North Carolina's first TSA Tournament kicks off May 5th

Hi friends,

People get ready. The first ever TSA Taco Tournament kicks off May 5th for the state of North Carolina. You can check out the bracket and see if your favorite shop is in the mix. There are 64 taco shops from all over the state.

5/5 is the perfect launch day for so many reasons. Numerical symmetry, we are recovered from the basketball tournament fever of March (or we hope to be, at least), and of course Cinco de Mayo. And this year it's on a Tuesday... so all your favorite taco tropes have aligned for this special day.

Why North Carolina? Well because it's nearby and lawn signs don't stick themselves into the ground. If it goes well here we will continue state by state, from sea to shining sea, until every hungry soul knows where to find the best tacos.

Now, there have been a lot of questions about tournament logistics (not really). As tournament director I will take a moment to answer them.

What if my shop is not listed?

You can nominate any shop at any time. I may reject your nomination if it is for Chipotle, but all worthy taco shops are allowed. Nominate your favorite taco shop today.

What if my shop is listed but not in the tournament?

We give tournament entries to the top 64 shops as determined by our leaderboard. You can see the current 2026 NC bracket and once a week (or so) I will reseed to account for changes in the leaderboard. Some shops will move up or down, other shops will be added or removed from the tournament.

Remind me how shops earn points for the leaderboard?

Shops potentially gain points whenever someone (1) gives them a positive star rating, (2) marks them as the best taco they've ever had, or (3) votes for them in a Taco Tournament round.

How long does the tournament last?

Each round of the tournament is 48 hours.

What does the winner receive?

We have Victory Decals for tournament winners (see our merch page). Can you imagine a string of these on your window from winning the state Taco Tourney year after year? It's a glorious thought. Winners also receive a large stash of leaderboard points, giving them a major boost toward their end-of-year rankings.

Mark your calendars. Tell your friends. Rate tacos!

Yours with onion and cilantro,
Bjorn