Which Texas City Has The Best Tacos?

Vote for your favorite!

Texas Monthly

Date

Nov 25, 2015

Notes

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The Best Taco City in Texas

AMARILLO

AUSTIN

BRYAN – COLLEGE STATION

CORPUS CHRISTI

DALLAS

EL PASO

FORT WORTH

GALVESTON

HOUSTON

LAREDO

LUBBOCK

MIDLAND – ODESSA

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

SAN ANTONIO

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Comments

John Handley

TM didn’t make it to Victoria? Shame.
- ketchupboogie
  
  Is a shame Victoria exists.
  - Jesus Elizondo
    
    Lol. But seriously I live in Yoakum. What good tacos are there in Victoria? I’m curious because I want to try them.
Chris Anderson

Best tacos is of course from Taco City: SAN ANTONIO. Anyplace else is just 2nd……
URKiddinMee

How does one get chosen as a Judge in contests like this? I’m available for whatever food item is going to be reviewed next. TM!
PW Herman

#1 – Austin. # 2 Dallas. #3 – Houston. Why is San Antonio even on this list? People from San Antonio think Taco Cabana has the best tacos! DQed just for that!
- Alexander R Kiris
  
  You obviously don’t know anything about San Antonio.. Please go to Patti’s Taco House, Also, even the cops in Austin admit to us that San Antonio has the better Mexican food lmao
  - Benito Camela
    
    San Antonio has Tex Mex. El Paso has Mexican. LMAO
    - Seamus
      
      El Paso has Northern Mexican, New Mexican and some Tex-Mex. San Antonio has Northern Mexican and Tex-Mex.
- E. Cortes
  
  You lost all credibility when you said Dallas. Seriously, go sit down.
  - Eliana
    
    YES!!!!
- Jason Balencia
  
  People from Austin don’t know how to make their own tortillas. They don’t even know how to make a taco without chicken strips or syrup.
- Ruben Mancillas
  
  Stop smoking wharever it Is you’re smoking…
- Sammy Faye Chillton
  
  Nobody from SA thinks Taco Cabana has the best tacos though…
  - Benito Camela
    
    Palenque? That crap is garbage.
- Benito Camela
  
  Pffft. El Paso actually has Juarez right across the border.
- Benito Camela
  
  You’re out of your mind. PeeWee is probably right.
E. Cortes

Houston then San Anto then the RGV.
Having lived or eaten in most major metropolitan areas of the state I can make this assessment with confidence. For sheer variety & quality Houston can’t be beat. SA is Mecca but you’re not going to get very many Central or South American varieties. The size & quality of the tortillas in the Valley put them in the running.
- Jason Balencia
  
  RGV is best. Right across from Mexico. Houston tacos are at least $2.00 for something decent..
- Ruben Mancillas
  
  What are you smoking?
Jimmy Russell

Anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley. Anywhere past the checkpoint, is whitewashed
- Jesus Elizondo
  
  Plus the green (avocado or tomatillo) and red hot sauces are the best. Home made
  - Jimmy Russell
    
    The avocado cream salsa is amazing! Goes great on Tacos de Alambre or Piratas
David Andrew Noyola

Coming from someone who lives in San Marcos, right between SA & Austin, if you haven’t tried the food from the Rio Grande Valley, you’re honestly missing out. It has by far the best & most authentic Mexican food, not just tacos, that you can get. Nothing past the checkpoint even compares. It’s whitewashed, lower quality, & more expensive at that! It’s a shame that other cities are going to place higher simply because they have a higher population. I bet at least half of the people voting haven’t even tasted truly authentic tacos from the Valley (aka: Mexico, TX).
- Seamus
  
  The best gorditas I have had were from a food truck in the Valley, but I think the days of no good Mexican food North of the checkpoints are long past. I had some spectacular Mexican food in a diner attached to a burned down hotel in Norlina, North Carolina (an incredibly rural, podunk, tobacco farming community, not a place where one would expect good Mexican food).
  Nowadays, migration has led to accessibility to good Mexican food across the nation, much less Texas.
  The idea that one city in Texas or another having better tacos is ridiculous. One city might have a larger density of restaurants and carts that serve better versions of one dish or type of taco or another, but better tacos as a whole? Ridiculous. It just becomes a popularity contest, and as you statedm population will be the deciding factor.
SouthTexan74

I jump around this state like a saltamontes in a bounce castle….I love the Valley, in large part because of the diversity of awesome food, but…when I’m really wanting to get my morning-time, taco-habit satiated….San Antonio’s southside is the only place.
Anywhere on or off of Southwest Military, Culebra, or S. Presa is what I’m talking about.
Austin? Really? Austin?
As for Victoria…you have to be joking….M&M’s, MAYBE…but lots of other places use beans from a can and a folded over slice of American cheese-product…That’s not a taco.
Carlos Saenz

Come on, man. Its obvi the Rio Grande Valley and its not particularly close. Maybe Laredo, owing to their proximity to the border. I mean, in Brownsville, the lingua franca is Spanish and most families are first or second generation American. The Valley isn’t tops in the state in much but when it comes to soccer, birding, beaching, and Mexican food, they are run-away favorites to do it the best. Now, if you want frou-frou taco fusion, cooked up by a chef who has credentials, maybe go visit Austin, San Antonio, Houston, or Dallas. But, bar-none the average level of Mexican food in the Valley far surpasses that of any large metropolitan area. Possible contenders would be border towns like El Paso, Eagle Pass, or Laredo. In cities, you have to find a good hole-in-the-wall Mexican food restaurant. In Brownsville, you throw a rock in any direction and can hit one. The market is flooded with Mexican food restaurants in the RGV.
Jason Balencia

Austin doesn’t know how to cook their own tortillas, San Antonio doesn’t know what chorizo beans are and El Paso tacos are slightly too expensive. RGV wins by default (I mean, is right across from Mexico you guys).
- Benito Camela
  
  LOL. Stupidest comment by far. El Paso “slightly too expensive”? Jajajajajaja what does that even mean? They are $.40 more than tacos in Austin? Nope! Try again.
Ruben Mancillas

This is how you do it… Brownsville all the way!
Ruben Mancillas

This is every city that tries to sell tacos, especially Austin. … Rio grande valley all the way!
https://youtu.be/CMA1u1JQWlc
Steve Canyon

Everyone has their preference based on what their use to. I personally have not yet found a place
anywhere in the Austin area that has what I would call REAL Mexican style
tacos. I recently moved here from San
Diego where I have to say, in all my travels (Air Force) some of the best
Mexican food is found there. I can’t
find a street taco anywhere here. If you
ever have a chance, go to Hector’s located on Rosecrans Blvd across from the
West marine store near San Diego bay.
This old man makes everything from scratch and his beef tacos are out of
this world.

On another note, where are the real German restaurants? Fredericksburg
was a real disappointment.
- pwt7925
  
  The Germans got crowded out of Fredericksburg by the Houstonians and the tourists years ago. You can find pockets of them around; in the Dallas area, the Bavarian Grill in Plano is excellent.
  - Steve Canyon
    
    Thank you for the information, happen to know of any close to the Austin area?
    - dave in texas
      
      I’m not really all that knowledgeable about German food, but I’ve enjoyed the various schnitzels at Sholz Garten on San Antonio St. near the Capitol.
Brian

Austin? Yeah right. I live here, and I know these aren’t the best tacos. You need to get closer to Mexico for some real tacos. Places like Laredo, or somewhere further south in the valley. Oddly enough one of the few places in Austin that has good tacos is a place outside of Austin in Leander, TX.

Sorry, but this just isn’t an accurate poll. Then again, polling systems never are.
Sammy Faye Chillton

Why is anything north of San Antonio even on this list?
Mary

Want to try real tacos? You have to visit Laredo,Texas the best Tacos in south Texas! I would definitely include Laredo,Texas on this Taco race!
Joseph Oviedo

RGV. Not even close.
Kat Volett

Laredo/RGV hands down, non-debatable. It’s as close as you get to Mexico, with 95% Hispanic population or more, and more often than not, Mexican restaurants cross over and start small franchises in these bordertowns. (Laredo Examples: Taco Ravi’s, Taco Palenque, Tori/Pollo Palenque, La Tremenda Tacos, Tacos Kissi, and many many more smaller businesses)
Lauro Ramos

My family is from Central Mexico. I grew up in the Valley, Northern & Central Mexico back and forth. Ive been spoiled rotten with great central and northern Mexican food (homestyle & street). From Mexico D.F. to The Valley, I have a firm grasp on what a taco is, it’s regional variants, and what they should taste like! I generally refuse to eat Mexican food anywhere north of Edinburg/Harlingen! For me, thats pushing it! I live in Midland/Odessa now and I’d rather eat McDonald’s. The lack of a functional health department leaves you guessing everywhere you go! Not fun. I have friends from El Paso that tell me what their tacos are like, but they just don’t sound appetizing to me. I’m sure they’re good though. Austin? I love you Austin, but no thanks. San Antonio? Flat out NO! Nothing personal. The only metro areas I will trust are certain areas of two for obvious reasons: DFW or Houston. Everyone has an opinion, that is mine.
Seamus Shameless

As a native Valleyite, I can tell you all beyond a shadow of a doubt that the RGV has the best, most authentic tacos in the state. It’s a matter of proximity, people. The closer you are to the border, the better the taco. Taco Pirata from Tacolandia de Donna FTW!
Debra Pena

RGV!!! Austin does have okay tacos but no where as good as from the RGV. San Antonio nor Houston have good tacos. However the good ones are at the rinky dinky restaurants lol …La Curva has really tasty RB tacos.
Jorge Jaramillo

El Vallé ese most definitely, two places to go in Brownsville Taqueria Conchita on S Padre Island blvd and Mr Taco on McDavitt and for Flautas Tacos To Go on Padre blvd as well they have been there for decades all three have excellent frijoles charros, you can’t have tacos unless you have some fresh frijolitos on the side!!
Jj

San Angelo duh.
Andrea Lopez

Everyone know’s where the best tacos are from and that’s the #RGV! You literally cannot get anymore authentic than that. #enoughsaid
Anthony

Seriously? It’s the Rio Grande Valley hands down. Everywhere else in Texas is just exporting it from here. Jeez this is where the Tex meets the Mex! No contest.
Jared A. Leadbetter

The best part about living in the RGV is that’s it’s very close to the United States….and has, BY FAR, the best tacos!
Misti Stone

Really? Not today san Antonio, Austin, and dallas. RGV hands down….none of that taco cabana crap over here! Its an insult to the valley!
jervin

How is El Paso not on this list????
- Pete Bralich
  
  I could stand anywhere in El Paso, throw a rock and hit a better taco place than all other Texas cities combined. No contest.
- Benito Camela
  
  Um, because it IS on the list.
Valdecantos

Definitely the valley. Best tacos ever! It’s literally Mexico. Almost everyone who lives here are 1st to 3rd generation Hispanics. The corn tortillas tacos are awesome! I’ve lived in LA before and their tacos never come close.
oblate spheroid

RGV should win handily. Those mocking Austin should realize that Torchy’s and Tacodeli aren’t the lone taco joints in town, only the most talked about by white people. Check out Mike Sutter’s 500 Tacos project: http://www.fedmanwalking.com/content/archives
Robert Beck

I’m soooo sick of Austin getting all of the press on food stories like this. That hipster wanna-be city is so overrated it makes me sick!! In no order, RGV, Houston & San Antonio…for anybody who knows anything about real tacos.
- Benito Camela
  
  Whenever I look for advice on “REAL” tacos, the first and foremost authority to whom I turn is named Robert-o Beck-o. He was raised on homemade tacos!
pwt7925

I used to get breakfast tacos at a walk up taqueria stand at the corner of Vickery Blvd. and Wirfeld (just east of Hulen) in Fort Worth, Melis Taqueria. At least in this area, they were the best I found anywhere, to die for. Definitely not a chain, but a recipe straight from some mama’s kitchen.

Which Texas City Has The Best Tacos?

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