Our 8 Favorite Tacos in Sarasota-Manatee

Our eight favorite local tacos
Image: Salvatore Brancifort
Poppo’s Taqueria
Chicken Taco
Seasoned with ancho chili pepper and then braised and braised and braised some more, Poppo’s turns the normally blah chicken taco into something especial.
La Primavera Mexican Food
Asada Taco
Small nuggets and strips of beef, blistered until crisp, fill these beauties, but the meat is still juicy enough to require a pair of corn tortillas.
Ri…Quisimo
Fish Taco
A lot of fish tacos fail because the main protein is obscured by too-powerful slaws and toppings. Not so at this truck, where the crunchy, fleshy fish dominates.
Bitia’s Taqueria
Barbacoa Taco
Thin threads of glistening beef that just barely hang together, Bitia’s barbacoa will drip juice all over your lap. You won’t care.
La Brisa Tacos Y Mariscos
Carnitas Taco
With succulent yet crispy-fringed pork topped with cilantro, raw onions and lime, La Brisa’s carnitas bring a deep and layered parfait of flavors to North 301 tables.
Taqueria Doña Monse
Chicharrón Taco
Filled with thick, orange-colored cubes of fatty pork belly, these sublime gas station parking lot tacos aren’t recommended for diners worried about their cholesterol.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
Breakfast Taco
Serving tacos stuffed with eggs and cheese and potatoes, as well as optional goodies like chorizo, this Tex-Mex chain knows how to wake us up.
Maria’s Restaurant
Al Pastor Taco
Moist, tender and toothsome, these braised “shepherd-style” tacos aren’t the traditional spit-grilled pastor you might expect, but they’re porky marvels nonetheless.