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Texas Monthly Top 50 Tacos (2024)

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NoName

NoName 16349

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TM just dropped their top 50 Tacos list yesterday...here's the un pay walled link:

https://archive.is/RzXHu

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Texas taquerias can take any form—a drive-through shack in an unincorporated community; a trailer next to a gas station in a quiet suburb; an upscale restaurant on a downtown block. Visiting as many of them as possible for this list—which happened to be more than four hundred in about six months—was intimidating, but not exactly novel. In my five years as Texas Monthly’s taco editor, I have traveled constantly, searching the state for tacos that meet a certain level of craft, quality, creativity, and, especially, flavor.
 
In preparation for this story, my first ranking of the best tacos in Texas, I traveled around 14,000 miles, from Amarillo to Brownsville and El Paso to Texarkana, and asked myself the following questions (and more) as I visited the varied spots: Was the al pastor prepared on a trompo, the traditional vertical spit? Did the cooks have a strong knowledge of flavor profiles, whether they be classic or creative? What kind of tortillas were used and why? Was the taco delicious? And finally, for my editors: How many tacos could I fit into one feature?  
 
My travels confirmed a shift in the state’s taco scene that I first started noticing a few years ago. More than ever, chefs, cooks, and taqueros—often Mexican immigrants or first-generation Mexican Americans—are crafting nostalgic dishes from their blended cultures and incorporating native Texan ingredients. I’m calling the movement New Tejano. 
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Take Leo Davila, the chef-owner of Stixs & Stone. At his San Antonio restaurant, he infuses Big Red soda into tortillas that hold his smoked beef cheek barbacoa. The tacos are topped with pecan pesto and pickled watermelon rind, and the result is reminiscent of post-church backyard gatherings, where the pairing of barbacoa and Big Red is a staple. To me, it’s quintessential New Tejano.
 
Jorge Ortiz, of El Paso’s Taqueria El Tiger, is just as much a representation of this evolution. He combines the traditional fillings of tripe and soft chicharrón on a tortilla made with heirloom corn for one of his tacos, the tripa y tembloroso. Ortiz adds on top a bit of kimchi bathed in smoky morita salsa, balancing funky flavors with homey ones (and Mexican cooking with Korean).
 
Tex-Mex—cumin-heavy with an emphasis on beef—has dominated taco flavor and presentation for decades. New Tejano builds off that tradition but is more dynamic and forward-looking. 
 
Here, we present the fifty best tacos in Texas (with thirteen honorable mentions) and the taquerias that make them, and I made sure to note the New Tejano exemplars throughout. I hope it inspires you to get out there and eat more tacos—I consumed more than 1,200 for this article, by the way—in the best taco scene in the country.

 

 

The map of the top 10 locations

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Here's the top 10 and the write up for #1

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Good article and list, I now have a ton of new places to try!

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Shaddie

Shaddie 1651

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So I was intrigued by Trompo statement (al pastor) is favorite. 

So skimmed the tacos and the description of lots of them seemed too "foody" for me. 

Anyway our fave is a small chain in North East Dallas burbs. 

Taqueria & Tamaleria Nuevo Leon. Now Richardson location is mostly tamales. Awesome tamales. 

Other locations have trompos. We order Trompo tacos and ask them to add some grilled pineapple with tacos. House sauce is blazing for the wife. Just hot for me. Little serving of pintos with meal. Churros come with a vanilla filling with chocolate sauce. Good and cheap. 

Pozole and menudo on weekends. Gorditos and tortas with all filling. 

Edited by Shaddie
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LCHorn

LCHorn 2612

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43 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

Yeah seems a little "foody" to me. In my white bread world taco means cheap and simple. 

At least in Austin, it‘s hard to get more “foody” than a $10 taco at Nixta*
 

*what’s worse is they don’t innovate-the menu is mostly the same as five years ago, just more expensive.  

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Deej

Deej 76748

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17 minutes ago, stc said:

you can tell the austin list is bullshit because it doesn't include a single entry from the north lamar taco mile. 

I'm sure the reviewers were too scared to hit my neighborhood. Plus, you can't really experience it properly until about 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights. 

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HenryJames

HenryJames 66031

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1 hour ago, Deej said:

I'm sure the reviewers were too scared to hit my neighborhood. Plus, you can't really experience it properly until about 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Yes, the Hispanic dude who has been all over the state lacks the courage to visit north Lamar.

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Deej

Deej 76748

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2 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

Yes, the Hispanic dude who has been all over the state lacks the courage to visit north Lamar.

If he's smart. I know several Hispanics who don't want to venture up here. It's gotten worse with the open air drug markets and homeless camps multiplying. 

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Texzilla58

Texzilla58 4731

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I thought the list a bit foodie to me.  It’s easy to make great tacos with prime beef and fancy stuff.  I enjoy Revolver.  But to me Fuel City on a long ago list defined a Texas taco monument:  family hardscrabble operation in an odd location making fantastic tacos out of simple homemade tortillas and crafted simple cheap ingredients and perfect seasonings.  Haven’t been there in forever as I don’t work in Dallas anymore but I would take vendors there instead of Nick and Sam’s and they’d go nuts over it.  8 tacos, a tall boy beer, done.  
 

I use them as an example as there are a jillion of similar ones out there.  Some are ethereal some are shit 

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DFWTexEx

DFWTexEx 276

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I thought the list a bit foodie to me.  It’s easy to make great tacos with prime beef and fancy stuff.  I enjoy Revolver.  But to me Fuel City on a long ago list defined a Texas taco monument:  family hardscrabble operation in an odd location making fantastic tacos out of simple homemade tortillas and crafted simple cheap ingredients and perfect seasonings.  Haven’t been there in forever as I don’t work in Dallas anymore but I would take vendors there instead of Nick and Sam’s and they’d go nuts over it.  8 tacos, a tall boy beer, done.  
 
I use them as an example as there are a jillion of similar ones out there.  Some are ethereal some are shit 

Fuel city was so great. But it has evolved into a greasy, generic mess. No longer worth the stop.

Revolver is totally legit. Check him out on Taco Chronicles. As good as the tacos are, the tasting menu he does in the back with his mom making making tortillas and his cousins serving is extraordinary - as in 2 of the best meals I have had in Dallas. I hope he gets a star.

Mascaras is walking distance from my house in Oak Cliff but I have not been. From all accounts, it’s good and people like the different variety of taco styles for comparison.

Mexican-American from the Valley living in Dallas, here so I know tacos.
I thought the list a bit foodie to me.  It’s easy to make great tacos with prime beef and fancy stuff.  I enjoy Revolver.  But to me Fuel City on a long ago list defined a Texas taco monument:  family hardscrabble operation in an odd location making fantastic tacos out of simple homemade tortillas and crafted simple cheap ingredients and perfect seasonings.  Haven’t been there in forever as I don’t work in Dallas anymore but I would take vendors there instead of Nick and Sam’s and they’d go nuts over it.  8 tacos, a tall boy beer, done.  
 
I use them as an example as there are a jillion of similar ones out there.  Some are ethereal some are shit 

Fuel city was so great. But it has evolved into a greasy, generic mess. No longer worth the stop.

Revolver is totally legit. Check him out on Taco Chronicles. As good as the tacos are, the tasting menu he does in the back with his mom making making tortillas and his cousins serving is extraordinary - as in 2 of the best meals I have had in Dallas. I hope he gets a star.

Mascaras is walking distance from my house in Oak Cliff but I have not been. From all accounts, it’s good and people like the different variety of taco styles for comparison.

Mexican-American from the Valley living in Dallas, here so I know tacos.
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DFWTexEx

DFWTexEx 276

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Posted
I thought the list a bit foodie to me.  It’s easy to make great tacos with prime beef and fancy stuff.  I enjoy Revolver.  But to me Fuel City on a long ago list defined a Texas taco monument:  family hardscrabble operation in an odd location making fantastic tacos out of simple homemade tortillas and crafted simple cheap ingredients and perfect seasonings.  Haven’t been there in forever as I don’t work in Dallas anymore but I would take vendors there instead of Nick and Sam’s and they’d go nuts over it.  8 tacos, a tall boy beer, done.  
 
I use them as an example as there are a jillion of similar ones out there.  Some are ethereal some are shit 

Fuel city was so great. But it has evolved into a greasy, generic mess. No longer worth the stop.

Revolver is totally legit. Check him out on Taco Chronicles. As good as the tacos are, the tasting menu he does in the back with his mom making making tortillas and his cousins serving is extraordinary - as in 2 of the best meals I have had in Dallas. I hope he gets a star.

Mascaras is walking distance from my house in Oak Cliff but I have not been. From all accounts, it’s good and people like the different variety of taco styles for comparison.

Mexican-American from the Valley living in Dallas, here so I know tacos.
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Trey3216

Trey3216 15343

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8 minutes ago, DFWTexEx said:


Fuel city was so great. But it has evolved into a greasy, generic mess. No longer worth the stop.

Revolver is totally legit. Check him out on Taco Chronicles. As good as the tacos are, the tasting menu he does in the back with his mom making making tortillas and his cousins serving is extraordinary - as in 2 of the best meals I have had in Dallas. I hope he gets a star.

Mascaras is walking distance from my house in Oak Cliff but I have not been. From all accounts, it’s good and people like the different variety of taco styles for comparison.

Mexican-American from the Valley living in Dallas, here so I know tacos.

You can say that again...again....again.   

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hobbes2702

hobbes2702 13028

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3 hours ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I had to look up Stixs & Stone in SA. They serve Asian-fusion tacos. In fucking Leon Valley. I'm sure they are delicious, but come the fuck on. They still have some great SA places on the list (Garcias, Donut Shop, etc.) but that's a fucking joke.

This list shouldn’t include tacos north of San Antonio. I would argue it maybe shouldn’t include tacos north of the valley. 

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C-Man

C-Man 27182

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Grew up in SA but have been in Dallas for 25 years now. Give me SA Tex-Mex any day of the week and twice on Sunday but Dallas has always had a robust taco scene that easily rivaled SA's IMO.

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Trey3216

Trey3216 15343

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2 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

This list shouldn’t include tacos north of San Antonio. I would argue it maybe shouldn’t include tacos north of the valley. 

I've had a lot of really damn good tacos a long way north of San Antonio.   I'd expect this comment out of Hloby.  C'mon man.  

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Hermanator

Hermanator 7031

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9 hours ago, stc said:

you can tell the austin list is bullshit because it doesn't include a single entry from the north lamar taco mile. 

From the taco stand/truck on Lamar and Braker. It's my go to stop when I'm driving through Austin at night for work

 

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DFWTexEx

DFWTexEx 276

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I didn't look at the list. Is Taqueria Si Hay in Dallas on there? If not it should be. 
Tipicos on Northwest Highway makes great tacos Al carbon

Nope. That’s my neighborhood. El Si Hay is nostalgic and fun and the elotes man is the best if you are willing to stand in line. The tacos are definitely good but are nothing special. Just because they are greasy doesn’t make them worthy of this list. Trompo (RIP) was way better.
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ztejas

ztejas 43411

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9 hours ago, DFWTexEx said:


Nope. That’s my neighborhood. El Si Hay is nostalgic and fun and the elotes man is the best if you are willing to stand in line. The tacos are definitely good but are nothing special. Just because they are greasy doesn’t make them worthy of this list. Trompo (RIP) was way better.

Tacos la banqueta was the best spot I ever went in Dallas.

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billfromlaketravis

billfromlaketravis 11444

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On 10/23/2024 at 4:26 PM, utee94 said:

San Antonio bros gatekeeping tacos not going away.

The Valley guys would like a word. 
 

I’ll agree, the farther you get from the border, the more they have to substitute authentic ingredients for generic shit from Sysco and Ben E. Keith. 

In my opinion, the best tacos are very, very cheap. This started as poor people food and it’s morphed into some culinary school cuteness bullshit. 

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