‘Fresh’ and ‘flavorful’ meat makes these tacos the best in Stanislaus County
What I’m finding as I read the hundreds of nomination forms submitted during the “best in Stanislaus” series is that the owners of the winning establishments often are why readers say they love the businesses.
The owner of Stanislaus County’s best taco truck is “very involved in the community” and cooks the most flavorful meat, readers say.
Supporting the former statement, Ricardo Serrano said he opened Ricky’s Tacos in November 2022 —at 20 years old — because it gave him “the best of both worlds”: the ability to connect with people and the chance to start his business without the “huge costs of a traditional restaurant.”
Ricky’s Tacos took first place in the third contest of the “best in Stanislaus” series with 9,144 of 14,454 votes. Tacos Al Cabron got second place with 5,168 votes.
Since childhood, Serrano dreamed of following in his grandparents’ footsteps and entering the food industry, he said. His grandparents sold tacos to support their family for over 50 years and Serrano said he admired their hard work and the way people loved their food.
“I love being out in the community, talking to customers face to face and bringing my food directly to different neighborhoods and events,” he said. “Keeping overhead lower means I can focus more on quality and creativity instead of worrying about a massive budget.”
While it’s more feasible for him to operate a taco truck now, Serrano said he hopes to open a restaurant one day.
He said his most ordered menu item is tacos, and one reader recommended ordering the tripas tacos and asking for them “crispy.” Readers also said Ricky’s tacos has “the best” aguas frescas.
“His food is always fresh and come from the heart,” one reader wrote during the nomination period of the contest. “The meat always has amazing flavor (and the truck) has some of the best asada fries.”
Ricky’s Tacos, at 1800 E. Hatch Road in Modesto, is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM.
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