Street Tacos vs. Every Other Kind of Taco
The term ‘street taco’ gets used loosely, so it’s worth being specific about what it actually means — because the difference matters when you’re choosing where to eat.
A street taco, in its traditional form, is small: two corn tortillas stacked together, a modest portion of protein, a few slices of white onion, fresh cilantro, and maybe a squeeze of lime or a spoonful of salsa from a jar on the counter. That’s it. No shredded iceberg lettuce. No sour cream. No cheese. No hard shell.
The restraint is intentional. Street tacos are built to let the protein speak — which means the protein has to be good enough to carry the whole thing. That’s where most restaurants either deliver or fall short.
What Makes a Street Taco Actually Good
Three things:
- The tortilla — corn, fresh or properly prepared, small enough to fold in half and eat in two or three bites
- The protein — seasoned and cooked correctly for what it is (grilled for carne asada, braised for birria and barbacoa)
- The toppings — minimal, precise, not there to mask anything
When all three are right, a street taco is one of the best things you can eat. When any of them is off, it shows immediately — there’s nowhere to hide.
Chiltepin’s Street Tacos — The Full Lineup
At Chiltepin Mexican Grill in Colorado Springs, the street taco menu covers the full range of traditional proteins. Each one is built on two corn tortillas with onions and cilantro, cooked to order.
Carne Asada — $4.15
Grilled, marinated steak with onions and cilantro. This is the most ordered taco at Chiltepin — charred edges, savory, clean finish. The carne asada at Chiltepin is a benchmark for how the dish should taste when it’s done right.
Birria — $4.05
Slow-braised beef with onions and cilantro, served with consomé for dipping. Made in-house at Chiltepin using dried chiles and traditional braising techniques. The consomé dipping broth is the element that separates good birria from great birria — it carries the full depth of the braise in liquid form.
Barbacoa — $4.05
Slow-cooked beef with onions and cilantro. Soft, rich, and deeply savory — barbacoa has a heavier flavor profile than carne asada and a more pulled texture. It’s a weekend staple in traditional Mexican cooking, and it works equally well in a street taco format.
Cochinita (Pork) — $4.05
Slow-roasted achiote pork with pickled onions. Cochinita is the Yucatecan outlier on the Chiltepin menu — prepared completely differently from the beef proteins, with a tangy, earthy flavor from the achiote marinade and citrus. The pickled onions are a specific pairing, not a substitution — they cut through the richness of the pork in exactly the right way.
Adobada — $4.05
Marinated pork with onions and cilantro. Adobada gets its flavor from a red chile marinade — bold, slightly tangy, with more intensity than grilled chicken but less richness than the braised proteins. A good middle-ground option.
Grilled Chicken — $4.05
Marinated grilled chicken with onions and cilantro. The lightest protein on the street taco menu, and a solid entry point for anyone who wants something familiar done well.
Quesa Taco — $4.63
Choice of meat, melted cheese, onions, and cilantro. The quesa taco adds a layer of melted cheese between the protein and the tortilla — technically not a traditional street taco, but a popular variation that works well with any protein. Available as a 3-quesa taco combo for $13.78.
Combo Options
If you’re ordering for yourself, the 3-taco combo ($12.44) is the right call — enough to make a full meal without over-ordering. The 2-quesa taco plate ($12.47) comes with rice and beans on the side. Mix and match proteins to get a sense of the different preparations side by side.
Come In or Order Online
Chiltepin Mexican Grill is located at 3855 Astrozon Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80916. Street tacos are available for dine-in, drive-thru, pickup, and delivery through chiltepinmxgrill.com. Open daily from 6:30 AM — Sunday through Thursday until 10 PM, Friday and Saturday until midnight.
If you’ve been looking for street tacos in Colorado Springs that are built the way they’re supposed to be, Chiltepin is the answer.
