Taqueria El Paisa

"There’s no shortage of exceptional taco spots in Oakland, whether you want to scarf down al pastor from a late-night truck like Tacos Mi Rancho or load up on crispy carnitas at Rico Rico Taco. El Paisa is the queen bee. The East Oakland spot—complete with picnic tables under a covered patio and a meat assembly line—is serving fall-apart lengua, perfect suadero, and juicy carnitas atop impossibly moist corn tortillas. Anticipation builds after you order, and watch staff chop and dress tacos a mile a minute in the kitchen behind the counter. Once you’re handed a steaming plate of tacos (with nopales and cebollitas, too), go feral at the salsa bar, which is loaded with chiles that range from mild to “send milk, now.”" - Julia Chen

"There’s no shortage of exceptional taco spots in Oakland, whether you want to scarf down al pastor from a late-night truck like Tacos Mi Rancho or load up on crispy carnitas at Rico Rico Taco. El Paisa is the queen bee. The East Oakland spot—complete with picnic tables under a covered patio and a meat assembly line—is serving fall-apart lengua, perfect suadero, and juicy carnitas atop impossibly moist corn tortillas. Anticipation builds after you order as you watch staff chop and dress tacos a mile a minute in the kitchen behind the counter. Once you’re handed a steaming plate of tacos (with nopales and cebollitas, too), go feral at the salsa bar, which is loaded with options that range from mild to “send milk, now.” " - lani conway, julia chen 1

"Fruitvale has nothing if not an abundance of top-notch Mexican restaurants of every stripe, but if you’re just talking about tacos, served simply and without fuss, Taqueria El Paisa rises to the top of the heap. This place with a meat lover’s paradise — all day long, the sound of the taqueros chopping up suadero (a brisket-like cut), cabeza, and other cuts, still hot off the griddle, punctuates the air. Best of all is the luxuriously tender slow-cooked tripa, or beef tripe. Ask for grilled cactus and onions with your order, and make liberal use of the salsa bar, but exercise caution: Even the mildest options pack serious heat." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"The best-named taqueria in the East Bay also serves some of the most varied and tasty tacos in the already taco-notable Fruitvale district of Oakland. Don’t be weirded out by the strange ordering system; instead, just tell the cashier how many tacos you want and, at the next window, pick your fillings. Standouts here in addition to the typical carne asada and al pastor orders are the tripas, which aren’t overly chewy." - Lena Park, Dianne de Guzman

"This taqueria has gained a reputation for serving the best tacos in not just Fruitvale, but all of Oakland, and offers offal fillings like tripas (beef tripe), sesos (brains), and cabeza." - Dianne de Guzman, Clair Lorell, Paolo Bicchieri