It doesn’t need to be Tuesday to get your taco on – but this year, National Taco Day just happens to fall on Tuesday, October 7! Grab one of these perfect hard or soft shells Mexican delights at these spots around the state.
El Asadero Mexican Grill
Passaic, Rochelle Park, Secaucus, Fort Lee
It doesn’t get much more authentic than using recipes from the Huasteca and Tamaulipeca regions of Mexico. A dozen taco options include skirt steak, birria, grilled shrimp, pork carnitas, chorizo, fried tilapia, grilled chicken, and mixed vegetables.
Blue Moon Mexican Cafe
327 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff
23 E. Palisade Ave., Englewood
Baja chicken tacos, brisket tacos and chipotle black bean garden tacos are all great choices here. These babies come three to an order and are served up with Mexican rice and your choice of black or refried beans (yum!).
Carlitos Barbecue Taqueria
Food truck and carrito (cart)
Garden State Plaza in Paramus
Harborside District Kitchen, Jersey City
Newark Airport, Terminal A, Gate A16, Newark
Lyndhurst, 119 Valley Brook Ave
Revving up their business in 2017 as a popular food truck, the Carlitos team serves only pit-smoked BBQ tacos with all-natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free USDA prime meats, smoked low and slow in-house. Carlitos’ nixtamal masa is made fresh with all-natural, gluten-free ingredients and are hand-pressed to order. Brisket, pulled pork, fish or carne asada are the top picks to cover your tortilla.
Central Taco and Tequila
350 Haddon Ave., Haddon Twp.
Authentic Mexican food with outdoor dining draws locals in (as do the drinks!) but stick around for the tacos — fans say they love the chicken ones and that the Korean short rib is too good to pass up!
Chevy’s Fresh Mex
1150 S. Stiles St., Linden
365 Rte. 3, Clifton
Chevy’s offers $3 build-your-own tacos every Taco Tuesday starting at 4 pm; AYCE Sunday Brunch from 9 am to 2 pm Sundays, featuring a ham and tri-tip catering station and all-you-can-eat options; and Happy Hour every day from 3-9 pm in the cantina, with $4 food and drink specials.
Los Chilitos
233 Main St., Lebanon
This small restaurant offering a taste of Mexico is a friendly, local place with seriously delicious food. The tacos de cabeza (tacos with beef cheek) are interesting yet especially delicious.
Margarita’s Mexican Restaurant
270 Rte. 37, Toms River
53 Rte. 1, Metuchen
Margaritas is celebrating the taco during “TacOctoberfest.” From 3-5 pm on October 7, Margaritas will be dishing out free tacos to its Circle of Friends reward members; plus a Taco Tuesday special with $4 tacos all day. The Taco Gigante Challenges take place October 1-31: try to eat a stuffed 2-pound taco, either regular or Flaming (doused in Fuego sauce and topped with fresh jalapeños and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos). A separate Taco & Cerveza Pairing will be offered October 1-31.
El Meson
40 W. Main St., Freehold
This local hotspot is known around Central Jersey for its traditional Mexican cooking. The soft corn tortilla is filled with your choice of marinated grilled chicken, lamb, pork carnitas, steak or chorizo topped with cilantro, onion and your choice of salsa. The interior looks like Mexico while the outside patio also has a covered tent. Or bring your chips and salsa or black bean soup home for a Mexican fiesta.
Meximodo Cocina Mexicana & Tequila Bar
5 Pearl St., Metuchen
25 Christopher Columbus Dr., Jersey City (note: the restaurant will open on October 9)
Known for its Guiness Book of World Records selection of tequila and agave spirits, you have to wash down some food to avoid a hangover! Meximodo’s menu includes pork belly tacos and pollo al pastor tacos, in addition to pancake tacos during weekend brunch.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
Multiple Locations
“Feed me tacos and tell me I’m pretty” is their mantra. You can build your own tacos with your choice of protein: sirloin steak, chicken, adobo chicken, ground beef, pork, organic tofu, or in select locations fish.
MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos
632 Cookman Ave., Asbury Park
The homemade Korean marinades and dressings here make these tacos exceptional. The spicy marinated pork belly is just so good in a taco, you can easily eat one (or three!).
On the Border
New Brunswick, Mount Laurel, Paramus, Princeton
Get your taco fix every Tuesday with a la carte tacos starting at $2. Discounts available in restaurant and on the online ordering site.
Orale Mexican Kitchen
56 South St. Morristown
341 Grove St., Jersey City
Orale has a party atmosphere surpassed only by its authentic Mexican food. There are 10 choices for tacos (note that some are not available as Taco Tuesday specials) but uniquely include salpicon (grilled halibut) and borracho (beer battered fish). There are separate brunch and tequila menus, too.
Rosalita’s Roadside Cantina
180 Rte. 9, Englishtown
1048 Cedar Bridge Ave., Brick Twp.
This Tex-Mex restaurant offers an Air, Land & Sea Platter featuring a chicken street taco, beef gringo taco and Baja shrimp taco with rice and beans. For a different spin, you could also try the jerk chicken tacos, or cauliflower tacos for vegetarians. There are gluten-free taco shells upon request. On Taco Tuesday, all you can eat tacos are $19.99 per person. Or, come for Happy Hour during the week, half-price margaritas during trivia night on Wednesday, and half-price signature drinks on Thursdays.
Salted Lime Bar & Kitchen
46 E. Main St., Somerville
Brussel sprouts in a taco? Only at Salted Lime does this actually look and taste delicious! The beef birria queso tacos are also on-trend or go for more traditional tacos like the mojo pork or shrimp.
Tacoria Mexican Street Kitchen
Piscataway, Paramus, Hoboken, Marlton, Edgewater, Ridgewood, Cherry Hill, New Brunswick, Morristown, Montclair, Princeton, Jersey City
Tacoria is popular for good reason — their tacos are fresh and consistently delicious. When choosing your protein, the pollo tinga (spicy pulled chicken) is the way to go. Veggie options include golden avocado, brussels sprouts and roasted corn with poblano peppers.
Tacos La Gringa
334 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield
Don’t miss out on their amazing tacos al pastor made with spit-grilled pork. Local fans also recommend the chicken tinga.
Tacos Los Compas
1743 Rte. 88, Brick
Whether you choose chicken, steak or pork, you can’t go wrong with these yummy tacos. Their guacamole and salsa are a must-try too!
Taqueria Pancho Villa
7 N. Essex St., Dover
A small place with a simple menu and excellent food, you can add what you like onto your tacos. Fans say these are authentic, Tijuana-style tacos.
Taqueria Tacos (TKO)
8 W. Main St., Freehold
If you love traditional street tacos with corn tortillas, TKO is for you. Choose from steak, pastor, carnitas, chicken or Mexican sausage, fish, lengua (tongue), costilla (rib), cabeza (head) (yes, you read that right). The secret behind the two layers of tortillas is so that when the meat falls out of the first, it falls into the second, so you have double the tacos!
Tito’s Burritos & Wings
Ridgewood, Summit, South Orange
Sink your teeth into Tito’s homemade tortillas and you’ll be a convert. If you’re brave enough, try the Hot Chip Challenge while you’re there. Then cool off your mouth with their Cookie Dough Empanadas.
Tortuga’s Mexican Village
41 Leigh Ave., Princeton
Their crispy tortillas, with choice of stuffing, lettuce and sauce are simple perfection. The fish tacos washed down with a cold Jarritos — it doesn’t get any better than this!
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