To hear Austinites tell it , they damn well-nigh invented the wetback . They ’re sure enough not above declare war over one , which Mayor Adler did , even creating an Austin Taco Day ( Sept 24th ) . Austin is menage to some of Texas ’ good greaser , both breakfast and non - breakfast motley , and the last tenner has construe an increased handiness of classic styles beyond the metropolis ’s distinctive Tex - Mex cornucopia . Let ’s dig into a roundup of Austin ’s best tortilla - free-base offering of the second .
Migas
Veracruz All Natural
If a migas tacois done aright , the eggs retain bounce while the fried tortilla cartoon strip keep a semblance of crunch . The rest of the ingredients – the onion , tomatoes , chilies , and cheese – fold in and accentuate the flavour . This is what mini taco motortruck conglomerate Veracruz All Natural does . There is of line a fresh tortilla . In the lawsuit of Veracruz that means handmade corn disk , and we favor to rank the whole computer software at the trailer parked outside Radio Coffee & Beer , where you ’ll need an Americano to hold you over until your order is ready . postponement can be up to 45 minutes . That ’s OK , proper ? Austinites like to wait , in line or with restaurant pagers . gratefully the migas taco is worth it .
Smoked carnitas
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
The occupation is much shorter at this kinfolk - possess and -operated prevue , where the unspoiled of all possible Texas culinary worlds hug it out all the way of life down your venter . rainfall or shine , customer hold back patiently to place their edict of smoked meats in downlike , slightly dust-covered flour tortilla . The peppery brisket comes with a ribbon of grass and gets amped up for the mighty Real Deal Holyfield breakfast taco , but you ’d be doing yourself a disservice if you do not request the smoke carnitas . Surprisingly light , the cuts of pork barrel – sometimes chopped , sometimes shredded – have a smoky sweetness tightened by caramelise Allium cepa and hold by the luminescent tomatillo - habanero salsa .
Q-rizo
Cool Beans
There is n’t a great vegetarian or vegan custom in Texas taco . gratefully , wetback ops like Cool Beans taco truck from Rolando Garza , a native of Brownsville , Texas , and Priscilla Jerez , from Los Angeles , are changing that . The Q - rizo subs quinoa for the spiced porc while staying with the potatoes and Garza ’s granny ’s formula . “ It ’s heavy on the apple cyder acetum , ” he says . And , indeed it is . So much so that it flirts hazardously with the sort of face - squishing , auricle - folding - over - the - oculus flavor machine characteristic of the chorizo y papas taco at Tacos Gus in Mexico City . But this is in the Q - rizo ’s favor – so uncanny is it in resemblance to the tangible thing . verify to snap up one behind the Spider House Café & Ballroom or the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 wash cart track .
Chile relleno taco de arroz
Mi Tradición
Chile en nogada , a holiday stunner of a stuffed poblano chile draped in walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds , is n’t a curiosity in Texas . A classic stuffed chile taco ( taco de chile relleno ) , however , is found only here and there in the Lone Star State . One of the best is suffice at this north Austin bakehouse and restaurant where a large blue corn tortilla base is top with yellow rice and a breaded and fried quesadilla Malva sylvestris - stuffed chile . The taco has a salty gripe antedate by the textural wonderland that is the chewy tortilla and the generous dowry of rice .
La Fresa
Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon
Never heed that former President of the United States Bill Clinton take in a special vegan taco at this Austin wood - fired wimp concern . ( He should have gone to Cool Beans for that . ) It ’s all about the clucking snort at Fresa ’s Chicken . And it is good at Fresa ’s 2d , cock-a-hoop location with a vast terrace awash in festal pastel with blocky wood tables to one side and smaller tables to the other . There ’s a small sack quad for articulatio genus - biter . All of it is border by East Bouldin Creek to the back . It ’s seriously all kinds of gross out pleasant . The dark meat chicken in the namesake taco is deep and fat . alligator pear imparts a creaminess , cotija add together a milky , salty , mouth - puckering lineament , and cabbage & Allium cepa give the package crunch . In other words , it ’s everything a chicken taco should be .
No. 4 taco
Mi Madre’s Restaurant
If your definition of an Austin breakfast taco includes the adjective “ sloppy , ” Mi Madre ’s has a real hoarded wealth for you . TheNo . 4 Taco – a parcel of shameful noggin , bollock , and high mallow bulging with protein – will more than satisfy . The noggin are al dente , the scrambled bollock have a soft - craggy give , and the piquant cheese does a poor , but tasty , job of keeping it all together .
Bacon, egg & cheese breakfast taco
Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop
If you ’re over the whole bacon fad – and we do n’t blame you if you are – the 1st Baron Verulam used in Joe ’s Bakery ’s taco wo n’t reconvert you , but the strips of pork , dredge in flour before fry , will likely be the only 1st Baron Verulam you ’ll want to consume thereafter . The breakfast meat ’s increased density and the fact that the strips are get out entire allow the bacon to hold its own against the hearty attend of scrambled egg and cheese in the fresh , camping - bottom - pad - fatheaded flour tortilla .
Tacos de Carnitas Estilo Don Alberto
Takoba
A mo fancy in contrast to the adjacent food truck , Takoba on East 7th St is home to straight - up beautiful pork barrel berm carnitas . And no ghost of food waste . Generous in portion and rip up but not stringy enough to get drag in in the spaces between your tooth , the carnitas core is just sweet-flavored enough from the pork - avoirdupois tub simmered humiliated and ho-hum in the method used by Takoba owner José De Loera ’s father Alberto , a carnitas vendor in his aboriginal Aguascalientes , Mexico . The carnitas ’ accompanying salsa verde amps up the package into something even more delicious .
Pachuca taco
Mellizoz Tacos
A great Aztec warrior stands confidently . In his firm hands he equilibrize a taco worthy of eating challenges on television . The artistic production is a striking good deal on the side of Mellizoz Tacos , a South Congress food motortruck that trades in old - school day Tex - Mex ( hello , undercoat beef ) , iconic Mexican ( hola , carnitas ) and originative ( hiya , Bowman ) tortilla - based noshes . But it ’s the Pachuca that should be your No . 1 pick . The novel breakfast menu token comes with eggs , machaca ( dried salt beef typical of northerly Mexico and South Texas ) , pico de gallo , and a liquid queso so lacy and mild it can be mistaken for butter .
Taco No. 1
Tamale House East
The last frontier settlement of a once - citywide taqueria founded by the Vasquez syndicate , Tamale House East is owned and overseen by descendants Carmen Valera and her fellowship . And it continue reward Austin ’s past while pushing the metropolis ’s contemporaneous taco culture forward with options like chicken gram molecule , grill fish , and cochinita pibil tacos . But it ’s the litmus - test Taco No . 1 , in which is tucked tater , egg , Baron Verulam , and cheese , that shines . Why is it a litmus test wetback ? Because the dice potatoes are firm on the outside , fluffy on the inside , and need no extra seasoning . Tamale House East ’s way with the tricky Irish potato shows a mastery most taquerias do n’t achieve .
Barbacoa de chivo
La Fruta Feliz
This repeated Austin favorite is heralded as much for its juice and Bufo marinus frescas as it is the chivo ( goat ) barbacoa garnish only with Chinese parsley and onion , a lime Cuban sandwich propped on the side of the Styrofoam home . As is the prescript with any taqueria , order the theater - made tortilla ; here it ’s a cakey white corn disk that , examine as it might , ca n’t intimidate the abundant juice running off the goat , which , for those not into such flavors , has tinges of gaminess .
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Flickr/edwin_x_ochoa
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
José R. Ralat/Thrillist
