Times Square's Best Taco

There’s no good reason to trust a taco in Times Square, and yet I ordered from seven places so you don’t have to. This neighborhood runs on chaos, but the tortillas here run on real heat, from the late-night birria crunch at Tacos Times Square to the polished carne asada and prickly pear margarita at Dos Caminos.

I ate fried shrimp, soft shell crab, and a lychee martini that nearly made me forgive Midtown. The line at Los Tacos No.

1 moves faster than the R train. Go get your own opinion.

LOS TACOS No.1

Highlights
Pollo Asado worth the price
Quick-moving line, efficient staff
Free salsa and spicy sauce bar
Great post-theater location
Worth the 30-minute wait

I joined the line at Los Tacos No.1 with the grim patience of a man who has waited for a subway that will never come. Thirty minutes later, I understood the system. The line moves because the staff moves, and the Pollo Asado is worth every impatient shuffle. The tortillas are warm, the chicken is charred just past polite, and the salsa bar lets you ruin or rescue your meal as you see fit. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and it’s the best post-theater pit stop in the neighborhood. Bring cash, bring patience, leave your hopes of a quiet dinner at the door.

Then, go back for seconds. I did.

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Amor Loco

Highlights
Fresh, full-flavored beef tacos
Huge, fresh guacamole bowls
Kind, patient, top-notch service
Jalapeño cheesy fries worth it
Great drinks, like lychee martini

Amor Loco is the kind of place that makes you suspicious with all the smiling. But the suspicion dies fast. The beef tacos are fresh and full-flavored, the kind that makes you close your eyes for a second and forget the street noise. The guacamole bowl is huge, genuinely fresh, and almost comically generous. Service is patient and kind, which in this part of town is rarer than a quiet street. The jalapeño cheesy fries are a dangerous side order—crispy, gooey, just spicy enough. And the lychee martini is dangerously drinkable.

I left full, slightly tipsy, and oddly optimistic. That’s not a bad deal for Midtown.

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Tacos del Barrio

Highlights
Fresh, flavorful, generous portions
Friendly, attentive, welcoming staff
Excellent fried shrimp tacos
Clean space, great desserts

Tacos del Barrio feels almost too good to be true. Clean, bright, and staffed by people who seem to actually like their jobs. The fried shrimp tacos are the standout—crisp, hot, and not a hint of grease. Portions are generous without veering into spectacle. The meat is seasoned with care, and the tortillas taste like they woke up on the right side of the griddle. Even the desserts surprise. I’ve had worse tiramisu in fancier places. The space is spotless, which is its own kind of luxury around here.

It’s unpretentious, efficient, and genuinely friendly.

I’d return just for the atmosphere.

And the shrimp.

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Dos Caminos

Highlights
Best tacos of trip
Generous, flavorful carne asada
Juicy chicken quesadillas
Delicious prickly pear margarita
Worth every penny

Dos Caminos is the heavyweight champion of this taco crawl. The carne asada is generous, juicy, and seasoned with the kind of confidence that doesn’t need a gimmick. These were the best tacos I ate in Times Square—full stop. The chicken quesadillas are moist, cheesy, and almost a meal by themselves. The prickly pear margarita? Sweet, tart, and refreshing. It’s a lot for the wallet, but you feel it.

Everything landed at once.

The portions are big enough to make you pause.

The price stings less after the first bite.

It’s not a cheap dinner.

It’s worth every penny.

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El Rey Tacos

Highlights
Generous, non-greasy protein portions
Fresh tortillas made in-house
Tender meat, soft melted cheese
Excellent sauce and leftover options
Well-seasoned chicken and barbacoa

El Rey Tacos is where I went when I wanted to stop worrying and trust the assembly line. The tortillas are made in-house—warm, soft, and carrying the faint char of a real comal. The chicken is well-seasoned, not dry, and the barbacoa is tender enough to surrender without a fight. Portions are generous without slouching toward greasy. The melted cheese is gooey but polite. The sauce options are excellent, and they even have leftovers containers that don’t fall apart.

No drama. No gimmicks.

Just solid, honest tacos that respect the craft.

I ate quickly, which is the highest compliment I can pay.

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Taco Vida

Highlights
Seafood tacos are standouts
Soft shell crab delight
Clean, casual, efficient space
Self-service kiosks for ordering
Birria tacos worth trying

Taco Vida runs like a well-oiled machine, and I mean that as a compliment. You order at the kiosk, grab a number, and wait for your food. It’s clean, casual, and refreshingly efficient. The seafood tacos are the reason to come. The soft shell crab is a standout—crispy, sweet, and not buried under nonsense. The birria tacos are worth the detour too, with rich, savory consomé that warms you from the inside.

The space is bright and unpretentious.

It’s not a white-tablecloth experience.

It’s better.

Quick, fresh, and consistent.

I’d happily eat here on a Tuesday.

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Tacos Times Square

Highlights
Birria tacos hit near-perfect
Crispy tortillas, juicy beef
Consomé adds savory kick
Fair price for the square
Worth a revisit easily

Tacos Times Square sounds like a dare, but somehow it works. The birria tacos come close to perfect—crispy tortillas, juicy beef, and a consomé that adds a savory kick without drowning the whole thing. The portions are fair, especially for the neighborhood, and the price doesn’t make you flinch. It’s not fancy, and the seating is tight.

But you’re not here for the view.

You’re here for the crunch, the broth, and the satisfaction.

I’d revisit this spot easily.

It’s the kind of place that makes you forget the crowds outside.

And you’ll want those leftovers.

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