If you’ve ever joined us for lunch or dinner at El Rayo in Portland, or read any of Mere’s tweets about NanaTaco in Durham, you’ll know that one thing is for certain… Meredith and I love ourselves some tacos. No matter where Map & Menu visits, if there’s a good taco stand or shop, you can guarantee it’ll be high on our list (we even went 30 minutes out of our way for tacos in Paris!).

Great tacos always seem to share a few things in common – fresh ingredients in fun combinations, delicious tortillas, tasty beverages, great settings, and very very long lines. White Duck Taco fits the mold perfectly, and Meredith and I knew we were in for a treat the very moment we pulled up to the bright orange hatchery and saw the line wrapping out the door and around the side. Fortunately, the weather was gorgeous, the line moved quickly, and in no time we were standing in front of the counter making our decisions and placing our orders. Meredith order a fish and the mushroom and potato special, I ordered a fish, the jerk chicken, and a bbq carnitas, and we split a basket of chips and queso. I almost shed a sentimental tear when I saw that they had bottled Cheerwine (you’ll understand if you grew up in North Carolina, or spent any part of your life getting caffeinated in the state), so I ordered a bottle and we grabbed a table near the window while we waited.

The queso was a tasty throwback to our college days and our all-to-frequent visits to El Rodeo, a now gone Mexican restaurant in Chapel Hill. Once our tacos arrived, I realized why there seemed to be plenty of open seating, despite the large (and getting larger) line – it took us just a few minutes to devour the entire delicious spread. I think that both of our favorites turned out to be the fish tacos, but the bbq carnitas taco came in a close second for me, and the Cheerwine will always be number one in my heart. If we’d been in town for another day, you can bet that we would’ve possibly returned to try the flavors we didn’t get to sample.

True to form, tacos delivered yet again for the two of us, and only reinforced our belief that no matter where you are, a good taco can make any day better. Are there any good taco places out there that you’d recommend for our future plans?