An Ode to Texas Tacos
10 hottest spots to eat tacos in Austin
La Condesa
400 W 2nd St A, Austin, TX 78701
Located in the heart of downtown Austin, La Condesa is one of the city’s hottest destinations when it comes to mixing good vibes with exquisite tacos. Led by Chef Rick Lopez, La Condesa’s kitchen works closely with the local community of ranchers, farmers, and producers. Their “¡Pinky Up!” taco menu changes seasonally and includes both classic and creative versions of the Mexican staple, from their chicken tacos with salsa verde, onion & cilantro to one of their latest weekend specials, shrimp taco with summer pepper slaw. To spice things up, La Condesa’s bar also offers one of the largest collections of 100% blue agave tequila and mezcal in the city.
Comedor
501 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
Helmed by Chefs Gabe Erales and Philip Speer, Comedor is another great location to enjoy modern Mexican cuisine in Austin. Rumor has it their iconic roasted marrow tacos have made hundreds of locals fall in love– the tortillas are made with heirloom Mexican blue corn Barton Springs Sonoran wheat flour, while the marrow comes served apart on a bed of greens sautéed in smoked butter and topped with a gremolata of hoja santa, epazote, and mint, and mixed with serrano, chile de arbol, toasted Texas pecans, and lime. (The recipe is inspired by the Chef’s memory of the taco de tuetano from the Mercado de Coyacan, in Mexico City).
Licha’s Cantina
1306 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
Daniel’s Brook’s restaurant is all about carrying on true soul Mexican cooking. Licha’s Cantina proposes fresh and housemade masa products and a great variety of handcrafted fusion drinks. Their taco menu is made up of six options including their Pibil de Pescado y Camaron (achiote marinated red snapper, shrimp, bacon, queso asadero, onions & peppers), as well as their vegan Verdura taco with sweet potato, mushrooms, corn, watercress, napa cabbage, and pumpkin seeds.
Fonda San Miguel
2330 W N Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756
Founded in 1975 by To Gilliland and Miguel Ravago, Fonda San Miguel is one of the pioneer Mexican restaurants in Texas, as well as the first one focusing entirely on regional cuisine from Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Yucatan. The restaurant proposes a selection of taco recipes within different menus, such as their Sunday brunch option of Tacos de Pescado (grilled black drum fish tacos, with cabbage, salsa fresca, queso fresco, mango, and chipotle aioli) or Tacos al Pastor with marinated pork and salsas for dinner.
ATX Cocina
110 San Antonio St #170, Austin, TX 78701
ATX Cocina is another top destination to enjoy state-of-the-art tacos in Austin within an upscale eatery space. During their happy hour, the restaurant offers different and outstanding Tacos del Dia, paired with draft beers and home-crafted cocktails. Their taco offering is also available as a taco kit (made up of heirloom corn tortillas, cilantro, onion, lime, and salsas) to pick up and enjoy at home.
Nixta Taqueria
2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
Nixta Taqueria is the place to enjoy great products and creative cooking, as well as a down-to-earth service within a colorful and vibrant environment. Among their seasonal tacos, the restaurant proposes a delicious Hakurei Turnip Taco with white mole and za’atar or an outstanding Duck Carnitas option with confit duck, watermelon radish, shaved white onions, and cilantro.
El Naranjo
2717 S Lamar Blvd STE 1085, Austin, TX 78704
When looking for traditional tacos in Austin, El Naranjo is indeed one of the places to stop at. Among their home-crafted products, their tortillas are prepared using Mexican Heirloom Corn that is nixtamalized and stone grounded in-house every day. Their exquisite Tacos Dorados are served on Sundays for brunch and consist of a serving of three fried tacos with potatoes and goat cheese or with chicken, accompanied by lettuce, avocado salsa, crema Mexicana, and panela cheese.
Gabriela’s Downtown
900 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
The Michoacán-inspired recipes by siblings Gabriela and Arturo Bucio at Gabriela’s Downtown are an ode to typical family cooking and eating– especially thanks to their focus on their great combo of tacos and margarita. Their menu presents a wide variety of taco options, from their Asada (strips of marinated grilled rib-eye steak topped with avocado sauce, green tomatillo salsa, and grilled scallions) to their shredded chicken in traditional Doña Nena’s mole and vegan choices as well.
El Alma
1025 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
El Alma is Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas’ playground to experiment with modern Mexican cuisine and delighting customers with homemade style tacos within a smart location. The taco line up consists of all kinds of options like carne asada, adobo pork, and grilled redfish. As for their unmissable breakfast tacos, guests can choose up to three ingredients among egg, bacon, chorizo, carne asada, jack cheese, spinach, mushrooms, poblanos and onions, avocado, refried beans, potatoes.
Suerte
1800 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
