The Greatest Tacos Ever Sold

They’re wrapped in yellow-corn or white-flour tortillas. They’re filled with beef, chicken, pork—even octopus. They’re topped with everything from fresh tomatoes to jalapeño relish. But of the hundreds of combinations we tasted, only one could rank as the best in the state. Are you ready to get your picadillo on?

by Patricia Sharpe

December 2006

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30. Sautéed Lobster
Mansion on Turtle Creek | Dallas

Chef Dean Fearing may have flown the coop to open his own place next year at the Ritz-Carlton, but the classy Mansion on Turtle Creek could never ditch the sumptuous lobster taco that he made famous in the eighties. Sweet lobster medallions are sautéed with olive oil and spinach leaves, topped with jalapeño jack cheese, and tucked into a soft flour tortilla. Savored one luxurious bite at a time—with yellow-tomato salsa and a jícama salad on the side, it epitomizes Southwestern cuisine in its elegant heyday, before the term became a synonym for throwing cilantro and jala-peños into every dish under the sun. 2821 Turtle Creek Blvd., 214-559-2100. Lunch Mon—Sat 11:30—2. Dinner Mon—Thur 6—10, Fri & Sat 6—10:30, Sun 6—9:30. Brunch Sun 11—2.

31. Lengua
Taquería Pedrito’s | Dallas

The area along Fitzhugh between North Central Expressway (U.S. 75) and Ross, where Pedrito’s is located, can be a little dicey at night, but trust us, your palate will thank you. The biggest trouble you’ll have is making decisions. The sweet señoras working the cafeteria-style line are patient, and they’ll help you choose among carnitas, barbacoa, al pastor, pork in red chile, and tripe as well as the more familiar beef and chicken. Those are all fine and dandy, but they pale beside the lengua—calf’s tongue. Lushly tender, the chopped meat has an earthy flavor that is set off by the piquant combination of chopped onion, cilantro, and lime juice and coddled by small golden tortillas. A full bar is offered, and live ballet folklórico may be your entertainment. What’s more, you can pay in pesos if you like. 4910 Capitol Ave. at Fitzhugh Ave., 214-826-2940. Open Sun & Tue—Sat 8—midnight. Closed Mon.

32. Garlic Beef
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop | Fort Worth

Goofy name, incredible tacos. But, oh, how to choose? From the list of nine Baja-style tacos, available soft or crispy, do not hesitate to pick the shredded garlic beef. First baked, then stewed long and slow with garlic, the meat nestles inside fresh miniature corn tortillas with just a little lettuce and tomato, minced cilantro, garlic sauce, and a frosting of fine feta cheese. These are nice with a cold Shiner Bock, a popular brew at this tremendously casual hangout near Texas Christian University. Already tried the garlic beef? Go for the shrimp tempura in featherlight golden jackets. 2917 W. Berry, 817-924-7943. Open Mon—Wed 10:30—midnight, Thur 10:30—1 a.m., Fri 10:30—3 a.m., Sat 8 a.m.— 3 a.m., Sun 8—10.

33. Brisket
Mia’s Tex Mex | Dallas

This humble but lively Tex-Mex eatery near the Uptown area is the mamacita of the phenomenally successful group that spawned Mi Cocina and Taco Diner. Here, for years, Ana Enriquez and her late husband, Butch, offered sumptuous brisket tacos off the menu before making them a regular entry. A slightly gringo-ized version of deshebrada tacos, these bad boys come with your choice of flour or corn tortillas and are stuffed with tender brisket, sautéed onion, and poblano-chile strips and sprinkled with grated jack cheese. A ramekin of brisket gravy comes on the side, but you can get crazy and add some of the really spicy tomato salsa too. 4322 Lemmon Ave., 214-526-1020. Open Mon—Thur & Sat 11—10, Fri 11—10:30. Closed Sun.

34. Tlaquepaque II Three-Meat Combo
Tacos Tlaquepaque | Laredo

This friendly taco haven, located far enough away from the tourist drags to be one of the locals’ better-kept secrets, takes its border town standing seriously. The building is painted the red, white, and green of the Mexican flag, while the inside is decorated with American-oriented red, white, and blue papel picado (cut-paper banners). The tacos—21 varieties at breakfast, 16 at lunch—come in humongous homemade flour tortillas and are served by enthusiastic waitresses with a dare-you-to-eat-it-all gleam in their eye. The Tlaquepaque II is a kitchen-sink affair stuffed with ample fajita meat, bacon, Polish sausage, onion, and bell pepper. Yes, you’ll want to eat it all. 115 W. Hillside Rd., 956-726-6173. Open Mon—Sat 7—4, Sun 8—3.

35. Acelgas y Papas
Hugo’s | Houston

While a decadent $6 lobster taquito initially grabs all the attention at this stylish Montrose-area Mexican restaurant, it is a far humbler offering that takes top honors. A down-to-earth duet of acelgas—Swiss chard—and diced potatoes is sautéed in olive oil with a hint of garlic. Just enough of the chard’s agreeably bitter taste remains to rub against the starchy sweetness of the papas. At an establishment where rabbit, octopus, duck, and goat are regularly served, how refreshing to be reminded that carnivores aren’t the only ones who can enjoy killer tacos. That Swiss chard happens to be high in vitamin A and low in calories makes the experience that much happier. 1600 Westheimer Rd., 713-524-7744. Open Sun—Thur 11—10, Fri & Sat 11—11.

36. Machacado and Egg a la Mexicana
Manuel’s | Port Isabel

Incredible flour tortillas are made in-house at this breakfast-and-lunch joint with scuffed concrete floors and a multitude of football pennants and Al Pacino Scarface posters covering the walls. Said tortillas, so big they hang over the plate, have a lusty flavor that is enhanced by the occasional blister from the grill. The shredded machacado, or dried beef, resembles jerky and has a salty taste and slightly chewy texture that blends beautifully with moist, fluffy scrambled eggs. A scattering of chopped tomato, onion, and jalapeño makes the taco a la mexicana. It’s a great way to begin a day at the beach, but give yourself a little extra time before going into the water. 313 E. Maxan, 956-943-1655. Open Tue—Sun 7—2. Closed Mon.

37. Catfish
Berryhill Baja Grill | Houston

Most people think of tacos as delivery systems for beef, chicken, pork, goat, and such. But there’s no rule banning our finny friends from being the featured ingredient. To make its crown-jewel fish taco, Berryhill Baja Grill soaks plump morsels of farm-raised catfish in a chipotle marinade, grills them, and slides them into double-layered store-bought-but-top-quality white-corn tortillas, along with a Dijon mustard sauce, some pico de gallo, and a handful of shredded lettuce. Succulence, crunch, and not one but two kinds of zip: What more could you ask? 3407 Montrose Blvd., 713-523-8226. Open Mon—Thur 11—11, Fri 11—midnight, Sat 10—midnight, Sun 10—11.

38. Rolled Beef
Chico’s Tacos | El Paso

It’s not true that visitors to El Paso aren’t allowed to leave without eating at Chico’s. But the locals do have a way of bragging—and gorging—on the local mini-chain’s curiously flauta-like fast-food tacos. They’re fashioned of barely seasoned ground beef rolled up in corn tortillas. The tidy cylinders are then deep-fried and submerged in a thin red sauce that tastes of tomato and maybe a little chicken broth (it’s almost like canned tomato soup). Grated yellow cheese melts on top to create an irresistibly gooey mess. Doesn’t sound appetizing? Give ’em a chance and the durn things will grow on you; they’re cheap, comforting, filling, and mild enough for tykes and geezers alike. The Montwood location is the newest and most inviting. 11381 Montwood Dr., 915-849-8777 (multiple locations). Open Sun—Thur 9 a.m.—1:30 a.m., Fri & Sat 9—2:30.

39. Brisket
El Rancho | Austin

Texas barbecue meets Mexican street food in El Rancho’s savory brisket tacos (talk about your fusion cuisine). The Angus beef is smoked over sweet, mild pecan wood, and the flour tortilla is homemade, not to mention generously filled. A sassy tomatillo sauce comes on the side, but it’s hardly needed (the shredded beef is plenty moist without it). The restaurant, with its proper service and dignified look, enlivened by folk art and terra-cotta pots, has been an Austin institution since 1952 and has a loyal following of Tex-Mex traditionalists. It’s the perfect place for taco lovers who might feel uncomfortable entering the world of taquerías, where English is, at best, a second language. 2613 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-462-9333. Open Sun, Mon, Wed, & Thur 11—10, Fri & Sat 11—11. Closed Tue.

40. Antiguo Puffy Taco
La Fonda del Angel | Corpus Christi

From 1945 to 2005, the now-defunct Old Mexico was a Tex-Mex cornerstone in Corpus Christi. New owner Jose Miranda changed the name but little else. The Antiguo is a variation on the classic puffy taco made not with a tortilla but with a similar, more doughy masa mixture that balloons into a multisided platform when deep-fried. Over and around that base drip lardy refried beans, chile con carne, and melted cheese, with a topping of jalapeño slices and raw onion. It’s every bit as heavy and messy as it sounds, and it’s a plate of Tex-Mex heaven. 3329 Leopard, 361-880-6755. Open Mon—Thur & Sat 11—7:30, Fri 11—9. Closed Sun.

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