Something about the way Tacos La Sultana’s taquero thoughtfully slices charred pork from the trompo is deeply romantic—like watching a violinist at the peak of their craft. The pork, with pockets of sweet, caramelized fat and a sweet paprika crust, could be eaten by itself. You almost forget about adding any cilantro, onion, or spicy green salsa (but you should). Order more tacos than you may be able to physically ingest, and wait on the patio or at the dive bar next door.

El Taconazo has been holding down its corner of Fulton on the Northside for years. Known for always having a line, the cash-only truck cranks out more tacos than seems physically possible. Once ordered, everything is cooked, bagged, and placed in front of the window in about three seconds, no matter the choice of filling (fajita, barbacoa, al pastor, and lengua are the options). Everything has a smoky and satisfying char and nothing is every over- or undercooked. These tacos are worth the wait.

Cochinita & Co. in the East End serves a menu full of tostadas, tamales, and rice bowls, but the best thing on it is (you guessed it) the cochinita pibil. The Yucatán-style roast pork isn’t easy to find in Houston, which makes Cochinita & Co. a special spot. Here cochinita is marinated in a traditional way with citrus and peppery achiote. Once roasted, every square inch of shredded, tender pork tastes tangy and smoky. When you finish, getting another order feels like the only logical next step.

Tio Trompo in Rice Military is our go-to spot near Buffalo Bayou Park. An unassuming counter-service joint, we like to pass the time by watching slices of pork get carved from a trompo (and fiddling with the adorable floral tablecloths). To make the most of your Tio Trompo experience, get a three-taco platter and dedicate two of those slots to the crispy al pastor tacos and the sizzling shredded barbacoa. Tio Trompo also has a slew of breakfast taco combinations that are available all day.

This tiny red shack on Navigation has been a neighborhood favorite since 1977. It supplies stuffed breakfast tacos (also known as “The Super”) to the mostly-washed masses of local blue-collar workers, politicians, and people who recently moved from Montrose. Not much beats opening up hastily wrapped aluminum foil to reveal a pillow-soft flour tortilla overflowing with thick hunks of bacon, eggs, cheese, beans, and potatoes. Well, except maybe opening up another one filled with chorizo.

There’s nothing like a stripped cow skull in a parking lot to let you know how seriously a place takes its craft. Such is the case of Gerardo’s Drive In, a weekend-only spot that’s been cooking barbacoa on the Northside since the late ‘70s. You won’t find better barbacoa in town. It’s smoky, rich, and has a concentrated beef flavor from the restaurant’s slow-steaming process. Operating as a taqueria and meat market, you can order meat by the pound, or just some tacos to eat right there.

This taco spot in Rice Military has a long line of regulars and a list of rules they expect you to follow, including: bring cash to tip the cooks and the servers, and don’t reserve a table for your friends (they will make you move). Handmade, fluffy flour tortillas are standard for every taco. You can order corn tortillas, but that creates chaos since they’re made to order, and you don’t want to be that guy. Arrive as early as possible for breakfast and be prepared to wait if you want tacos.

Taqueria Monchy’s is small but mighty. The tiny counter-service spot in the East End doubles as a bus station, and serves tacos on handmade flour and corn tortillas. Try the rajas con queso on cushion-soft corn tortillas and whatever’s available for breakfast on flour. And while Monchy’s opens at 5am nearly every day of the week, go there for lunch on Tuesdays to grab any seven tacos for $1.50 each.

You’ll find Clutch City Grill parked in the lot of Spring Street Bar & Social Garden in the First Ward. The sizzling carne asada, pollo asado, and plant-based protein tacos all come with a dose of raw white onions, a handful of cilantro, and a sprinkle of cheese. Like any respectable taco, the meat’s heat level is set to spicy, but if you need to feel your eyes water when you take a bite, add some of Clutch City’s diablita sauce into the mix.

Tacos Doña Lena in Spring Branch is all about the birria. While the ultra-colorful spot has a number of fillings, it specializes in cheese-stuffed versions of birria—from street tacos served with a bowl of rich consomé, to quesabirrias stuffed with meat and cheese that stretches halfway across the room. Get enough consomé-soaked tacos to share, or enough to try every one of Doña Lena’s six salsas, like the extra fiery mocosa habanero.