With decent-to-excellent taco carts gracing nearly every Portland neighborhood these days, it takes something truly special to lure Portland denizens to the furthest end of the blue line in Hillsboro. Ochoa’s is indeed that extraordinary, filling their tacos filled 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. Ochoa’s is open daily until 9:30 p.m., offering takeout as well as both indoor and outdoor seating in the truly old-school restaurant.

Found on the TV highway right in the middle of Hillsboro and Beaverton, El Patron has a wide variety of classic street tacos on soft tortillas, dorados in hard-shell tortillas, queso tacos with flour tortillas, and tacos de alambre using crispy cheese. Tacos El Patron is one of the few spots where diners can find cheesy quesabirria alongside a wider selection of meats, from lengua to fish. El Patron is open seven days a week, with limited morning-only Mondays.

Operating out of a food truck just south of downtown Beaverton, El Jefe brings a variety of Mexican dishes and smoky chicken to the Westside. 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, as well. Diners should also keep an eye out for specials, like spit-roasted al pastor. El Jefe is open for takeout every day.

Don’t let the haphazard sign and makeshift plywood shelter fool you: This food cart makes some of the best carnitas not only in St. Johns, but in Portland. Potato-chip-crispy at its edges and massively flavorful, a single carnitas taco doesn’t go for more than $2.50. The seafood options are also tender and bright, with a squiggle of crema and a handful of slaw. El Coyote is open for takeout and covered picnic-bench outdoor seating Monday through Saturday.

Tucked in the back of the Killingsworth Station food cart pod, Tehuana serves Oaxacan-style dishes to enjoy at the pod’s many tables or during a game of pool. The chipotle pork tacos on handmade tortillas are pure heaven with a squirt of the cart’s house-made, broodingly dark morita salsa. Tehuana is open for takeout and outdoor dining from Wednesday to Sunday.

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. Little Conejo is open for dining in and takeout Tuesday through Saturday, as well as Sunday brunch. A second “burrito trailer” location in Ridgefield is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Located in the heart of Belmont, Taco Gang is a bit of a newer resident in the taco community. 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. Taco Gang is open Tuesday through Saturday for takeout and limited outdoor dining.

Located inside the Zipper on Sandy Boulevard, Tight Tacos has a cult following for its no-joke carnitas and al pastor on house-made tortillas. Vegetarians will likely prefer the “impastor” cauliflower tacos, pastor-style in an adobo marinade. Tight Tacos is open for takeout as well as both indoor and outdoor dining at the Zipper, Tuesday through Sunday, until 8 p.m. most days and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Tight Tacos also has three sister locations — one on southeast Division and two in Hawaii.

After opening on Belmont during the pandemic last year, Los Puñales has easily become a staple taqueria in Portland. Los Puñales serves a huge variety of guisados on handmade tortillas, alongside a range of aguas frescas occasionally spiked with tequila. While the classic guisados here are great, the beauty of Los Puñales lies in the more unconventional fillings like the garlicky steak al pesto and fried chile relleno. Los Puñales is open Tuesday through Sunday for takeout and onsite dining.

This Reed-area market serves some of the finest carnitas, asada, and cabeza tacos in Portland. 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 is unforgettable. The market and tacqueria are open seven days a week until 8 p.m.

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. Loncheria Los Mayas is open for walk-up orders Monday through Friday.

A recent arrival at Oregon City’s Corner 14 food pod, Adelina’s cart has quickly become one of the most popular takeout destinations in the suburb. Adelina’s offers one of the region’s best value meals, with a $10 taco combo featuring tender beans, savory Mexican rice, three tacos, and generous additions of limes and radishes. Adelina’s is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for takeout or covered outdoor dining at the Corner 14 pod.

The great thing about Portland Mercado’s cluster of Latin American food carts is that diners can mix and match cuisines from all over Central and South America. But no visit is complete without Tierra del Sol’s tacos, all served on organic blue corn tortillas. Owner Amalia Sierra serves three of her deeply complex moles — a dark and robust coloradito, a vegetal pipian, and a bright and lively amarillo — in tacos, an ideal solution for those wanting to try all three. Tienda del Sol is open for takeout until 8 p.m. every day, along with ample covered outdoor and limited indoor seating in the Mercado.

This wonderland of a supermarket has some serious guisados at its deli counter, from chicken in mole to cochinita pibil. But the mercado’s carnitas, boosted with a dose of perky nopales, is the clear front-runner for top taco. The deli counter here is also ideal for grabbing some take-home items to eat later or incorporate into a meal. Tienda De Leon is open for takeout every day until 6 p.m.

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 saving room for. As the name implies, pork is the star here. Can’t decide between the shredded pork carnitas or the cubed pork belly in spicy honey chili lime sauce? Go for the taco sampler to keep the whole party happy. Frequently changing daily specials and raffles featuring local businesses keep regulars on their toes. Currently Las Chicas Carnitas is only open Fridays and Saturdays, takeout only.

The secret is out on the east Multnomah county taco renaissance, home of a growing, diverse population creating — and consuming — foods informed and inspired by all many parts of Latin America. El Rinconcito Michoacáno, on the far eastern end of Southeast Stark within Portland city limits, is particularly adept at Tlaxcalan tacos al vapor: steamed tacos generously filled with potatoes, beans, shredded beef, or pork rinds, and then brushed with hot oil for an especially filling treat. Located in the back of the large La Tapatia Market, El Rinconcito Michoacáno offers takeout or dining in its bright, cheerful space seven days a week.