Last year, Americans ate over 4.5 billion tacos. That is equivalent to the weight of two Empire State Buildings or, if we lined them up, the distance to the moon and back. As tacos grow in popularity each day, I decided to find which taco place is the best in the area. Here are some of my favorites.

Capital Tacos

This chain restaurant takes tacos to a whole new level. It is a quick service dine-in where patrons order up front and then seat themselves. When the food is ready, they yell the state tag given at the time of purchase. They claim that the ‘Peacemaker’ taco was awarded one of the top three tacos in the United States. It consists of fried adobo chicken tossed in Texican BBQ sauce and topped with spicy slaw, sour cream, cilantro, chipotle BBQ sauce and jack and cheddar cheese. However, my favorite was “The Austintine,” which was a perfect combination of sweet and savory, consisting of carne asada with jack and cheddar, caramelized onions, avocado, sour cream, chihuahua cheese and chipotle ranch.  For a casual bite, I highly recommend coming here.

27209 Florida 56, Wesley Chapel, FL 33544

Other locations:

119 W. Bloomingdale Avenue Brandon, FL 335111

6765 Land O Lakes Blvd. Land O Lakes, FL 34638

8530 Ridge Road New Port Richey, FL 34654

Tacos Gone Mobile

You may recognize this place as the taco truck by ‘Kalesia Tea Lounge.’ Tacos Gone Mobile offers five different tacos, each double-wrapped in corn tortillas. My go-to is their steak taco drizzled in sour cream and topped with cilantro. The tacos are about $2 dollars each and around five inches in diameter. It definitely takes more than one to fill you up! They even offer a covered outdoor area for you to sit. If you are searching for a cheap and authentic taco place, Tacos Gone Mobile is the way to go.

1309 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33612

Green Lemon

This busy, modern hangout offers an upbeat Mexican menu and drinks. They have a variety of different tacos, ranging from more authentic, like the ‘Carne Enchilada,’ to something more American, like the ‘Americano,’ which is my favorite. The ‘Americano’ is a classic taco of grilled chicken and black bean puree, topped with guacamole, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream. Green Lemon also features a full bar and table service. Their happy hour ‘Street Trio’ deal, which is a choice of three tacos for $8 dollars, is offered from 3pm to 7pm.

915 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL 33606