USA Today readers have chosen their favorite fast food taco for 2025, and it comes from a chain that has not made its way to California.
According to USA Today’s national survey, the best fast food taco is the Taco Bravo available only at Taco John’s.
If you’re unfamiliar with Taco John’s, it’s a Wyoming-based restaurant chain that specializes in “West-Mex” cuisine—Mexican-style staples with western range influence.
You might also know the brand as the restaurant chain that owned the “Taco Tuesday” trademark, and refused to surrender it to bigger, more powerful restaurant chains, or NBA superstar LeBron James. In 2023, the company ultimately agreed to relinquish the trademark in favor of taco unity, and issued a challenge to competitors to spend their money that would’ve gone to fighting a legal battle to instead donate to charity.
While the company may have surrendered that battle, USA Today readers have put Taco John’s and its Taco Bravo atop the fast food charts in its annual 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards.
The taco is made with “warm refried beans spread on a soft tortilla, wrapped around a freshly fried crispy taco shell, and filled with seasoned 100% North American beef, cheddar cheese, taco sauce, and lettuce,” officials said.
To celebrate the taco-mplishment, Taco John’s is offering $1 Beef Taco Bravos all day on Wednesday, July 30 at its more than 300 locations.
“Taco is in our name, and from our beginnings as a small taco shop in Wyoming, crafting delicious, quality tacos served at a great value is at the heart of what we do,” said Taco John’s President Heather Neary. “We’re thrilled that America has spoken, and they know what our entire organization already knows: that the Taco Bravo is the best fast food taco in America, and now we get to celebrate with both longtime and new guests.”
If you’re a California resident who’s resigned to not getting your hands on a Taco Bravo, bad news, the second-best fast food taco isn’t available in the Golden State either. Landing at No. 2 in the USA Today readers’ rankings was the Trailer Park taco from Torchy’s Tacos, another regional Mexican fast food chain located primarily in the Southwest and Southeast regions of the country.
The highest ranking fast food tacos accessible to Californians is the Beer Battered Fish Taco from Del Taco, which came in at third.
The full ranking of the top fast food tacos in the U.S., according to the 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards is below:
- Taco Bravo – Taco John’s
- Trailer Park – Torchy’s Tacos
- Beer Battered Fish Taco – Del Taco
- Chicken Taco al Carbon – El Pollo Loco
- Potato & Egg Breakfast Taco – Taco Cabana
- Sauced & Loaded Tiny Tacos – Jack in the Box
- Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Taco – Qdoba Mexican Eats
- The Muchaco – Taco Bueno
- Adobo Chicken Taco – Moe’s Southwest Grill
- Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco – Taco Bell