Tacos
November 6, 2019
Tacodeli’s Co-owners Reflect on 20 Years of Tacos, Menu Changes, and the Salsa Doña
As Roberto Espinosa and Eric Wilkerson mark the Austin institution's milestone anniversary this week, they look back on how it all began.
Tacos
Taco editor José R. Ralat covers Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine with reviews, profiles, and trend pieces
Tacos
November 5, 2019
Taco of the Week: El Holboxqueño at Revolver Taco Lounge
If ever an island paradise were represented in a single dish, this taqueria special might be it.
Tacos
October 30, 2019
What Do Trail Racing and Tacos Have in Common?
I might have come in last place, but I learned a lot while walking in the woods of San Antonio during El Taco Loco.
Tacos
October 29, 2019
Taco of the Week: Discada at Discada
A northern Mexican specialty gets a Mexico City twist in Central Texas.
The National Podcast of Texas
October 28, 2019
‘United Tacos of America’s’ Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece on Texas’s Top Taco City and the Great Burrito Debate
On this week’s National Podcast of Texas, the hosts of the El Rey series discuss the remarkable ways this humble dish brings people together.
Tacos
October 22, 2019
Taco of the Week: the Bird’s Nest at Bad Spanish
This Tarrant County taco pop-up treats its vegetarian options as seriously as its meat offerings.
Tacos
October 18, 2019
The Pizza al Pastor at Black Cat Pizza Is Why Pineapple Belongs on Pizza
Purists, be prepared to have your minds changed by the Fort Worth pizzeria.
Tacos
October 15, 2019
Taco of the Week: The Chile Relleno Taco at Del Sur Tacos
The new Dallas taqueria serves this not-so-usual taco de guisado.
Film & TV
October 14, 2019
In ‘United Tacos of America,’ Austin Duo Go on the Ultimate Road Trip
Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece connect tacos with community issues in their new show on Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network.
Tacos
October 10, 2019
How I Spent My National Taco Day
I ate my way from San Antonio to Dallas in one (very filling) day. Here are some of the highlights of my taco travels.
Tacos
October 8, 2019
Taco of the Week: The Pork Chop Taco at Garcia’s Mexican Food
You can cut meat from the bone before you eat, but it’s better to go all in with this San Antonio staple.
Tacos
September 30, 2019
Burritos Are Indeed Tacos
Blasphemy? Far from it. Allow me to fill you in.
Tacos
September 11, 2019
A Barbecue Editor and a Taco Editor Walk Into a Taqueria….
Daniel Vaughn welcomes José R. Ralat into the Texas Monthly fold as they chat tortillas, culinary coverage, and what it’s like to have the best jobs in the world.
Tacos
September 10, 2019
Announcing Five New Hires, Including Our First Taco Editor!
Dallas-based writer and tortilla connoisseur José R. Ralat is one of five recent additions to our staff.
Tacos
November 18, 2015
Best Tacos: Houston
Chilorio, Picos Type: Classic MexicanRating: 5Price: $10Chef Arnaldo Richards recently moved his popular self-styled “Mex-Mex” restaurant from the southwest side to a more central location on Kirby Drive and gave it a new slogan: “Seven Regions of Mexican Cuisine.” One of those regions is Sinaloa,a coastal state in
Tacos
November 18, 2015
Moments in Taco History
Pre-1,200 BCE: People in the New World discover nixtamalization, a process of soaking maize in water with wood ash that vastly increases the nutritional value of anything made from it, including corn tortillas. 1520’s: In recounting Hernán Cortés’s conquest of the Aztecs, Spanish historian Bernal Díaz del Castillo observes that
Tacos
November 18, 2015
Best Tacos: Dallas and Surroundings
Chicken Tinga, El Taco del Rincon de Villa Type: Classic MexicanRating: 4.25Price: $1.99Chicken tacos generally inspire monumental indifference. But you won’t be able to get enough of these corn masa pockets filled with juicy, chipotle-smoky shredded fowl. For an extra kick, add the orange-tinted chile de árbol salsa. 6867
Tacos
November 18, 2015
Best Tacos: Corpus Christi
Carne Guisada, Southside BarbacoaType: Classic MexicanRating: 4Price: $2.49On Saturdays, the carne guisada tacos, filled with cubed beef in a rich and spicy chile gravy, come with a sound track: music from the Southside Farmers’ Market band, a homespun ensemble that includes harp, banjo, accordion, and violin and plays just steps
Tacos
November 18, 2015
Best Tacos: El Paso
Potato and Egg, H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop Type: BreakfastRating: 5Price: $4.99/platePut aside the fact that H&H is a half-century-old restaurant/car wash whose co-owner, Maynard Haddad, is a supreme grouch (if one with a soft heart). Ignore the time-scuffed Formica tabletops and the aging counter stools.
Tacos
November 18, 2015
The Dictionary Entry
The lexical evolution of a most delicious word.
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Bryan–College Station
Carne Guisada, Jesse’s Taqueria and Bakery Type: Classic MexicanRating: 4Price: $4.25Burrito-size tortillas stay hot in a large Tupperware container as they wait to be filled with tender, well-seasoned carne guisada. The finished taco, tightly rolled in shiny foil, resembles a missile. Be careful unwrapping it later, lest the soupy
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Austin
Lengua, La PosadaType: Classic MexicanRating: 4.75Price: $2.80La Posada is hidden between a liquor store and an insurance agency—blink and you’ll miss it. But don’t: this taco is a real find. Braised with onions, peppers, and tomatoes to stewlike consistency, the sliced beef tongue is cradled into a thick, lightly griddled
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Rio Grande Valley
Barbacoa, Vera’s Backyard Bar-B-Que Type: Classic MexicanRating: 5Price: $3 for 1/4 pound (makes 3 to 4 tacos)Fans from far and near know that humble Vera’s is the only place in the state, maybe the country, that still does traditional “barbacoa en pozo con leña de mezquite,” or
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Fort Worth
Brisket, Mi Cocula Mexican GrillType: Modern AmericanRating: 4.5Price: $12/plateAt this hidden shopping-center gem, tender shreds of smoked beef mingle with grilled onion inside miniature corn tortillas, glistening with melted jack cheese (add a dab of the salsa de chile pasilla). The tacos al pastor, pork tips loaded with grilled pineapple
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Galveston
Baja Fish, The Original Mexican Café Type: Modern AmericanRating: 4.25Price: $10.25/plateFounded in 1916, in a rambling two-story building downtown, this place claims to be the oldest Galveston restaurant still in its original location. It has the gusto of a margarita-happy-hour haunt, but the food is a draw too, especially
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: San Antonio & Surroundings
Chicken Cilantro, Chela’s Tacos Type: Classic MexicanRating: 5Price: $3.50You can barely count on consistency in anything these days—gas prices, the weather, Cowboys wins—but you’ll certainly find it in the fire engine–red taco truck that’s usually stationed at the food-trailer park and beer garden known as the Block.
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Midland-Odessa
Al Pastor, Taqueria GuadalajaraType: Classic MexicanRating: 4.25Price: $2At this American Graffiti–meets–Mexico joint, the baskets of cinnamon-and-achiote-spiked tacos al pastor are even better with a dash of chile de árbol salsa. (Your order is delivered carside but not on roller skates, alas.) 1301 S. Crane Ave, Odessa, 432-335-8808. Sun–Thur 6–11, Fri
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Amarillo
Al Pastor, El TejavanType: Classic MexicanRating: 4.75Price: $8.99/platterHere in cattle country, it’s beef—not pork—that’s cooked al pastor. The well-marinated steak is elevated by simple cilantro, onions, and freshly made corn tortillas; there’s also chunky guacamole, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa served on the side for you to create your own
Tacos
November 17, 2015
Best Tacos: Laredo
Pastor a la Vegetariana, El Quinto Sol Type: SpecialtyRating: 4Price: $6.99/plateMexican restaurants do not usually cater to vegetarians and vegans; El Quinto Sol is a happy exception. Corn tortillas enfold wheat-gluten “meat” spiked with a spicy adobo, pineapple, and gooey mozzarella, topped with the classic onion, cilantro, and lime. Even
Recipes
January 20, 2013
Vietnamese Fish Tacos
Núóc Mam Dipping Sauce3/4 cup Squid brand fish sauce (núóc mam, available at oriental markets) 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped scallions (green onions)Whisk ingredients together and set aside.Vegetable Platter1 head leaf lettuce 1 bunch fresh mint 8 ounces bean sprouts 8 thin spears fresh pineapple, cut lengthwise
Tacos
January 20, 2013
State Fare
Dallas’ Seventeen Seventeen has mastered the art of the catfish taco.
Tacos
December 1, 2006
The Greatest Tacos Ever Sold
Sixty-three of them, to be exact: from picadillo in Dallas and brisket tinga in Houston to carne asada gringa in San Antonio and chorizo-and-jalapeño in McAllen. Be sure you don’t leave this earth without trying each and every one.
Tacos
September 30, 1988
Tempest in a Taco
Taco Cabana pioneered patio dining—a winning formula of Tex-Mex food and margaritas in the open air. When competitor Two Pesos introduced its look-alike layout, the lawsuits started to fly.
Tacos
April 1, 1986
The Great Texas Taco Tour
From El Paso’s ingenious taco trays to Austin’s uplifting breakfast tacos, each Texas city celebrates this noble creation in its own way.
Tacos
April 1, 1986
Taco Capital, U.S.A.
You want tacos with carnitas or cactus pads? Beef barbecue or bacon and eggs Come to San Antonio, where tacos aren’t just an afterthought on a Tex-Mex munue—they’re a way of life.
Tacos
July 1, 1981
I Remember Masa
The last word on tortillas: how to make them, when to eat them, and why they should be in every artist’s studio.