Costra (“crust”) is a relatively recent taco phenomenon, with its history going back less than two decades to a Mexican City taqueria named Las Costras, located next to a boozy nightclub. On the most basic level, costras involve the use of cheese fried on a griddle before it is combined with the meat of one's choice.

The difference between street tacos and regular tacos is that street tacos are smaller in size and made with a corn tortilla. Street tacos got their name from the place of their origin, the streets of Mexico. Mexican migrants that worked on mines and farms would wrap their tortillas around meat to eat on the go.