By: Decima Mullen & Casey Mallory
Are you ready to do your part to SAVE THE (Street) TACOS? We’ve got almost a billion tacos to eat this year, so we better get started. To kick off our taco-saving mission, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite, local places to grab street tacos!
(Need to catch up on why we’re on a mission to save the tacos? Check out our origin story here.)
Let’s talk authentic street tacos.
You know what we're talking about - double corn tortilla, topped with cilantro, onions, and a lime to squeeze the juice on top. The kind of taco that proves less is more. There are so many places to grab an authentic street taco in Arlington, and when they’re almost always less than $3, you really have no excuse not to be testing them all.
Here’s a few to get you started:
2 Compas Kitchen
With everything fresh, hot, and made to order, 2 Compas Kitchen prides themselves on making everything by hand with a little dash of love (Awwwwwww, emoji heart). With a variety to choose from, and even some vegan and vegetarian options, there’s a taco for everyone here! These delicious, tastes like homemade tacos come with a side of radish, grilled onions, limes, and their red and green salsas to add a little extra yum to their already appetizing tacos.
Insider tip: Order the chips and guac to go with your tacos. Yes, we know, you don’t want to spend another few bucks on lunch or dinner. Just do it. You will absolutely not regret it.
Gilberto's Taco Shop
One of the newest to join the taco scene has quickly become a near downtown favorite. Along with classic favorites like carne asada and lengua, fish and shrimp tacos are in this taco line-up. If you wanna try a slightly different take on tacos, try their rolled versions topped with cheese and guacamole or supreme!
Insider tip: Give the birria tacos a try. Though not the traditional cabrito meat, this beef version of the birria taco is a must with their delicious consommé.
Taqueria La Banqueta
You cannot go wrong with any of the tacos here and the variety of the fillings is "HELLLOOOOOO”...seriously, SO MANY different tacos to choose from (and breakfast tacos, too)! Their salsas all pack some heat, and if you’re filling extra feisty, try the habanero. There are two locations in Arlington to get your taco fix.
Insider tip: For our vegan and vegetarian friends, the Pioneer Parkway location has nopales (cactus) tacos, and Flor de Calabaza (squash blossom), when they’re in season. Don’t forget to pair your tacos with one of the best Horchatas!
One thing we know is there are MAAAAAANY places that have tacos. But not all of them deserve to make it to a list. This is just the beginning list of our mission, so we’ve got more where this came from!
While you’re out there saving those tacos, snap a pic and tag us on the ‘gram with @visitarlington and use the hashtag #AWorldOfWonderful and #SaveTheTacos. Tell us which is your favorite and more importantly WHY it deserves to make our list!
What are you waiting for? Go start saving the tacos!
