With decent-to-excellent taco carts gracing nearly every Portland neighborhood these days, it takes something truly special to lure Portlanders to the furthest end of the blue line in Hillsboro. Ochoa’s is indeed that extraordinary, filling their tacos with grilled proteins as tender and flavorful as the very best barbecue. With 16 different meat options, carnivores making the trip out west shouldn’t stick to just one — don’t hesitate to add goat, buche, or tripas to the order.

Mr. Pique is one of two trucks on TV Highway that are only open on weekends and only serve one type of taco: cabeza. The stewed cabeza is fatty and rich, and is commonly served as a street food hangover cure in places like Mexico City. The move here is to get a cup of the consomé con carne for dipping and sipping. Those averse to higher amounts of capsaicin should ask for no salsa or salsa on the side, as this bright and zippy habanero salsa packs a punch. Luckily, horchata and a rotating agua fresca are also available to cool things off.

Operating out of a food truck just south of downtown Beaverton, El Jefe brings a variety of Mexican dishes and smoky chicken to the west side. The specialty here is obviously the “pollo al carbon” or charcoal-grilled chicken, but there is also a good selection of other meats that can be served as street tacos. Diners should also keep an eye out for specials, like spit-roasted al pastor. El Jefe is also expected to open its first brick and mortar on Pacific Highway in Tigard next to Mike's Drive-In sometime later this spring.

It's well established that this tiny St. Johns tienda slings some of the neighborhood’s finest tacos. Standouts are the lengua, carnitas, and tacos al pastor, given some extra oomph with the restaurant’s garlicky, bright avocado salsa. Santa Cruz also excels at meats such as buche, cueritos, and cabeza.

Limited (and admittedly worn) signage adorns a makeshift cart that relies on its food to do the talking. El Coyote is known locally for having the best carnitas not only in St. Johns, but arguably in Portland — potato-chip-crispy at its edges and massively flavorful. The chorizo here, however, might be the sleeper hit: The meat is fluffy and chewy, with an almost smoky complexity that shouldn’t be missed.

This cheerful counter-service taqueria in Vancouver grinds its own masa every day for its tortillas, which end up loaded with wild-tasting lamb barbacoa, juicy and flavorful suadero, and wicked-crispy logs of chorizo filled with gooey cheese. Any combination works well with the restaurant’s extensive mezcal collection.

Just off MLK Blvd. on Northeast Killingsworth sits this canary-yellow taqueria, one of the few in the city actually using a trompo. Fans of tacos al pastor will certainly be at home here, as the restaurant’s vertical spits slowly twirl with sliced and marinated pork or beef. Pig Patas specializes in "Chilango-style," which is a term used to describe the street food from Mexico City, but it's surprisingly the Tex-Mex, house-made wheat tortilla tacos filled with toppings like bacon, carne asada, pickled onion, cheese, and so on that steal the show here.

Located in the heart of Belmont, Taco Gang is a bit of a newer entrant into Portland’s taco scene, but it has already accrued its fair share of devotees. While the menu here is a bit simplified compared to others on the list, the tacos have the option of flour or handmade corn tortillas. For those wondering what protein to get, the perfectly crispy carnitas or the spicy chorizo is the move here.

With a new central location zeroing in on its tacos and burritos, Tortilleria y Tienda De Leon’s remains one of the city’s best spots for guisados. Lightly blistered tortillas arrive packed with saucy chicken tinga or saucy braised birria, with a strong selection of acidic salsas. Guisados change frequently, from bistec con nopales to citrusy cochinita pibil; they’re also available by the pound, to create a taco night at home.

After opening on Belmont during the pandemic, Los Puñales has easily become a staple taqueria in Portland. The explicitly queer taco shop serves a huge variety of guisados on handmade tortillas, alongside a range of aguas frescas occasionally spiked with tequila. Unlike many guisado shops, the Belmont taqueria also offers a number of vegan guisados as well, including soy curl tinga and mole poblano.

This Reed-area market serves some of the finest carnitas, asada, and cabeza tacos in the area. All three are lusciously marbled with fat, with crispy edges on the asada and carnitas. The pastor is a sleeper hit; no, it’s not roasted on a trompo, but the marinade’s pairing of pineapple and guajillo adds a nice balance to the pork.

This Northeast Portland food cart serves a stunning cochinita pibil taco on handmade tortillas, dotted with pickled onions and radishes. The lengua is no slouch, either — super flavorful with balanced texture — and those seeking something outside the scope of a taco can grab the panuchos, a Yucatecan fried and bean-stuffed tortilla topped with pickled onions and other fixings.

Having crashed the barbecue party with the original Matt’s BBQ and collaborated with some Portland culinary greats to open Eem, Matt Vicedomini’s next trick is wading fearlessly into the crowded Portland taco scene. Specializing in, but not limited to, breakfast tacos, Matt’s BBQ Tacos in the Hinterland pod on Southeast 50th presents Matt’s signature charred-but-succulent brisket, pulled pork, and other expertly smoked delights in airy flour or weighty corn tortillas. Breakfast options generously pile on the eggs, potatoes, and guac and are easily the best in the city. Matt's BBQ Tacos is also operating a second location at Great Notion Brewery on Alberta Street.

Tucked unassumingly behind the rough and rowdy Foster Gardens, La Hidalguense’s no-nonsense taco cart is a gem of Foster-Powell. Named after the diverse state of Hidalgo, just north of Mexico City, La Hidalguense serves tender pollo, tangy al pastor, and juicy camaron tacos with equal confidence. Lunchtime waits can be lengthy on busier days — with no onsite seating, calling ahead is advised.

In the same food cart pod as Birrieria La Plaza is El Catrin, a small yellow taco cart with a surprisingly large menu including typical Mexican platters, tortas, sopes, and the like. El Catrin builds its tacos on freshly made tortillas using everything from suadero to chorizo, while the salsas are almost in a league of their own. The thick, blended consistency is something to behold, and they take these tacos to the next level.

Visiting a Costco without indulging in one of America’s greatest values can take iron will, but Las Chica Carnitas within steps of Camas’s Costco warehouse is well worth the diversion. As the name implies, pork is the star here, whether it’s the shredded pork carnitas or the cubed pork belly in spicy honey-chile lime sauce. The taco sampler is a tour of them all, and a smart choice when visiting with a group. Frequently changing daily specials and raffles featuring local businesses keep regulars on their toes.