The Texan’s Guide to New York Tacos
Yes, there are excellent tacos in New York City, and you don’t even have to search hard to find ’em. Here are a dozen spots to try.
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.
Yes, there are excellent tacos in New York City, and you don’t even have to search hard to find ’em. Here are a dozen spots to try.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
At El Tiger Taqueria, in El Paso, Jorge Ortiz offers his take on border food, which includes suadero flautas topped with bonito flakes and seaweed.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Jennifer Scharen and her family serve marvelous versions of the Native American dish at their Pittsburg trailer in honor of her late husband.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Olmos Bbq, in Fort Worth, offers traditional brisket, sausage, and ribs, but pitmaster-taquero John Paul Govea knows it’s “the tacos that hit.”
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
San Taco specializes in the comforting stews and braises, offering them on plates or by the pound alongside fresh tortillas.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Alfonso’s Breakfast Burritos in Duncanville, just outside Dallas, is already a local hit with comforting guisados wrapped in freshly made flour tortillas.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
The women of Rosa's Kitchen have faced difficulty on the road to making their breakfast taco spot a success, but the challenges just make them work harder for their community.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Christopher Krinsky—a 24-year-old who grew up in the U.S. and Mexico and worked in Japanese restaurants—combines his influences in his Austin ramen counter.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Jiménez Tortilleria y Taqueria in Lubbock separates itself from the local pack by offering tacos filled with guisados and topped with fried eggs.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
A new trailer reveals that the Mexican American superhero will live in a fictional city, breaking with canon. Comic book fans are not happy.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Whether using lamb, beef, or goat, the cooking method of barbacoa is rooted in pre-Hispanic traditions and set the scene for smoking meat as we know it stateside.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Berlin’s Taqueria El Oso honors Mexican cuisine with its suadero and tripas tacos, and, luckily, it’s just one of the continent’s stellar taco joints.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Sure, the restaurant chain was founded in Dallas and is currently headquartered there—but the concept also embraces the Dallas identity.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Taco Shop in El Paso has featured kangaroo, turtle, and alligator on its menu. While some are turned off by the game, many more customers line up to try them.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Houston-based Black Girl Tamales' offerings include steamed masa filled with collard greens, oxtail, dirty rice, and shrimp.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
A local restauranteur created the dish to honor Carter's election, and it was just one instance of the importance of Mexican food in the former president's public life.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
According to recent data, the youth love the commodity corn flour that's been around since 1949. But there are other options to explore.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
La Cocinita’s Evin Garcia invokes tastes of southern Africa and the Iberian Peninsula in his McAllen eatery while also serving his community.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Where to find the region's specialties, from mammoth breakfast tacos to old-school barbacoa.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Invented by grandmas and popularized by drive-ins, the cheese-filled, tortilla-wrapped frank is a nostalgic treat that's disappearing from menus.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
The AI-powered chatbot has been making headlines recently, so we hit it with our hardest taco-related questions to test its mettle.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
National Book Award finalist Domingo Martinez was optimistic about Musk and SpaceX in 2016. Now, he says, “it feels like we sold our souls.”
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Eleven pitmasters are in the running for Best Chef: Texas, and thirteen Mexican restaurants are represented in various categories.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
In the Mexican city near Brownsville, tacos with various cuts and preparations of beef stand out, including tacos estilo Matamoros.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Some Texas taquerias have increased prices due to the egg shortage, so we’ve compiled a list of great eggless breakfast tacos in case you’re starting to feel the pinch.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Nothing transcends culinary borders like the tortilla.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Tacos y Chelas may be surrounded by pricey restaurants, but the humble space has tacos al pastor and birria tacos that won’t break the bank.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Specialized taquerias and modernist Mexican restaurants offer more choices than ever before.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
This Tex-Mex wonderland of a city has some of the best taquerias in the state.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Sonia Margarita Vasquez-Grizzle is the heart of Margarita’s Tortilla Factory, and despite personal challenges, she has always dedicated herself to her business.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Explore the oil patch’s regional specialties, from overstuffed burritos to crispy tacos—just remember to bring cash.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Three newcomers and five mainstays that you won’t want to miss.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
After two years of interrupted travel, taco editor José R. Ralat hit the road full force this year and has a best-of list of a whopping 25 dishes to prove it.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
From hosting drag shows to feeding political campaigns, the Local in Abilene has been mired in some controversy, but it remains focused on serving tacos to folks of all stripes.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Pastel-hued pan dulce pastries like pink cake, chocolate conchas, and sprinkle-covered Garibaldis routinely sell out at Alebrije Bakery.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
At 19, Sarah Hernandez runs a successful San Antonio business with her sister, Rebecca. The two are used to convincing confounded customers.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
La Parrilla Tacos & Más joins other trompo-focused Oak Cliff favorites with outstanding dishes like frijoles charros and empalme.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
The family-owned San Antonio company produces the bulk, whole, and blended spices the state can’t cook without.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
While Oak Cliff's Casa del Vegano has a few flaws, its innovative taco fillings like konjac root, banana blossoms, and oyster mushrooms warrant a try.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Our first midterm report indicates that all over the state, tradition abides while creativity flourishes.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
A small community of chefs and taqueros are bringing nixtamalized, heirloom corn tortillas—the foundation of Mexican cuisine—to the masses.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
From mamey to nuez, the varied flavors found at Mexican ice cream shops around the state make for a pretty accurate personality test.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Round out your taco meal with add-ons—but order armed with the knowledge of what might disappoint and what will hit the spot every time.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
The filled masa cakes have long been in the shadow of another comfort food (ahem, tacos), but Texas taquerias are now showcasing them in diverse, interesting ways.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Even though Odelay has many stellar dishes, including the chili con carne enchilada, its artful homages to cartel culture prove unappetizing.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
This classic comfort food is made heartier and more exciting when stuffed with rich barbacoa and spicy birria, as it is at many restaurants across Texas.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Two food trucks in the Golden Triangle—the Taste of Texas and James & Jon—excel when it comes to serving barbecue in tortillas.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Taqueria Mi Rancho serves posito, tacos al pastor, and birria, and is located on the co-owner's ranch, bringing a sense of comida casera to the restaurant.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
After going through the new-business-owner blues, Luis Mendoza is seeing long lines at Un Mundo de Sabor, which serves tacos, enchiladas, and tres leches.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
Although the Mexico City style is dominant, tacos made with trompo meat vary regionally, offering many ways to enjoy the spit-roasted specialty.
José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.