While many restaurants have been forced to close their dining rooms, many chefs at Portland taco carts have been working through the pandemic, crisping carnitas and stirring pots of mole while tortillas warm on the griddle. Sure, some taquerias and trucks have closed — Birrieria La Plaza can’t get its hands on enough beef for birria — but many continue on, offering tacos a la carte or in big, take-home taco kits. Below, find an assortment of taco options across the Portland area, from St. Johns to Gresham. Note: This list is not meant to be comprehensive; for more takeout options, please check out our larger guide to takeout in Portland and beyond.
North Portland
El Coyote
This somewhat under-the-radar St. Johns spot is the go-to taco truck for several chefs in the Portland area. El Coyote is still offering takeout from its cart, including its super porky, juicy, crispy-edged carnitas.
Where to get it: 6965 N Fessenden Street
Learn more: (503) 839-7093
Rose City Taqueria
A cheery St. Johns spot, Rose City Taqueria’s wide selection of tacos — from lengua and cabeza to fajita and grilled chicken — is available for takeout, with a brand-new online ordering system to limit in-person contact. Alongside its long taco menu, Rose City has a number of burritos, tostadas, and quesadillas to choose from.
Where to get it: 7007 N Fessenden Street
Learn more: rosecitytaqueria.com, (503) 247-3333
Tienda Santa Cruz
The hidden St. Johns taqueria with a cult following, Tienda Santa Cruz is open for takeout, with a wide selection of tacos and burritos. Plus, the front market is a good spot to pick up some pantry staples.
Where to get it: 8630 N Lombard Street
Learn more: (503) 286-7302
Quesabrosa
This Williams taco stand is an easy walk-up option, with killer chorizo tacos and an assortment of tortas, sopes, and more.
Where to get it: 3954 N Williams Avenue
Learn more: (503) 288-5157
Mi Burrito
This friendly North Portland Mexican spot has held its spot in North Portland since 2015, serving everything from bacon-and-potato-filled burritos to buche tacos. Customers can call in for takeout orders.
Where to get it: 819 North Lombard Street
Learn more: miburritolombard.business.site, (503) 289-2260
Northeast
Loncheria Los Mayas
Parked in the lot outside Yonder, Loncheria Los Mayas is known for its juicy, tender cochinita pibil, which has a nice balance of heat from the achiote and sweetness from the orange. The pro move is to ask for extra pickled onions.
Where to get it: 4636 NE 42nd Avenue
Learn more: (503) 754-3059
El Yucateco
This Argay food cart is another place to get a stellar cochinita pibil, stacked with garnishes on a char-blistered tortilla. The other move at Yucateco is to get the panuchos, bean-stuff tostadas.
Where to get it: 13116 NE Sandy Blvd
Learn more: (503) 724-3759
Santo Domingo Taqueria
Another Cully-area standby, Santo Domingo serves tacos filled with everything from mole-stewed chicken to buche and tripa, as well as larger format dishes served with tortillas like camarones a la diabla. Santo Domingo is on a wide array of delivery platforms and offers online ordering for pickups.
Where to get it: 5447 NE 42nd Avenue
Learn more: sdtaqueriapdx.com, (503) 284-8446
Tacos Pa Ella
This Alberta taco cart dresses its tacos in creative, bright salsas, which the cart is offering for takeout from its spot in Bantu Island Food Carts. Tacos Pa Ella also offers a number of burrito options, for those looking for something more substantial.
Where to get it: 1530 NE Alberta Street
Learn more: (503) 960-5858
Southeast
Tierra del Sol
This Oaxacan cart within the Portland Mercado is open for takeout via online ordering, with tacos on blue corn tortillas filled with pastor, lengua, and other tried-and-true staples. The other option is to get a huge container of one of the cart’s exceptional moles to fill tortillas at home.
Where to get it: 7238 SE Foster Road
Learn more: tierradelsolpdx.com, (503) 975-4805
Matt’s BBQ Tacos
One of Portland’s most renowned pit-masters, Matt Vicedomini’s barbecue cart closed for a few weeks, but has reopened for weekend dinners. Diners can pre-order kits with tortillas, meats, and other taco toppings for build-at-home taco nights. There are limited amounts, and reservations go live each Sunday at 9 a.m.
Where to get it: 3207 SE Hawthorne Boulevard
Learn more: mattsbbqpdx.com
La Morenita
This Hawthorne taco truck offers a number of taco fillings, including crowd-pleasers like carnitas and chorizo. La Morenita is also treasured for its burritos, so it’s worth it to try both and see which comes out on top.
Where to get it: 3207 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Learn more: (503) 891-0005
Taqueria Lindo Michoacan
A longstanding taco cart on Division, Lindo Michoacan is serving a number of taco fillings, including barbacoa, cabeza, and pastor. Those meats can appear in tortas and burritos, as well.
Where to get it: 4035 SE Division Street
Learn more: (503) 313-6864
La Osita PDX
This Mill Park taco truck is the place to be for breakfast tacos with thick slabs of bacon, as well as super flavorful carne asada tacos and vegan griddled vegetable tacos.
Where to get it: 1515-A SE 122nd Avenue
Learn more: laositapdx.com, (503)-358-3364
The West Side
La Pinata Takos
This Southwest 3rd food cart separates its tacos into two categories: “Street tacos,” with corn tortillas, meat, onions, cilantro, and “Americano tacos,” flour tortillas with fixings like cheese, sour cream, and guac. As a bonus, this taco cart has a couple of fish tacos, and various taco combo plates. The cart is on delivery apps like Grubhub, as well.
Where to get it: 432 SW 3rd Ave
Learn more: (503) 943-9725
Taqueria Villanueva
A longstanding Portland food truck, Taqueria Villanueva is open for pico de gallo-topped tacos, fajita-style tacos, and gorditas.
Where to get it: The corner of SW 3rd Avenue and SW Oak Street
Learn more: (503) 890-6537
Papi Chulo’s
A new-ish taqueria in the Pearl District, Papi Chulo’s may be one of the most central spots for birria, served in crunchy tacos with the customary side of beef broth. Papi Chulo’s is also offering taco kits and margarita mix for pre-order, with handmade corn tortillas, beer, and a variety of salsas.
Where to get it: 611 NW 13th Avenue
Learn more: papichulospdx.com, (503) 206-6085
Carlita’s
This whiskey bar and taqueria offers tacos filled with pork belly or blackened salmon for takeout and delivery through Uber Eats and Caviar. Customers can also get mason jars filled with margarita mix, with flavors like passionfruit or blackberry.
Where to get it: 1101 NW Northrup Street
Learn more: carlitaspdx.com, (971) 352-6991
Gresham
Tortilleria Y Tienda De Leon
This grocery store and deli is still open for takeout, and as an added bonus, the deli’s setup allows for very easy large-format taco kits — customers can order carnitas, chicken mole, and chicharrones by the pound.
Where to get it: 16223 NE Glisan Street, Gresham
Learn more: salsaslocas.com, (503) 255-4356
Mi Pueblo Taqueria
A tiny drive-thru operation on Division, Mi Pueblo is still offering takeout, including its no-joke tripa tacos. The carnitas at Mi Pueblo is also seriously tender.
Where to get it: 17466 SE Division Street
Learn more: (503) 760-3666
Taqueria el Capullo
This taco cart is only open Thursdays through Sundays right now, but Taqueria el Capullo is a go-to spot for weekend birria de chivo. The goat tacos, in general, are always a winner.
Where to get it: 400 SE 185th Avenue
Learn more: (503) 268-3653
La Tía Juana Taqueria
This casual taco shop is not only a smart choice for those craving carne asada; La Tía Juana also offers vampiros, in which the taco lands somewhere between a dorado and a quesadilla, held together with a mess of melty cheese and meat.
Where to get it: 18488 East Burnside Street
Learn more: la-tia-juana-taqueria.business.site, (503) 328-9691
Don Ladis Taco Shop
Don Ladis has stayed open during the shutdown, taking curbside orders via phone and offering delivery through apps like Uber Eats and Postmates. The general best moves come in the form of cabeza or carne asada, though the breakfast tacos aren’t a bad idea in the mornings.
Where to get it: 660 NW Eastman Pkwy
Learn more: (503) 669-2489
Multiple Locations
Azul Tequila Taqueria
With a food truck in the same lot as staples Jojo and Holy Trinity Barbecue, as well as one in Montavilla, Azul Tequila Taqueria serves a full array of tacos, including its excellent spicy tinga chicken tacos and its limited time barbacoa tacos on crispy tortillas. It’s available for takeout and delivery while the pods remain closed for dining.
Where to get it: 3582 SE Powell Boulevard and 7700 SE Stark Street
Learn more: Azul Tequila Taqueria 2
Los Gorditos
Well known for its generous array of vegan and vegetarian options, Los Gorditos has two locations currently available, one on lower SE Division Street, and another in the Pearl District. Both of them have online order forms available here.
Where to get it: 1212 SE Division Street and 922 NW Davis Street
Learn more: www.losgorditospdx.com (503) 962-0703
Tamale Boy
While primarily known for its titular items, Tamale Boy has a variety of taco options at both its Dekum and Russel Street locations. While there’s à la carte tacos available, the restaurant also has online order forms for taco bar meals for home cooking, with options for fillings, sides, and salsas. The forms can be filled out online and require 24-hours advance for the larger dinner items.
Where to get it: 1764 NE Dekum Street and 668 N Russell Street
Learn more: www.tamaleboy.com, (503) 206-8022 (Dekum), (503) 477-6706 (Russel)
La Bonita
A longstanding, family-owned group of casual counter service Mexican restaurants, La Bonita is offering takeout at all three of its locations, plus delivery out of the original Alberta Street location within a three-mile radius. Tacos are pretty straightforward, with options like carne asada, veggie fajitas, carnitas, and fish all topped with chopped onion and cilantro. Menus are available online.
Where to get it: 2839 NE Alberta Street, 2138 SE Division Street, 2710 N Killingsworth Street,
Learn more: labonitapdx.com(503) 281-3662 (Alberta), (503) 719-4598 (Division), (503) 278-3050 (Killingsworth)
Tehuana Oaxacan Cuisine
An exceptional Oaxacan cart on North Killingsworth, Tehuana has just opened its second cart in the new Nob Hill Food Carts pod. Both locations are open for takeout with plenty of taco options, as well as tlayudas, memelitas, and mole-soaked enchiladas.
Where to get it: 1331 N Killingsworth, 1845 NW 23rd Place
Learn more: (360) 721-3457
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