Birria Is the Greatest Threat to Taco Culture—and Its Savior
The Instagram-famous tacos are major moneymakers for the restaurants that sell them. But being popular doesn’t always mean being good.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly's taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. He is the author of American Tacos: A History & Guide. Ralat has written for Eater, Imbibe, Dallas Observer, D Magazine, Vice, Cowboys & Indians magazine, Gravy, and other national and regional online and print media outlets. Ralat is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and serves on the advisory board of Foodways Texas. In 2022, he won a James Beard award for his Tex-Mexplainer column.
The Instagram-famous tacos are major moneymakers for the restaurants that sell them. But being popular doesn’t always mean being good.
El Pastor Es Mi Señor follows the Mexico City tradition of trompo cooking, which yields beautiful pork and sirloin in tacos, salads, tortas, and more.
Amarillo may be famous for its steak-eating contest, but Yellow City Street Food is drawing hype for tacos stuffed with mushrooms and seitan.
Texas Monthly writer Michael Ennis’s profile of museum director Walter Hopps took readers inside the Menil Collection’s founding.
In its South Dallas neighborhood, Encanto Market & Cocina serves essentials for nearby residents, from dry goods to fruit to guisado-filled tacos.
Sylvia's Mexican Restaurant has become such a staple over its 32 years in Stockdale that it's practically a second home for locals.
Leo Davila’s combos are twists on the classics of his multicultural San Antonio upbringing, and they make Stixs & Stone worth the hype.
Marcelino's has been in East Austin for 35 years, and the family who runs it serves multiple generations of adoring customers.
The San Antonio festival brought together the city's best taquerias—plus some special guests—for a hot day of delicious food.
The Mexican, a fancy new restaurant in Dallas, aims for authenticity but isn’t using proper masa.
The ancient snack has found new prominence on Texas menus, thanks to enterprising chefs stamping it with their own creativity.
There's a taste of everything in this city, from upscale Mexican cuisine to trucks specializing in globally inspired delights.
Corpus Christi's Roberto Ruiz elaborates on his Twitter-beloved plan for a half-crimped, half-open taco that won't deposit guisada all over your lap.
The McAllen restaurant features tacos stuffed with bulgogi, kimchi, choriqueso, and more, and it’s dedicated to giving back to its community.
And its young owner, Ana Liz Pulido, is not to be underestimated. After losing her supplier of nixtamalized-corn tortillas, she learned to make her own.
After opening a year ago, the restaurant, which serves birria tacos and more, is already looking to expand to serve its growing customer base.
With its exceptional tacos tapatios, tacos norteños, and boxes loaded with 15 tacos, there's not another place like it in town.
With 38 nominations, our restaurants and chefs are coming in hot after last year's awards were canceled. The group is the most diverse it's ever been.
Located behind a coffee shop, this RGV trailer serves massive tacos overflowing with brisket and other hearty meats and toppings.
After two years, the festival makes its glorious return to the Capital City, and the dining scene is a little different but no less enticing.
By Katie Friel, José R. Ralat and Daniel Vaughn
The vibes these restaurants cultivate, from the “South Texas diner” to the “Tex-Mex palace,” say as much about them as the food does.
After a death threat on a U.S. official halted the importation of Mexican avocados this week, restaurants and grocers remain optimistic.
After breaking off from Mariachi's Dine-In, taquero Angel Fuentes puts a more personal spin on his tacos and pozoles.
With inflation and supply issues plaguing the state’s taquerias and Mexican restaurants, they’re counting on loyal customers to see them through.
While enchiladas are the specialty at Tortilleria La Potosina, the tacos also benefit from the fresh, handmade nixtamalized tortillas.
These taquerias, trucks, and restaurants show why this region is one of the best in the state for tacos.
From a word-of-mouth backyard pop-up to a nationally lauded brick-and-mortar, the Oak Cliff location of Trompo was a spot like no other. Now it’s gone.
Run by a third-generation tortilla-maker, Tortilleria Terrell also offers tacos, tamales, gorditas, and enchiladas.
A creation by Dallas's Alfonso Hernandez is the pièce de résistance of any party.
A prickly pear cookie, a revelatory bowl of birria ramen, and twelve other extraordinary things our taco editor tasted this year.
Don’t miss the horchata cold brew.
At Trill Foods, Nick Belloni is making some of the city’s most creative dishes.
Stunts aside, Taqueria Los Angeles makes some of the best burritos in North Texas.
Don’t worry: there’s not actually taco meat brewed in.
Texas chefs are putting a fresh spin on the dish, which often comes loaded with toppings—or even lit on fire.
Selections from Brownsville, San Antonio, Bellaire, and more showcase the wide variety of vibrant foods in the Lone Star State.
This might be the biggest taco trend since birria de res.
Just don’t say it’s “elevating” Mexican food.
The founders of Los Danzantes ATX bring the same vitality to their food and their dancing.
The El Paso taqueria offers fresh tortillas, creative fillings, and fiery salsas that nod to Dragon Ball fandom.
While figuring out how to eat one might seem daunting, it's well worth the effort.
The chef's special tacos—think lobster tail draped with mole verde and maitake mushrooms topped with burrata and pickled peppers—make José on Lovers a must-visit.
In Laredo, Chopchop offers a tasty Tejano take on the Thai dessert.
The thirty-year-old South Texas joint serves lessons in flavor and living.
This Rio Grande City smoke shack has barbecue in its name, but its Mexican dishes really shine.
A historic road outside El Paso teems with under-the-radar taco stops.
The iconic dish takes myriad forms, including a sixteen-foot giant (available across Texas) and a tamale sandwich.
At this old-school spot, you could get your dusty pickup washed while munching on a taco or an omelet.
This cooling, rejuvenating summer drink is made up of four ingredients that you already have at home: water, lime juice, ice, and sugar.
The Dallas Viet-Mex joint serves up one-of-a-kind delights, from boba horchata to a burrito stuffed with pho fixings.