New York Tacos Are Poblano Tacos
New York's taco culture is largely Poblano: the state has one of the largest communities from Puebla, Mexico in the country, established in East Harlem and parts of Queens and the Bronx since the 1990s.
New York: 1,803 taco venues on record across 372 cities, 421 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 80% independent.
Taco cities in New York: all 372 of them
East Harlem (El Barrio), Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens, and Sunset Park in Brooklyn carry the deepest clusters. Upstate, Rochester and Buffalo have smaller scenes.
- New York578 places
- Brooklyn165 places
- Bronx66 places
- Buffalo45 places
- Staten Island28 places
- Yonkers24 places
- Rochester21 places
- Syracuse15 places
- Albany14 places
- Newburgh14 places
- Hempstead14 places
- Jamaica13 places
- Jackson Heights12 places
- Middletown12 places
- Astoria12 places
- New Rochelle12 places
- Corona11 places
- Poughkeepsie10 places
- Amherst9 places
- Ridgewood9 places
- Troy9 places
- Huntington9 places
- White Plains8 places
- Ithaca8 places
- Kingston8 places
- Riverhead8 places
- Schenectady7 places
- Elmhurst7 places
- Babylon6 places
- Rockville Centre6 places
Showing the 30 busiest of 372 New York cities on record.
What New York does differently
Look for cemitas — the sesame-seed Poblano sandwich — sold alongside the tacos at the same counter. Brooklyn stands helped push consommé-dipped quesabirria into the mainstream from 2019.
Styles with venues documented in New York, most-recorded first:
New York is independent country
New York is independent-leaning — 80% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.
- 80% independent (1,447 of 1,803)
- 62% close at 11pm or later (139 of the 223 with hours on record)
- 57 have a drive-through
- 33 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
- 31 have outdoor seating
The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in New York
Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.
- 1Dos Toros TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 2El Don TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 3El Gallo TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 4El Paso TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 5El Santo Taqueria BrooklynSee hoursCallDirections
- 6El Tepeyac TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 7Homemade TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 8Itzel's Taqueria DeliSee hoursCallDirections
- 9Maya TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 10Mi Viejito Pueblito TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 11Molcajete TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 12Nene's TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 13Ponchito's TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 14Sofia's TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 15Sullivan TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 16Taqueria al PastorSee hoursCallDirections
- 17Taqueria AtoraderoSee hoursCallDirections
- 18Taqueria CecilioSee hoursCallDirections
- 19Taqueria CocoyocSee hoursCallDirections
- 20Taqueria DianaSee hoursCallDirections
Tacos in New York: common questions
Which New York city has the most taco spots?
New York leads New York with 578 venues on record, followed by Brooklyn and Bronx. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.
Are most tacos in New York from chains or independents?
20% of the 1,803 New York venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 1,447 independents. 421 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.
Where can I get tacos late at night in New York?
Of the 223 New York venues with opening hours on record, 139 (62%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.
What kind of tacos is New York known for?
Look for cemitas — the sesame-seed Poblano sandwich — sold alongside the tacos at the same counter. Brooklyn stands helped push consommé-dipped quesabirria into the mainstream from 2019.
Which taco styles are documented in New York?
Breakfast Taco (40), Al Pastor (6), Birria (5), Crispy Rolled Tacos (4), Carnitas (1), among 8 styles recorded statewide. 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.