The Top-Ranked Taco Spot in America Is Actually in Nevada

Aroma Latin American Cocina is a real winner in the eyes of Yelp reviewers.

All hail the taco. One of the most versatile comfort foods ever invented, tacos remain a top choice any day of the week, not just on Tuesdays. Since they can be filled with everything from meat to seafood and veggies, tacos have long kept their appeal for a wide range of palates and show no sign of stopping. What better way to plot out your next taco fix than Yelp’s annual Top 100 Taco Spot in the U.S. collection, where Aroma Latin American Cocina in Henderson, Nevada, has snagged the number one spot for 2023, thanks to its hundreds of five-star reviews.

Yelp’s Top 100 US Taco Spots in 2023, curated in celebration of National Taco Day on October 4, ranked restaurant businesses in the “tacos” category by factors like the total volume and ratings of reviews and only included spots with passing health scores (when available) as of July 24, 2023.

“We’re seeing restaurants put in more time and effort to perfect their taco dishes with chefs grinding corn to make fresh masa for their tortillas and slow-braising meats to get the juiciest fillings. This year’s number-one spot, Aroma Latin American Cocina, has a Pork Belly Taco that takes more than 30 hours to cook,” Yelp’s trend expert, Tara Lewis, shared with Food&Wine.

Related: There's an Epic Taco Trail Hiding in Northern California

Other popular items on the winning restaurant's menu include Carne Asada and Fried Avocado tacos, with a focus on blending all Latin American cuisines, from Guatemala to Argentina, according to chef and co-owner Steve Kestler. Off-menu, a favorite is the not-so-secret Chicken Tinga Taco, according to Yelp.

Other top taco spots on this year's list include Riverside, California's Birreria Little Tijuana, with their Quesabirria Tacos, blending the best of a taco and quesadilla, and Juneau, Alaska's favorite food truck, Deckhand Dave's, which dishes out delicious fish tacos stuffed with fresh, beer-battered halibut, blackened rockfish, and fried salmon, to the delight of customers.

"We're experiencing an era where cheese pulls reign supreme, as Birria tacos have passed the baton to the gooey, melty cheese tacos. Seafood tacos are also having a moment – the number three spot in Juneau, Alaska, is serving up ocean-fresh fish directly from the Alaskan shore, and a bunch of restaurants are filling their tacos with perfectly charred shrimp and fresh octopus," Lewis shared.

Yelp didn't stop at the top taco spots. It also identified the Top 15 Taco Towns in the US for 2023, with Austin, Texas, as the shining star, home to two of the top 10 businesses, according to Yelp data. Each city on this list was chosen based on having the highest number of user searches for tacos and stretches from New York City all the way to Hawaii.

Yelp is encouraging taco lovers to share shots from their favorite taco shop within the top 100 on social media, using the hashtag #YelpTop100Tacos. Now, who wants to take a Taco Town-inspired road trip?

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