Texas Taco Hotspots Worth the Adventure
Discover > Truly Texan > Texas Taco Hotspots Worth the Adventure
Working the land, Texans understand how to live off Godâs bounty with their own sweat, elbow grease, and field-hardened hands. This no-nonsense mindset can also be translated to the very food the Texans all enjoy. And this is especially true with finger foods like tacos or platters of Texas bar-b-que. The whole experience where one uses bare hands to dig through generous servings of puffy tacos or mouth-watering morsels of juicy brisket is indicative of this daily ritual of using our own hands. Of course, this is especially true with the Tex-Mex staple: Tacos.
With different urban centers and border towns throughout the Lone Star State, the humble taco has brought its culinary influence across the border and ingrained itself amongst all of us Texans. I cannot even count the number of times where I âaccidentallyâ ate three servings of tacos [I swear it was only supposed to be a quick in-and-out meal]. So after crowd-sourcing amongst our writers here and putting in our personal favorites that we had the honor to experience for ourselves, weâre proud to recommend these 15 taco hot spots across the state that are worth planning your own Tex-Mex Taco pilgrimage.
Best Taco Spots in the Lone Star State
Meso Maya
Established back in 2012, Meso Maya brings inspired Tex-Mex dishes from the very hands of its owner and executive chef Nico Sanchez. Their food is reflective of the passion for culinary excellence by Chef Nico and his love for cultivating his own vegetables like tomatoes, onions, squash, and peppers. A must-try is their weekend brunch (What wine goes well with brunch?) special of chorizo, eggs, and cheese tacos.
1611 McKinney Ave., Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 484-6555
Anitaâs Cafe
Anitaâs Cafe is a quaint food stop in the Rio Grande Valley that you can easily find because of its bright brick-red facade. Walking in, youâll find great lunch breakfast Tex-Mex food picks where we highly recommend you try their 3 Tacos with your choice of taco meat, chicken, refried beans, and topped with lettuce, cheeses, tomatoes, & chives (how long do chives last?).
2102 N McColl Rd, Edinburg, TX 78541
(956) 318-0730
Tlaquepaque
Imbibing the Texan tradition of making everything bigger, Tlaquepaque offers 10-inch tacos that are sure to fill you up real quick. Personally, I find it quite difficult at times to eat just one serving of taco sets. Fortunately, this Tex-Mex restaurant has the perfect sized Taco for any hungry Texan out there. And each bite is filled with refried beans, crispy bacon that is all wrapped using an airy tortilla.
115 Hillside Rd, Laredo, TX 78041
(956) 726-6173
El Giro
El Giro in Amarillo, Texas is a stand-out taco joint that serves up some pretty filling carne asada. Inspired by Guadalajara style of Mexican food, (What wine goes well with Mexican food?) the beef that they use in their carne asadas are lean and served with small tortillas. This makes for a slightly guilt-free binge-friendly meal at this Amarillo taco joint favorite.
1800 Bell St, Amarillo, TX 79106
(806) 318-3859
Mi Cocula Mexican Grill
Hidden inside a shopping center along Camp Bowie Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas, the Mi Cocula Mexican Grill may fool you with its simple setup but their tacos are definitely something to talk about. Tender and tasty shredded beef are served on soft beds of mini corn tortillas (how long do corn tortillas last?) thatâs topped with jack cheese and the right amount of salsa de chilla pasilla - an experience worth coming back for.
6550 Camp Bowie Blvd #130, Fort Worth, TX 76116
(817) 708-2895
Fonda Don Martin
If youâre geared up to conquer your morning with a full stomach then Fond Don Martin wonât disappoint. Fuel yourself with their special Papas con Huevo. Picture perfectly cooked potatoes mingling with fluffy folds of eggs, topped with bits of tomatoes, jalapeĂąos, and all coated with a perfect layer of rich butter. Chuck all of that in their comal-grilled tortillas then you have yourself a perfect morning.
9652 McPherson Rd, Laredo, TX 78045
(956) 723-7778
Chachoâs Tacos
If youâre up for a bit of an adventure when it comes to tacos, Chachoâs Tacos is more than willing to take you on one. Walking in, be sure to catch their breakfast menu offerings like their Weenie and Egg. Chopped wiener dogs thatâs mixed with peppered scrambled eggs are what fills this morning taco that is wrapped with Chachoâs in-house flour tortillas.
3700 Ayers St, Corpus Christi, TX 78415
(361) 888-7378
Jesseâs Taqueria and Bakery
Jesseâs Taqueria and Bakery is known for their big-sized tortillas that they use to wrap around their tasty carne guisada. Their tacos are wrapped tightly with foil and are filled with juicy goodness. Careful on opening your carne guisada because these generously filled tortillas may just stain your clothes with its oozing juices.
3310A E 29th St, Bryan, TX 77802
(979) 485-9841
Carnitas Queretaro
With their roots firmly planted in Chihuahua, Mexico, the family-owned Carnitas Queretaro lives on by imbibing the legacy of quality ingredients and quality food. With two decades of experience, diners at this El Paso taco chain stand by the quality of what their Mexican food offers. True to their name, they have different ways of serving carnitas in either tortas, tacos, and burritos.
7410 Remcon Cir, El Paso, TX 79912
(915) 584-9906
Rayâs Drive Inn
Original owner Raymond H. âRayâ Lopez claims that Ray's Drive Inn is home of the original puffy taco and the whole San Antonio area is debating over this fact. If youâre for Team Ray, this San Antonio taco institution has become a home-grown comfort food stop through the decades. A must-order is their classic beef taco but if youâre all for the mix of textures and flavors, their simple avocado is a good recommendation for taco aficionados.
822 SW 19th St, San Antonio, TX 78207
(210) 432-7171
Los Gallos Taco House
The Los Gallos Taco House in the Texas Hill Country Mexican restaurant is the 2015 Zeitungâs Readers Choice Awards andalso in the top 10 Texas Hill Country Restaurants. This is because of their dedication to simply provide diners with good food. Their menu features a good variety of breakfast tacos, and other Tex-Mex favorites. A must-try is their breakfast menuâs Super Tacos #1 with your choice of add-ons like bacon, cheese, bean, eggs, chorizo, and potato.
974 TX-337 Loop, New Braunfels, TX 78130
(830) 643-0093
El Tejavan
El Tejavan is famous for their al pastor tacos that bring that distinctly smoky flavors from spit-grilled meats. (What wine goes well with grilled meats?) This taco joint in Amarillo, Texas first opened as a convenience store over two decades ago. And through the years, they have grown a local cult following for their tacos that some swear share its taste profile with grilled shawarma wraps and a medley of across-the-border flavors.
3420 I-40, Amarillo, TX 79102
(806) 354-2444
Snowbite
Snowbite in Edinburg, Texas might seem like your typical unassuming Vietnamese restaurant but donât be fooled. Their tacos at this Texas-Asian food joint is something to talk about. If youâre up for the inter-marrying of different culinary influences, their tacos are a mix of Vietnamese, and Tex-Mex cuisines. The different flavors of onion, cilantro, basil, jalapeno combined with marinated round bean sprouts makes for an interesting snack.
500 N Jackson Rd Ste L2, Pharr, TX 78577
(956) 867-4167
Lone Star Taco Co.
Lone Star Taco Co. was founded on the goal of using quality ingredients with every aspect of their menu. Their tacos can be customized according to your preferences where you can choose between six different choices of proteins. Also, if youâre an early bird and looking for a filling meal, their Old Betsy breakfast taco is a mix of crisp corn strips, scrambled eggs, green chiles, avocado, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese.
1001 Texas St. Suite 100, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 222-8226
Tacos Del Norte
Established back in 2017, Taco Del Norte is run by Texans who have a great love for street tacos. In fact, itâs so great that they want to share it with all diners who visit. This dedication to this Tex-Mex favorite is heavily apparent in their tacos. Their tacos are one of the best in Haltom because they use fresh quality ingredients, and everything is prepared with passion by its owners who are avid fans of Tex-Mex.
4900 Western Center Blvd, Haltom City, TX 76137
(817) 605-9289
These 15 taco joints that are spread throughout the Lone Star State represent our state and peopleâs culture. Every Texan is sure to find their own Taco niche from all taco recipes passed down through generations to taco fusion recipe experiments that give novel taco experiences. So before this year ends, itâs good to know where to best celebrate our much-beloved tacos.
If you're a taco lover, try this incredible chorizo tacos recipe that will blow your mind!
Looking for the best brunch restaurants in Austin? Click here.
Want to dine in a farm-to-table restaurant in Dallas? Check these 6 best restaurants!
What Is Tex Mex? Six Differences Between TexMex and Traditional Mexican Food. Read more.
Looking for the best steak experience, you need to try our selection of the 20 best steakhouses.
Craving for Beef Brisket? Check it out here to know more about it.
Want to check out the best BBQ treats in Austin? Click here.
Here are some of the best Texas brisket restaurants to satisfy your cravings!
