Seriously, who doesn't love Taco's?

I have always loved Taco's...when I was a little kid, my mom used to make us old school Taco's (read: Ortega fried shells, ground beef with an Ortega seasoning packet, Kraft shredded cheddar, shredded iceberg lettuce, salsa and sour cream) at least once a week. Then in High School, I discovered Taco Bell and fell in love.

The more I traveled and was able to eat authentic foods and became a food snob, the less I liked old school Taco's and Taco Bell. I want real Mexican Taco's with fresh ingredients and handmade corn tortilla's. There are few things as good as buying a 3 pack of handmade, hot corn tortilla's (salsa or butter) for a $1 from a Mexican street vendor. That is of course, pretty much impossible to do on the East Coast, which makes finding authentic Mexican food and good Taco's really difficult, if not impossible.

When it comes to Taco's in Philly, I want authentic preparation, quality ingredients and healthy choices. I am not a fan of greasy, fatty Taco fillings.

Based on these criteria, there is only one Tacqueria that ranks high in my book - TACO RIENDO. 1301 N 5th St, Philadelphia 19122, at W. Thompson Street about 1.5 blocks North of Girard Avenue.

It's cheap, it's clean, the food is high quality, the owners are so nice, it's a BYOB and most importantly, they have delicious Taco's! My favorite are the Spicy Shrimp Tacos (add Guacamole).