How South Philly’s Italian Market Became a Taco Destination
Philadelphia's Italian Market became one of the clearest examples of a neighbourhood changing hands: since the 1990s, families from Puebla have made South 9th Street a centre of Mexican food in the northeast.
Pennsylvania: 767 taco venues on record across 302 cities, 160 dedicated taquerias, trucks and stands, 66% independent.
Taco cities in Pennsylvania: all 302 of them
South Philadelphia around 9th Street and Washington Avenue is the core; Allentown, Reading and Lancaster have their own growing scenes.
- Philadelphia116 places
- Pittsburgh53 places
- Norristown18 places
- Erie16 places
- Reading16 places
- Harrisburg14 places
- West Chester12 places
- Allentown12 places
- Bethlehem11 places
- Kennett Square10 places
- State College9 places
- Washington8 places
- York8 places
- Lancaster7 places
- Warminster7 places
- Wilkes-Barre7 places
- Downingtown7 places
- Scranton7 places
- Hanover7 places
- Easton6 places
- Chambersburg6 places
- Pottstown6 places
- Quakertown5 places
- New Castle5 places
- Phoenixville4 places
- Johnstown4 places
- Ephrata4 places
- King of Prussia4 places
- Bridgeville4 places
- Carlisle4 places
Showing the 30 busiest of 302 Pennsylvania cities on record.
What Pennsylvania does differently
Poblano cooking — cemitas and tacos árabes alongside the standard menu.
Styles with venues documented in Pennsylvania, most-recorded first:
Pennsylvania is independent country
Pennsylvania is independent-leaning — 66% of the venues on record are not part of a national chain, which is high by national standards.
- 66% independent (507 of 767)
- 66% close at 11pm or later (67 of the 102 with hours on record)
- 58 have a drive-through
- 13 are tagged vegetarian- or vegan-friendly
- 8 have outdoor seating
The 20 highest-ranked taco spots in Pennsylvania
Ranked by how taco-focused each place is and how complete its listing is, not by who paid. How we rank.
- 1Ave Maria TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 2Aztlan TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 3Comālli TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 4Doce TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 5El Jefe's TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 6Korea TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 7Loco Pez TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 8Los Agaves TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 9Lu TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 10Taqueria La MichoacanaSee hoursCallDirections
- 11Taqueria La PrimaSee hoursCallDirections
- 12Taquería LauritaSee hoursCallDirections
- 13Taqueria MoralesSee hoursCallDirections
- 14Unity TaqueriaSee hoursCallDirections
- 15Al Tacos LocosSee hoursCallDirections
- 16Baby Loves TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 17Bea Taco TownSee hoursCallDirections
- 18Condado TacosSee hoursCallDirections
- 19District TacoSee hoursCallDirections
- 20Don TacoSee hoursCallDirections
Tacos in Pennsylvania: common questions
Which Pennsylvania city has the most taco spots?
Philadelphia leads Pennsylvania with 116 venues on record, followed by Pittsburgh and Norristown. That is a count of places, not a quality ranking — the ranked list above orders by taco focus.
Are most tacos in Pennsylvania from chains or independents?
34% of the 767 Pennsylvania venues on record belong to a national chain, leaving 507 independents. 160 of them are dedicated taquerias, trucks, stands or birrierías.
Where can I get tacos late at night in Pennsylvania?
Of the 102 Pennsylvania venues with opening hours on record, 67 (66%) close at 11pm or later. Hours change often, so check the individual listing before driving over.
What kind of tacos is Pennsylvania known for?
Poblano cooking — cemitas and tacos árabes alongside the standard menu.
Which taco styles are documented in Pennsylvania?
Carne Asada (1). 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.