We asked and you voted. Here is the Readers’ Choice pick for best tacos in the Charlotte area.
Charlotte, we have a CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice contest first: The winner and runner up restaurants competing for the title of best tacos share the same owner.
We set out with 56 restaurants across the Charlotte area that serve tacos — all nominated by readers. And after a couple of weeks of voting, you narrowed it down to Que Fresa and Que Onda, both concepts from Que Hospitality owner Manny Flores.
Flores, who has worked with celebrity chefs José Andrés and Richard Sandoval — giants of Spanish and Latin cuisine, respectively — focuses on a modern presentation of Mexican food. At both restaurants, you’ll find tacos with more garnishes than what’s common in a traditional version and elevated cocktails with a global perspective.
Now, let’s get to it. After six rounds and thousands of votes, here is the winner of the 2023 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice: Best Tacos contest:
Best tacos in Charlotte: Que Fresa Taqueria + Bar
Location: 1500-A W. Morehead St., Charlotte, NC 28208
Location: Uptown Charlotte at College Street and East Brooklyn Village Boulevard (opening early 2024)
Instagram: @eatquefresa
Fast-casual taqueria Que Fresa was inspired by Flores’ wife, Paola and named after “Mexican slang for a preppy person.” Inside and out, you’ll see plenty of pink decor and artwork and packaging accented with calaveras, giving the Day of the Dead vibes. Guests have their pick of 14 tacos — with options including street tacos and “preppy tacos” — that they can munch on inside or take to the patio, filled with tables and umbrellas.
The street taco menu has options such as carnitas, al pastor, chicken tinga and lengua, while the preppy menu shakes things up with tofu chile, roasted ‘shrooms and fun choices like La Toxica, made with fried chicken, mango buffalo sauce, carrot and celery slaw with blue cheese and crema mango salsa.
Juan Romero, Que Fresa’s executive chef, expressed gratitude on behalf of the team to everyone who voted.
“I want to thank you, Charlotte, for choosing us among the best tacos in the city. We will do our best to maintain ... good flavors and to offer something different to the community. That’s what we want, that’s what we want to do, and we want to be the best. Thank you, Charlotte.”
A second location is on the way, as well. While the space in uptown Charlotte is under construction, a few pop-ups have been held to introduce the brand to customers there.
“We put in countless hours of hard work to create this brand, and it’s been so rewarding to see how much Charlotte loves Que Fresa. We are extremely excited to serve uptown,” Flores previously told CharlotteFive.
Runner-up for best tacos in the Charlotte area: Que Onda Tacos + Tequila
Location: 13016 Eastfield Rd, Suite B300, Huntersville, NC 28078
Location: 3022 Weddington Rd Suite 100, Matthews, NC 28105
Location: 1518 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Location: 9601 N Tryon St Suite K, Charlotte, NC 28262
Location: 333 W Trade St #101, Charlotte, NC 28202
Menu: Huntersville, Matthews, University City North, Uptown
Instagram: @eatqueonda
Que Onda Tacos + Tequila has grown to five locations, with the most recent being the Plaza Midwood space that recently held Coaltrane’s Char Grill.
“We really like to focus on the modern take and presentation of Mexican food and flavors,” Flores said.
Before settling in Charlotte, he worked in Washington, D.C., and traveled extensively throughout his career in the restaurant industry. He found that 8-10 years ago, there was a gap in the Queen City, and a modern take on Mexican cuisine wasn’t represented.
“Que Onda Tacos + Tequila was really born through my experiences working with restaurateurs and celebrity chefs. ... I really wanted to bring that into the Charlotte market,” Flores said.
Despite fusion cocktails and sophisticated dishes like salmon with veracruzana sauce on the menu, street tacos are still king, however.
“Taco Tuesday is really important to the public,” he said, noting his favorite on the menu is the baja fish taco, featuring Mexican slaw and corn.
CharlotteFive Readers Choice favorites
After you’ve tried both restaurants, make sure to dive in to all 56 of your favorite taco spots in the Charlotte area.
You can also read more about other winners of CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice contests:
- Best Coffee Shop
- Best Chicken Wings
- Best Doughnuts
- Best Burgers
- Best Ice Cream
- Best Brewery
- Best Pizza
- Best Sushi.
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
