Korea Taqueria

Life is full of hard decisions: Do you sell your car to afford Beyoncé tickets? Is double parking better than circling the block for the third time?  How do you narrow down your Korea Taqueria order when you want it all?

The casual, takeout-only counter-service shop in Gray’s Ferry is easy to find. When you walk up, you’ll find a bright white sign and people lined up like it’s launch day at an Apple Store (we suggest ordering ahead). The menu covers a lot of ground—wings, cheesesteaks, birria tacos, burritos, chicken sandwiches—and they’re all incredible. The food here puts a Korean spin on Mexican classics, including several vegan options. From the sweet Korean bulgogi beef in birria tacos and cheesesteaks (our favorite) to quesadillas packed with a tangy cucumber kimchi slaw, the blending of flavors is unlike anything else in town. 

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

No matter what you go for, the end result will be a well-executed taco, sandwich, or burrito that you can pair with an agua fresca or horchata. And if you find yourself staring at the menu, unable to make another tough choice, we suggest you order as much as possible and come back next week to try the rest.

Food Rundown

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Kimchi Fries

Some people just like their fries plain, tossed with salt. But even those people couldn’t deny this super team of cheese sauce, kimchi salsa, caramelized onions, scallions, and cilantro. The blend of toppings is earthy, crunchy, and has just the right amount of spice. It’s also large enough for two.

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Sesame Garlic Shrimp Burrito

When you’re super hungry, you can’t go wrong this burrito—sesame white rice, creamy black beans, crisp pico de gallo, cheese, and sesame garlic shrimp all wrapped in a soft flour tortilla blanket. Topped with cilantro, you should dip it in their gochujang chipotle mayo to make each bite spicier than the last.

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

The chicken here is insanely breaded—it’s like it’s wearing a brown sherpa coat. They come in orders of six, and you can get them covered in a sweet soy garlic sauce, peppery gochujang sauce, or bare with salt and pepper.

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Korean Beef Birria Tacos

You’ll get three crispy corn tacos with each order. They’re loaded with tender strips of Korean beef, melty cheese, cilantro, and diced onions. We’d love to walk around with a personal flask of the consommé in our pockets, but that would be hard to explain on dates. So we’ll just have to ration our taco dunks to make it last longer.

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Korean Bulgogi Cheesesteak

In a cheesesteak town, this combination of sweet slabs of beef, housemade cheese sauce and a soft toasted roll is up there with the best of ‘em. The meat is slow cooked, so each bite is dripping with juice and loaded with flavor. There will be no leftovers.

photo credit: GAB BONGHI

Agua Fresca

They have cucumber lemon and watermelon agua fresca here. They’re both sweet, ultra-refreshing, and a perfect balance to some of the spicier menu items. If you need a little post-office or weekend pick-me-up, these juices will work their magic to jolt you back to life (if only for a few minutes).