taqueria

American  

[tah-kuh-ree-uh] / ˌtɑ kəˈri ə /

noun

1. a restaurant or stand specializing in Mexican dishes, as tacos and burritos.

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Usage

What does taqueria mean? A taqueria is a restaurant, food cart, or stall that specializes in serving tacos. Tacos are a mainstay of Mexican cuisine. Example: The taqueria downtown is the only stand that sells tacos de cabeza.

Etymology

Origin of taqueria

First recorded in 1980–85; from Central American Spanish taqueria, equivalent to tac(o) + - ería noun suffix; see taco, -ery ( def. )

Explanation

A taqueria is a casual restaurant or food truck that serves Mexican dishes. If you need to grab a quick, delicious lunch, order some tacos at the taqueria! The Mexican Spanish taquería comes from taco, the portable food that consists of a meat, bean, or vegetable filling inside a folded tortilla, and is defined as "restaurant specializing in tacos." In Mexico, taquerias can be found among street food vendors in just about every city. It's becoming increasingly common to find taquerias in the U.S., even beyond states like Texas and California, which share a border with Mexico.

Example Sentences

Villa, who started the taqueria as a pop-up in the Highland Park neighborhood in 2018, took to Instagram to express gratitude for the opportunity, underscoring his family’s immigrant background.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

A St. Tony votive tucked beside the register at a New York taqueria.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2025

Even if you drive below the speed limit along this drag in Everett, you might miss this unassuming taqueria tucked in a strip mall.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

That the fridges can be placed with a property owner’s permission just about anywhere — in front of a taqueria, a person’s home, an office building — is what makes the concept “beautiful,” Stiewert said.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2023

The lights inside the taqueria suddenly blazed to life.

From "The Titan's Curse" by Rick Riordan