An exhaustive guide to the best tacos in Tucson

Star food writer will profile a different taco every day over the summer. 

It takes two tortillas to hold in this crazy Flowing Wells-area creation. 

Once you've had tacos with rice, you'll want to go twice! 

It's a stew in a taco, and it's what you want for lunch. 

Get downtown and try it out right now ...

And by the way, it's only $1. 

A little asadero by the casino grills up some insanely good meats. 

It's got a drive thru, but this isn't your regular Los Betos ...

We skipped the fried red snapper just this one time for Azteca tacos ...

And we love it even more when it has ground beef and refried beans. 

Old-school taco salads come from the food truck parked at Tap & Bottle. 

The Aquadec downtown has one of the best happy hour deals in Tucson. 

Gigi's Mexican Peruvian Fusion does some of the best food mashups in town ...

You might be surprised what Whatachon puts on their Taco Cheese. 

Food truck Taqueria Jason does beef tongue justice ...

May's Counter Chicken & Waffles restaurant makes Southern barbecue tacos. 

Drowned "tacos ahogados" are on the menu as an appetizer. 

Calle Tepa does one of the best Mahi tacos I've had ...

A little Tucson restaurant Tacos Apson is serving up some under-the-radar specialties. 

Bernardo's shredded beef tacos are simple, but perfectly executed ...

Incredible Guadalajara-style birria beef from a little taco truck on Irvington.

Turns out, the tacos at Food City aren't that bad! 

You haven't had short ribs until you've had them from Nox. 

It's not on the menu, so you have to ask real nice to get this Tucson oddity. 

This taco took the top prize at the Arizona Taco Festival in Scottsdale. 

Decent tacos north of River Road? This is your spot ...

I'll get to the point ... This is the best thing I've eaten all week. 

One of the best vegetarian tacos in town is at Goodness restaurant. 

Brushfire BBQ will put any of their meats in a taco. Guess what I got!

This lettuce-wrapped fish taco is perfect for those watching their carbs ...

I've eaten through their entire menu, but I always come back to this ...

Foothills restaurant does a central Mexican specialty with a gourmet twist. 

Food truck's Asian street tacos may remind you of something ...

East-side restaurant Baja Cafe does some serious scrambled egg on a tortilla. 

Little south-side spot serves some of the best fried shrimp tacos in town. 

And that they serve stellar carnitas tacos ...

Top off that Macy's trip with a chicken chipotle taco. 

Ground beef patties are best done on the south side of town. 

I tore myself away from the Pasta Alla vodka for this one ...

Ermanos on Fourth Ave. prepares a new gourmet wonder every Taco Tuesday. 

Eccentric west-side restaurant has one of the best taco deals in town.

West-side restaurant Teresa's Mosaic Cafe does all the work for you ...

This vegetarian specialty at Taco Shop is pure Tucson ...

Surly Wench Pub does some mean ground beef tacos on Fourth Ave.

Papa Locos was the best gas station food I've ever had ...

Geronimo doesn't do much, but it does crispy pork really, really well. 

The Shell gas station has a little restaurant that turns out great food. 

Poco & Mom's Cantina does a New Mexican specialty, red chile beef tacos ...

This week, we're exploring the iconic south-side neighborhood. First up: What a Burro ...

South 12th Avenue restaurant does one of the tastiest popovers in town. 

If you've never had tacos al vapor, get your butt down to South 12th Avenue. 

Los Dos Potrillos on South 12th Avenue does awesome drowned tacos. 

El Chivo de Oro off of South 12th is a rare provider of goat's meat birria. 

Taco Fish on South 12th Avenue piles fried fish, marlin and shrimp onto one taco. 

El Merendero is the OG spot on a street full of taquerias. 

We ate ceviche tacos in the corner booth by the port hole window, under the photo of a beer bellied man in a speedo holding a swordfish. Fini'…

Italian beef meets flour tortilla? Only in Tucson ...

La Hacienda brings a taste of the Yucutan on Fort Lowell Road. 

This under-the-radar food truck may just have the best gourmet chicken tacos in town. 

It's the salty Cotija cheese that really sets these beef patty tacos apart. 

These tortillas are anything but sad. They're just blue ...

This one might put you out of the game for a little while ...

Is downtown a duck destination? Elliott's On Congress might say so ...

La Palma thinks outside the box with this battered shrimp hybrid. 

Fajitas joint Manuel's Mexican Restaurant does a Southern specialty. 

Elvira's in downtown Tubac stuffs its rolled tacos with Cuitlacoche. 

In Rio Rico you'll find this Baja specialty, the shrimp "gobernador."

Taqueria El Pueblito serves a vegetarian specialty: rajas con crema.

Are you the guy that always gets the toritos? Try it at La Botana ...

Gourmet Korean tacos grilled over mesquite wood at La Cocina. 

Turkey, or guajolote, is a menu staple at Penca downtown ...

Hey there vegetarians! Here's a taco for you ...

How has downtown's Iguana Cafe stuck around for 12 years? Tacos ...

Seis Kitchen makes its own masa, starting from nixtamal. 

Next time you're at Street Tacos and Beer, order this ...

Because what's more Tucson than air-dried carne seca. 

Downtown Kitchen's beef cheek tacos are pure Tucson mod.

These aren't saucy sweet! 47 Scott's pork belly is all about the grill.  

Hit up Lo Esencial at the entrance to Ritz-Carlton for gorgeous shrimp tacos. 

San Carlos Grill in Oro Valley takes it to the limit with tacos alambres. 

Taco Rustico does it the way it's supposed to be done, with real mesquite wood. 

Hint: They've got some of the best corn tortillas in town. 

Karamelo King on Grant Road keeps the grill going until 3 a.m. on weekends. 

Don't worry, you're not a jerk for eating chicken tacos at D's Island Grill. 

No taco list would be complete without the Tarascan tacos from La Indita.

Molcas is a solid spot for carne asada by the Tucson Mall. 

The manta ray was a given. It's the black stuff I was worried about ...

Maico is conveniently located in a converted house off of South Park Avenue. 

Tacos de Cabeza on Grant Road serves a Mexican delicacy, sesos.

Raw foodies can eat tacos too! Just head over to The Tasteful Kitchen. 

The historic Saguaro Corners has a hip menu out by Saguaro National Park.

The best tacos in Vail can be found between the railroad tracks. 

Are Harvest's short rib tacos the ultimate Southwestern comfort food? 

The biggest taco in town is at this northside restaurant La Olla. 

The tucked-away diner Sahuaro Cafe serves breakfast tacos starting at 6. 

And guess what, they aren't made with corn ...

And this restaurant on South Fourth Avenue has some of the best in town. 

Okay, here's a new one for ya! Tania's "33" makes hibiscus tacos. 

Okay it's not exactly the plains, but Dove Mountain does serve buffalo tacos ...

In this campus-area restaurant, python is best served simmered in chipotle marinade. 

El Semental