Two Cities, Two Eras: Missouri’s Taco Districts
Missouri's two big cities each built a Mexican food district in a different era — Kansas City's Westside around early rail and packing work, St. Louis's Cherokee Street much more recently.
Missouri: 744 taco venues on record across 204 cities, 89 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 60% independent.
Taco cities in Missouri: all 204 of them
Kansas City's Westside and Northeast, and Cherokee Street in St. Louis, hold the densest clusters.
- Kansas City104 places
- Saint Louis72 places
- Springfield45 places
- Independence22 places
- Columbia20 places
- Joplin14 places
- Branson13 places
- Saint Joseph13 places
- Saint Charles12 places
- O'Fallon10 places
- Blue Springs9 places
- Sedalia9 places
- Carthage9 places
- Jefferson City9 places
- Lees Summit9 places
- Poplar Bluff8 places
- Saint Peters8 places
- Cape Girardeau7 places
- Webb City7 places
- Rolla6 places
- Sikeston5 places
- Florissant5 places
- West Plains5 places
- Belton5 places
- Manchester4 places
- University City4 places
- Grandview4 places
- Ozark4 places
- Chesterfield4 places
- Platte City4 places
Showing the 30 busiest of 204 Missouri cities on record.
What to order in Missouri
KC leans older and more established; Cherokee Street leans newer, with more trucks and specialists.
Missouri is independent country
Missouri is independent-leaning — 60% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.
- 60% independent (443 of 744)
- 83% close at 11pm or later (98 of the 118 with hours on record)
- 26 have a drive-through
- 6 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
- 10 have outdoor seating
The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in Missouri
Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.
- 1Taqueria Los CompasSee hoursCallDirections
- 2Taqueria Mexico LindoSee hoursCallDirections
- 3Miranda's Mexican Food TruckSee hoursCallDirections
- 4Taco Truck StlSee hoursCallDirections
- 5American Taco CompanySee hoursCallDirections
- 6Mission Taco JointSee hoursCallDirections
- 7Ricos Tacos "Lupe"See hoursCallDirections
- 8Seoul TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 9Session TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 10Taco BellSee hoursCallDirections
- 11Taco Bell CantinaSee hoursCallDirections
- 12Taco BuddhaSee hoursCallDirections
- 13Taco CacaoSee hoursCallDirections
- 14Taco TwistSee hoursCallDirections
- 15Tacos 4 LifeSee hoursCallDirections
- 16Tiki TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 17Tinga TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 18Taqueria La NuevaSee hoursCallDirections
- 19Acosta's TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
- 20Charritos TaqueriaHours not recordedCallDirections
Tacos in Missouri: common questions
Which Missouri city has the most taco spots?
Kansas City leads Missouri with 104 venues on record, followed by Saint Louis and Springfield. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.
Are most tacos in Missouri from chains or independents?
40% of the 744 Missouri venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 443 independents. 89 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.
Where can I get tacos late at night in Missouri?
Of the 118 Missouri venues with opening hours on record, 98 (83%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.
What kind of tacos is Missouri known for?
KC leans older and more established; Cherokee Street leans newer, with more trucks and specialists.
Last updated September 29, 2026. Venue details refresh with each data import.