Wow, who would have thunk? I'll have to try those carnitas. Pork I can eat without thinking about feed lots...

Carnitas....... scary stuff but reminds of Durian without the foul smell.... :D

♫ On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of carnitas, rising up through the air ♫

Taco Cabana. You hit the salsa bar and add as much heat as you can stand.

Not really a chain but an off-shoot of El Torito here in SoCal is El Torito Grill. Tuesdays is 'Taco Tuesday' and you get your choice of chicken, beef or pork delivered by the chef, hand cut on two soft tacos that are grilling on a rotating grill right in front of you. You add you own toppings and, I'll tell ya', one of each of those choices will fill you for the evening. You have to leave your table for a few minutes to go over to where these are being prepared but it takes less than 5 minutes and and you get to tell the chef exactually how you want the meat cut.

Cost: $1.50 each in an upscale, sit-down restaurant! Add a drink and you're outa' there for about $7.50 - $9.00 plus tip. And it's a fun crowd too. I go to the one at Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

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wow.... Didnt know carnitas were noted in the great song...

Rubios is a little better but Taco Cabana is very good. I need to get back to California for Rubios (or Phoenix)

I can't think of any chain restaurants that have good tacos in California. FIN'S used to be a chain that serves one of the better fish tacos. They had 6 locations when I lived in San Diego, but they have only 2 now or maybe 1.

Fins

Do you mean soft shell as in flour, e.g., Chipotle, or soft shell as in not cooked crunchy corn tortillas?

OK small chains in San Diego include Roberto's and Alberto's.

Fins is good, I live a few minutes from one and go there often. Rubios used to be good but IMO over the past 5-6 years their tacos have begun to really suck. Wahoo's is good too, another SD-only place (as far as I know). The Roberto's/Royberto's type chains are really delicious depending on the location around the county. :)

Am I the only one who finds Chipotle disgusting? Everyone seems to love that place...but I tried a burrito there once and was totally unimpressed. Maybe I need to give them another shot since people always talk about how much they like it.

I would add another vote for Chipotle, although, I must say that I slightly prefer their Burritos to their tacos, I find their tacos to be outstandingly good.

Wahoo's fish tacos with Mr Lee's sauce

http://www.wahoos.com/

I can't eat their burritos anymore, my stomach gets all crazy on me.

Their tacos though are still good (IMO) and I get them if I really need my Chipotle fix.

For this native Californian, Surf Taco is the closest thing on the east coast to what I remember from my youth.


http://www.surftaco.com/

Best, best tacos in L.A. - Tito's Tacos on Washington Place, in Culver City. Not a chain, but fantastic. I read a review that said they are not "super authentic" and I guess that is true: meat, cheese, lettuce and a fantastic sauce/salsa , and so tasty! There are always lines there, and although we don't live near there, we detour whenever we are nearby. I have met people across L.A. who have been there and love it.

This thread drove me to have dinner at Chipotle last night - although I had a beef burrito, not tacos.

This thread has made me want to try Chipotle next time we are in the US -- either the one on the Vegas Strip by Harrahs or in Palm Desert.....

Chacho's is a smaller chain, but still counts imo.

Best fast-tacos in Houston (Westheimer at Fountain View); you order, watch the old ladies roll out the tortillas as they take the dough out from the kitchenaid stand mixers, grab your food & margraitas and enjoy.

Ive never been to their other Texan outlets.

I'm not sure they actually are "chains," but anyone who has actually spent any time in San Diego (BA-UCSD, 1983) knows that you can't go wrong with any Mexican take-out or drive-through that ends in "...berto's" (My favorite one was "Humberto's")

Rubio's Baja Grill - Sadly I haven't had them in quite a while since I no longer live in L.A.

For a chain taco my vote goes to Jimboy's even though it's nowhere near an authentic Mexican street taco. In my younger days these were good hangover tacos... :D

Fortunately we have a lot of mom-and-pop taquerias around Sacramento. And many Mexican tienditas and carnicerias often sell tacos on the side. There's one near our house that usually has a portable taco stand set up, just like in Mexico. Just had some tacos de lengua there the other day. Good stuff.

+1 When in Southern California, I look for Rubios.

At home, I like qDoba.

Though of course, neither option beats a good hole-in-the-wall taqueria.

Another vote for Taco Caba~na
 

Do they exist anyplace but Texas? I haven't seen them elsewhere but would love to. Wouldn't go there if I had real mexican food available but it's great for fast food.

Had some superb fish tacos from Santana's @ 2am this morning, I tend to prefer really crispy fish and these didn't disappoint. Gonna hit up Los Primos today for lunch :)

When in Socal skip the chains and walk into any gas station that has a mexican restaurant or a strip mall. Every strip mall has one.

Is there a "Charco de las Ranas" somewhere in California..??? Now those are good tacos... :D ^

Not a chain, but if anyoen finds themselves in Back Bay Amtrak station in Boston, there's an awesome authentic taco/burrito cart right near the entrance to the station--you walk right by it going to the platforms and the ticket booth. Excellent tacos (beef/chicken/pastor) made with 2 soft corn tortillas (no, real tacos do not have fried shells!), nice blend of flavors, hint of cilantro, etc. Better than anything I've had in a while except maybe for the local Marianne's Tacqueria chain in Boston.

Jimbos in California

Finally went to Chipotle in Las Vegas and really enjoyed the spicy shredded beef burritto. I could barely finish one but the guy in front of me polished off two of them!!!

Didn't realize that they served tacos until a couple years ago... the thought :eek:

However, since md endorsed it, I may have to have a ceremonial one next time I'm in the lower 48...

For ANC:

We have a decent local chain called Taco King and they have the most funny radio ad right now- with a driver named Pedro who says "Taco King Deelevers" :D

For this far north, not bad ^

This is why, in my opinion, people like Chipotle. Quantity. The burritos are mainly rice...LOTS of rice. With LOTS of salt.

Pass.

Umm, they weren't. I assume the poster was joking, because the word used by the Eagles was "colitas," not "carnitas." For an interestig discussion of what "colitas" are, see here: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...s-colitas-mean

Who knows if the theory is true, but they definitely are not saying "carnitas."