Taqueria Yungapeti (Walla Walla, WA)

It’s usually fruitful to ask the locals where to go for the best place to eat. A few years ago, a Hispanic clerk at the state liquor store pointed us to Taqueria Yungapeti up the street for a great place to find soft tacos. From outward appearances, the restaurant must have been a fast-food joint before, but a family purchased the property and converted it to a Mexican restaurant specializing in street foods: tacos, huaraches, etc.

You often wonder if the passage of time will improve your memory of foods you swore were a divine gift to the culinary world. On our return visit for lunch today, just one bite of the carne asada tacos (☆☆☆☆) proved once again to us that this place has the best soft tacos we’ve had anywhere. The corn tortillas are made on the premises and the fillings are nicely seasoned, adorned with fresh chopped cilantro and onions. The salsa bar ensures that you have a nice selection, from the mild tomatillo to a fiery roasted chile sauce. Usually at a taco bar, I’m pretty satisfied with a single serving of three tacos, but it’s hard not to order tacos with other fillings afterward. Hands down though, the carne asada are our favorite.