Are you ready for March Madness? Well, let the (taco) games begin.
We’re kicking off our 2022 Taco Bracket with 32 teams — a.k.a. taco shops — for you to vote on.
These starting competitors were drawn from our own institutional knowledge as well as from reader recommendations. And, boy, did you show up with your opinions.
We received more than 100 suggestions of the best taco shops around Denver. They ranged from mobile carts and trucks to long-standing restaurant institutions and everything in between.
And because there are just too many to compete, as the bracket narrows down we’ll be including more of your favorites in taco-themed stories. We’re also giving you a map of more than 100 taco spots to check out in your own neighborhoods and farther afoot.
Call us your 2022 taco fairies. We come bearing al pastor, carnitas, cabeza, chicken tinga and more scrumptious fillings inside soft — sometimes crunchy — shells. We also come bearing creative interpretations of tacos, high-falutin tacos and are-those-even-tacos? tacos. We’ll leave you to decide.
For this first round of voting, you’ll choose the Sweet 16 from 32 competitors. For ease of selection, we’ve divided these first 32 into general regions around Denver. We know it’ll be hard to pick just one from each category, but try it anyway. Remember to play fairly as we continue to vote. We’ll do our part to monitor each round.
Keep in mind: As they narrow down, these contenders will represent the best that the local taco scene has to offer. We’re working toward a winner, but most of all, we hope that you’ll use this competition as a guide to discover some new favorite taco spots around town.
Without further ado … .
The 32 teams (and their home courts)
Your vote will help us determine our top 16 bracket contenders. And don’t get too nitpicky about the geography; we know it’s not a perfect science. Voting for this round ends at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 2.
