Hello dear
Welcome to Tacos Oscar
At Tacos Oscar, we celebrate the vibrant flavors of Mexico in the heart of Oakland. Born from a desire to elevate traditional tacos with a modern twist, our kitchen focuses on seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients. Whether you’re indulging in our popular chile verde taco or venturing into our unique charred broccoli creation, every bite tells a story of thoughtful preparation. With outdoor seating and a casual vibe, we invite you to kick back, enjoy good company, and perhaps sip on a craft beer or wine. At Tacos Oscar, we strive not just to serve food but to create a memorable experience.
About
Tacos Oscar
Welcome to Tacos Oscar, the culinary gem nestled on 40th Street in the vibrant heart of Oakland, CA. Here, the essence of tacos is redefined, presenting a casual yet hip dining experience that captures the spirit of modern Californian cuisine.
The environment at Tacos Oscar is organically inviting. With outdoor seating that sets a relaxed atmosphere, it's perfect for casual dinners or even quick dates. The ambiance is casual, with a trendy vibe that attracts a diverse crowd—from young professionals unwinding after work to families enjoying a meal under the twinkling lights.
At Tacos Oscar, the focus is on quality and creativity. The menu offers a thoughtful selection of tacos, with options ranging from the highly acclaimed Chile Verde to vegan delights like the Chickory Tostada. Each taco is crafted using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, a philosophy that resonates strongly throughout the East Bay dining scene. Diners rave about the homemade tortillas, which elevate every bite, showcasing a commitment to authenticity. Maria Juliana B. captures the essence of this experience perfectly, praising the delicious flavor profiles and the delightful twist of pickled onions and cilantro that accompany the Chile Verde taco.
While the meat options are appealing, vegetarian and vegan choices do not fall short. Eric V. highlights the charred broccoli taco and the mushroom mole taco, emphasizing that these thoughtful creations deserve recognition. The love for flavors is palpable throughout the menu, making even the most straightforward tacos into an exploration of taste.
Tacos Oscar's commitment to variety and customer satisfaction is underscored by returning favorites. Customers like David H. fondly reminisce about the egg taco, showcasing a loyal following that eagerly anticipates seasonal offerings. It’s this level of customer engagement that solidifies Tacos Oscar as more than just a taco shop—it's a community hub where diners feel appreciated and valued.
Whether you're stopping by for a quick takeout, enjoying a leisurely dinner with friends, or savoring a late-night taco run, Tacos Oscar excels in delivering an experience that transcends typical fast food. With its focus on quality, friendly service, and an engaging atmosphere, it is no wonder that this local eatery has captured hearts and satisfied cravings across Oakland.
- Location: 420 40th St, Oakland, CA 94609
- Contact: (510) 735-9620
- Offers: Delivery, Takeout, Reservations, Outdoor Seating
- Vegan & Vegetarian Options: Available
- Cuisine Style: Hipster, Casual, Trendy, Moderate Noise
In essence, Tacos Oscar does not merely serve tacos; it creates a vibrant taco culture where every visit feels like a homecoming. It's a culinary must-visit for anyone seeking to enjoy the comforting embrace of expertly made tacos in a lively setting.
People talk
Our Guestbook
“ I just came back from Austin, Texas so the bar for my expectations for breakfast tacos were set high ... Tacos Oscar met those expectations. Absolutely, go! I had multiple tacos (egg and bean and cheese) and a bite of my friends' burrito. The burrito is the way to go!!! The chips and salsa were interesting, salsa was super thick and not my favorite. My friend paid extra for the habanero salsa and that was definitely the move! Parking in the neighborhood was plentiful and despite other reviews I did not see anyone experiencing homelessness and appreciate that they give back 1% of their sales to combat this in the community. Additionally there's an epic wine bar around the corner and Tacos Oscar has a $5 corkage fee. Love this and appreciated their curated local alcoholic beverage options too. There is a bathroom in the back. I will absolutely return for the breakfast burrito and hope to return for dinner service as well. ”
“ Checked this place out with a friend and we waited 15-20 minutes for our food to come out after ordering and paying at the front. Seating is in the back cafeteria style and I love how much personality that's been crammed into their space, even down to their bathroom, which is painted with the coolest egg characters and rainbows/stars. The menu seems to change, so this is what we got when we went there: chorizo egg taco (4/5) -- the sauces and toppings were amazing as was the flavor of the chorizo egg itself, but the texture of the chorizo egg was not my favorite potato taco (5/5) -- loved the contrast between the chewiness of the tortilla with the creaminess of the potato and soft red bell peppers. not sure what's in the sauce they served with this but mixed with everything else, it made for my favorite bite of the meal egg taco (5/5) -- perfect sunnyside up egg with crisp edges, bursting yolk that went perfectly with the crisp pickles red onion and the crunchy pumpkin seeds in their chili oil...savory, tangy, refreshing all in one bite Upon glancing the prices before ordering, I thought this place and its customers were crazy for paying so much per taco. After eating here, I believe that the tacos are well worth the satisfaction!! ”
“ Delicious tacos in a vibrant setting that seems like a fun hang out spot to meet up with small to medium size groups. Good amount of vegetarian and vegan options too. The folks here are very friendly and the service style is you order at the window out front and either take it to go or find some seating in the front area or the back area. I've been going to quite a few stands and low frills taco trucks lately or I live. This place is not that. What you do get here are deliciously made tacos that feel a little elevated and are served on some of the fluffiest corn tortillas you've ever had. I got a pork chile verde taco, a barbacoa taco, and a charred broccoli. I don't know if I'm off base here, but the first two tacos are like guisado style tacos (slightly stew-y served on a structurally sound large corn tortilla). I was also very surprised with the broccoli taco. Honestly,, it might've been my favorite and I liked all three. A lot. I probably didn't have the stomach space, but I really wanted to try the eggplant tostada as well. Maybe next time! (As a sidebar to any other people from the Los Angeles area - this place is an analog or is mostly comparable to Guerilla Tacos imo - to give you an idea on the vibe and food) I found street parking about a block away. But this place doesn't seem like there's too much through traffic. ”
“ En mi primera visita a Tacos Oscar ordené taco chile verde y tacos pollo tinga. Las tortillas estaban fechas y deliciosas, taco chile verde parece ser el más popular de todos, tiene muy buen sabor y el toque de pickle onions con cilantro lo hacen un más interesante. Pollo tinga taco, contiene generosamente pollo , buen sabor. Quedé satisfecha con dos tacos. Tortillas chips con salsa también recomendadas. Buen servicio, el lugar es muy limpio , buen ambiente y los precios de los tacos son justos ya que son delicioso y de calidad. ”
“ Ms. Waters Goes to Mexico; or, Alice in Tacoland The pattern persists in the East Bay. You take the Chez Panisse paradigm of local seasonal ingredients and filter a genre of food through said paradigm. Ramen Shop of Rockridge comes to mind, as does Tacos Oscar. You walk up and place your order to the cashier whom presides within a shipping container. The cooks are also in this shipping container: nifty, cost effective, and very much an Oakland thing to do. The back patio has the vibes. Lights are down low, women groove to trip-hop as they burp their babies on their shoulders. Speaking of the food, you really have to order the vegetable offerings at a place like this. The time I showed up, they served a charred broccoli taco, mushroom mole taco, and a chicory tostada, I think. For me, I had the tacos. I would have ordered the tostada too, except, well, I won't get into that The tacos were nice. They thought about them before putting them on the menu. ”
“ Take all the stars... Your tacos are great there is no arguing with that. Also, thanks so much for turning me on to salsa macha. I don't think I'd had it before your egg taco. Now I use it all the time (in my own egg tacos). Let's take a moment to appreciate your egg taco. It was amazing! I really enjoyed it, and I looked forward to every time I'd go back for it. There was a while there, I'd go back looking for it and felt sad when I didn't see it available. I'd gone back enough and not seen them that I gave up some time ago. I get it, eggs are scarce these days. Today, a friend mentioned that he'd been by and enjoyed your tacos the other day. I agreed with him that your tacos are delicious. After listening to his story, I eggsplained how It hadn't been the same for me for some time and I haven't had your tacos for a while now as a result. I know... get over it and enjoy other menu items. I tried, it's just not the same. Please send me a message when you gonna rock da eggz again and I'll come running back. Who knows... maybe I'll find myself back again to check it out post egg. Anything is possible :-) . Thanks and appreciation. ”
“ Updated 2025 review: -Still my favorite tacos! -Can't go wrong with the broccoli and seasonal tostada -Finally ate indoors, it gets drafty in there ”
“ If I had to describe Tacos Oscar, it'd probably best be described as "gentrified tacos", sometimes gentrified food kinda hits. The tortillas are nice. Fillings are interesting ish. Particularly good vegetarian options! Seating is outdoors, and it's very casual. Good for a quick date. Or for sitting with your head in your hands, panicking about what to do with your life. Hypothetically speaking, of course. ”
“ Taco de huevo - the salsa macha, pickled onions, combined with the fried egg with a runny yolk made this taco phenomenal. The salsa macha was roasty, nutty, spicy, slightly sweet, umami. The perfectly pickled onions provided the acid to round out the crispy-edged runny fried egg and the delicious flavors of the salsa macha. Cilantro and finely shredded cheese served as the finishing touches of this masterpiece of an egg taco. Xulo flour tortilla had a surprising chew and a slight savory flavor and I preferred it over the corn tortilla, which was also good but less unique than the flour tortilla this time. Came on a Saturday around noon and was hoping to have more than just the brunch menu, but the taco we tried made up for it! Open air seating in the back was nice and refreshing. ”
“ I just came back from Austin, Texas so the bar for my expectations for breakfast tacos were set high ... Tacos Oscar met those expectations. Absolutely, go! I had multiple tacos (egg and bean and cheese) and a bite of my friends' burrito. The burrito is the way to go!!! The chips and salsa were interesting, salsa was super thick and not my favorite. My friend paid extra for the habanero salsa and that was definitely the move! Parking in the neighborhood was plentiful and despite other reviews I did not see anyone experiencing homelessness and appreciate that they give back 1% of their sales to combat this in the community. Additionally there's an epic wine bar around the corner and Tacos Oscar has a $5 corkage fee. Love this and appreciated their curated local alcoholic beverage options too. There is a bathroom in the back. I will absolutely return for the breakfast burrito and hope to return for dinner service as well. ”
“ Checked this place out with a friend and we waited 15-20 minutes for our food to come out after ordering and paying at the front. Seating is in the back cafeteria style and I love how much personality that's been crammed into their space, even down to their bathroom, which is painted with the coolest egg characters and rainbows/stars. The menu seems to change, so this is what we got when we went there: chorizo egg taco (4/5) -- the sauces and toppings were amazing as was the flavor of the chorizo egg itself, but the texture of the chorizo egg was not my favorite potato taco (5/5) -- loved the contrast between the chewiness of the tortilla with the creaminess of the potato and soft red bell peppers. not sure what's in the sauce they served with this but mixed with everything else, it made for my favorite bite of the meal egg taco (5/5) -- perfect sunnyside up egg with crisp edges, bursting yolk that went perfectly with the crisp pickles red onion and the crunchy pumpkin seeds in their chili oil...savory, tangy, refreshing all in one bite Upon glancing the prices before ordering, I thought this place and its customers were crazy for paying so much per taco. After eating here, I believe that the tacos are well worth the satisfaction!! ”
“ Delicious tacos in a vibrant setting that seems like a fun hang out spot to meet up with small to medium size groups. Good amount of vegetarian and vegan options too. The folks here are very friendly and the service style is you order at the window out front and either take it to go or find some seating in the front area or the back area. I've been going to quite a few stands and low frills taco trucks lately or I live. This place is not that. What you do get here are deliciously made tacos that feel a little elevated and are served on some of the fluffiest corn tortillas you've ever had. I got a pork chile verde taco, a barbacoa taco, and a charred broccoli. I don't know if I'm off base here, but the first two tacos are like guisado style tacos (slightly stew-y served on a structurally sound large corn tortilla). I was also very surprised with the broccoli taco. Honestly,, it might've been my favorite and I liked all three. A lot. I probably didn't have the stomach space, but I really wanted to try the eggplant tostada as well. Maybe next time! (As a sidebar to any other people from the Los Angeles area - this place is an analog or is mostly comparable to Guerilla Tacos imo - to give you an idea on the vibe and food) I found street parking about a block away. But this place doesn't seem like there's too much through traffic. ”
“ En mi primera visita a Tacos Oscar ordené taco chile verde y tacos pollo tinga. Las tortillas estaban fechas y deliciosas, taco chile verde parece ser el más popular de todos, tiene muy buen sabor y el toque de pickle onions con cilantro lo hacen un más interesante. Pollo tinga taco, contiene generosamente pollo , buen sabor. Quedé satisfecha con dos tacos. Tortillas chips con salsa también recomendadas. Buen servicio, el lugar es muy limpio , buen ambiente y los precios de los tacos son justos ya que son delicioso y de calidad. ”
“ Ms. Waters Goes to Mexico; or, Alice in Tacoland The pattern persists in the East Bay. You take the Chez Panisse paradigm of local seasonal ingredients and filter a genre of food through said paradigm. Ramen Shop of Rockridge comes to mind, as does Tacos Oscar. You walk up and place your order to the cashier whom presides within a shipping container. The cooks are also in this shipping container: nifty, cost effective, and very much an Oakland thing to do. The back patio has the vibes. Lights are down low, women groove to trip-hop as they burp their babies on their shoulders. Speaking of the food, you really have to order the vegetable offerings at a place like this. The time I showed up, they served a charred broccoli taco, mushroom mole taco, and a chicory tostada, I think. For me, I had the tacos. I would have ordered the tostada too, except, well, I won't get into that The tacos were nice. They thought about them before putting them on the menu. ”
“ Take all the stars... Your tacos are great there is no arguing with that. Also, thanks so much for turning me on to salsa macha. I don't think I'd had it before your egg taco. Now I use it all the time (in my own egg tacos). Let's take a moment to appreciate your egg taco. It was amazing! I really enjoyed it, and I looked forward to every time I'd go back for it. There was a while there, I'd go back looking for it and felt sad when I didn't see it available. I'd gone back enough and not seen them that I gave up some time ago. I get it, eggs are scarce these days. Today, a friend mentioned that he'd been by and enjoyed your tacos the other day. I agreed with him that your tacos are delicious. After listening to his story, I eggsplained how It hadn't been the same for me for some time and I haven't had your tacos for a while now as a result. I know... get over it and enjoy other menu items. I tried, it's just not the same. Please send me a message when you gonna rock da eggz again and I'll come running back. Who knows... maybe I'll find myself back again to check it out post egg. Anything is possible :-) . Thanks and appreciation. ”