TacosNearYou

New Jersey’s Taquerias Cluster in a Handful of Cities

New Jersey shares New York's Poblano migration and adds its own dense Latin American corridors, so the taquerias cluster tightly in a handful of cities rather than spreading statewide.

New Jersey: 707 taco venues on record across 281 cities, 179 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 76% independent.

Taco cities in New Jersey: all 281 of them

Passaic, Union City, New Brunswick, Trenton and Newark carry the concentration.

Showing the 30 busiest of 281 New Jersey cities on record.

What New Jersey does differently

Poblano cooking again — cemitas and tacos árabes alongside standard taqueria menus.

Styles with venues documented in New Jersey, most-recorded first:

New Jersey is independent country

New Jersey is independent-leaning — 76% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.

Taco shop 527Taqueria 172Truck 7Mexican restaurant 1
  • 76% independent (540 of 707)
  • 79% close at 11pm or later (44 of the 56 with hours on record)
  • 17 have a drive-through
  • 4 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
  • 2 have outdoor seating

The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in New Jersey

Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.

  1. 1Chofi TaqueriaTaqueria · 1711 Summit AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  2. 2Don Jose TaqueriaTaqueria · 520 Anderson AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  3. 3Five Brothers TaqueriaTaqueria · 65 East Washington AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  4. 4La TaqueriaTaqueria · 1143 Lawrence RoadSee hoursCallDirections
  5. 5Playa TaqueriaTaqueria · 206 Bellevue AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  6. 6Tinga TaqueriaTaqueria · 215 Bellevue AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  7. 7Taqueria Brenda LeeTaqueria · 2 locationsSee hoursDirections
  8. 8A Taco AffairTaco shop · 2 BroadwaySee hoursCallDirections
  9. 9Surf TacoTaco shop · 12 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  10. 10Taco BellTaco shop · 144 locationsSee hoursCallDirections
  11. 11Taco DriveTaco shop · 195 Newark AvenueSee hoursCallDirections
  12. 12Tio Taco & Tequila BarTaco shop · 1003 US Highway 1See hoursCallDirections
  13. 13Tio Taco Tequila BarTaco shop · 280 US Highway 9See hoursCallDirections
  14. 14Orale Mexican Kitchen - Restaurants Jersey CityTaqueria · 341 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 073024.4(2,680)Hours not recordedCallDirections
  15. 155 Brothers TaqueriaTaqueria · 2 locationsHours not recordedCallDirections
  16. 16Avila's Taqueria & RestaurantTaqueria · 6609 Park AveHours not recordedCallDirections
  17. 17Azteca Taqueria RestaurantTaqueria · 1313 Summit AveHours not recordedCallDirections
  18. 18Bagel and Taqueria El PrimoTaqueria · 721 Anderson AveHours not recordedCallDirections
  19. 19Benji's Taqueria Mexican GrillTaqueria · 14 Main St #5301Hours not recordedCallDirections
  20. 20Benji's Taqueria Mexican Grill 2Taqueria · 408 Bloomfield AveHours not recordedCallDirections

Tacos in New Jersey: common questions

Which New Jersey city has the most taco spots?

Jersey City leads New Jersey with 27 venues on record, followed by Passaic and Newark. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.

Are most tacos in New Jersey from chains or independents?

24% of the 707 New Jersey venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 540 independents. 179 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.

Where can I get tacos late at night in New Jersey?

Of the 56 New Jersey venues with opening hours on record, 44 (79%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.

What kind of tacos is New Jersey known for?

Poblano cooking again — cemitas and tacos árabes alongside standard taqueria menus.

Which taco styles are documented in New Jersey?

Korean Taco (3). These are counts of venues where the style is on record, so they undercount rather than overcount.

Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.