Concord's Taco Trail Has Two Weeks Left, and It's Won on Monument Boulevard

How do you win a food contest that never asks what you thought of the food? Concord's Taco Trail Challenge, now in its seventh year, gives its top prize to whoever collects the most stickers. That makes the trophy a routing problem. The 2026 participants are spread unevenly across the city, and a large share sit on just two corridors.

The challenge runs through Thursday, Oct. 15, and the winners will be announced Friday, Oct. 16. As of today, Sept. 30, that leaves two weekends and the weekdays around them.

The rule that turns the trophy into a map

The mechanics are simple. You pick up a free challenge card and map at any participating restaurant or at the Concord Visitor Center, 2151 Salvio St. You collect a sticker at each stop. Visit Concord's instructions say no minimum purchase is required, and a selfie or a saved receipt works as proof if a location doesn't have stickers out. The person with the most stickers at the end is crowned Taco Trail Champion and takes home a trophy, a $250 taco party and taco-themed swag.

There are two more titles. Fan Favorite Taqueria goes to the restaurant with the most visits, and Best Salsa is decided by votes. You vote for both by emailing [email protected]. Every stop you make counts toward the Fan Favorite tally, so your route also helps pick the winning restaurant.

The official trail lists 40 restaurants, and 24 of them are taking part this year. One of those 24 is already out of reach. Los Tacos in Your Belly was a booth at Concord Pedal Fest in Baldwin Park on Sunday, Sept. 27, and its sticker was only available there. That leaves 23 named entries. One of them, Las Montañas Supermarket, is listed with two storefronts.

One shopping center, two stickers

The busiest address on the whole trail is 1500 Monument Blvd. The 2026 map lists several suites at that center among the 40 official entries, including La Cabana Nightclub Bar & Grill in Suite B. Two of this year's participants share that parking lot: Tortilleria El Molino in Suite F1 and Pancho Villa in Suite F13. You can pick up two stickers from one parking spot.

Mercado Del Sol sits next door at 1450 Monument Blvd. Further east on the same road are El Faro Mexican Food at 2280, Las Montañas at 2691 and Carrillo's Tacos Mexican Food at 2995, Suite D.

That's six of the 23 remaining entries on one road, about a quarter of the field. No other street on this year's roster comes close.

Two more stops sit just off the corridor on Meadow Lane, a few doors apart. La Morenita Market is at 1120 and Herencia Hidalguense is at 1140, Suite B. The East Bay Times roster spells the first one "Los Morenrita Market," but Visit Concord's map uses La Morenita, which is the name to look for on the storefront. With Monument and Meadow Lane together, one afternoon could cover eight stickers.

Willow Pass Road, where this year's trail started

The 2026 challenge kicked off at Las Montañas on Willow Pass Road. That location won both Fan Favorite Taqueria and Best Salsa last year. It sits at 1725 Willow Pass Road, and three more participants are within a short stretch of it.

• Salsa Mexican Grill, 1680 Willow Pass Road, Suite C
• Las Montañas Supermarket, 1725 Willow Pass Road
• Taqueria Los Gallos Express, 1747 Willow Pass Road
• Alpine Pastry and Cakes, 1848 Willow Pass Road

Alpine Pastry and Cakes, a bakery on a taco trail, is a good stop to save for last. Taqueria Los Gallos Express should not be confused with Taqueria Los Gallos at 1950 Grant St., which is a separate entry on the roster with its own sticker. The Visitor Center on Salvio Street is close by if you still need a card, so downtown makes an easy starting point for anyone beginning the challenge this week.

Since Las Montañas has two storefronts, one on Willow Pass and one on Monument, it connects the city's two big clusters. If you're running for champion, ask at the counter whether each location gives its own sticker. The published rules don't say.

Clayton Road takes a car

Clayton Road has three participants, but they're spread out. Taqueria El Escamol is at 3535 Clayton Road, Suite A, Vero's Taqueria at 4673, Suite G, and Lisa V's at 5100. Los Portales Taqueria is also on the 2026 roster. The 2025 trail roster placed it at 4305 Clayton Road, so check its current location before you count it into a Clayton Road loop. Guadalajara Grill at 5446 Ygnacio Valley Road fits in at the far end of the same drive.

These stops are each a separate trip. Monument Boulevard gives you stickers by the parking lot, and Clayton Road gives you one per drive.

The stops that stand alone

The remaining participants don't fall into any cluster. Each one adds a single sticker and a short drive.

• Puesto, 2035 Diamond Blvd., near the Willows side of town
• Salsa Verde Mexican Cuisine, 970 Detroit Ave.
• Papi Clary's Kitchen, 2186 Solano Way
• Taqueria Los Gallos, 1950 Grant St.
• Los Piños, 3375 Port Chicago Hwy., Suite 21, spelled "Los Pinos" on the map
• Ranchero Taqueria, 1099 Reganti Drive, Suite B, listed as "Rancheros Taqueria" on the map
• Cocina Hijole Maria – Oh Whateva, 1819 Colfax St.

Cocina Hijole Maria on Colfax Street is a few blocks from the Willow Pass Road group, so it's easy to add to a downtown afternoon. Taqueria Los Gallos on Grant Street works the same way.

Two weekends, mapped

Planning by geography rather than by reputation, the stops you have left could look like this:

1. Saturday, Oct. 3. Start downtown. Pick up a card at the Visitor Center on Salvio Street, then cover Salsa Mexican Grill, Las Montañas, Los Gallos Express and Alpine Pastry on Willow Pass Road. Add Cocina Hijole Maria on Colfax and Taqueria Los Gallos on Grant. That's six stickers on a short loop.
2. Sunday, Oct. 4. Autumn at the Adobe takes place that day at the Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe, 1870 Adobe St. Pair it with Ranchero Taqueria, Los Piños on Port Chicago Highway and Papi Clary's on Solano Way.
3. Saturday, Oct. 10. Spend the day on Monument Boulevard: Mercado Del Sol, then El Molino and Pancho Villa at 1500, then El Faro, Las Montañas and Carrillo's heading east. Finish at the two Meadow Lane markets. That's eight stickers.
4. Sunday, Oct. 11. Drive the Clayton Road string from El Escamol to Vero's to Lisa V's, then go on to Guadalajara Grill on Ygnacio Valley Road.
5. Weeknights through Thursday, Oct. 15. Pick up Puesto, Salsa Verde and Los Portales, and send your Fan Favorite and Best Salsa emails before the deadline.

Following that plan gets you to every remaining entry, with no minimum purchase at any of them. To pace yourself, order one taco per stop and split plates with friends.

If you want a break from tacos one morning, Chom Thai Kitchen opened this summer at 2118 Willow Pass Road, Suite 100C, just off Todos Santos Plaza. It serves a Thai brunch menu that includes crab omelets, with hours listed as 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 8:30 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Visit Concord's full rules and the downloadable map are on its Taco Trail page, and the East Bay Times roster lists every participant.

Some of the best guidance in Concord comes from knowing what sits on which street, and that's how Danielle Campbell works with clients across the East Bay. If you're thinking about your next move in Concord or nearby, or just want to swap notes on Monument Boulevard after you finish your card, Let's Connect.