What makes a great taco? Is it the quality of the tortilla, the tastiness of the filling, or all the extras sprinkled and drizzled on top? The very best excel at all of the above, and then some. From traditional soft tacos with tender meats to crispy shells, inventive fillings, and vegan versions, these are the best tacos in every state.

Smoked meat connoisseur and food truck, Porky’s Pride has won several awards for its steak tacos and customers confirm they truly are excellent. You get two per order and they're filled with brisket (or pork), hot slaw, crema, red sauce, cheese, and scallions. Always on the move, find out where the charming vendor will be next on social media.

Previously a commercial fisherman, the owner of Deckhand Dave's used to cook fresh catches for the boat crew. He now prepares fresh fish tacos from his waterfront food truck in Downtown Juneau. When it's open (May-October), head down for the customer favorite: beer-battered halibut tacos served with red cabbage slaw, pico de gallo (fresh tomato salsa), crema, and cilantro.

If you’re in the mood to feast, The Mission – which has two restaurants in Scottsdale – has you covered. It serves modern Latin food and everyone who visits raves about the roasted pork shoulder tacos. The meat is smoked and slow braised, then covered in pineapple and habañero glaze. It comes as a shareable dish with 10 hand-pressed tortillas, so you can build your own wraps.

Head to dive bar The Fold in Little Rock to try some of the best shrimp tacos around. Bursting with flavour, grilled shrimp is topped with scallions, spicy chipotle crema, cheese, and cilantro in a corn tortilla. You get three per plate and a choice of red or black beans, which customers love. The margaritas are excellent too.

Starting life as a food truck, Teddy's Red Tacos got so popular it was able to expand to three brick-and-mortar locations (as well as the food vans) in Los Angeles. Its speciality is rich and spicy beef birria tacos with red consommé and cheese packed into crispy, light tortillas. Nowhere else does them quite like this, so it's no surprise it gets a lot of media attention.

If you’re heading to Tacos Tequila Whiskey, a loud and lively restaurant with two locations in Denver, the pork belly 'agridulce' street taco is not to be missed. It features a huge piece of tender pork belly that has been braised in a sweet and sour marinade, plus candied garlic, cabbage slaw, and a super-soft tortilla. It comes with extra braising sauce on the side.

The ultimate destination for tacos and cocktails, Bartaco has many options including the conventional Baja fish (spicy tempura cod) and quirky, crispy oyster tacos. A customer favorite is the glazed pork belly taco. When you order takeout it comes with spicy arbol chili (a potent Mexican variety) sauce, cilantro, and mini-corn tortillas.

What better place to order seafood tacos than this seasonal seafront taqueria on Fenwick Island? The menu at Grab & Go Taco is simple, with just a handful of options including blackened or beer-battered fish (catch of the day), shrimp, steak, and veggie. The former is always a winner, but whatever you order is served fresh and topped with 'green crack' (a house-made avocado sauce), cheese, and slaw.

Taquiza helped to put Miami’s Mexican cuisine on the culinary map, thanks mostly to its fabulously flavorsome tacos. If you want something a little different, order the lengua tacos with tender, well-seasoned beef tongue (braised in Victoria beer, bay leaf, and onion), served on a blue tortilla. It's a standout dish.

The tacos at El Rey del Taco, just outside Atlanta, are regularly raved about by customers. The traditional, late-opening Mexican taqueria serves carne asada (grilled and sliced beef), barbacoa (slow-cooked goat meat), and Mexican-style chorizo. The carnitas (slow-cooked pulled pork) are known for having loads of flavor.

Those who have discovered Thyda’s Tacos, a colorful food truck in Honolulu, reckon it gives California’s Mexican-style restaurants and taco trucks a run for their money. The asada, or steak, is particularly good, well-seasoned, tender, and topped on tacos with crunchy, zingy veg, herbs, and sauces. The portions doled out here are pretty generous too.

Get your morning off to the right start with the bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos at Tin Roof Tacos. The joint is run by two sisters from Texas and patrons love the customer service and value for money. You’ll often see queues running out the door, and there are also veggie options like black beans or just egg and cheese.

At chic Chicago taqueria Antique Taco (which has two outposts in the city), the garlic shrimp tacos are the ones to try. Shrimp is paired with spiced cauliflower, basil, avocado, and fried kale in tiny tortillas. If crunchy tacos are your thing, head down on Taco Tuesday, which is when they're served here.

Regulars rave about the pork tacos at El Taco Real. Keeping it simple, the meat filling is combined with salad, salsa, and cheese in soft flour, corn, or hard corn shells. There’s a reason El Taco Real has stayed in operation since 1974 and it’s because loyal customers love it. Prepare to become one.

The unassuming La Tienda is where you'll find some of the best carnitas tacos in the state. Don’t expect it to be fancy, just warm, flaky tortillas encasing perfectly seasoned pork – the meat alone has so much flavour you barely need the coriander and onion. This is Iowa’s best-kept secret.

At tiny street-style taco house El Camino Real, you can get tacos al pastor (spit-grilled pork) for just a couple of dollars and be served complimentary chips and salsa on arrival. Watch as the fresh corn tortillas are prepared from scratch and the meat sizzles away on the spit. All of this, as well as the friendly service, make it the best place to get tacos in Kansas.

If you take tacos seriously, the super-casual Bandido Taqueria Mexicana, with two restaurants in Louisville, is for you. The Maui wowie soft tacos (filled with marinated pork, grilled pineapple, cilantro, guacamole, and onion) are just perfect. You can also customize them at the salsa bar with house-made salsas, grilled jalapeños, and veggies. 

The signature dish at fun taco joint Pacos Tacos, which has two other locations in Mandeville and Harvey, is the rock taco. It’s a hard taco filled with slow-cooked, pit-style chuck roast and cheese, and it comes with a tub of consommé on the side for dipping. Customers can’t get enough of it, especially as the prices are so reasonable.

It’s the fresh corn tortillas that put the tacos at Vazquez Mexican Takeout among the best food in Maine. Filled with spicy chorizo, onions, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and sour cream, it doesn’t get much better than this. Customers have admitted to driving for hours just to get their fix. The spot opens seasonally (closed in winter) and also has a great outdoor area with picnic tables.

At classy taco joint Clavel, opened by Mexican-born chef Carlos Raba, the lengua taco is the star dish. Diced beef tongue is cooked until tender and served in a corn tortilla with zingy salsa verde. Customers say it melts in your mouth and that the restaurant really does the dish justice.

For a great barbacoa taco, low-lit, buzzing Lone Star Taco Bar, which has venues in Boston and Cambridge, is your place. It comes loaded with avocado crema, juicy brisket, pickled onions, and crumbled cheese, and is the customer favorite. Although the Baja fish, carnitas, and huevos rancheros come pretty close.

It's the little touches at M Cantina that make its gourmet tacos a cut above the rest. For example the beloved chiles rellenos tacos feature a deep-fried poblano pepper that's stuffed with queso fresco (a light, crumbly cheese), fresh salsa, rice, and beans, and are finished with micro popcorn.

Head to Colita for seriously fancy Mexican fare. The tortillas are made with masa dough that’s ground on-site then allowed to hang out to ferment, which adds more flavour. The lamb barbacoa tacos with anchovies, caper berries, onions, and cilantro are among customer favorites. They're not cheap but every mouthful is worth it.

All the tacos at authentic Mexican restaurant El Tarasco Taqueria & Restaurant are packed with flavor, but many customers agree that the al pastor tacos are particularly delicious – unbelievably so, in fact. They’re filled with crisp, beautifully marinated pork, herbs, and crunchy veg, and every bite explodes with flavor. Be sure to get a side of the excellent guacamole too, and watch out for the spicy red sauce.

The tacos dished up at Taco Buddha taste as vibrant, zingy, and downright delightful as they look. The menu has a variety of fillings, mostly Tex-Mex and Cali-Mex classics plus twists like Nashville hot chicken, with one taco highlighted as the special of the month. The Taos (pictured) bursts with green chili-marinated pork, crunch cabbage, avocado, citrus-pickled red onion, cotija cheese, and cilantro. There are good veggie options too.

Popular counter-serve spot Taco Montes dishes up delicious, freshly made classics, from al pastor to carnitas, as well as great vegetarian options like fried avocado. It also has some pretty off-the-wall tacos too, like the wonderfully messy Frito pie. This treat starts with a pile of Fritos inside a tortilla and comes topped with Texas-style chili, Monterey Jack cheese, roasted habanero crema, and scallions.

Casual Cajun-influenced taqueria Voodoo Taco is a local favorite. It does the expected, like brisket and shrimp, as well as less expected fillings like smoked alligator sausage. Customers recommend the barbacoa beef, slow-cooked and served with barbecue sauce, avocado, cotija cheese, and cilantro. There are several locations in Omaha plus another in Gretna.

There are four Las Vegas outposts of wildly popular fast-casual taqueria Tacos El Gordo, so you can get your Tijuana-style taco fix wherever you are in the City of Lights. The adobada tacos – which feature sweet, spicy pork on corn tortillas with sour cream and cilantro – are especially delicious. You can also find them at the small chain's California restaurants.

If you’re after Mexican food in New Hampshire, tiny El Rincón Zacatecano Taquería is the real deal according to patrons. Don't leave without trying the shrimps el rincón: three soft tacos filled with fried shrimp and topped with avocado sauce, pico de gallo, and red cabbage. They also come with a side of rice.

For incredible seafood tacos in New Jersey, look no further than Fat Fish Taco, a cozy restaurant in Caldwell. With so many options to choose from, including spicy shrimp and pork belly, ordering is hard work. However, many customers suggest going straight for the blackened fish tacos. They're hot but perfectly balanced, topped with cooling crema, crunchy cabbage, chipotle aioli, and pico de gallo.

Gourmet tacos are the order of the day at unassuming roadside spot Taco Fundación. Come for the barbacoa taco, bursting with juicy braised beef, cilantro sauce, and onions. Other options, including roasted pig, bison, and deep-fried avocado, are well worth trying too.

Choosing the best tacos in New York is nearly impossible, however there’s a reason Chelsea Market stall Los Tacos No.1 regularly has a line that snakes out of the door and sometimes around the block. Its freshness is no secret as the tortillas are prepared before your eyes and the sweet chili pork for the adobada tacos roasts on a rotating spit. Paired with pineapple and salsa, it’s perfection. There are several other locations in the city.

If you like steak tacos, chic RuRu’s Tacos + Tequila, set in a historic villa in Charlotte, is the place for you, with three options on the menu. One of the most popular is long duck dong – Korean-style sweet and spicy steak, pickled cabbage, sesame seeds, and cilantro on a warm flour tortilla. Customers says it's to die for.

Locals can’t get enough of the tacos at Taqueria El Guerro LLC in Mandan. The interior is very casual, as the focus here really is on the food. Check out the tacos al pastor with marinated pork, onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole. The carnitas tacos are also incredible, as are the house-made chips.

Tacos in a fancy setting is what you’ll get at Nada, a beautifully designed restaurant with great cocktails in Columbus. The Baja fish tacos, featuring beer-battered mahi mahi, cabbage, and chipotle crema, look and taste amazing. This upscale restaurant has an outpost in Cincinnati plus a few other US cities.

Mexican street food vendor Big Truck Tacos gained fame after appearing on Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race. You’ll find cars lining up at its drive-thru (and people waiting at its food vans) to try creations such as the flaming lips taco. The dish features hickory smoked beef tongue, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and queso fresco in a flour or corn tortilla, and is regularly described as the best in Oklahoma.

For carnitas tacos that deliver time and time again, Portland favorite El Coyote is the place. It's a food truck, so you have to eat outside, but loyal customers aren’t coming for a Michelin-star experience. The carnitas, with crispy pork with green sauce at a reasonable price, is the highlight here.

This small, unassuming spot in Philadelphia’s Little Saigon specializes in barbacoa-style tacos packed with tender, slow-cooked meat, crunchy veg, and a lot of flavor. The lamb tacos are the best thing on the menu at South Philly Barbacoa, according to many customers – so good, in fact, that no other barbacoa will ever compare. You can choose toppings like peppers, onions, carrot, cilantro, and tomatillo, or keep it simple so the meat is the star.

With two locations in Providence and one in Jamestown, Tallulah’s Taqueria is a small local chain with a reputation for big flavors. Its carnitas tacos, featuring sumptuously tender braised pork, are a favorite, but then there really isn’t a bad option. The extra toppings – guacamole, onions, cilantro, salsa, and radish – are simple, classic, and just perfect.

You might not expect to find South Carolina's best tacos at the back of a convenience store, yet that's exactly where they're hiding – customers agree Torres Superettes turns out a superior topped tortilla. Carnitas is a solid option, featuring flavorsome pork on a corn tortilla. Check the board to see the daily specials too.

What’s impressive about Que Pasa Cantina is that everything is made from scratch, from the tortillas to the guacamole, and the freshness shines through. All the street tacos come served with rice, refried beans, and a corn cake. Go for the smoked pork belly topped with pineapple, agave onions, queso fresco, avocado, and cilantro – it’s what guests are raving about.

A mixture of Southern, Mexican, and Southeastern cuisine, Taqueria del Sol has two locations in Nashville: one on 12th South and one on Charlotte Avenue. One of the most popular menu options is the Memphis taco, with smoked pork, spicy jalapeño coleslaw, and tequila barbecue sauce, all piled on a soft flour tortilla. Come with an appetite, as customers say they're on the large side.

It’s hard to choose the best tacos in Texas – they're so loved here that there have been calls to make them the state dish. However, we decided on this Austin-based taco truck that specializes in one dish only. Discada serves (and is named after) juicy discada taquitos – a north Mexican-style mix of pork, beef, and vegetables in tiny corn tortillas, with salsa and lime. It's an absolute must-try if you're in town.

Open since 1998, Tacos Don Rafa is one of the original (and best) street stand taco vendors in Utah. Parked on the sidewalk, it serves affordable street tacos and they're so good that the company is frequently booked for weddings and parties. Get the carnitas: juicy roasted pork smothered in zesty sauce.

A 1950s dining car revamped into a modern taqueria, El Cortijo is bursting with retro appeal. It's a popular spot and often has a wait for tables, so it's best to come outside of busy times. It's worth the effort to try the chorizo taco dinner plate, featuring pork sausage, guajillo (dried chili) salsa, queso fresco, cabbage, cilantro, and onion.

Small, modern Mexican chain Taco Bamba proved such a big hit it's now expanded with several locations in Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, and North Carolina. The restaurant specializes in cutting-edge creations such as Robinson ramen (available at some locations including Fairfax). It's piled with noodles, soy sauce-seasoned carnitas, salsa, sweetcorn, scallions, and Japanese spices – and somehow just works.

It's hard to choose from the meat-heavy menu at Mexican steakhouse Asadero, which has a restaurant in Seattle plus one in nearby Kent. Jump in at the deep end with the highly recommended doraditos: three mesquite-smoked hard corn tacos with cheese, beans, asada and guacamole. All the ingredients are top-quality and the tortillas are freshly made on site.

Seared tuna taco take your fancy? How about asparagus? Find these unconventional flavors at Black Sheep Burrito & Brews, which has locations in Huntington and Charleston. The avocado taco is a particular favorite: tempura avocado, chipotle mayo, salad, and pico de gallo in a corn or flour tortilla.

Head to Café Corazón, which has three outposts around Milwaukee, for tasty tacos and potent margaritas in the coziest setting. The taco truck dinner lets you choose three different fillings from options such as chicken, ground beef, asada, and chorizo. The carnitas always impress, topped with onion, tomato, queso fresco, and radish, and served with a side of rice and beans.

Loved by the locals, Su Casa is a little roadside Mexican restaurant in Sinclair. The taco options are not vast but specials like the beef taco plate are all you need – all the sauces and dips are spot on. While not strictly traditional, many consider it the best Mexican in the Cowboy State.

Now check out the best Mexican restaurant in every state