A taco truck, an alley courtyard and a Lakeshore dining room tell connected stories about eating in Oakland. Tacos Sinaloa established its East Oakland presence in 1999. Tacos Oscar followed a pop-up route into Temescal. Rico Rico brought together two families whose children grew up around East Bay taco trucks. The city offers several forms of the same meal, shaped by the people who moved it from one setting to another.
For the diner, those histories lead to practical choices. A broad list of meat cuts invites a mixed taco order. A smaller seasonal menu makes vegetables central. A neighborhood taqueria can combine tacos with fish, burritos and family meals. These three selections offer a route through International Boulevard, 40th Street and Lakeshore without pretending the whole city eats one kind of taco.
Tacos Sinaloa: begin with the filling
The International Boulevard truck keeps the basic order direct: meat, onion, cilantro and salsa. Asada, pastor and carnitas sit beside lengua, cabeza, suadero and buche. Shrimp and fish broaden the choice further. A few tacos let a diner compare preparations before committing to a large burrito.
The published menu also has separate squash, mushroom and cactus preparations, plus ceviche tostadas and seafood cocktails. There are two Oakland addresses, with International open later than East 12th Street. Direct ordering at International is labeled pickup only; a collection order should not be mistaken for promised delivery.
Tacos Oscar: vegetables and guisados in Temescal
Oscar Michel and Jake Weiss brought their pop-up to a permanent courtyard in 2018. The compact shipping-container setting accompanies a focused dinner menu: chile-braised beef, pork in tomatillo and chicken tinga share space with charred broccoli and mushrooms.
The vegetable tacos have specific identities. Broccoli carries peanut-and-árbol salsa, while mushrooms take a cashew crema and cabbage-mint slaw. At weekend brunch, fried egg and bean-and-cheese tacos introduce another menu, currently on flour tortillas with corn by request. The change is worth knowing before assuming a dinner favorite will define a morning visit.
Rico Rico: a family connection on Lakeshore
Ricardo and Marisol Montero's restaurant joined the Tacos El Gordo and Taqueria Sinaloa family backgrounds. Its pastor comes from the spit with pineapple; carnitas offers crisp fried pork. The kitchen also makes fried-fish tacos with cabbage and chipotle crema, sautéed shrimp, mushroom and cactus options.
Two- and three-taco combinations with rice and beans help size a meal, while a huarachito or burrito provides a larger format. The related Rico Rico Vegano on Rand Avenue has a separate plant-based menu and contact. Lakeshore's direct ordering offers pickup and delivery, making it a different home-meal option from the pickup-only link at Sinaloa.
Follow the meal you want: a mixed-cut taco order, a compact courtyard dinner with vegetable choices, or Lakeshore tacos and a family order.
Options to compare
These options relate to the question. Read each profile and check current details before deciding.
An Oakland taco-truck business dating to 1999, with a broad meat selection, seafood, vegetable fillings and two city addresses.
An Oakland taco-truck business dating to 1999, with a broad meat selection, seafood, vegetable fillings and two city addresses.
A Temescal courtyard built from shipping containers, with braised-meat and vegetable tacos, weekend egg tacos and clearly marked nut ingredients.
A Temescal courtyard built from shipping containers, with braised-meat and vegetable tacos, weekend egg tacos and clearly marked nut ingredients.
A Lakeshore taqueria joining two East Bay taco-truck family traditions, with spit-roasted pastor, carnitas, fish and fresh tortillas.
A Lakeshore taqueria joining two East Bay taco-truck family traditions, with spit-roasted pastor, carnitas, fish and fresh tortillas.
Sources & references
Sources for the information and reporting discussed in this guide.
- Tacos Sinaloa: Oakland locations and schedules / Tacos Sinaloa: sedes y horarios de Oakland ↗ Primary source tacossinaloaoakland.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Tacos Sinaloa: complete menu / Tacos Sinaloa: carta completa ↗ Primary source tacossinaloaoakland.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Tacos Oscar: Oakland hours and courtyard information / Tacos Oscar: horarios y datos del patio ↗ Primary source www.tacososcar.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Tacos Oscar: current Oakland dinner menu / Tacos Oscar: carta actual de cena ↗ Primary source www.tacososcar.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Tacos Oscar: current brunch menu / Tacos Oscar: carta actual de brunch ↗ Primary source www.tacososcar.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Rico Rico Taco: menu, tortillas and Lakeshore hours / Rico Rico Taco: carta, tortillas y horarios de Lakeshore ↗ Primary source www.ricoricotaco.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Tacos Sinaloa: International pickup menu / Tacos Sinaloa: recogida en International ↗ Secondary source order.toasttab.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- San Francisco Chronicle: Sinaloa history / San Francisco Chronicle: historia de Sinaloa ↗ Secondary source www.sfchronicle.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- East Bay Express: permanent Oakland opening / East Bay Express: apertura permanente en Oakland ↗ Secondary source eastbayexpress.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Lower Haight Local: interview with Oscar Michel, May 2026 / Lower Haight Local: entrevista con Oscar Michel, mayo de 2026 ↗ Secondary source www.lowerhaightlocal.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Rico Rico: Lakeshore ordering and branch contacts / Rico Rico: pedidos de Lakeshore y contactos por sede ↗ Secondary source order.toasttab.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Rico Rico Vegano: Rand Avenue menu and ingredients / Rico Rico Vegano: carta e ingredientes de Rand Avenue ↗ Secondary source order.toasttab.com · Accessed November 5, 2026
- Soleil Ho: Rico Rico family origins, 2019 / Soleil Ho: origen familiar de Rico Rico, 2019 ↗ Secondary source www.chron.com · Accessed November 5, 2026