What fuels the cool in Austin?
It’s no secret that we’ve got all of the ingredients to make a great city, but sometimes it’s hard to put your finger on the essence of our environment. Is it the lively music scene? The surplus of sunshine at Zilker? Our Texan twang? Maybe it’s got something to do with the wardrobe? What’s keeping our up-and-coming urban city so upbeat? We’ve got quite the theory, and it's served on flour or corn. That’s right, Texas isn’t Texas without great food, and more specifically, tacos. Here’s your guide to The Tastiest Tacos in Austin.
And don't worry - we know this doesn't even begin to cover it. We're always updating this list to highlight even more of our favorites!
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photo via instagram
Suerte: Suadero Tacos
1800 E 6th St
Suerte is known for their upscale, traditional Mexican food, and for having one of the best tacos you'll probably ever try. Their Suadero Tacos are made with melt in your mouth confit wagyu brisket, topped with black magic oil, avocado crudo, onion and cilantro. Their executive chef, Fermin Nunez has won awards like Food & Wine's Best Chef, and he's even been featured on Netflix's: Taco Chronicles specifically for these Suadero Tacos. Once you try this taco and see what the hypes all about, watch the episode so you can learn how to make the black magic oil which really makes these tacos standout as the best in town.
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photo via facebook
1108 E 12th St
Some of the best Mexico City-style street tacos are what you'll find at Cuantos Tacos, located in the Arbor Food Truck Park in East Austin. Their tacos are on the smaller side (and very affordable) making it the perfect spot to try all the different options they have to offer. We recommend ordering "1 of Each Taco" for $15, which comes with 6 different tacos including Suadero (confit brisket), Cachete (barbacoa), Buche (pork stomach), Longaniza (Mexican chorizo), Carnitas (pork), and Champinones (grilled mushrooms in salsa adobo), all topped with fresh onion and cilantro.
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photo via yelp
Discada: Discada Taquitos
1319 Rosewood Ave
When you come across a menu with just one type of taco, you can be sure it's going to be delicious. Discada specializes in discada cooking, also known as cowboy-wok cooking, where beef, pork, bell peppers, and onions are slowly cooked in a tractor-plow disc for 6 hours after being marinated for 24 hours. This Northern Mexican technique has been passed down through generations, resulting in some of the most delectable tacos you'll ever taste. You can choose between 3, 5, or 8 taquitos (we recommend just going for the 8), which are served with onion, cilantro, pineapple, salsa, and lime, and will have your mouth watering for more.
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photo via facebook
1801 East Riverside Dr
To say anyone is the "best" taco truck on Riverside can cause WWIII, so we'll just say Rosita's is ONE of the best you can find. Now with both a late-night truck and an indoor space (perfect to escape the heat), you got options for how you want to get your Al Pastor fix.
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photo via instagram
Tacodeli: Breakfast Tacos w/ Mashed Potatoes
Various Locations
Tacodeli has a selection of yummy breakfast tacos to choose from, but there's one topping that might sound strange, but should not missed: mashed potatoes. They add the perfect creaminess to every bite, and is a fun twist on the classic potato, egg, and cheese breakfast taco. You might think we sound crazy, but don't knock it 'til you try it.
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photo via yelp
2512 E 12th St
The dining experience at Nixta Taqueria is everything you're looking for when you're in the mood for just a really good taco: casual, counter-service, and the perfect mix of traditional and new cooking. They are known for their homemade corn tortillas and creative vegan/vegetarian options. However, their Duck Carnitas Taco is one you can't miss. It's made with duck confit, salsa crudo, watermelon radish, shaved white onion, cilantro, all on one of their famous tortillas. We recommend trying as many of the tacos as you can, and make sure you get one of their Aguas Frescas.
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Photo via Veracruz
Various Locations
Veracruz All Natural has several locations, keeping us fed with delicious tacos and refreshing agua frescas. The menu is perfected and each item is crafted with love from this sister-owned business. However, our favorite item off the menu tastes even better than it looks. Deserving of accolades and awards, this vegan taco consists of carrots, cauliflower, corn, and other crunchy elements that do the vegan-goers justice.
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Photo via Twitter
Various Locations
Featured in Food Network’s Diners, Drive-In & Dives with Guy Fieri back in February of 2019, OneTaco is a friend-owned urban taqueria with one of the most appetizing menus throughout Austin. Our go-to is the Pancake Taco. Call us weird. Combining a few breakfast foods into one dish is our jam. This innovative breakfast item is loaded with all of the breakfast necessities: eggs, bacon, and potatoes served on a pancake with a side of maple syrup. For breakfast lovers and everyone in between, this breakfast taco can’t be beat.
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photo via yelp
Nasha: Taco Plates
Various Locations
The Tex-Mex Indo fusion kitchen at Nasha has one of the most colorful menus in the city, combining the likeness of cuisines from Mumbai with that of Texas to create a fresh authentic experience. All curry blends are ground in-house and can be picked up via curbside orders. Choose between Tofu, Chicken Tandoori, Beef, Lamb Masala, or Salmon for your taco plate, all spiced with precision leaving you with a newfound love for curry-based tacos and nothing will ever be the same.
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621 Congress Ave
Check out Caroline’s all-day dining and drinks menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, more specifically, keep an eye out for the Ahi Tuna Poke Tacos for a savory afternoon bite. Served in quantities of four, these are the best bite-sized appetizers for your table. Wrapped in a jicama tortilla is the tuna, avocado and drizzled ponzu vinaigrette - a dish that invented the phrase “tiny but mighty.”
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1401 East 7th Street
Granny’s Tacos provide the same comfort of being at Abuela’s house from the freshly made tortillas to the juicy and flavorful guacamole. The Alambre is a force to be reckoned with, stacking proteins like steak or chicken with chorizo and a series of complementing toppings like bacon, onions, peppers, and avocado, it’s a packed party you don’t want to miss. Pro-Tip: Don’t forget to try the salsas for an extra kick!
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photo via facebook
104 E 31st St
603 Sabine St
To be clear, the Trompo Al Pastor is the specialty item of Vaquero Taquero for a reason. Honestly, it’s sort of safe to trust most places that display a trompo (vertical fire spit) simply because of how cool it looks. This fan-favorite is full of flame-seared marinated adobo pork, cilantro, onions, salsa verde, fresh avocado cream, and pineapple slices: a variety of flavors and textures that’ll feel like a fiesta for a feast.
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Other Primo Taco Spots In Austin:
Various Locations
2803 S Lamar Blvd
6539 N Lamar Blvd
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Alright, let us hear it.
What's your favorite taco?
