The best tacos in Austin, Texas, reflect the rich Mexican street food culture and the skills and expertise required to make homemade tortillas from scratch.
There are hundreds of places to eat tacos in the Austin area, whether you're getting them from a mom-and-pop taco truck in a parking lot or a nationally recognized restaurant.
When I first moved to Austin, the Texas capital's taco scene seemed dominated by two homegrown chains: Torchy's Tacos and Tacodeli. While I've eaten at both establishments numerous times, this story focuses on smaller businesses, most of which have only one location.
Are you getting hungry? Good! Here are my recommendations for great tacos in Austin.
Table of Contents
Top Austin Tacos
1. Nixta Taqueria
East Austin is home to Nixta Taqueria, one of the top taco spots in the country. Within its first year of opening, Food & Wine named Nixta one of the ten best new restaurants in the United States. In 2022, Chef Edgar Rico won the James Beard Award for Emerging Chef.
The taqueria's name is a play on nixtamalization, an ancient process developed in Mexico that involves mixing dried corn kernels with lime to transform them into a more manageable material.
Nixta sources its heirloom corn from Hugo Gomez Mendez, a farmer in San Martin Tilcajete, Oaxaca. The colorful corn is imported and ground in-house to produce the six-inch homemade corn tortillas.
My favorite tacos are the duck carnitas and migas. The migas tacos feature duck-fat refried beans, while the breakfast tacos mix Tillamook cheddar cheese with scrambled eggs and fingerling potatoes.
Vegetarian tacos include cauliflower and seasonal sweet potatoes. There's a decent amount of outdoor seating, but it does get busy, so it's best to arrive early. Prices range from $6 to $13 per taco. 2512 E 12th St, East Austin, nixtataqueria.com
2. Suerte
In 2019, a year before Nixta Taqueria was named one of the country's best new restaurants by Food & Wine, Suerte was on the list. Mexican chef Fermin Nunez leads the team at Suerte; his resume includes La Condesa, Launderette, and Uchiko.
Whether you're there for brunch or dinner, look for the Suadero Tacos, made with wagyu brisket, black magic oil, avocado crudo, onion, and cilantro.
You'll receive four small street-style tacos per order, and they'll blow your mind. The dish costs $23 and is worth every penny. 1800 E 6th St, East Austin, suerteatx.com
3. Veracruz All Natural
Reyna and Maritza Vazquez, sisters born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, immigrated to the U.S. and opened their first food truck in 2008, selling fresh juices.
A few years later, after upgrading to a larger vehicle, they began selling tacos and became known for making Austin's best breakfast tacos.
In 2015, The Food Network named their migas taco one of the five best in the country. The seemingly simple breakfast taco consists of eggs, tortilla chips, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese, and avocado on a flour tortilla.
Their menu includes classic tacos such as steak, chicken, fish, barbacoa, and al pastor. The sisters' success has led them to expand to five locations, including a brick-and-mortar spot at The Line Hotel in downtown Austin.
They've also set their sights on the West Coast, with plans to open a location in Los Angeles. Various locations in Austin and Round Rock, veracruzallnatural.com
4. Comedor
For a memorable experience, try the bone marrow tacos at Comedor, a modern Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin by chef Philip Speer. The $48 signature tacos are served family style and feature a few cow bones sliced in half, with the rich, gelatinous marrow waiting to be scraped out.
They're prepared with quelites (wild greens), smoked butter, and pecan gremolata (green salsa). Mix it all and add a large scoop to one of the fresh corn tortillas for a bite of fat and flavor.
For cheaper eats, take advantage of Comedor's happy hour, when three other kinds of tacos are available for $6 each:
- Mushroom and beans
- Lengua (tongue)
- Cochinita pibil (Yucatan-style pork)
501 Colorado St, Austin, TX, comedortx.com
5. Discada
Don't let the size of Discada, an East Austin food truck, fool you. They're producing big flavors at the corner of Rosewood Avenue and Angelina Street.
Co-owners Xose Velasco and Anthony Pratto are members of Austin's Taco Mafia, a group of friends that also includes Cuantos Tacos owner Luis "Beto" Robledo and Nixta Taqueria owners Edgar Rico and Sara Mardanbigi.
In the fall of 2023, a PBS series titled "Taco Mafia" aired, documenting the stories behind each member and their business. It wasn't until I watched the show that I learned about discada-style tacos, which are traditionally made in Northern Mexico. The name "discada" comes from the metal concave disc used to cook the tacos and fillings.
At Discada's taco truck, you'll only find one taco flavor, but it's oh-so-delicious. Corn tortillas are topped with a 24-hour marinade of beef, pork, bell peppers, and onions and slow-cooked for six hours-order in increments of three, six, or eight taquitos.
I also enjoyed an 8-ounce cup of elote (Mexican street corn) on my visit. 1319 Rosewood Ave, Austin, TX, discadatx.com
6. Cuantos Tacos
Mexico City-style tacos are on the menu at Cuantos Tacos, one of the best Austin taco trucks. Each taco yields two to three bites, so consider getting a few if you're there for a meal instead of a snack.
On my first visit, I ordered the sampler plate, which included six types of tacos, for $15 to get a feel for the place. My favorite was the beef cheek taco, and my least favorites were the pork stomach taco and the mushroom taco.
The most popular options are the suadero (brisket), cachete (barbacoa), carnitas (pork), and mushrooms. Each costs $2.50, making them the cheapest tacos on my list. 1108 E 12th St, East Austin, TX, cuantostacosaustin.com
7. La Santa Barbacha
La Santa Barbacha is a Mexican family-owned food truck in East Austin specializing in barbacoa tacos. Additional menu items include a chilaquiles bowl, sopes, and breakfast tacos.
Customers can choose from the standard yellow corn tortillas, pink tortillas made from beets, or green tortillas made with spinach.
In 2024, the Michelin Guide awarded La Santa Barbacha its Bib Gourmand designation, a recognition of high-quality food at a good value. 2806 Manor Rd, Austin, TX, la-santa-barbacha.square.site
8. Pueblo Viejo
Nestor and Margarita have been running Pueblo Viejo since 2010, drawing on the flavors of their hometown in Mexico. I became a regular while living in East Austin, where they operated out of an event space on East 5th Street.
At this remarkable place, generous portions of meat and fillings meant one taco would often suffice for lunch. The Taco Don Chago, with cheese, beans, bacon, and avocado, makes a delicious breakfast, but their al pastor, featuring pork and pineapple on flour tortillas, has become my go-to lunch taco.
Today, you can try Pueblo Viejo's tacos at any of their five locations, including their taco trucks at Meanwhile Brewing and Cosmic Coffee in South Austin. Prices range from $3.75 to $5.35 per taco. Five locations in Austin, puebloviejoaustin.com
9. Lazarus Brewing
Yet another taco recommendation on Austin's east side; it's true. But the scratch-made tacos at Lazarus Brewing have earned their spot on this list.
Breakfast tacos are served on flour tortillas, featuring options such as bacon, chorizo, carnitas, migas, and black beans. They're available until 1 p.m. daily and cost $3.50 to $4.50 each; avocado and Mexican crema are available for an additional cost.
Beginning at 11 a.m., street tacos on corn tortillas are available. You can choose carnitas, al pastor, carne asada, pollo verde, chipotle chicken, or bean and cheese.
The lunch/dinner tacos cost $3.50 to $5 each. Wash any of them down with a delicious draught beer, and you've got the making of a fine meal. 1902 E 6th St, East Austin, TX, lazarusbrewing.com
Related: Street Food in Oaxaca
10. De Nada Cantina
De Nada Cantina is a chill taco restaurant in East Austin that serves handmade blue corn tortillas, slow-roasted meats, fresh ingredients, and margaritas.
The menu offers many options. The barbacoa taco is filled with slow-braised beef cheek and habanero salsa. There's also a seared Gulf fish taco with a Yucatan marinade and chipotle slaw.
Vegetarians will appreciate the camote taco, featuring roasted sweet potatoes and chimichurri, as well as the calabacitas, made from a stew of squash, corn, onions, and tomatoes.
Crispy tacos include beef and mushroom picadillo. Most cost $4.25 to $5.50, except for fish tacos, which are $8.50 apiece. Breakfast tacos are available every day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4715 E Cesar Chavez St, East Austin, TX, denadacantina.com
Conclusion
This list will serve you well if you're looking for a great place to experience Austin's best tacos. From Nixta Taqueria's award-winning creations to Cuantos Tacos' authentic Mexican street food experience, each spot we've explored is a testament to the city's insatiable appetite for quality tacos.
In 2024, the Michelin Guide made a significant impact on Austin's taco scene, selecting seven places in its inaugural year of operation in Texas.
Nixta, Veracruz, Cuantos Tacos, and La Santa Barbacha were awarded the Bib Gourmand designation for "good value, good quality cooking." Suerte, Comedor, and Discada were all Michelin-recommended.
