Best street tacos in Atlanta: Where to go and what to order

​“Order for McClain,” comes through a speaker from inside a pink taco truck.

It’s a Tuesday night outside 97 Estoria, the neighborhood dive bar next to Atlanta’s graffiti-lined Krog Street Tunnel. Customers are lined up at Vice Taco Truck for tacos al pastor. Owner Alejandro Godinez moves between orders and greetings, stopping to hug regulars and call customers by name.

Godinez isn’t just selling tacos. He’s creating community.

Street tacos are community.

What are street tacos?

Street tacos are rooted in a simple idea: food made to order and eaten in areas where people gather.

They typically start with a small corn tortilla, about 4 to 6 inches across, filled with meat or another savory filling and often topped with onion, cilantro and salsa.

In the 1970s, the first taco trucks brought Mexican street food to Latino day laborers in Los Angeles. They parked near agricultural fields during the day and outside nightclubs at night. Mexican migration and taco truck culture grew together, becoming an increasingly visible part of American cities.

Where to Eat Street Tacos in Atlanta

Standing outside Vice Taco on a Tuesday night, watching strangers connect, shake hands and share stories over tacos, it is easy to understand why they create community.

And Atlanta has plenty of places to experience it.

Below are our picks for Atlanta street tacos, with what to order and what to know before you go.

Vice Taco

Don’t let the pink exterior and the bright palm tree painted on the side fool you. This Miami-themed-looking truck has some of the most authentic Mexican street tacos in the city.

Vice Taco uses blue corn tortillas and stacks their tacos with a variety of proteins. The carne asada (grilled steak) is tender, the pollo asado (grilled chicken) is citrus-marinated with a kick to it and the al pastor (pork) is a fan favorite with bold flavors. There is always a fourth option with mushrooms, Mexican squash, bell peppers, corn and other vegetables.

The salsa verde, inspired by the owner’s Jalisco roots, is a must-have. Truly grateful that its salsas are spicy.

Vice Taco is at 97 Estoria every Tuesday and across the city throughout the week. Check its Instagram to catch the truck.

Around town. vicetaco.com. Follow on social @vicetacotruck.

El Santo Gallo Taqueria

El Santo Gallo started as an established restaurant in Westside Paper, where the owners, with strong roots in Mexico City, wanted to bring the idea of a common taqueria — exactly how they experience it in the city.

The tile on the walls, the aluminum beer-branded tables, the bright orange plastic plates and the big trompo in sight are key elements of a real taqueria. The menu is simple, not overcomplicated.

Now, El Santo Gallo has expanded to a pop-up with a rolling tile counter and a food truck that serves at Bar Incognito on the Westside.

950 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. elsantogallotaco.com.

La Mixteca Tamale House

Tucked in a shopping center on West Midtown on Chattahoochee Avenue, this restaurant serves so much more than tamales. The thick, fresh homemade tortillas, stuffed with a generous amount of protein, make this place a must for street tacos. The asada is tender and perfectly seasoned, not needing the salsa to save the day — but still add the salsa. Reach for the red one here, and water it down with a cold agua fresca.

1465 Chattahoochee Ave. NE, Atlanta. mixtecatamales.com.

El Progreso #14

In the back of a grocery store, just across the street from Atlanta’s Federal Correctional Institution in Southeast Atlanta, is a not-so-well-kept-secret Mexican food heaven, particularly for street tacos.

Order at the register, get a number and wait for your plastic foam plate packed with double-corn-tortilla street tacos.