Two of Yelp’s ‘Top 100 U.S. Taco Spots’ are in Boise and Nampa? Thank California

If there’s one thing that Idaho natives can’t gripe about when it comes to out-of-state transplants, it’s the effect on the Treasure Valley’s restaurant scene.

Need proof? Check out the newly released “Top 100 U.S. Taco Spots 2023” from crowd-sourced reviews platform Yelp.

Two of the eateries are from the Boise area. And whaddaya know? Both are run by operators who moved here from California.

Food truck Pablo’s Tacos of Nampa is ranked No. 55 on the list. And food-trailer-turned-restaurant La Garnacha Que Apapacha of Boise is No. 76.

Austin, Texas, is probably the place to be if you’re a taco fiend. It’s Yelp’s #1 taco town. But we’ve got some excellent Mexican food around here — as The New York Times recently noted about upscale Caldwell restaurant Amano on its third annual “The Restaurant List.” (And, yes, James Beard-nominated owner-chef Salvador Alamilla spent years in California, too, before his family came to Homedale, according to Amano’s website.)

Here’s the scoop on Yelp’s two standout Idaho taco spots.

Pablo’s Tacos

Parked at 241 N. Kings Road, Pablo’s proudly hypes its Golden State roots. “Est. in San Diego,” it says on its merch. “The best authentic San Diego Mexican food you can find in beautiful Idaho,” it brags on Facebook.

The Pablo’s menu offers all the tasty standards: carne asada, pollo asada and al pastor tacos, breakfast burritos, rolled tacos, quesadillas, tortas and nachos. There also are fries. After all, why not order carne asada fries made with Idaho potatoes?

“Tried out Pablos Tacos for the first time,” a Yelp reviewer wrote in August, “and all I need to say is DELICIOUS. Seriously so juicy and authentic.”

“Killer San Diego-style Mexican,” wrote another, recommending the California Suprema burrito and Destroyer breakfast burrito. “You won’t be disappointed. Great service, high-quality food.”

La Garnacha que Apapacha

With a dose of local hype — and a menu powered by birria, an undeniably popular Mexican cuisine — La Garnacha Que Apapacha opened its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in mid-August. Leaving its popular food trailer behind in Nampa, it relocated to the former Mad Mac space at 7709 W. Overland Road, suite 120, at the Boise Spectrum.

A traditional Mexican meat stew, birria has exploded in popularity in recent years. As the self-described “only authentic birrieria in the Treasure Valley,” La Garnacha Que Apapacha specializes in it. After appearing in late 2020, the yellow food-truck-turned-food-trailer quickly earned a cult following. Recent California transplants Fabrizio Sanchez and his wife, Gabriela Talavera, dished up tacos, tortas, quesadillas and more.

Three years later, their restaurant is earning fans in Boise.

“The birria tacos are so good, the consommé ridiculously delicious!” a Yelp reviewer wrote in September. “You can really taste the attention to details.”

“The food is excellent,” another proclaimed, “and I haven’t had a thing I didn’t like. The horchata comes in a cool little blender mug. Don’t be surprised if there is a line and you have to wait a bit, but if you haven’t been it’s worth it. I have no idea what the calorie count is and given the fried nature, it better be a cheat day if you’re on a diet. But if you want warm comfort food, you can’t go wrong. Oh! Get plenty of the green sauce.”