August 18, 2022

A great taco hasn’t always been easy to find around here. Now there’s no need to apologize to homesick Mexicans and Texans. Washington is flush with terrific family-run taquerias, cheffy upstarts, and gas-station gems. Here are our 30 favorite places to satisfy a taco craving.

30 Best Places in Washington to Satisfy a Taco Craving

Where to get a taco fix, whether Baja-style fish or birria.

Photograph by Scott Suchman

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Our 8 Favorite Mexican Dishes and Drinks Around DC

Spicy margaritas, breakfast tacos, nachos, and more.

Illustration by Michelle Shin.

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5 Fancy Tacos That Are Worth the Splurge

Turns out caviar and fatty tuna play well with tortillas.

Photograph courtesy of Shoto.

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- Meet the Restaurant Families Serving Up the Best Tacos in Washington
  
  Behind the scenes at Washington’s top taquerias.
  
  Photograph by Jeff Elkins
  
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More: Features Cheap Eats 2022 Family business Fancy tacos Mexican restaurant tacos Taquerias

Ann Limpert

Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.

anna-spiegel - Washingtonian

Anna Spiegel

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Cynthia Hacinli