Asheville’s Best Tacos: 6 Local Joints We Love

Let’s get something straight: Asheville takes tacos seriously. You’ll find everything from Austin-inspired breakfast tacos to fresh-ground corn tortillas made from Mexican heirloom corn. The city’s taco scene reflects the same creativity and commitment to quality that defines its brewery culture, which means you can eat your way through wildly different interpretations of what makes a great taco.

Here are six Asheville taco spots that consistently deliver, each bringing something different to the table.

Taco Billy – West Asheville’s Breakfast Taco Champion

Taco Billy sits on Haywood Road in West Asheville with a giant orange billy goat painted on the side of the building, which makes it hard to miss. This spot earned its reputation by taking Texas and southern Mexico influences and making them work in the mountains.

Location: 201 Haywood Road, West Asheville

The Vibe: The covered patio up front gets packed, especially during peak hours, but there’s additional seating inside and out back. The atmosphere stays casual and relaxed, with picnic tables and a dog-friendly outdoor area. Parking can be tight with just a few spots out front, though you can find street parking nearby. On weekends, you can use the Allied Wheel and Alignment lot across Brownwood Avenue.

What People Order: The Migas taco is popular with regulars. This breakfast taco layers eggs with sautéed onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, crispy tortilla strips, and cheddar jack cheese. The Mama’s Favorite runs a close second, packing sausage, eggs, spinach, sweet potato, and goat cheese onto a plantain tortilla. For lunch, the Morita Pork taco gets praise for its pork and potato stew with mango slaw and jalapeño ranch, while the Yard Bird delivers fried chicken with mango slaw and sriracha aioli.

The Setup: Breakfast tacos run all day, which solves the problem of craving eggs and bacon at 3 PM. The menu offers plantain tortillas as an option, giving you a gluten-free choice with actual flavor. You can build your own tacos or stick with their named combinations. Lines get long during dinner rush, but you can order online for pickup to skip the wait.

Best For: Dining in or takeout. The covered patio works year-round, and the vibe encourages you to settle in with a beer from their full bar. Order online if you’re in a hurry.

Mamacita’s Taqueria – Downtown Counter Service Done Right

You’ll find Mamacita’s Taqueria in the heart of downtown Asheville, right next door to Wicked Weed Brewery. This spot serves fresh Mexican food in a casual counter-service setup that prioritizes speed without sacrificing quality.

Location: 77-A Biltmore Avenue, Downtown Asheville

The Vibe: Think Chipotle-style ordering but with better quality food and a local feel. You move down the counter, calling out your choices while they build your order in front of you. The dining room offers both indoor seating and outdoor options, with windows providing views of Biltmore Avenue’s street scene.

What People Order: Birria tacos dominate the conversation. The meat gets cooked until tender and loaded into tacos that don’t skimp on portions. Mamacita’s carnitas tacos also earn consistent praise. The counter-service format lets you customize everything, which regulars (and picky eaters) appreciate. Don’t skip trying a side of sweet plantains!

The Setup: The build-your-own format means you control every element. They offer beer and specialty drinks, which makes sense given the brewery next door. Service moves quickly even when busy.

Best For: Quick dining in or takeout. The location makes it convenient if you’re catching a show at the Orange Peel or grabbing dinner before exploring downtown. They also handle catering for events.

White Duck Taco Shop – Creative Tacos in Multiple Locations

White Duck operates two Asheville-area locations, slinging its popular global take on tacos in both downtown and south Asheville. The chain started in Asheville and now has locations across the Southeast, but these local spots maintain the creative menu that built the reputation.

Locations: 12 Biltmore Avenue (Downtown) and Arden at 16 Miami Circle. 

The Vibe: Both locations offer indoor and outdoor seating with a casual, counter-service setup. The downtown spot features more compact front seating with additional space in back, while the Arden location offers ample outdoor seating and a play area for kids. 

What People Order: The Korean Bulgogi taco is a crowd favorite.  Beef bulgogi pairs with kimchi and avocado puree for a flavor combination that works better than it sounds. The Pork Belly taco features a substantial portion of pork belly with pickled watermelon rind and green onion aioli. Bangkok Shrimp tacos deliver sweet chili-glazed shrimp with daikon slaw and chili aioli. The General Tso taco takes the Chinese-American classic and wraps it in a tortilla. Even their simple fish taco gets praise for grilled tilapia with chipotle crema. Don’t forget to start your meal with chips and queso!

The Setup: The menu changes seasonally and varies slightly by location. Tacos run around $5-6 each, which prices them competitively for the portion size. Most tacos come on corn tortillas unless specified otherwise. The menu clearly marks gluten-free options, though cross-contamination can occur in the fryer.

Best For: Both dining in and takeout. Lines can get long during peak hours, but service moves efficiently. The downtown location works well for a quick lunch while exploring. The South Asheville location is both close to the airport and Biltmore Park shopping.

Taco Boy – West Asheville’s In-House Tortilleria

Taco Boy brought its Charleston roots to West Asheville in 2022, setting up at 521 Haywood Road. The West Asheville location features something the original restaurants don’t have: an in-house tortillería that produces scratch-made heirloom corn tortillas.

Location: 521 Haywood Road, West Asheville (also at 2 Town Square Boulevard in Biltmore Park)

The Vibe: The West Asheville space features murals by local artist Wyatt Grant, creating a bright, welcoming atmosphere. The restaurant offers a dog-friendly outdoor patio with picnic tables, cornhole, and mini soccer goals. Inside, you’ll find bar seating, dining room tables, and a view into the open kitchen where you can watch the tortilla-making process. Parking is available on-site.

What People Order: The Birria taco consistently tops the list. The Kimchi Beef taco combines Korean flavors with Mexican format. The Crispy Avocado taco delivers exactly what the name suggests. For those wanting something different, reviews praise the scratch-made guacamole and Mexican street corn dip as solid starters.

The Setup: This is a sit-down restaurant with table service, not counter service. The menu offers taco platters (2 tacos for $15 or 3 for $20) that come with rice and beans. Happy hour runs daily from 3-6 PM. They serve brunch on weekends. The in-house tortillería uses the traditional nixtamalization process, steeping corn in an alkaline solution before grinding it into masa, which creates more flavorful and nutritious tortillas.

Best For: Dining in with full table service. The atmosphere works for groups and families. Order online for takeout if you prefer, though the in-house dining experience lets you appreciate the fresh tortillas and full bar.

Taco Temple (Mamacita’s Taco Temple) – Heirloom Corn Tortillas in a Historic Gas Station

Taco Temple operates at 132 Charlotte Street in a converted 1930s gas station. This is Mamacita’s sister restaurant, but the concept differs significantly from the downtown taqueria. The focus here centers on fresh-ground heirloom corn tortillas and traditional Mexican preparation techniques for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Location: 132 Charlotte Street, Asheville

The Vibe: The historic gas station building gives the space character, with covered outdoor seating and a drive-through window for online pickup orders. The interior stays relatively small but colorful, with brightly painted walls. The patio welcomes dogs.

What People Order: The Toluca taco features chorizo verde (green chorizo with fresh herbs and spices) that reviewers describe as properly greasy and spicy. The Panela taco offers grilled panela cheese with roasted poblano peppers and black beans, satisfying even without meat. The Santa Barbara taco serves ancho chile brown sugar rubbed steak. The Loreto taco brings tangerine-pasilla shrimp. Reviews consistently praise the house-made corn tortillas, which get ground fresh on-site daily from corn sourced from Oaxaca, Mexico.

The Setup: Taco Temple operates without a freezer or microwave, emphasizing fresh ingredients. The tortillas get made to order using corn ground in-house. A salsa bar offers multiple options with varying heat levels. They offer a walk-up window and drive-through for online orders, making pickup convenient. Rotisserie chicken is available for family meals.

Best For: Both dining in on the covered patio and takeout. The drive-through window makes pickup especially convenient for online orders. The smaller space works better for casual quick meals than for large groups.

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 AM-9 PM, Closed Sunday

Taqueria Munoz – Authentic Street Food Without Pretense

Taqueria Munoz also offers two locations in Asheville, as well as a food truck, which pops up at various breweries around town. Its locations in West Asheville and just south of Biltmore Village operate as straightforward Mexican fast food spots with attached markets. This place doesn’t try to be trendy or Instagram-worthy. It focuses on authentic street-style Mexican food at reasonable prices.

Location: 1438 Patton Avenue, West Asheville and 400 Hendersonville Rd near Biltmore Village

The Vibe: Fluorescent lights, chrome tables, classic Mexican restaurant furniture. The space features brightly painted walls and booth seating. Your number gets called in Spanish when your food is ready. This is the real deal, not the polished version. A market connects to the restaurant if you need ingredients for cooking at home.

What People Order: Street tacos form the core menu: Pastor (vertical spit-roasted pork), Asada (grilled steak), Carnitas (slow-cooked pork), and Chicken. The Birria comes as a plate of four tacos with a huge side of consommé for dipping. Vegetarians find unusual options here, including huitlacoche (corn smut), nopal (cactus), and squash blossom tacos. The quesadillas come on corn tortillas if you ask. The salsa bar provides fresh toppings including pickled jalapeños, onions, carrots, and cilantro. Word of caution: the salsas are spicy!

The Setup: Order at the counter and grab a number. Service runs fast. The salsa bar lets you customize every taco to your preference. Portions run generous, and prices stay lower than many other taco spots in town. House-made juices (aguas frescas) complement the food well.

Best For: Both dining in and takeout. The booths and tables accommodate families, but the setup also works for quick solo meals. The relaxed atmosphere means you can take your time or eat and go.

Hours: Daily 10 AM-9 PM

Finding Your Favorite Asheville Taco

These six spots cover different angles on what makes a taco good. Taco Billy wins if you want breakfast tacos all day and a full bar. Mamacita’s Taqueria delivers when you need quick counter service downtown. White Duck brings creative international flavors. Taco Boy offers the full sit-down restaurant experience with fresh-ground tortillas. Taco Temple focuses on traditional preparation methods in a historic building. Taqueria Munoz strips away everything except authentic flavors and generous portions.

The best taco in Asheville depends on what you’re looking for at that particular moment. All six spots serve quality food that holds up to repeated visits. That’s probably why you’ll hear locals argue passionately about their favorite while acknowledging that the others have merit.

Your Asheville Base for Taco Exploration

When you’re planning your Asheville taco tour, River Row Suites puts you in the perfect position. Our River Arts District location means you’re minutes from Taco Billy and Taco Boy in West Asheville, a short drive to Taqueria Munoz and Taco Temple, and close to downtown for Mamacita’s Taqueria and White Duck. The full kitchens in our suites give you space to store leftovers (optimistic, but possible) and the comfortable king beds mean you can properly recover if you happen to overindulge.

Book your stay at River Row Suites and get ready to eat your way through Asheville’s best tacos.