If you have one evening in New York and one taco stop to make, these three are the ones worth knowing.
Taqueria Ramirez (94 Franklin St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn) is the pick for the best craft taco in the city. The shop is small — about ten seats and a street-facing counter — but the tortillas are made in-house and the proteins are tightly edited: al pastor, tripa, suadero, chorizo. The Infatuation gives it a 9.1 out of 10 and consistently names it among the city's best. Open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 10pm.
Los Tacos No. 1 (75 Ninth Ave, Chelsea Market, Manhattan; nine-plus other Manhattan locations) is the pick for the most accessible great taco in New York. The concept was born in Tijuana and the format is fast-casual chain, but the quality holds across locations. The adobada — pork marinated in dried chiles and crisped on a flat-top — is the one to order on a corn tortilla with the house salsa verde.
Birria-Landia (original at 77-99 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens; trucks also in Williamsburg and the Upper West Side) is the pick if you want to understand why birria became New York's dominant taco trend. The brothers who launched this truck in 2019 slow-cook beef in a chile-and-spice broth, griddle the tortillas in tallow, and serve the consomme alongside for dipping. Yelp ranked Birria-Landia #2 among all taco spots in America in 2025.
All seven spots were verified as operating in October 2026. Price tiers reflect the cost of a single taco: $ is under $5, $$ is $5–10, $$$ is over $10. Hours and prices change — confirm before you go. No paid placements; none of these businesses have any relationship with TourMe.
1. Taqueria Ramirez — 94 Franklin St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn — G train Nassau Ave station, 7-min walk — $ — In-house tortillas; tight menu of al pastor, tripa, suadero, chorizo; order the al pastor or tripa; Tue–Sun noon–10pm; sells out by 8pm on weekends
2. Los Tacos No. 1 — 75 Ninth Ave, Chelsea Market, Manhattan (9+ Manhattan locations; chain) — A/C/E or L to 14th St, 3-min walk — $ — Tijuana-style; consistent across all locations; order the adobada on corn; Mon–Sat ~11am–10pm, Sun ~11am–9pm
3. Birria-Landia — 77-99 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, Queens (original flagship; also trucks in Williamsburg and Upper West Side) — E/F/M/R to Roosevelt Ave–Jackson Heights, 2-min walk — $ — Yelp's #2 taco spot in America (2025); order the birria quesataco and always get the consomme; daily ~noon–10pm (check Instagram for current truck hours and locations)
4. Taqueria El Chato — 620 Manhattan Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn — G train Greenpoint Ave station, 5-min walk — $ — Michelin Bib Gourmand; al pastor and vampiras (a quesadilla-taco hybrid pressed on a plancha); order the al pastor or a vampira; hours vary, check current listing; expanding to Union Square in late 2026
5. Los Mariscos — 409 W 15th St, Chelsea, Manhattan — A/C/E or L to 14th St, 5-min walk — $$ — Sister stall to Los Tacos No. 1; focused on Baja fish and seafood; order the battered fish taco or the aguachile; Mon–Sat ~11am–9pm, Sun ~11am–8pm
6. Casa Enrique — 5-48 49th Ave, Long Island City, Queens — E/M train to Court Sq, 5-min walk — $$ — Michelin one star (retained through 2024–2025); NYC's least expensive Michelin-starred restaurant; Chiapas-style; order the lengua or cochinita pibil tacos; Tue–Sun dinner; reserve via Resy
7. Oxomoco — 128 Greenpoint Ave, Greenpoint, Brooklyn — G train Nassau Ave station, 8-min walk — $$$ — Michelin one star; wood-fired tacos with lamb barbacoa and smoked preparations; the most elevated option on this list; Tue–Sun dinner only; reservations required via Resy
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The ranking weighs five factors: tortilla quality (handmade corn, the masa preparation, or the specific technique — the tallow-griddled shell at Birria-Landia is its own craft category); protein execution (whether the preparation reflects a real Mexican regional tradition, with visible care in sourcing and cooking); independence and community rootedness (operators with ties to New York's Mexican neighborhoods, not generic Tex-Mex or corporate concepts); accessibility (price, neighborhood, hours, ease of getting there by subway); and recognition from credible sources — Michelin listings, The Infatuation scores, Yelp's national ranking where specifically cited.
Taqueria Ramirez leads because it does the hardest thing at the highest level: a short menu of straightforward tacos — al pastor, tripa, suadero — made to a standard that very few taquerias in the United States currently reach. In-house tortillas. Proteins sourced and treated with care. No gimmick, no fusion angle, no Instagram-first concept. It is the best version of a serious taco that New York currently offers.
Birria-Landia ranks third rather than higher because the format centers on one protein and one preparation. That is a strength — the birria is exceptional, and the Yelp ranking is deserved — but a taqueria with range and craft earns a higher slot on a city-wide list.
Oxomoco ranks seventh despite carrying the same Michelin star as Casa Enrique because it is a restaurant that serves tacos as part of a wood-fired menu, not a taqueria. The price point, the reservation requirement, and the $$$ format place it in a different category from the rest of this list. The food is outstanding; the comparison isn't quite fair to either side.
This list reflects our picks as of October 2026. No business paid for inclusion.
Best first taco in NYC: Los Tacos No. 1 at Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Ave). The format — no wait on a weekday, $5 tacos, three minutes from the subway — makes it the right entry point. Order the adobada on corn with salsa verde.
Best for the serious taco eater: Taqueria Ramirez (94 Franklin St, Greenpoint). Go on a Tuesday or Wednesday before 7pm for the full protein menu. The tripa — cleaned, braised, and crisped on the plancha — is the dish that separates this shop from everywhere else in the city.
Best for groups: Birria-Landia (77-99 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights). The birria quesataco and a shared cup of consomme make for easy communal eating. The surrounding stretch of Roosevelt Ave between 74th and 82nd Streets adds Ecuadorian empanadas, Colombian bakeries, and Indian sweet shops within a few blocks.
Best vegetarian option: Taqueria Ramirez (94 Franklin St) offers nopales and potato fillings made with the same tortilla care as the meat tacos. Ask at the counter for the day's vegetarian offerings, as they rotate.
Best budget pick: Taqueria Ramirez and Los Tacos No. 1 are both under $5 a taco. For volume and citywide convenience, Los Tacos No. 1's nine-plus locations mean you are rarely more than a few subway stops from a good $4.50 taco.
Best late night: Los Tacos No. 1 has the most consistent late hours on this list. Times Square and Midtown locations run until 11pm or midnight on weekends; check the specific location before going.
Best special occasion: Oxomoco (128 Greenpoint Ave) for drama — wood fire, creative salsas, a full cocktail program. Casa Enrique (5-48 49th Ave, Long Island City) for a calmer, more traditional Michelin dinner at a significantly lower price.
Midtown Manhattan or a hotel near Times Square: Los Tacos No. 1 has locations near Times Square and adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. Both are walkable from any Midtown address and require no subway trip.
Chelsea or the West Village: Los Tacos No. 1 at Chelsea Market (75 Ninth Ave) and Los Mariscos next door (409 W 15th St) are two minutes apart on the same block. Make it a double: adobada at Los Tacos, then a fish taco at Los Mariscos.
Greenpoint or Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Taqueria Ramirez (94 Franklin St) and Taqueria El Chato (620 Manhattan Ave) are both on the G train, within walking distance of each other. Go to Ramirez for the full experience; El Chato for a Michelin Bib Gourmand with a shorter line.
Jackson Heights or Flushing, Queens: Birria-Landia (77-99 Roosevelt Ave) is the anchor. The stretch of Roosevelt Avenue between 74th and 90th Streets is one of the densest street food corridors in New York — one of the few places in the city where you can move between Ecuadorian, Mexican, South Asian, and Colombian food within a few blocks.
Long Island City or Astoria, Queens: Casa Enrique (5-48 49th Ave) is five minutes from the Court Sq E/M station and represents the best value for a Michelin dinner in New York City.
Do any of these spots take reservations? Oxomoco and Casa Enrique require reservations, both through Resy. All other spots on this list are walk-in only. At Taqueria Ramirez, arriving early is the only reservation that works — the line forms before the doors open on weekends.
Are these spots cash only? Most accept cards. Birria-Landia's trucks are cash-preferred; bring $20 in small bills if you're heading to Jackson Heights. Los Tacos No. 1 and Los Mariscos are card-friendly at all locations.
What's the best time to visit Taqueria Ramirez? Noon to 2pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday, when the full menu is available and the wait is manageable. Friday and Saturday evenings are the most lively but risk running out of tripa by 8pm.
Are these spots open on Mondays? Most are closed Mondays or have reduced hours. Taqueria Ramirez is closed Monday. Birria-Landia's trucks vary by location. Los Tacos No. 1 is open seven days a week. Verify each restaurant directly before visiting, as hours shift seasonally.
Details checked October 2026; hours and prices change, so confirm before you go.
