Waltham Eats: A South Side taco crawl

The restaurants on Waltham’s South Side cater to all tastes and budgets. With the cost of a Big Mac approaching $6 and a turkey sandwich hitting $14, we wondered where we could find a delicious lunch in Waltham for under ten bucks. Our first thought was … tacos!  

We’re blessed with a host of taquerias on the South Side, some brand new, others here for decades. For this inaugural Waltham Eats column, we conducted a very unscientific taco crawl, dropping in on four restaurants and sampling everything from carne asada to birria, shrimp and tongue. The vibe, service and food quality varied wildly but they had one thing in common — you can get two tacos for $10 at every one of them.

Monarca Taqueria  663 Main St. Tacos: $4.25
Monarca is the newest entry on the Waltham taco scene, taking over the long-vacant Gustazo space in 2026. Run by veteran restaurateurs Ramiro and Raquel Marin, Monarca has a clean, colorful vibe with a small bar and ample tables. Quick service is the theme here; just seven minutes from order to delivery. We tried three tacos: shrimp, tongue and beef.

Taco Verdict: Our taco team loved the shrimp, which was piled with tender shrimp and fresh cilantro and accompanied by a side of mango salsa. Extra credit for the house-made pico de gallo, which was pureed, smoky and slightly picante.

Taqueria El Amigo 196 Willow St. Tacos: $3.75 to $4.95
Taqueria El Amigo went viral when it hit Yelp’s “Top Places to Eat” in 2023. Foodies made a pilgrimage to this tiny spot, patiently waiting in line for the Timoteo brothers’ tacos, nachos and burritos. The lines are gone, but this mostly takeout restaurant is still buzzing. We ordered chicken and birria tacos. Service was quick and cordial, and our tacos were still warm when we arrived home.

Taco Verdict: The outstanding chicken taco is made with pulled white-meat chicken, smothered in a smoky red sauce with lots of fresh onions and cilantro. A sizable taco shell kept all the ingredients in place!

Tita’s Kitchen 198 High St. Tacos: $4.50
Tita’s is that hole-in-the-wall joint you’ve been searching for. Bare-bones and colorful, you feel like you are literally standing in Tita’s kitchen, with a few tables and a small menu of mostly Central American fare. They were out of the fish and shrimp tacos during our visit so we ordered the chicken and carne asada.

Taco Verdict: The winner was the carne asada with plenty of grilled, marinated beef chunks topped with red onion and cilantro and garnished with lime. The accompanying hot pepper sauce was exceptional.

Trencito 3 Carter St. Tacos: $3.50 to $5.00
This slightly scruffy diner/deli/taqueria opened in 2025, replacing the beloved Tap-Tap. It was too cold to sit on the patio, so we ate at the counter. Unfortunately, it was cold indoors, too — the AC was blasting — so we ordered and ate quickly. Fortunately, the food quality made up for the chilly environment.

Taco Verdict: Of the fish, chorizo and shrimp tacos, the crustacean was the standout. Three whole shrimp, perfectly cooked, smoky and softly spiced. Kudos for the delicious, house-made pico de gallo.

You can plan a taco crawl too. There are plenty of other places to try — Margarita’s, Taqueria Mexico, Antojitos and Amuleto, to name a few — and we’d love to hear about your experiences! Please use the comments section for feedback. Cheers!