We love tacos in Austin, Texas and when I say “love”, I mean “LOVE” tacos so this is my ultimate guide to the best tacos in Austin and here’s the Austinites’s guide to the best breakfast tacos in Austin!
SEE ALSO: Best Coffee Shops In Austin, Sorted By Neighborhood
For the full list of best tacos in Austin, check out my new pocket-sized guidebook, Koko’s Guide To Austin, on Amazon Prime!
Table of Contents
Norte
Norte is the newest taco truck in Austin and I immediately added them to this list because the Volcán (Flour tostada, carne asada, queso chihuahua costra, grilled onions, avocado, toreaditos) and al pastor tacos were SO GOOD. Norte is newly parked at Hi Sign Brewing in East Austin so you can eat all the tacos and drink all the beer.
WHAT TO ORDER: Volcán and al pastor tacos
730 Shady Lane, Austin, TX
SEE ALSO: 21 Best Breweries In Austin For Craft Beer
Cuantos Tacos
My favorite tacos in Austin, hands down, are Cuantos Tacos in East Austin. These are Mexico City style street tacos on Nixtamal tortillas – I love the longaniza (Mexican chorizo) and cachete (barbacoa). They also have quesadillas with melted cheese on a flour tortillas.
WHAT TO ORDER: tacos are $2.50 and quesadillas are $7.50
1108 E 12th St, cuantostacosaustin.com/
Discada Tacos
Discada only serves mini tacos with salsa and lime but they’re so flavorful! Discada is a cowboy-wok cooking method from Northern Mexico.
WHAT TO ORDER: 8 tacos for $11.00
1319 Rosewood Ave, discadatx.com
Vaquero Taquero
Vaquero Taquero started as a taco truck and now serves both street-style tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in their brick and mortar location. They specialize in taco al pastor and you can see them carving flame-seared pork off their trompo as you wait. The tacos here remind me of the ones I had in Mexico City! I highly recommend getting the quesadilla – it comes with pan-seared Oaxacan cheese with lots of fresh avocado crema.
WHAT TO ORDER: Quesadilla al Pastor and Quesadilla de Carne Asada
4301 Duval St, vaquerotaquero.com
SEE ALSO: 22 Best Margaritas In Austin Texas
Taco Bronco
Taco Bronco just opened in East Austin at Batch Craft Beer and Kolaches and it’s SO good. Taco Bronco is a new concept from the Micklethwait Craft Meats so you know there’s going to be barbecue!
Texas-style tacos and slow-smoked shared platters with generous portions of slow-smoked meats such as barbacoa, pork carnitas, and South Texas boar sausage served alongside locally-made tortillas and scratch-made sides such as spicy red beans, classic Spanish rice, roasted calabacitas, and jicama grapefruit slaw.
While we waited for our food, I tried out a new beer from the cooler inside Batch!
WHAT TO ORDER: Tacos Pequeño de Barbacoa and smoked lamb birria taco.
3220 Manor Rd, tacobroncotx.com
Asador
Asador is tucked in the back of Seven Grand and Las Perlas with a small taco stand. The hardest decision you’ll have to make is whiskey cocktails from Seven Grand or mezcal cocktails from Las Perlas.
Asador serves authentic street tacos with a barbecue twist – try their signature smoked brisket mole or classics like carnitas on homemade tortillas.
WHAT TO ORDER: smoked brisket tacos
405 E 7th St, asadoratx.com
Tacodeli
And of course, Tacodeli is known for their breakfast tacos but I love their lunch tacos with a side of queso.
WHAT TO ORDER: Mexico City sirloin, Sabrosita Barbacoa, and/or any of their daily specials.
Multiple locations in Austin
Fresa’s
One of my favorite tacos in Austin is the chimichurri skirt steak tacos at Fresa’s that comes with roasted onions, rice, beans, and a whole jalapeño. The achiote chicken is popular too.
WHAT TO ORDER: Achiote & citrus chicken and chimichurri skirt steak tacos, queso, Mexican street corn, and frozen prickly pear margaritas.
1703 South First St, fresaschicken.com
Veracruz All Natural
Everyone loves the tacos at Veracruz and that’s because they’re SO good. Hands down, the migas tacos are the best tacos in town.
The fajita steak with cilantro, onion, queso fresco, and avocado is also a popular pick. If you’re wanting a vegan option, try the vegan veggie with grilled mushrooms, carrots, spinach, cilantro, and a slice of avocado.
Veracruz has moved from their original location at 1704 E Cesar Chavez St to 2505 Webberville Rd.
WHAT TO ORDER: migas tacos
2505 Webberville Rd, veracruzallnatural.com
The Smokin’ Rose Taco Joint
The tacos at Smokin’ Rose Taco food truck are huge so I recommend starting out with one of two. The homemade flour tortillas are made by hand with lard so they’re delicious. I loved the mexicorn dogs – beef franks wrapped in homemade corn tortillas and then deep-fried and served with mustard and queso!
WHAT TO ORDER: carne tacos and mexicorn dogs.
1308 E 6th St, smokinrose.com
El Chilito
El Chilito is the only place in Austin that makes puffy tacos and they’re my go-to spot during the week for a quick lunch or dinner. You can get any of the tacos as a puffy taco but my favorite is the classic beef puffy taco.
WHAT TO ORDER: beef puffy tacos and agua frescas
Multiple locations, elchilito.com
ATX Cocina
ATX Cocina serves upscale Mexican food and it’s really good and the restaurant is all gluten-free!
WHAT TO ORDER: patos tacos (duck carnitas, citrus mojo, cilantro salad)
110 San Antonio St Suite 170, atxcocina.com
La Condesa
La Condesa is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin because I love their salsa and guacamole tasting, the tacos, and the classic margarita.
WHAT TO ORDER: barbacoa en mole tacos and carnitas tacos
400 W 2nd St A, lacondesa.com
El Primo
Don’t miss this local taco spot that’s a small roadside stand on South 1st that sells breakfast tacos, burritos, and super tortas. Ask for cheese – they pan sear it on the flat top and it gets super crispy.
My go-to is chorizo but I also got the lengua (cow tongue) if you’re willing to try that!
KOKO TIP: Cash only.
2011 S 1st St
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
Tex-Mex meets barbecue and falls in love at Valentina’s. You can get a taco with smoked brisket here with lots of tomatillo habanero salsa or tomato serrano salsa. Valentina’s is in South Austin but it’s worth the drive.
11500 Manchaca Rd, valentinastexmexbbq.com
Suerte
The housemade masa is the star at this Mexican-inspired restaurant.
1800 E 6th St, suerteatx.com
El Tacorrido
Drive-thru Mexican taqueria—order the El Equinox (iced horchata with a shot of espresso) with tacos.
2316 S 1st St, eltacorrido.com
Ensenada
This is one of the newer taco trucks in Austin and my favorite seafood tacos inspired by Baja California.
1108 E 12th St
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Turf N’ Surf
For seafood tacos, the place to go is Turf N’ Surf. Don’t let the high prices turn you away as the portions are generous. You can get any of the seafood fried, grilled, or blackened and choose from tilapia, tuna, snapper, oysters, crawfish, shrimp, and redfish. The tacos are dressed with mixed greens, slaw tomato, onion, cilantro, cilantro-ranch dressing
My go-to is the fried oysters or blackened crawfish tacos
407 Lavaca St, lavacastdowntown.com/turf-n-surf
What’s your favorite taco in Austin? You might want to go on a hike so here’s my guide to the 14 Best Hiking Trails In Austin TX.
Other tacos in Austin
- Guero’s Taco Bar – they have a salsa bar!
- Pueblo Viejo
- Torchy’s Taco
- Granny’s Tacos
- Rosita’s Al Pastor – 1911 E Riverside Dr
- las trancas
- Papalote – 2803 S Lamar Blvd
- Tyson’s Tacos
- Dai Due Taqueria – wild boar tacos 111 Congress Ave @ Fareground
- El Taquito – pollo asado tacos
