Manhattan's Best Tacos | Manhattan City Lifestyle

Few foods inspire stronger opinions than tacos. Crispy or soft, traditional or inventive, piled high or kept simple, everyone has a favorite. So for this issue, our staff set out to sample seven standout tacos from around Manhattan, and share the ones that kept us thinking about the next bite. This isn’t a scientific ranking, and we’re not here to crown one undisputed champion. These are simply our staff picks of Manhattan's Best Tacos. The true Magnificent Seven.

Taco Lucha

El Mexicano, Japp Razz & Buffalo Chicken

When it comes to tacos in Manhattan, Taco Lucha has become something close to the standard by which local restaurants are measured. It has the kind of menu people know by heart, the kind of flavors that keep regulars coming back, and the kind of atmosphere that feels unmistakably Manhattan. On this visit, we went with three longtime favorites.

The El Mexicano keeps things simple and lets the ingredients do the work: steak, onion and cilantro on a corn tortilla, finished with a smoky chipotle aioli that ties everything together. The Japp Razz goes in a completely different direction, layering grilled chicken with cabbage, tortilla strips, jalapeño ranch, avocado and Taco Lucha’s signature chipotle raspberry sauce. It is sweet, smoky, creamy and just spicy enough. Then there is the Buffalo Chicken, loaded with grilled chicken, buffalo sauce, cheddar, bacon, avocado, cabbage and jalapeño ranch on a flour tortilla.

Like we like to say: Taco Lucha isn't exactly the best taco spot in the world, but it is exactly the best taco spot in the world!

So Long Saloon

Fried Fish & Beef Tacos

If Taco Lucha is one of Manhattan’s modern taco standards, then So Long Saloon is its older brother, best friend & next-door neighbor. The two restaurants share plenty of DNA, but So Long has always had a personality all its own, and its fried tacos are a perfect example.

We went with both the Fried Fish Tacos and the Fried Beef Tacos, and each brings that unmistakable So Long approach: familiar, yet a little different from what you might expect. Here, it's all about the deep-fried flour shell. The fish version starts with seasoned tilapia tucked into that deep-fried flour tortilla, then topped with So Long’s signature spicy slaw, and topped with cheddar cheese. The crunchy shell, flaky fish and kick from the slaw make for a great combination.

Then, the Fried Beef Tacos are even more classic, stuffed with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, pico and cheddar. Both come with So Long’s homemade salsa on the side, giving you exactly what you want from this Aggieville staple. Nothing beats So Long’s tacos on a Saturday afternoon.

Mexican Food Mixtruwiin

Ham Breakfast Taco, Bacon Breakfast Taco

Our first food truck stop takes us to Mexican Food Mixtruwiin, the bright yellow truck that has become a familiar sight in the Marshall’s parking lot over the past few years. For our staff pick, we decided to start the day with its Breakfast Tacos—and they were absolutely outstanding.

Each taco comes loaded with egg, ham, bacon, pico de gallo and mozzarella cheese, and what impressed us most was just how well everything was distributed. There was egg in every bite, plenty of smoky bacon and ham throughout, and the pico added just enough freshness to keep the tacos from feeling too heavy.

Then came the sauces. The red hot sauce they handed us brought some serious heat—definitely not for the timid—but it was packed with flavor. The verde was equally good, with a bright, tangy finish that paired perfectly with the eggs and cheese.

As breakfast tacos go, these are an easy recommendation. Mexican Food Mixtruwiin gave us one of the best starts to the day we could ask for, and we’re already excited to come back and work our way through more of the menu.

Hillside Cafe

White Flour Taco & Barbacoa Tacos

When you’re talking about Manhattan’s best tacos, Hillside Cafe is an easy inclusion. As Riley County’s oldest restaurant, it already carries plenty of history, and we came in specifically for one of its classics: the White Flour Taco. The crispy, fried flour shell can be filled with shredded beef, chicken, potato or picadillo, then topped with lettuce, cheese and tomato. It was exactly what we hoped for—simple, crunchy and seriously satisfying.

But then owner Joey Silva pointed us toward the Barbacoa Tacos.

And wow.

Made with slow-braised shredded pork shoulder, onion and cilantro, these were probably the single best tacos we had on this entire journey. The pork was incredibly tender, the braising liquid was rich and flavorful, with a hint of sweetness, and the simplicity of the toppings let it absolutely shine. No overthinking, no gimmicks - just a seriously phenomenal taco.

The White Flour Taco got us in the door. The Barbacoa Tacos gave us a reason to start planning the next visit.

Rockin' K's

Birria Tacos

Rockin’ K’s is already one of our favorite gameday stops, so it only makes sense that our favorite thing on the menu earns a spot here. Before a K-State basketball or baseball game, there are few meals that get us in the mood quite like their Birria Tacos.

The slow-roasted beef is incredibly tender and packed with flavor from a blend of peppers and spices. It’s tucked into corn tortillas with diced onions, queso fresco and cilantro, and the tortillas themselves have that perfect savory, slightly crisped flavor that makes birria tacos so addictive.

Then there’s the consommé. Rich, deeply seasoned and absolutely made for dipping, it takes an already great taco to another level. Add a side of French fries and you’ve got one of our favorite pregame meals in Manhattan.

For us, Rockin’ K’s and gameday just go together—and these birria tacos are a big reason why.

Taqueria Los Burritos #2

Al Pastor Taco, Carne Asada Taco, Carnitas Taco

Our other food truck stop takes us to Taqueria Los Burritos #2, parked next to Willie’s Car Wash and serving up some of our favorite authentic Mexican tacos in Manhattan.

On this trip, we went with three classics: al pastor, carnitas and carne asada. Each one delivered in a different way. The al pastor was savory, seasoned and packed with flavor. The carnitas were tender and rich, with that slow-cooked flavor that makes pork tacos so satisfying. And the carne asada brought exactly what we wanted from a great steak taco: simple, beefy and incredibly good.

There’s nothing overly complicated about these tacos, and that’s part of what makes them work so well. Good meat, good tortillas and the kind of straightforward preparation that lets everything shine.

Taqueria Los Burritos #2 has become one of our go-to spots when we’re craving authentic tacos, and after this visit, it’s easy to remember why. Plus, we can wash our cars while we wait!

RC McGraw's

Taco Thursday Double Decker & Hard Shell Tacos

We’re wrapping up our taco tour at RC McGraw’s, where Thursdays mean one thing: Taco Thursday. And if you’ve never tried their Double Decker Tacos, that’s a good place to start.

A crunchy hard-shell taco is tucked inside a soft flour tortilla with a layer of nacho cheese holding the whole thing together. It’s crispy, cheesy, messy in the best possible way and exactly the kind of taco that feels built for a Thursday night.

Their traditional hard and soft tacos are phenomenal, too, with all the familiar flavors you want from a great bar-and-grill taco night. But part of what keeps RC McGraw’s in the conversation is that they don’t stop there. Throughout the year, they roll out different taco specials that are creative, loaded and consistently outstanding.

Taco Thursday may be the weekly tradition, but RC McGraw’s keeps finding new ways to make tacos worth coming back for.