Taco Wars crowns best taco and salsa among local taquerias in tasty competition

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Taco Wars is the biggest taco festival in the Ark-La-Tex.
The community is invited to good food and music to crown best taco and salsa.

Fourteen taquerias packed the street along the Municipal Auditorium to bring the community authentic cuisine.

“Community, community is important. It’s also a way for us to support our local restaurants here, to support the local community here, for the people who are doing the job, doing the work, to take care of their families and to maintain their actual incomes,” said Jerrick Thomas, a volunteer with Taco Wars.

To pair with the tacos, people could enjoy the fruit of the agave (tequila), as well as drinks, desserts, and live music from local and regional performers.

There were plenty of options to suit every taste preference.

Brian Carrillo, a Blanchard resident, said, “If I’m going to get my tacos it’s going to be, I don’t want to taste the taco, I’m a spicy guy. The hottest, spiciest – the hottest salsa, that’s all me. But if I’m going to have meat, it’s al pastor.”

Three new Shreveport residents, coming from California, said their state has the best Mexican food in the world, second only to Mexico. But after a few tacos, they were not disappointed.

“Only authentic. The more authentic than the better the taco is going to be at its base level. They need to care about their meat, tortilla, and that’s it,” said Michael Willison, a Shreveport resident who moved from California.

Willison was joined by friends, Calvin Burleson and Colton Moxon, who also had a love for a simple, authentic taco with cilantro and onions.

Lines were long as people were eager to taste as many tacos as they could.

“For maybe a single group of people, maybe one or two people, I have seen people purchase $200 worth of tickets for themselves. Like y’all are purchasing tacos for dinner tomorrow,” said Thomas.

Taco Wars states that taquerias retain 90% of the revenue from taco sales.

“I’ve been here since they opened. I’ll be here from open to close. I’m not going to leave until they kick me out and run out of tacos,” said Carrillo.