Fusion tacos are the star here, with perhaps one of the most unique taco menus in the Triangle. Try the Moo Moo III (seared filet mignon with rajas), the Red Bird (an achiote-marinated chicken adobado), or the Porky Asia (smoked pork belly with cabbage and apple relish). The 13th Taco is a constantly changing chef’s special, and recently was a take on tacos de canasta (basket tacos), featuring seared Gulf shrimp inside three corn tortillas, grilled in the style of birria tacos and served with arroz crema and cowboy style beans.

Gonza Tacos y Tequila serves a menu as bright and refreshing as the decor inside its four Wake County locations. There’s a Baja-style fish taco, a chicken tinga taco, an al pastor taco, and more. The Lacko taco comes with chile-braised short ribs, roasted corn, a spicy creme fraiche, and poblano salsa. There is usually a rotating special taco del chef. All the tacos can be washed down with some of the signature margaritas and cocktails.

The Lobos food truck menu is simple and focuses on what it does best — tacos and pupusas. At $2 to $2.50 a taco, diners can mix and match varieties like chicharron, al pastor, and chorizo. There are three options for pupusas, and a limited number of other items like a Mexican hot dog, a burrito, and tortas — but the tacos and pupusas are the main draw here.

El Rey del Taco serves Oaxacan-style tacos and treats from two colorful blue taco trucks that roam Raleigh. There are grilled tilapia tacos, barbacoa tacos made with slow cooked beef chuck marinated in a guajillo chile sauce, and buche tacos — pan fried pork tripe. The trucks also offer quesadillas and a torta menu featuring telera-style bread baked fresh by Neomonde Bakery.

What started as two taco trucks has grown into two brick-and-mortar locations serving some of Raleigh’s most-talked-about tacos. The “tacos any style” come with three tacos and the diners choice of fillings such as carne asada, pollo, chorizo, and more. The speciality tacos include the Gym Tacos (shrimp, spring mix lettuces, chipotle mayo, pico, and avocado crema) and the mahi-mahi tacos (mahi-mahi with spring mix lettuces, poblano aioli, and mango sauce). Gym Tacos also offers burgers, wings, burritos, quesadillas, and more.

This unassuming food truck on Capital Boulevard happens to be one of the most highly rated taco joints in Raleigh. Don Beto El Poblano fills handmade corn tortillas with any variety of meats, like carnitas, lengua, barbacoa, and more. The chicharron tacos come with meltingly-tender pork skins, perfectly set off by any of the truck’s salsas. There are chips and drinks available, as well as various soups, tortas, quesadillas, and the occasional special.

La Santa has more than just tacos, but when it comes to tacos it’s got stuff for everyone. For a jazzed-up take on typical Mexican-American fare look for the gringas, your choice of steak, al pastor, or barbacoa on corn tortillas, or the Chori Pollo, with chicken, chorizo, pineapple, and more on flour tortillas. Looking for a more traditional experience? There’s an entire menu of tacos de la calle. Truly one of the most extensive taco menus in the Triangle.

Gringo a Go Go’s cantina style taco offerings are unique in that they offer a large number of vegetarian and vegan fillings alongside the classics. There are vegan versions of al pastor, pollo, chorizo, carnitas, and beef as well as vegetarian fillings like potato and nopales. Of course omnivores can always opt for a classic pork carnitas or asada steak taco. All tacos are enhanced by a huge selection of salsas such as pico de gallo, chipotle, serrano, peanut, and more.

Taqueria El Toro is a classic strip mall counter-service style taco joint, with wildly affordable tacos that cover all of the classic hits. Think two pollo tacos for a mere $1.69, or two carnitas tacos for $1.89. There are also al pastor, tripa, suadero, hongos, and more on the menu. Virtually all the taco fillings can also be enjoyed as burritos, tortas, gorditas, quesadillas, or sopes, making the combination possibilities truly endless.