The rules were simple: it had to be between Morro Bay and Buellton, it had to be a taqueria (not a sit-down Mexican restaurant, not a food truck that only appears on Tuesdays), and we had to order the same three items at each one — a carne asada taco, a carnitas taco, and whatever the person behind the counter said was the best thing on the menu.

Four editors. Fifteen stops. Two days. One very detailed spreadsheet. We scored on tortilla quality, meat texture, salsa range, value, and a category we called "would you drive 30 minutes for this on a Tuesday night." The results surprised us. The number-one spot is not in SLO.