The best tacos in Miami, from late-night street food to tortilla-wrapped delicacies

This delightful North Beach taco shack serves street-style tacos in homemade blue masa corn tortillas. Though fillings can be a tad pared down, the quality never disappoints. Oh, and your order is not complete without a side of hot, fluffy totopos and guac. We could stuff a mattress full of them and sleep peacefully forever.

The house-made tortillas at Los Félix begin with corn imported specially for them and ground in-house into a well-textured masa. Those tortillas are used only for one taco on the menu, al pastor style, made with pork butt marinated in spices and vinegar and topped simply with onions, cilantro and pineapple. But several items on the Los Félix lineup become taco-like, especially the ultra-tender pork cheek carnitas braised in oranges, with pumpkin sprouts, a hazelnut salsa and some of those blue corn tortillas, creating one of the better DIY tacos.

We’re in a time when some of the most delicious things in Miami can only be obtained through a bit of hard work. That’s true with The Wolf, popping up somewhere, sometime soon, maybe near you. As of this posting, The Wolf appears Tuesday nights at J. Wakefield and Fridays until early morning at Dante’s HiFi. For those willing to look, you’ll find tacos of the simple Mexican street food variety: tortillas, meat, cilantro, onions, salsa. Specials abound, though, including occasional birria numbers and collab menus with fellow local talents.

Wynwood’s answer to Tulum’s eco-chic restaurants is a stunner featuring an expansive outdoor bar dimly lit by rustic strewn lanterns. The tacos cover an assortment of regional Mexican varieties, like carnitas, concinita pibil and grasshoppers. But we're partial to the build-your-own option under the grilled section, combining large cuts of meats and whole fish with a basket of tortillas and all the toppings. 

This MiMo walk-up on Biscayne Boulevard serves some of Miami's very best tacos, burritos and nachos. Try the birria tacos, served with the perfect consommé dip for the meaty, cheesy filling. The simple classics also really shine, especially the carnitas. Seeking something a bit more substantial? The steak burrito stuffed with crispy potatoes never disappoints, and the nachos with a generous side of melted queso mixto are truly addictive. The vibe is highly casual, with outdoor-only seating on picnic tables and a smattering of high-tops.

No taco roundup would be complete without Coyo, the mighty Wynwood spot that spawned a global chain of beloved Mexican restaurants. Its first location continues to be its most popular with its outdoor picnic benches crammed with people tearing into tacos, burritos and other Mexican plates daily. The menu is filled mostly with stuff you’d recognize (and happily scarf down), like al pastor and carne asada. But don’t be afraid to branch out—for instance, try the carnitas de pato with extra (like, a lot) of Coyo’s house-made hot sauce. You’ll never crave regular carnitas ever again.

The best part about visiting Mexico is finding those taco spots on every corner, serving up what might be the best thing you've ever eaten in a tortilla. Tacos El Porky, a tiny fast-food-quick spot in downtown, is going for that vibe, as evidenced by its trompo, a towering triangle of al pastor pork that gets shaved onto tacos with pineapple, onions and a cilantro mayo (add cheese to make it a “gringa”). As the name suggests, there's more pork than just pastor, with crispy fried chicharron served up simply by their glorious selves or in one very porky taco.

A more done-up version of the surf shacks you expect to find in Baja or Cabo, Lolo’s brings the age-old tradition of enjoying tacos on the beach to SoBe. Pick from a dozen different types of fillings, from carnitas and Baja fish to spicy shrimp and veggie, each one served in a white corn tortilla. Tacos are sold individually so go nuts mixing and matching, specifically on Tuesdays when they’re sold half-price.

A New York expat with three locations now in Miami (Wynwood is our favorite), Tacombi’s vibe lands somewhere between a bustling Bronx bodega and a Little Havana house party. They’re going for legit Mexican street food, which is obvious by the rotating spit of al pastor pork spinning in the kitchen, topped by a pineapple that gets sliced atop the tacos. But the real headliner here is the Cali-style fish taco, a Twinkie-sized hunk of beer-battered cod with roasted poblano mayo and fat-cutting slaw.

Those who are serious about omakase sushi will know this colorful taco shop as the secret way into Hiden. But it’s also a worthwhile stop on its own, with a large menu of Mexican street food tacos largely found on the Baja Peninsula, meaning the fish tacos here covered in slaw and pico are the way to go. 

Like everyone else in the middle of the pandemic, El Primo went nuts for birria tacos, so much so that the quick downtown spot built a whole menu around them. There are birria tacos, of course, which you can dress up with cheese and guac. But there are also birria-style tostadas, nachos, burritos and a smash burger. What got them a lot of Instagram love early on, though, was the birriamen, a heaping helping of ramen noodles and fixings served in fatty, beefy birria drippings.

This old-school Mexican joint got a much-needed facelift a couple of years ago courtesy of the Ball & Chain team. The food got an update too, including a fresh brunch menu with hangover-curing classics—think chilaquiles and huevos rancheros—served in its sprawling back courtyard. The simple Mexican tacos that made this place famous are still around, and they’re still just four bucks. Also at Taquerias: an upstairs Mexican candy shop that leads into a secret cocktail lounge. Both are worth checking out.

Find this Mexican gem hiding among the many Cuban concepts along Little Havan’s Calle Ocho. Don’t expect any flair or Miami pizzazz here—just a simple neighborhood spot that slings affordable, addictive tacos. Case in point: $6.50 will get you a triplet of classic tacos, such as carnitas or chorizo. No-nonsense grub this tasty is a dying breed in Miami. Eat up while it lasts.

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it casual spot in Brickell serves tacos that honor owner Derek Gonzalez’s late Aunt Pilo. Grab a lunch to-go or sit outside and people-watch over dinner and a beer. When you’re in the mood for something a little different, Pilo’s can deliver on that with tacos featuring slow-cooked rib eye, brisket and cactus. The guac even sneaks in fresh cucumber for an extra dose of brightness in an already perfect dip. Pilo’s recently opened a second, larger location in Wynwood should you need to spread out a little more with your taco feast.

Family-owned Caja Caliente is the proud inventor of “the original Cuban taco,” a tasty mashup served wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. It turns out that when Cuba meets Mexico, delicious things happen, such as a taco stuffed with lechón, black beans pico de gallo and Caja’s addictive aioli (AKA green sauce). Caja offers a number of locally inspired creations, like the gator taco, as well as lighter options, like the grilled mahi-mahi. Be warned: these tacos are large so one and you might be done.

From the folks who brought you Cantina La Veinte comes this modern Mexican restaurant in the shiny, upscale Brickell City Centre. The tacos are tasty and make for a perfect lunch break in between perusing the sprawling outdoor mall. There’s some showmanship to the food but the performative factor doesn’t detract from the flavors. Doing it for the ’gram? Order the asada steak and your tacos will come propped up in a shot glass of dipping sauce. Or how about a giant chicharrón hanging on clothespins? Both are tasty.

Bodega is a double-threat—tacos in the front, a trendy lounge in the back. But unlike most duel nightlife/food concepts, it actually serves damn tasty food. A margarita and a couple of tacos are never a bad idea at the open-air Mexican joint—especially if it’s a nice day. A rotating list of special tacos keeps things interesting, but ain’t nothing wrong with sticking to their delightful al pastor.

From humble beginnings in a gas station, Morelia now has two locations, in Florida City and Homestead. Here, the tacos are in Michoacán style, with tons of salsa and meats, including carne asada, shredded pork, chicken, shredded beef, Mexican-style pork, tongue and tripe.

A Honduran restaurant, Jennifer’s is best in the morning hours, where you can score what’s essentially a folded-in-half giant taco, stuffed with chorizo, eggs, beans, cheese and crema. Some advice: order one, because this quesadilla-sized taco is a meal.

Here’s another worthy entry from our delicious friends down in Homestead, where you can order up a huge pile of tacos for shockingly little money. Can’t decide between the shredded beef, chicharron with salsa verde, marinated pork, chicken, tripe, chorizo and other fillings? Get the Taquiza La Cruzada, a sampler plate with five different types of tacos