Tacos El Sol Brings Nearly Two Decades of Topeka Taco Tradition to the King of Tacos Finale
A Topeka Staple With Spicy Pastor, Juicy Fillings, and Hot, Fresh Tacos
For Episode 10 of King of Tacos, we reached the 10th and final stop in our search for the King of Tacos in Topeka, Kansas.
For our finale, we visited Tacos El Sol, a longtime Topeka staple that has been serving the community for nearly two decades.
After visiting restaurants and food trucks throughout Topeka and trying tacos in all kinds of different styles, we wanted our final stop to feature a local favorite that has been part of the community for years.
Tacos El Sol gave us plenty to talk about.
The spicy pastor stood out right away, bringing plenty of flavor and a nice kick to the tacos.
The fillings were also juicy and flavorful, and another thing we noticed was that the food actually came out hot.
Sometimes it's the simple things that make a meal memorable.
And after nearly 20 years in business, there's a pretty good reason Tacos El Sol has become a Topeka staple.
ABOUT THE KING OF TACOS SERIES
The King of Tacos series took Team Ringgold around Topeka, Kansas, in search of the best taco in town. Each episode featured a different local restaurant or food truck and gave us a chance to try their tacos while highlighting the businesses that make our community special.
Over the course of 10 episodes, we've tried a wide variety of tacos and discovered something different at every stop.
We've had steak tacos, carne asada, pork, chorizo, Birria, al pastor, lengua, flavorful sauces, loaded tacos, and plenty of other combinations along the way.
Every stop brought something different.
That's what made the series so much fun.
At Team Ringgold, we believe getting to know a community means more than knowing its neighborhoods and housing market. Local restaurants, food trucks, small businesses, and longtime establishments all contribute to what makes Topeka feel like home.
That's one of the reasons we enjoyed getting out into the community for King of Tacos.
EPISODE 10: WHY WE CHOSE TACOS EL SOL
When you're putting together a 10-stop search for the King of Tacos, you want to make sure you include some of the local establishments that have stood the test of time.
Tacos El Sol certainly fits that description.
The Topeka staple has been in business for nearly two decades, giving generations of local customers a place to grab tacos and other Mexican food.
Our goal with every King of Tacos stop was to try the food and figure out what makes that particular location stand out.
At Tacos El Sol, we found several things worth talking about.
The spicy pastor.
The juicy taco fillings.
And food that came out hot.
Those details might sound simple, but they can make a big difference when you're sitting down to enjoy a plate of tacos.
THE SPICY PASTOR STOOD OUT
Every King of Tacos episode had something that separated itself from the rest.
At Tacos El Sol, one of those things was the spicy pastor.
The pastor brought a noticeable kick while still giving us plenty of flavor to enjoy.
After trying al pastor at several stops throughout our taco journey, it was interesting to see another local take on one of the most popular taco fillings.
The spicy pastor at Tacos El Sol gave us a different experience and another flavor to add to our list of favorites from the series.
JUICY FILLINGS AND HOT, FRESH TACOS
The pastor wasn't the only thing that caught our attention.
The tacos at Tacos El Sol had juicy fillings that made each bite flavorful.
And then there was something else that shouldn't be overlooked.
The food came out hot.
When you're sitting down for a meal, having your tacos arrive hot and fresh can make a noticeable difference. Combined with the juicy fillings and flavorful pastor, it made for a satisfying final stop on our King of Tacos journey.
Sometimes it's not one complicated ingredient that makes a meal memorable.
It's getting the basics right.
Good fillings.
Good flavor.
And hot food coming out of the kitchen.
NEARLY TWO DECADES AS A TOPEKA STAPLE
One of the biggest reasons we wanted Tacos El Sol as our final stop was its history in the Topeka community.
The business has been serving customers for nearly 20 years.
That's a lot of tacos.
It's also a testament to the role that longtime local restaurants can play in a community.
Places like Tacos El Sol become familiar stops for local customers and part of the fabric of the neighborhoods they serve.
After visiting 10 different taco spots for this series, we've seen firsthand just how much variety there is throughout Topeka.
But there's also something special about the businesses that have been around for years and continue serving the community.
Tacos El Sol is one of those places.
TEN STOPS, ONE KING OF TACOS JOURNEY
Reaching Episode 10 means our King of Tacos journey has officially come to a close.
We started this series wanting to discover local taco spots around Topeka, and along the way we found plenty of reasons to keep ordering one more taco.
Vuelve a la Vida impressed us with its steak taco. Rosi's Food brought us chopped carne asada and standout elote. Zoila's Cafe gave us a memorable pork taco and green sauce. Mexicali brought flavorful Birria tacos. El Centenario gave us excellent al pastor and a standout chorizo taco. El Zocalo surprised us with Birria tacos and a flavorful consommé. La Casita gave us a uniquely seasoned al pastor and our first chance to try lengua. El Ranchito brought an adobo sauce that paired well with all of the tacos we tried. Lupita's Tacos brought us tacos packed with meat, toppings, and flavor.
And now Tacos El Sol closes out the series with spicy pastor, juicy fillings, and hot, fresh tacos.
Ten locations.
Ten episodes.
A whole lot of tacos.
And plenty of local businesses discovered along the way.
EXPLORING TOPEKA'S LOCAL FOOD SCENE
One of the best parts of the King of Tacos series was seeing just how many local food options there are around Topeka.
Every stop gave us another opportunity to discover a local business and try something we may not have ordered otherwise.
From longtime restaurants to traveling food trucks, there are plenty of people serving up great food throughout the community.
Tacos El Sol was a fitting way to end the series because it represents one of the things we wanted to highlight from the beginning.
Local businesses become part of what makes a community feel like home.
After nearly two decades in Topeka, Tacos El Sol has certainly earned its place as a local staple.
THE KING OF TACOS JOURNEY COMES TO AN END
Ten episodes later, our search for the King of Tacos has officially reached its final stop.
We've tried different meats, toppings, sauces, tortillas, and taco combinations.
We've visited restaurants.
We've found food trucks.
We've discovered longtime local favorites.
And we've eaten a whole lot of tacos.
Tacos El Sol gave us a memorable final stop with its spicy pastor, juicy fillings, and hot food.
But perhaps the biggest takeaway from the entire series is that there's no shortage of great local food to discover in Topeka.
The King of Tacos journey may be over, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of tacos left to try.
If you've visited Tacos El Sol, we'd love to know what you think. What's your favorite thing to order? Have you been going there for years?
And after 10 episodes, who do you think deserves the crown?
WHAT IS THE KING OF TACOS SERIES?
King of Tacos is a local food series from Team Ringgold that visits restaurants and food trucks throughout Topeka, Kansas, to find the best taco in town. Each episode features a different local business and highlights the tacos, flavors, and experiences that make each stop unique.
WHAT STOOD OUT AT TACOS EL SOL?
The spicy pastor, juicy taco fillings, and the fact that the food came out hot were some of the biggest standouts from our visit.
HOW LONG HAS TACOS EL SOL BEEN IN BUSINESS?
Tacos El Sol has been a Topeka staple for nearly two decades, making it a longtime part of the local food scene.
WHAT IS THE KING OF TACOS FINALE?
Episode 10 is the final stop in Team Ringgold's King of Tacos series. For the finale, we visited Tacos El Sol and tried their tacos as we wrapped up our search around Topeka.
WHERE CAN I FIND THE BEST TACOS IN TOPEKA?
Our King of Tacos search has officially reached its final stop, but that doesn't mean the taco conversation has to end!
Team Ringgold visited 10 local restaurants and food trucks throughout Topeka to try different taco styles and discover what makes each location unique.
From spicy pastor and Birria to carne asada, chorizo, lengua, pork, and plenty of other taco combinations, we've discovered just how much variety Topeka has to offer.
The King of Tacos journey may be over, but there are always more local restaurants, food trucks, and tacos waiting to be discovered.
