CINCINNATI — Whether you eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner, tacos are a beloved food — I mean we have a whole day of the week dedicated to them with Taco Tuesday. Cincinnati is also home to its own taco festival, which is taking place this weekend. Around the Tri-State there are multiple different restaurants, food trucks and more that offer delectable tacos of all kind. Here are the Top 9 taco spots in the Tri-State:
Mazunte
Mazunte has a variety of different tacos to choose from at its various locations, but its downtown location has the broadest menu. All of Mazunte's tacos are served on corn tortillas. The restaurant has the usual chicken, pork and veggie offerings, but also some more bold options at its downtown location including the Calabaza (roasted zucchini), the Hongos Y Betabeles (mushroom and beet) and the Chile Relleno (roasted jalapeno stuffed with goat cheese and queso oaxaca.
Jefferson Social
Now most places that serve tacos usually have a variety of options for everyone's taste, but Jefferson Social has one thing that sets it apart from the rest: the Taconey. It wouldn't be Cincinnati without a little chili, and the Taconey has braised Cincinnati-style chili short rib. Other than the short rib, the taco has an all-beef hot dog, mustard, creme, pico de gallo, cheese and hot sauce. If you don't want to be that adventurous with your taco eating, Jefferson Social also has a wide range of other tacos available.
Crown Cantina
According to its website, Crown Cantina is a "modern take on traditional Mexican cuisine." The restaurant, which is located in downtown Cincinnati's central business district, has six different taco options, including lamb barbacoa, sweet potato and suadero, to name a few. Crown Cantina also has a variety of tequila and mezcal cocktails to enjoy with your tacos. We recommend the avocado and jalapeno margarita.
OLLA Taqueria
Offering authentic Mexican street food, OLLA Taqueria is located in Covington near Wunderbar! The restaurant has a la carte taco, which are served in corn tortillas. Customers have the choice between a variety of meats, including carne asada, birria, chorizo and more, and then all tacos have onions and cilantro. On the side, customers can expect both roja and verde salsa, radishes and limes.
Lalo
Combining Latin and Asian flavors, Lalo is located at Court Street Plaza. Lalo offers a taco plate, which features a choice of three tacos served on either corn or flour tortillas. You can also add rice and black beans to any taco. Lalo has multiple different taco options with varying flavors, including fish tempura, curry chicken, pork belly adobo and Asian fried chicken, to name a few. The restaurant also has multiple tacos that are either gluten free or vegan — the poblano mushroom taco is both!
El Taco Veloz
A mainstay for University of Cincinnati students, El Taco Veloz serves authentic Mexican cuisine in Clifton. Customers can choose from steak, al pastor, chorizo, pork, carnitas, shrimp, barbacoa, milanese steak or be a little more adventurous and opt for tongue. All of El Taco Veloz's tacos come with black beans, cream, queso, cilantro, onion, pico de gallo and lettuce. Other than those tacos, customers can also order four carne asada tacos that come with cilantro, radish, pico de gallo and beans.
Frida 602
Located in Covington's historic Mainstrasse Village, Frida 602 has a broad range of taco options that are all served on fresh corn tortillas with pickled onion, sliced radish and cilantro. Frida 602 offers more traditional tacos like its Al Pastor, which includes marinated pork, pineapple and pastor sauce, but the restaurant also has more adventurous offerings like the Brussels Sprouts taco, which has sauteed Brussels sprouts, smoked peanut salsa and peanuts. The tacos are all served a la carte, but customers can upgrade to make it a platter with a side of rice of refried beans, as well.
Taqueria Mercado
Taqueria Mercado is a prime taco spot to go to if you're out and about in downtown Cincinnati. Located on Walnut Street, Taqueria Mercado serves its tacos a la carte on steamed corn tortillas with onions, cilantro and lime with a choice of meat or veggies. Taqueria Mercado has a variety of meat options, including beef brisket, tilapia, shrimp, Mexican sausage and more. You can also add other toppings for an additional cost. Other than its food, the restaurant is also known for its margaritas, which can come by the tower.
Mi Cozumel
With three locations around the Tri-State area, Mi Cozumel offers "real street tacos," according to its website. The restaurant offers a street taco dinner, which includes three tacos with cilantro and onion. Customers can also add tomatoes, cheese and sour cream to their tacos. Customers can choose between steak, al pastor, chorizo, carnitas, chicken, shrimp, tripa, or campechanos, which is a mix of multiple meats. Other than street tacos, Mi Cozumel has hard and soft tacos that can be purchased a la carte or added as part of a combo meal.
