The Most Flavorful Tacos in San Jose

Capelo's Barbecue

★★★★★ 4.5 (721) • $$

"First time here, and I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite spots on the Peninsula. When I pulled into the parking lot, I saw someone actually chopping wood for the cookers--now that's authentic Texan barbecue! Finding this level of barbecue along the Peninsula, or even across the Bay, is rare, so I'm thrilled to have discovered this place.I stopped in on a Saturday for a quick lunch and was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensive barbecue menu. I opted for the 3-meat plate (with two sides): brisket, Louisiana sausages, and pork ribs. Everything was perfectly cooked--succulent, tender, juicy, and full of flavor. While the proteins were outstanding, the sauces deserve just as much praise. The "Capeliente" was a standout; I loved it so much I went back for a second cup. The DiabloXX (smoked habanero and jalapeño peppers with ghost pepper extract) had a nice spicy kick, but it wasn't overwhelmingly hot, which I appreciated. I also tried the Porklicious South Carolina Mustard and Sweet Kansas sauces, but the Capeliente and DiabloXX were my favorites.The sides were classic barbecue staples, rounding out a complete and satisfying meal. The venue offers plenty of parking, along with indoor and outdoor dining areas and a bar. I'll definitely be coming back for more very soon!"

Orale Baja Mex Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (769) • $$

"Orale is next to my barbershop, so decided to stop by for a quick lunch.I ordered a California Burrito. Its been awhile since I've had one and I completely forgot that it meant fries replaced the rice haha. Nonetheless, it was pretty good. Salsas were good. Staff was friendly and they have a pretty good list of beers on tap. Will be back to try their steak burritos and tacos in the future! Parking available in the plaza. They have outdoor seating as well."

Suavecito Birria & Tacos

★★★★★ 4.5 (552) • $$

"This place is defiantly a local gem. Walk up, order your food and take it with you. The tacos delicious, guacamole delicious, chips are perfection. I wanted to go back the same night."

Dino's Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (593) • $$

"Cute little diner with tons of options. Def worth the visit especially if you are out of state!I ordered the french toast meal which comes with two slices, eggs, and bacon. Very yummy and decently priced!I also ordered a vanilla latte but they brought me out this gigantic fun drink! Not what I was expecting at all and I would def order it again lol! So cute and yummy!! The service was super speedy. Very nice servers as well!"

ABVE The Basics

★★★★★ 4.5 (335) • $$

"The pictures looked amazing but I wasn't sure what to expect when I followed my GPS to the location inside a bar. Walked in and to a window in the back with some friends to place our order. The food is presented just as beautiful as the photos and I'm so glad I didn't let the location deter me because the food was amazing! The fish tacos are crispy, huge and just YUM. The shrimp was also sooo delicious. Everything was super fresh and our first visit went so well that one of my friends actually hired them right away for a catering gig (spoiler alert, it went awesome and the food was just as amazing at the event). I dream of the fish tacos and have gone back already -- this is officially a regular on my rotation."

Teaqueria

★★★★☆ 4.4 (302) • $$

"Honestly one of the most interesting fusion places I've been to but in an incredibly good way - where else can you get REALLY good boba AND Mexican food in the same spot? There are even rare flavors you don't see in some other places, like Horchata boba tea and Tofu burritos!I'm always helped by wonderful customer service and tend to get my food fast and fresh. If you're dining in, come during times outside of lunchtime - it will get busy:) But that means people love it!"

Salsa Picante Mexican Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (352) • $$

"We were looking for Mexican food locally and found this spot based on Yelp reviews and decided to give it a try. Placed a pick up order online 5 items roughly $65! But worth it, the food was good and filling! My husband went to pick up the food and was surprised to see that no one was inside and it looked pretty much closed but to our surprise we enjoyed our dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day."

El Califas Tacos

★★★★★ 4.7 (242) • $

"LOVETacos! Spicy shrimp with soy chorizo. Carne asada.The man who works here is so sweet and friendly.LIKEBarbacoa.El Califas style -- cheese sandwiched between the tortillas. Heavy, but delicious.Picnic tables, in sun and shade.MEHIt's a food truck in a gas station parking lot, so if you're looking for ambiance, this ain't it."

Senor Taco Taqueria

★★★★☆ 3.8 (365) • $$

"I came in today (Tuesday) at about 11:30AM. There were a few customers there but by the time I left, it was pretty full. It is a small restaurant but they used the room that they do have for plenty of seating. Their parking lot is huge as it's shared with the Outdoor hardware/landscape store and a handful of other businesses. I wanted to ask to use their bathroom but they didn't seem to have one. If they did you might have to walk back into the kitchen area.The owner was very kind and you can tell he's passionate about his business and he wants to succeed. The service was spot on! The food did take a little bit to come out but everything's made to order. So zero complaints there. This was my first time there and they did not disappoint! I got one pastor and one asada and the portions were huge!! I tried their spicy red sauce and it is in fact, spicy. I liked their house red salsa and their orange sauce the best. The orange sauce is savory with a little heat to it.Their portions were huge too. It kind of threw me off as I didn't expect that. I always take the tortillas apart and make2 tacos out of one lol and they legitimately 4 full tacos. They have a self serve salsa bar with a bunch of options! I'll definitely be back!!! When I was refilling my drink I glanced at others people's food and the portions were all large. Prices are average but so worth it. $3 per taco and more for the specialty meats but it's all clearly labeled."

Los Jefes Taqueria

★★★★★ 4.6 (120) • $$

"I've been craving some good Mexican food for awhile, but wanted to try something new. Decided to try and this spot and it was well worth it. Had the beef tongue burrito and man each bite oozed flavor and great taste. Worth every penny and in the end you will feel satisfied. We also had some some tacos, empanada, and a quesadilla. Overall, everything was fantastic, and will come again."

El Paisa By Los Alegres

★★★★★ 4.7 (107)

"**3.5 Stars**Fantastic Al pastor tacos with a touch of pineapple.Tried the Quesobirria but a bit too crunchy for my liking with a thicker consommé.Credit cards accepted, but cash discount and limited outdoor seating."

Araujo's Mexican Grill

★★★★☆ 4 (141) • $$

"At this location, I've only had take-out but I've been to their other locations before so I know the Mexican food here is good. Huge plus bc this location is a lot closer to me. The first time around, I ordered carne asada fries and it was so good! For 2 people, it definitely was a shareable portion but bc of how tasty it was, we were wanting more. I like how unique the fries were cut/shaved, it's almost like shaving the skin off an apple in a spiral motion. I also like how fresh the pico de gallo and avocado toppings were. Unfortunately, 2nd time around it was a huge dud. The carne asada meat was well over cooked and dry, the fries were cut thicker so it was very potatoey, and there wasn't enough sour cream. We also got a carne asada torta, which was mid. The buns were a bit stale and again the carne asada meat was dry. Hoping it was just an off day and looking forward to dining in to get a better experience. They also have a huge tv which is perfect for game days."

Antojitos Mexicanos Jovanni

★★★★★ 4.6 (106) • $$

"One of my favorite truck food. First have a very big menu with a lot different kind of food no only fast food. They have complete dishes that including a little salad rice and beans and their presentation is always very careful and nice. They pay attention to details, like they always add extra salsa without asking a wedge of lemon, napkins and utensils. Always!!! But talking about their food is really good. Super tasteful, big portions, good quality of vegetables and meat. And the lady who is there taking the orders is very friendly and nice. Always with a big smile so that's for sure is a plus. And on top they have a new truck that it's clean, very colorful and well lighted."

Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan

★★★★☆ 4.3 (110)

"Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan started out as a food truck and recently opened up a restaurant in downtown Los Altos. While their menu includes the typical options including burritos, quesadillas, tortas, and plates, their tacos are the main appeal and only cost $3 each. All of the meats we tried are super juicy and they use fresh handmade tortillas as well for their tacos. An even better deal is if you order Rigo's combo which comes with 8 tacos and a drink for a total of $21.99. This brings down the cost of each taco to only $2.75! There's also a self-serve, AYCE, tortilla chips station that has a variety of salsas and sauces that you can choose from. Although I really like the tacos here, the other main entrees that I tried, the Torta and quesadilla, were very average and I didn't really like the fillings that were used for these.ORDER:|-| Rigo's Combo ($21.99) - 8 tacos with a can of coke|-| Tacos ($3/each) - comes with diced onion and cilantro |-| Torta ($13.99) - choice of meat, melted cheese, salsa, pico de Gallo, lettuce, sour cream, and avocado|-| Super Quesadilla ($12.99) - choice of meat, pico de Gallo, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and sauce"

Tacos Buenrostro

★★★★☆ 4.2 (97) • $$

"It was ok. Food seemed expensive and it was weird there aren't clear prices posted for the most popular items. I will say there was a LOT of meat, so relative to value it's good. Overall I just found it a bit underwhelming. It was surprisingly bland. We got the quesabirria and a birria ramen. The quesabirria had a ton of meat... like an impressive amount! I wish there was more cheese though and would have like the tortillas cooked to be crispy (or at least crispier). They were way too floppy for my taste. I'd try it again if I was in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way again to go back."

Tacos Los Tres Reyes

★★★★☆ 4.1 (95) • $

"3.5 starsOrdered thru DoorDash. They did the packaging pretty nicely , and packed each salsa flavor and the cooked onions and lime wedges to go with the tacos. Got two Al pastor and one chicharone flavor for the tacos. The chicharones was kind of soggy , I thought it would be crispy like the chip so it was a bit of a let down. The Al pastor was alright, the variety of salsas provided was very nice. The light green flavor avocado salsa was my favorite one and the light orange colored salsa was surprisingly spicy."

El Califas Tacos

★★★★★ 4.8 (63)

"Definitely hits the spot. Their califa taco (especially the asada) is super delicious with some cheese between the traditional smaller corn tortillas and some crispy delicious asada. They also provide some sweet caramelized onions and radish with a little like. Yum. Horchata (comes in their own labeled bottle) was really good as well."

Tacos El Chore

★★★★☆ 4.3 (75)

"Another first timer and it was a great experience. Tacos El Chore is a taco truck parked by the park, which proved to be a hidden gem of flavor and authenticity, despite a few logistical challenges.Let's talk about the parking. It's a bit complicated with limited space near the truck. Side parking is a must, and if luck isn't on your side, you might find yourself parking on the other side of the park, which isn't too bad but requires a short walk. However, don't let this deter you; the experience that you get is well worth the effort.They have a variety of food with a variety of meats so it's perfect for those that can only eat certain meats (like my mom). It was a bit overwhelming since there were so many options but it does help that they list the ingredients they have, which made it easier to choose. In the end, we choose the birria pizza and asada fries. They were both amazing and left us happily full. I barely made a dent with the fries, it still looks full (haha). You definitely need more than 3 people to finish! The flavors were authentic and bold, a testament to the truck's commitment to quality ingredients and skillful preparation.Given the limited space around the truck, Tacos El Chore is more of a to-go spot. No seating is available, making it an ideal place for a quick grab-and-go feast. On colder days, eating in the car might be the best bet. Sadly, we couldn't eat in the car since we had the pizza but even when it got a bit cold (since we live a bit far), it was great!For those fortunate enough to live closer, consider this a bonus - a taco haven practically at your doorstep. The outstanding food quality and the convenience of a quick, flavorful meal overshadow the inconvenience of parking.This is a must-try for taco enthusiasts. Whether you're a local or willing to make a short trip, this taco truck is well worth the journey. I'm already looking forward to my next visit!"

La Chilanguita Taco Truck

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (110) • $

"We were in the area and saw this taco truck on our way back home and it's at the entrance of hwy 280. So we decided to give it a shot.... I ordered 3 cabeza tacos, one Gordita and one Quesabirria for a total $36. That's Bay Area San Jose prices for ya! Let me just say that Gordita was HUGE and I didn't even eat my quesabirria cause I was ready to have a good coma! I had Pepino con limón drink and that was sooooooooo good!!!!!! If you don't mind the price, go eat at this spot! The ladies there were so nice and even gave us some aroz con leche they had for themselves. I didn't give it 5 stars cause the meat did need a tad more seasoning, but the tortilla for it and for the quesabirria are hand made super thick!!!! Oh, they can't sell sodas cause they are on the parking lot of the gas station and I'm pretty sure they have an agreement. Will def go again if I'm in the area!"

Tortas Ahogadas Tradición Tapatía

★★★★☆ 3.5 (85) • $$

"Finally, last Saturday, I had the chance to try this place for the first time. I ENJOYED every bite of my food, the services, the accommodations, and the atmosphere.It is an authentic Mexican place: You can see the kitchen and how they are prepared the food from scratch, you can smell those familiar aromas, and there is a salsa station (with lemons, onions, and cilantro included), and of course, the handmade tortilla station.The menu has something for everyone, plenty of vegetarian options, and the Aguas Frescas are delicious! For lunch, I had:- Tacos dorados (requeson and potato)- Tacos de Barbacoa (it comes with broth and double tortilla)- Strawberry agua fresca- All the salsas!!!Worth the driving!"

La Orizabeña

★★★★☆ 4.4 (50)

"La Orizabena is parked in front of Coach's bar. it can be easily missed as Fremont Blvd. takes a rounded turn and one's attention is fixated on the road, not the address. eye catching design of truck will signal their location.offerings: tacos, burritos, antojitos (sopes. huarache, nachos, flauntas, tostadas, choripaps, enpanadas), tortas, quesadillas, platos, specials.eats: al pastor, suadero, lengua tacos (3, 3, 3.50)-ample amount of protein for pastor & suadero. lengua pricier, had the least amount. lengua was moist, slightly juicy, pastor dry & fried. suadero flakey , dry, *some patrons commented they liked the meats "extra crispy"-accompanied by cucumber slices, lime squeeze, tasty red & green salsas.-wait time exceeded 10 minutes. it's not just scoop & go. they actually reheat or heat the proteins when order is placed. 4.5 stars good value as to portion size. prefer proteins moist/juicy, not friedfrijoles refritos:-large selections to choose from. good place to try a variety of eats.-no seating. Coach's bar is an option."

Jayli’s Cocina

★★★★★ 4.6 (45) • $$

"Jayli's is our goto for picking up Mexican food. I am so happy at their kids options. My son loves their taco , rice and beans. We also really like the super tacos. One taco is pretty filling ! They have plenty of seating, though i think most people take the food to go.Give it a try and you will not be disappointed."

La Oaxaquense

★★★★★ 4.8 (40)

"I love Oaxacan-style tamales. As a Vietnamese person, I find it comforting to eat food wrapped in banana leaves. I was excited to find this truck with my partner and stopped by for dinner around 8:00 pm. Since we came late, they only had pork tamales ($4) left. We also ordered a carne asada burrito ($13) which came with radishes, a grilled jalapeno, and grilled onions on the side. Both items were really good! I was particularly impressed with the burrito. While the burrito was a bit on the smaller side compared to other places I've gone to, it was very balanced and satisfying. There was plenty of carne asada plus the rice and beans were seasoned well. It didn't feel like I was eating a tube of rice and beans. The burrito also had chopped lettuce, crema, and cheese. The tortilla was griddled a bit on the outside which I loved. There was a good amount of pork in our tamal and we enjoyed every bite. Everything was delicious, but we couldn't resist drizzling our food with the orange and green sauces for an extra punch of flavor and spice. There was also salsa macha on the table for more heat if you like your food extra spicy.The truck is parked alongside a park so there's a good amount of free street parking. There's a small counter attached to the truck with a few stools but there's also a few tables with chairs set up under a canopy for you to sit at. They accept cash, credit card, Zelle, Apple pay, and Google pay. I spoke to another diner who said her dining companion is from Oaxaca and this is their go-to spot. I'll definitely be coming back to try their huaraches and tlayuda!"

Taco De Oro Taco Truck

★★★★☆ 3.6 (65) • $

"Being a long haul Truckers wife, it's hard to find DELICIOUS AUTHENTIC Mexican food in other parts of the country. Growing up in California, I have high standards when it comes to quality Mexican food. It seems every time my husband and I try a new spot, we're usually unimpressed. Let me tell you, this was NOT one of those experiences. I ordered the Super Burrito and my husband ordered a Chicken Quesadilla. From the first bite, I felt like I was eating something straight off the streets of Tijuana. It was pure Heaven!! It was THAT good. My husband also enjoyed his Chicken Quesadilla. You know the food is DELICIOUS when you hardly speak to one another while eating. For the two of us it was approximately 20$. The friendly woman behind the counter wore gloves while preparing our food. The place was clean which is always a concern when I order from a food truck. FYI, they Do TAKE credit cards."

Carnitas El Rincon - Alma

★★★★☆ 3.9 (55) • $

"You obviously come here to chow down on some carnitas and they have 2 types for you to choose from -- meat only and mixed with pieces of buche and who knows what other piggy parts. The tacos were served with onions, cilantro, and red and green salsas on the side, with lime wedges on the plate.So how's the meat? The carnitas is tasty and tender but both were very salty. That said, go for the mixed carnitas, it adds extra juiciness and textures to each bite. I wanted to try the chicharron tacos but they were out. I'm not sure if they make it any longer or they were sold out."

S El Camino Taqueria

★★★★★ 4.6 (34)

"Best guacamole in town and how did I miss they have a parking lot in back? Turn at the dumplings restaurant. This block has a few businesses doing very well making finding street parking challenging say at lunchtime. They have parking in the back!!"

Tacomania

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (58) • $$

"Fresh, crispy, warm, not too oily. Quickly prepared even during the busy day, without losing any taste or quality of the food. Just enough seats.The only complaint is that the drink is on the expensive side, compared to the cost of the dishes."

Tacos Y Mariscos El Gordo

★★★★★ 4.9 (19) • $$

"Was in the area and spotted this food truck so me and my bf decided to try it. It is off to the side of target by el camino. Plenty of parking and it was quick service! They have a little seating area if you want to dine there.We ordered the quesabirria plate with consome, taco gobernador and a super quesadilla with chorizo.Quesabirria 9/10- the beef was seasoned well with a good portion of cheese/meat. The birria dip was delicious! Super quesadilla with chorizo 10/10- This was our favorite thing we tried! It's not just a traditional quesadilla with cheese, it also comes with lettuce, onions and avocado. Get it with chipotle sauce on the side, it was easily the best thing ever! The chorizo tasted amazing too and we would go back to get this again! Taco gobernador- 8/10 It is a shrimp taco with cheese and again tasted good! Overall, would come back here again to try other items on the menu! It is definitely one of the better food trucks I've tried. Highly recommend!"

Famosa Taqueria

★★★★☆ 3.6 (35)

"Its new years eve, every single place I want to go to is either closed or not at the spot. I was just driving around and stumbled across this location. We ordered 2 tripas, 2 asada, and 2 pastor and a carne asada super burrito. Tacos were regular, however it was seasoned perfectly. Salsa bar was good, I personally liked the orange, red and then green. Prices were reasonable in this state of economy.Super burrito was amazing, might be my go to spot for burritos. This would been 5 starts but they forgot one of our quesabirria tacos, which was ok because we texted him and he said he will take care of us next time. Eddy was great! Might be our regular spot now."

San Miguel Taqueria

★★★★★ 4.8 (17)

"Back in the '80s I lived in the Mission District of San Francisco and there was this great little taqueria a couple of blocks away. I never expected to find something as good here in Mountain View but San Miguel Taqueria is that place. Let go of that burger at In-N-Out and walk a half block to the corner of Oak and Bay to find this little taco truck under the shade of a spreading tree. I don't eat red meat much these days but I'll happily carve out an exception for soft tacos heaped with meat, drizzled with salsa, minced onions and cilantro and with a lemon you can squeeze over it. My favorite meat is the al pastor, perfectly barbecued pork savoring of pineapple, but the carne asada is also delicious and I highly recommend you try la lengua (tongue) too, red and rare and juicy.What a treat to have flavors like this close enough to walk to!"

Adelita Cocina Catering Service

★★★★☆ 3.6 (29) • $$

"I've been wanting to try this food truck ever since I moved in the area and I finally did. I ordered the asada torta and it was good but I definitely had better. I think what I didn't like about the torta was that the bread was very flat and wasn't full unlike other places I've had tortas at. I'll definitely try to come back and try their tacos. The service was great, the lady who took my order and made my food was very kind and helpful! It's located in the chevron gas station so it's pretty easy to spot! They have seating outside as well if you wanted to eat your meal there."

El Palacio Del Sabor

★★★★★ 4.6 (14)

"Cash or Zelle transfer, no credit card. Located in the corner plaza at Senter Rd and Monterey Hwy with the Marina Grocery store and Bank of America.Delicious carne asada burrito. I ordered mine with extra meat. Also tasty cheese and jalapeno pupusa. This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. This El Palacio Del Sabor is the newer 2nd location; the older established one on Capitol Ave has 240 reviews with 4 stars.Only minor complaint is their tortilla chips are not as tasty as a place like Araujo's that makes theirs from scratch. But I prefer the burrito and menu food items from El Palacio Del Sabor, so it's worth coming here."

Road House 48

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (19)

"The shrimp and veggie tacos were both excellent! Ordering was easy, and the crew really seemed to care about their product."

Tacos El Chilanguito

★★★★★ 4.6 (10)

"Such a great family owned taco truck! Stopped here with a couple of friends one night & they had a decent amount of seating propped up on the side walk with good lighting and music playing. It wasn't busy when we came, we waited about 10 minutes for our order to come out which five of us ordered individually. The good was soooo gooooooooood! Made to order and you could tell that they put love into their cooking. The family that owned it were very friendly too! I ordered one pastor and one carne asada taco. Very fresh tasting and filling. I also got the horchata which was delicious. They checked in on us to make sure everything was ok which I've never experienced eating at a food truck."

Tacos La Patrona Estillo Jalisco

★★★★☆ 4 (10)

"Hands down the best tacos that I've had in a long long time! Literally came back 2 days in a row because I couldn't stop thinking about them. We got the Al pastor taco, quesabirria taco, and birria ramen. Seriously SO good! Do yourself a favor and check them out! You won't be disappointed!"