Larry Bleiberg

Special for USA TODAY

Move over hamburger, you have company. “The era of the taco has arrived,” says Aarón Sánchez, a judge on Food Network’s hit culinary competition show Chopped. The Mexican staple appears on menus across the USA, its popularity fueled by the versatility of the dish, which can be endlessly adapted and easily accommodates gluten-free, vegan or other dietary requirements. As Mexico’s Cinco de Mayo holiday approaches, Sánchez shares some favorite spots to order a taco plate with Larry Bleiberg for USA TODAY.

The Original El Taco

Atlanta

You’ll find tacos with a Southern accent at this taqueria with locations in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood and at the airport. El Taco offers unexpected garnishes like fried pickled jalapenos and buttermilk crema. Sánchez is particularly fond of the hickory-smoked chicken. “It’s a great combination using classic Southern methods,” he says. “It’s just a wonderful place.” 404-873-4656; eltaco-atlanta.com

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

Austin

Sánchez loves the mesquite-smoked brisket taco served on housemade flour tortillas based on the chef’s grandmother’s recipe. “This for me is a fun taco. It embodies the ideas of Texas barbecue, which is meat all the way — and it’s family owned.” 512-221-4248; valentinastexmexbbq.com

Taco Trio

Portland, Maine

While New England might seem like an unlikely place to find authentic Mexican food, Sánchez swears by the goat tacos. The eatery even serves montalayo, which is a traditional goat dish made with organs cooked in its stomach with chiles and spices. “You don’t see it that often in Mexico, let alone in Portland, Maine. You have all the goat yummy bits cooked and hacked up and put on a taco. If you’re a goat lover, you can’t beat that.” 207-767-9055; taco-trio.com

Lolo

San Francisco

You’ll find fun taco variations at this funky and vibrant Mission District eatery. Sánchez is particularly fond of the Taco Tropical, panko-crusted shrimp served on jicama which takes the place of a tortilla. “It’s got all the components of a taco, but it’s rolled up with jicama. It’s awesome.” 415-643-5656; lolosf.com

Big Star

Chicago

Sánchez says the Windy City has some of the best Mexican food in the country, and he loves this Wicker Park spot housed in a former gas station. “The fish taco is down and dirty and beautiful. It’s crunchy and battered and has a nice acidic slaw, and that for me is where it’s at,” Sánchez says. “It’s elevated street food.” 773-235-4039; bigstarchicago.com

Sancho Pistola’s and Jose Pistola’s

Philadelphia

Talk about fusion. Sánchez found a Pennsylvania Dutch influence at these partnered Mexican restaurants, where several of the tacos are filled with scrapple. The dish, made from pork trimmings mixed with cornmeal, was popularized by German immigrants, but is similar to meat-stretching recipes popular in Mexico. The restaurants offer the tacos as a frequent menu special, serving it in different combinations with fresh salsa and other toppings, but the scrapple is “the star of the taco,” he says. sanchopistolas.com, josepistolas.com

The Painted Burro

Somerville, Mass.

The restaurant, created by a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, serves tacos made with impeccable technique, Sánchez says. He’s particularly fond of the spicy Chorizo de la Casa taco, which includes a sunnyside-up egg. “The restaurant is stunning as well,” he says. 617-776-0005; thepaintedburro.com

Chico’s Tacos

El Paso, Texas

An El Paso native, Sánchez remembers coming to this classic spot with his family as a child, and eating crunchy beef tacos topped with tomato jalapeno salsa. “They’re kind of like flautas made with ground beef, rolled and fried. The cheap cheese just makes it. It’s one of those things that’s hard to describe why it’s so tasty, but it is,” he says. “It’s an institution.” 915-533-0975

Mony’s Mexican Food

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Sánchez singles out the el pastor taco at this casual family-owned taqueria. “They switch it up by adding different spices to the pork and cooking it on the griddle with cumin, chocolate and Mexican cinnamon,” he says. 805-895-2978; facebook.com/Monysmexicanfood

Leyenda

New York

When he’s back in his old Brooklyn neighborhood, Sánchez likes to stop by this popular bar and eatery. His order: the Cochinita Pibil, a roasted pork taco with red onion that he says perfectly balances the citrus flavor of a Seville orange with achiote, an earthy spice from the Yucatan. 347-987-3260; leyendabk.com