The Hidalgo-style lamb barbacoa specialist is open for takeout during its regular hours (8 a.m.–9 p.m. and open at 7 a.m. on the weekends). What could be more satisfying, during this extended shelter-in-place period, than a big pile of slow-cooked meat? Order tacos, or get your barbacoa by the pound and build your own at home. Whatever you do, don’t forget to order a tub of the rich, clarifying consomé — the perfect thing to sip between bites. Call in or order at the counter.

The specialty at this rainforest-themed taqueria in Richmond’s 23rd Street taco corridor is its pollo al carbon: whole spatchcocked chickens grilled over charcoal in a garage adjacent to the restaurant. The chicken comes out supremely smoky and succulent, and the bright, zippy housemade salsas are a cut above. Order your tacos a la carte, or for the perfect family meal, order the whole chicken plate, which comes with rice, beans, and warm tortillas. Since the COVID-19 crisis, the restaurant has also started offering delivery via DoorDash.

A high-quality taco truck with a large and lovely outdoor seating area (not open currently, of course), Tacos El Chino is open for takeout 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.

This old-school taqueria hits the spot if you’re in the mood from Mexican-American style hard-shell tacos filled with seasoned ground beef. The restaurant has an intimidatingly broad menu, but you’ll eat very well if you order wisely: For a change of pace, try the chiles rellenos or the grilled fish tacos. The restaurant is open for takeout its usual hours, and it’s now doing delivery via Grubhub and Uber Eats.

Normally the site of long lines at all times of day, this Richmond taqueria practices all the hallmarks of the Tijuana-style taco: handmade tortillas; flame-grilled meats; and, on top of every taco, quesataco, or mulita, a big dollop of guacamole. Both the carne asada and adobada — a red-hued style of al pastor, sliced straight off the spit — are second to none. They’re accepting phone orders and doing delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Postmates.

Even during non-pandemic times, this taco truck — a fixture outside the Hotsy Totsy Club cocktail bar — was a takeout-only operation that discouraged loitering, so not much has changed other than the truck’s hours, which have been scaled back to 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All the tacos are solid, but in particular the al pastor is wonderfully flavorful with nice crisp edges, and the salsas are bright and punchy.

This long-running West Oakland taco truck serves some of the area’s finest carne asada and al pastor tacos. It remains open during lunchtime hours only, Monday through Friday, noon to 2 p.m. There’s never been any seating to speak of anyway, so this is your classic grab-and-go experience.

Known for its trompo-cooked al pastor, this Lakeshore taqueria is open for takeout, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except on Saturdays when it opens at 10 a.m. Order online for contactless payment and pickup. The taqueria is also accepting phone and in-person counter orders. They’ve got nice Baja-style fried fish tacos here as well.

The Lake Merritt standby is still parked in its usual spot, slinging very solid tacos at almost any time of day — from 10:30 a.m. to 1 or 1:30 a.m. most nights. With so many other late-night spots either closed or operating at drastically reduced hours, the truck is a boon to takeout taco eaters looking to satisfy a post-midnight craving.

The popular birria truck is open Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 8 p.m., at its permanent spot in Oakland’s Jack London district (with occasional appearances in Richmond and beyond), serving its usual menu of birria “red tacos,” tortas, churros, and consomé. Order online or at the truck, and check their Instagram page for updates to their schedule. People in need can always ask for a free meal here.

This Fruitvale taqueria features a number of relatively hard-to-find offerings like crunchy tacos dorados and bean- and cheese-laden “tongo”-style tacos. The barbacoa is especially choice. Reynoso is currently open daily for takeout from 10 a.m. to 7:30 or 8 p.m., depending on how much business there is. Even better, it’s offering free delivery to much of the East Bay from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. every day, dropping orders off in Oakland, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Hayward, and Richmond. Order online.

Newly embedded in its new spot adjacent to the Aloha Club bar, one of Oakland’s most popular taco trucks is now slinging quesabirria in the heart of Fruitvale — on weekends only for now, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Also on the menu: loaded baked potatoes and assorted seafood tacos. Call in, line up (with six-foot social distancing), or order delivery via DoorDash.

There’s a strong argument to be made that El Paisa@.com’s tacos are as good as any you can find anywhere in Northern California. The place is a meat lover’s paradise, especially if you like offal cuts like cabeza, sesos (brains), and luxuriously tender slow-cooked tripa (beef tripe). A word to the wise: Even the mildest salsa options pack serious heat. Call in your to-go orders.

The drive-thru is open at this Hayward institution, and the line of cars waiting to place their orders is as long as ever. The ground beef hard-shell crispy tacos are the thing to get here, and the SoCal-style carne asada fries are also excellent.

The tables in the dining room are all cleared out, but this Mexico City-style strip mall taqueria is still cranking out excellent tacos and assorted regional specialties. The al pastor is very good here, as are the crunchy, deep-fried gorditas de chicharron. Call in, order at the counter, or get delivery via Uber Eats or Grubhub.