Taqueria La Prima — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Prelude - Left home today praying not to be late, the sidewalk down to the bus stop allowed me to slip and slide forward.

We closed earlier today due to the weather but also the promise for mythical and tasty underground tacos a mile away. With high hopes and heads high we strolled out of the building and headed on our way, the misty, almost nothing rain surrounding us.

The first block we passed proved daunting. The ground was covered in a thin sheet of ice. The streets were empty save for a few lost, trapped souls still shuffling or falling home.

With tacos in our hearts and music in our ears, we clutched on to one another for support - both physically and spiritually -and pressed onward.

To the tune of SmashMouth's - All Star, we sung our hearts out while slipping and sliding on our way up through the historic section of Philadelphia and into the city proper.

Our journey had only just begun and i had already fallen, our battle cry of All Star shattering the peace of the midnight city and through it all, with grim determination upon our faces, dusted ourselves off and challenged the cold.

We encountered many wayward souls on our journey, two strangers headed to a hospital, a lone wanderer and his bike who taught us that The Road Provides (easy footing), a couple holding on to each other for dear life as they walk into valentines day together.

We walked for Tacos.

Knee bloodied, headphones broken, hat lost and reclaimed... we had all lost something on this night.

At the end of it all, stood like a lighthouse on a stormy sea, Taqueria la Prima. Our Final Destination lay just ahead of us.

The tacos were very good 10/10. A Hidden Gem...

Came to this place maybe a little 1 a.m. The outside was dirty, and the inside wasn't any better. After I ordered my food then I saw prepped foods out for orders. I'm not sure if it was fresh or not. I was so hungry that I wasn't paying attention to the condition of the place until after I ordered. While we waited for our food, we asked to use the bathroom, which was located out and next door. Upon walking into the next door location, it smelled of old food and cleaners. There were deep freezes, and we assumed that's where they keep any extra meats and such. It wasn't very clean, and the bathroom was worse. It was gross and not clean, very tiny, and there was no hand soap. We paid 25.00 for 2 orders of 3 tacos with no sides. We asked for an extra bag, and the woman at the front told us with an attitude that next time we'll be charged. I explained to her that we had no issue paying for an extra bag, and we were from out of town, so we did not know. She still continued to talk with an attitude about how she would charge us next time. I would not go back, and I'm surprised I didn't get food poisoning or anything with the condition of this place and the smell of old food next door where the bathroom is. 3 stars for the taste of the taco The salsa Verde was very spicy, they could tone that down some. Nit very clean. Not wheel chair accessible. The bathroom is horrible. No eating inside. They don't have pescatarian options. Not kid friendly. Street parking if there is room on the street. This location served its purpose for a late...

You NEED these tacos in your life, I’m extremely happy I came across this taqueria, it’s no frills, just a counter that you place/pickup your order and some of the best damn tacos I’ve had in the city. And I have eaten at more taco places than you could ever imagine. They do not skimp on the portions (there is a little too much fat in the carnitas sometimes but I’m just very sensitive to the mouthfeel however out of 5 friends that have all had them only one other said she noticed it but it didn’t bother her) the taste and quality of them put them right up in my top 5 tacos in phila. The carnitas are perfectly crispy on the outside and tender and flavorful inside. They even include a grilled jalapeño and spring onion and limes of course! Even their sauces are fresh and delicious. Oh and did I mention they are open late?! Place your order in advance as they get busy. You will not be disappointed. Btw save yourself a $1 and bring your own bag, which I think is funny that they sell a plastic bag to you while we have a plastic bag ban...