You may recognize the colorful tacos at Taqueria Pico de Gallo on South Sixth Avenue, but have you really explored the neighborhood? That's where our handy guide comes in. 

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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ is getting its own restaurant week! Starting Sept. 6, gourmet restaurants all over town will offer special three-course menus at a discounted price. This 10-day celebration gives budget diners a chance to explore our food scene and try something new (and delicious). 

But unlike other restaurant weeks across the country, has a special component that was made up by me, the taco lady. I put together a self-guided Taco Tour of five iconic ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ neighborhoods. Much of this was inspired by my previous project (AKA Andi's Cheat Summer) which taught me a lot about ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s unique landscape of Mexican food.  

You can choose your own adventure by picking a neighborhood and then weaving your way through, eating all the tacos in your path. If you want to get real serious with it, I've also provided my recommendations at each stop. (And yes, I have eaten everything on this list.) Also check out the printable Taco Tour checklist attached to this article. How many spots have you been to? 

Flowing Wells area

It takes two tortillas to hold the hefty slab of roasted green chile in the Taco Yaqui, $3.50, at Aqui con El Nene.

Start on Oracle Road and Miracle Mile and weave your way up toward the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall. This takes you into Flowing Wells, an underrated food neighborhood with some of the best Mexican eateries in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. These spots are distinctly Sonoran, whether they're serving carne asada or even seafood!  

Baja Mar, , phone: 520-730-8220

Sonoran-style mariscos are the name of the game at this food truck. has a sizable menu with some obscure seafoods like tuna fin, but we usually stick to the crispy fried shrimp tacos. 

Molcas, , phone: 520-358-1919

food truck has a little bit of everything — tortas, burros, Sonoran hot dogs and even a section of fritangas or fried foods — but we think they have one of the best carne asada tacos in town. 

Taqueria Porfis, west side of Oracle Road south of Wetmore Road, phone: 520-882-4724

The original Taqueria Porfis is in Nogales, Sonora. But the business has a few ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ locations including this stand near the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Mall. They're known for their saucy steamed "tacos al vapor." 

Aqui con El Nene, , phone: 520-312-1666

This taco truck has won several taco contests over the years and is considered one of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s best. 's owner is from one of Sonora's best food cities, Ciudad Obregon. You've gotta try his Taco Yaqui with an entire green chile that's stuffed with meat and cheese. 

La Yori,

La Yori is a charming Mexican snack shop that sells raspados, elotes and such, but they also do a mean birria taco. 

St. Mary's/West Side area

Street tacos at Seis during a recent lunch. We also got a bowl of nachos and some aguas frescas. The taco in the front is the cochinita pibil. 

In the shadow of Tumamoc Hill, this route takes you down St. Mary's Road and into Barrio Hollywood, and then through the Menlo Park area toward the Mercado San Agustin. These are some of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s oldest neighborhoods, and you can tell by the charming restaurant scene. 

El Antojo Poblano, , phone: 520-406-5905

The West Side food truck El Antojo Poblano serves Central Mexican food from the state of Puebla, and more. While it's not technically a taco, we wanted to recommend their corn masa huaraches because they are amazing. Get one with shredded chicken tinga. 

Tania’s 33, , phone: 520-622-0685

This Barrio Hollywood business gets the award for cutest taqueria in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. has a sizable vegetarian menu, and we love the cauliflower tacos here. 

La Fresita, , phone: 520-622-4005

looks kind of like a Los Betos, but they actually make their own corn tortillas. We enjoyed them with the carne asada tacos, but we also had a really great breakfast burrito one day. If you're into Mexican border history, ask them about their Pollo Estilo Copa Cabana. 

Sonoran Delights, , phone: 520-623-3020

We usually come for the raspados and tostilocos, but we recently tried their hard-shelled tacos dorados with beef and potatoes inside. No more tostilocos for me. 

Seis Kitchen at the Mercado San Agustin, , phone: 520-622-2002

You haven't lived until you've tried one of the crispy avocado tacos at this hip central Mexican spot . Make sure you get the big ones though and not the little street tacos. (Go big or go home!) 

South 12th Avenue area

A meaty smorgasbord at Tacos Apson in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ consists of cheesy caramelos (top left) and various tacos de carne asada, or grilled beef.  

My favorite neighborhood for a taco crawl! South 12th Avenue has more than a dozen Mexican restaurants, as well as elote and vegetable stands, meat markets and more. It's also home to some of the most popular Sonoran joints in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, like BK Carne Asada and the James Beard Award-winning El Güero Canelo. 

Tacos Apson, , phone: 520-670-1248

If you wanna know what tacos look like in Sonora, this is it. is a little spot on the south side with a mesquite grill that cooks up every kind of beef you can imagine. Skip the testicles and go for the costillas or rib meat, which can be chopped up rasurado style for easy eating. 

Rollies Mexican Patio, , phone: 520-300-6289

Some will argue that a taquito is not a taco. But those people are foolish. Ignore them and head to this trendy spot for some chicken rolled tacos, and maybe a concha ice cream sandwich. 

Taco Fish, , phone: 520-777-6235

is my favorite hidden gem spot in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, because it has delicious Hermosillo-style mariscos with Sonoran specialties like cahuamanta. If it's your first time, you've gotta get the Taco Gordo with a bit of everything: fried fish, shrimp and shredded red marlin. Ask for a bichi on the side! 

BK Tacos, , phone: 520-295-0105

The one, the only ... is known for its bacon-wrapped Sonoran dogs. But they also have the best tacos de cabeza I've ever eaten. 

El Güero Canelo, , phone: 520-295-9005

The southside restaurant with a James Beard Award. Life is funny sometimes, especially when you're eating a crispy taco lorenza. Just do it, it's good! 

Fourth Avenue/Downtown area

Spruce up that carnitas taco, $2.50, with some lime and pickled red onions at Street Tacos and Beer. 

You don't have to go to the south or west sides to find excellent Mexican food. Just make your way down Fourth Avenue and you'll find everything from Central Mexican vegetarian fare to beefy carne asada tacos from Sonora's capital of Hermosillo. Then head downtown to Street Taco for some carnitas and a margarita!  

La Indita, , phone: 520-792-0523

This eclectic Fourth Avenue restaurant is a little bit ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and a little bit Central Mexican. Their Tarascan tacos are almost like empanadas, stuffed with spinach and nuts or any variety of meats. 

Percheron Mexican Grill at The Boxyard, , phone: 520-272-5490

A specialty of Hermosillo, the percheron tacos at this food stand took the #1 spot in my 100 Days of Tacos project back in 2015. (They have since changed their name and opened a second location on Fourth Avenue.) Are they the best tacos in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥? Not saying no here! 

Taqueria El Semental, northwest corner of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street, phone: 520-312-1441

A legit Sonoran taco truck right on Fourth Avenue, yay ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥! Everything at is good, but we recommend La Morenita taco with adobada and guacamole. 

Street Taco and Beer Co., , phone: 520-269-6266

This downtown taqueria has a Chipotle-esque assembly line approach, but also has some incredibly juicy pork carnitas. Get your taco street style rather than gringo style. 

South ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and surrounding area

The namesake chipilones tacos at Taqueria Los Chipilones are like little caramelos, but you get more tortilla in each bite. 

This route weaves between the two main corridors of southside Mexican food, South Fourth and South Sixth Avenues. On South Sixth, you'll find smaller taquerias and food trucks like the mariscos spot Cocteleria la Palma. And on South Fourth, you'll find family-owned Mexican restaurants serving the traditional dishes that ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ns grew up on. 

Taqueria Los Chipilones, , phone: 520-401-0399

This new taco stand is owned by the people at Ruiz hot dogs next door. Their chipilones tacos are a cross between a carne asada and a cheesy caramelo. They are stupidly yummy. 

Cocteleria La Palma, , phone: 520-270-4067

Their shrimp taco quesadilla was so good that I cried in my car afterward. That is all you need to know about this mariscos spot. 

Pinches inside American Eat Co., , phone: 520-867-8700

The name of this place makes me laugh every time I hear it. is a new business inside of the bustling food hall American Eat Co. Get their fried taco dillers, if you can say it with a straight face. 

Crossroads Restaurant, ,Ìý±è³ó´Ç²Ô±ð: 520-624-0395

No taco tour is complete without a stop at one of South Fourth Avenue's traditional Mexican restaurants. I enjoy going to because it has a funky atmosphere and some great fried potato Azteca tacos. Also, pitchers of margaritas. 

Taqueria Pico de Gallo, , phone: 520-623-8775

Last but not least! Please go to Pico de Gallo and get every taco you can stomach, all on the freshly-made corn tortillas. I have eaten here on Christmas, and it did not disappoint. 

Sonoran Restaurant Week 2019

Enjoy incredible 3-course meals from a  at special $25 and $35 pricing during , Sept. 6-15. What’s even better? Your participation helps support the Community Food Bank of Southern ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, providing food assistance to thousands of your neighbors across the region. Get  of the participating restaurants' and menus .

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