Party bus meets taco tour on this epic plan to take your friends on a taco trolley around New York City.
I’m always looking for unique, fun ways to bring people together, so for my birthday, I hosted a one-of-a-kind taco trolley. On our taco tour, we visited five of the best taquerias in New York City — three in Brooklyn and two in Manhattan.
The concept of a food tour on a trolley isn’t new. Many people have posted about their pizza trolley tour adventures on social media, but I would rather eat five tacos than five slices of pizza. Tacos are easier to eat, and you can eat more of them in one sitting.
In this guide, we’ll go over all the logistics to plan your own taco trolley tour with friends. If tacos aren’t your thing, you can use this guide as a blueprint for your own trolley food tour in the city. You could also spend the whole day doing this taco tour on foot without a trolley.
Regardless, this group-friendly guide will help you have a fun day with friends while chowing down on some of the best bites NYC has to offer.
The taco tour plan
The taco tour starts at Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and ends in Los Tacos No. 1 in Noho, Manhattan, with stops along the way at Esse Taco in Williamsburg, Nene’s Taqueria in Bushwick, and Santo Taco in Soho. Taqueria Ramirez and Los Tacos No. 1 have long vied for the spot to be considered New York’s #1 taco spot, so it feels right to start and end at these taquerias.
The taco tour takes about 4 hours. We started our day at 12 p.m. and ended around 4:30. The trolley was rented for three hours. We told our guests to arrive to Taqueria Ramirez at noon when it opened because this spot typically has the longest line of them all. The trolley arrived at 1 p.m. to give people who will inevitably be late a grace period and to give us time to enjoy our first taco without any rush.
On the bus, we danced to Latin music while drinking micheladas. The trolley is a classy party bus with a full speaker system, so you can dance while enjoying the fresh air with the windows open. This taco itinerary bakes in a few longer drives so you have time to party on the trolley. The longest drives were between Williamsburg and Bushwick and Bushwick and Soho.
The highlight of our taco adventure was driving across the Williamsburg Bridge while blasting Nueva Yol by Bad Bunny, not very Mexican of us, but it was euphoric.
The bus dropped us off at the final location in Noho (Los Taco No. 1) at 4 p.m., where we enjoyed our last taco.
The top 5 taquerias in NYC
On our tour, we visited what I consider to be the best taquerias in New York City. People say New York doesn’t have good Mexican food, but as a proud Mexican-American, I beg to differ. You just need to know where to go. Here’s a rundown of each of the taquerias we visited and what we ordered:
Taqueria Ramirez
Since opening in 2021, Taqueria Ramirez has been crowned the best taqueria in New York City. Taqueria Ramirez is a Mexico City-style taqueria with an al pastor trompo and no frills. The must-order taco is without a doubt the al pastor.
You can expect a line here, so that’s why it’s best to visit it first. You can’t order the tacos to-go, so make sure you have time to enjoy them at the restaurant. There is indoor and outdoor seating at counters, just like in Mexico.
Esse Taco
The famed Mexico City chef Enrique Olvera opened Esse Taco on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg to rival Taqueria Ramirez. It’s a solid spot with delicious ribeye, duck carnitas, and mushroom tacos, among others.
We ordered 30 tacos ahead of time by emailing info@essetaco.com and enjoyed the tacos on the trolley on our ride to the next stop.
Esse also serves a delicious cornhusk meringue sundae, which is a fan favorite at Cosme, Olvera’s Michelin-starred restaurant in the city. So, if you’re craving a sweet treat, order a few to share when you pick up your tacos.
Nene’s Taqueria
The NYC foodie scene is sleeping on Nene’s Taqueria. This family-run taqueria has arguably the best birria tacos in the city. Nene’s Deli Taqueria on Starr St. in Bushwick is the original location.
Nene’s is half taqueria, half market with goodies and home supplies imported from Mexico. You can order a platter of birria tacos by calling ahead. We picked up our birria taco platter and ate it on the trolley before going to Soho. It’s important to eat them while the trolley is parked because drenching your tacos in consome (the broth you dip birria tacos in) can be messy in a moving vehicle.
Santo Taco
Santiago Perez, a partner of Enrique Olvera of Esse, Cosme, and Pujol, opened Santo Taco in the summer of 2025, making it the newest taqueria on the scene.
Santo Taco rose to viral fame for a first-of-its-kind steak trompo in New York City. While the steak trompo is the most popular, don’t sleep on the carnitas or carne asada. Only time will tell if Santo Taco becomes the next top taqueria in New York City.
Everyone got off the trolley to order their own tacos and eat at the high tops outside. Then, we hopped on the trolley for one last stop.
Los Tacos No. 1
Los Tacos No. 1 were the first Mexico City-style tacos to hit New York City. Now, Los Tacos has nine locations throughout Manhattan. We visited one of the newer locations in Noho.
Los Tacos No. 1 has a typical selection of tacos but also quesadillas. Their carne asada and adobada tacos are the best (but no one can beat Taqueria Ramirez’s al pastor).
You can expect a line at Los Tacos, but it moves pretty fast. If you’re running behind on your trolley tour, you can walk from Santo Taco to Los Tacos No. 1 in under 10 minutes.
Booking your trolley
The New York Trolley Company has classic trolleys that you can rent with a private driver for a minimum of two hours. You get to choose the destinations you go to and the length of the rental.
Prices start at $900 for a two-hour minimum. A Saturday trolley rental is more expensive, so we opted for Sunday to save money. The trolley can fit a maximum of 34 people. The more people, the merrier, and the more affordable the trolley will be per person.
The total for three hours on a Sunday, excluding tip, was about $1,250. I charged each of my 28 guests $65 per person, which included the trolley, two tacos, and drinks on board. I also covered the driver’s tip out of pocket, which was $150 in cash.
Getting the tacos
At Esse Taco and Nene’s Taqueria, we ordered ahead and enjoyed the tacos on the bus. Everywhere else, we hopped off the bus and made the line.
We recommended one taco per taqueria because if not, you’ll be too full by the end. Here’s a quick guide on what to order at each place:
- Taqueria Ramirez: Al pastor
- Esse Taco: Ribeye or mushroom
- Nene’s Deli Taqueria: Birria
- Santo Taco: Carnitas or steak trompo
- Los Tacos No. 1: Carne asada
The drinks
You can bring alcoholic drinks on the bus. For 28 people, we brought two coolers filled with 12 Cayman Jack margaritas, 12 Modelo alcoholic agua frescas, 36 beers, and 10 Mexican Cokes.
In the back of the trolley, we were slinging micheladas, a Mexican drink that combines beer with lime juice, hot sauce, and spices. Micheladas are easy to make, even on a moving trolley. Find an authentic Michelada recipe here.
Do you need help planning your birthday party in New York City? Email hello@thatplannerfriend.com to brainstorm some ideas. And, if you have any questions about hosting a trolley tour, comment below. I’m happy to answer any questions.
Reply