Carnitas El Güero is a beloved spot in Austin, renowned for its authentic Michoacan-style carnitas. At their Stassney location, they serve a variety of traditional Mexican dishes that promise a taste of culinary heritage. The menu features highlights such as their signature slow-cooked pork carnitas, mushroom quesadillas, chicharrón gorditas, and doraditas—a dish of tortillas filled with carnitas and fried until crisp. They also have locations on Lamar in Austin and Bastrop, San Antonio, Dessau, and Kyle, catering to a broad audience across Central Texas. It’s a must-visit for anyone looking to explore genuine Mexican flavors.
Paprika ATX is a vibrant Mexican food truck located in Austin, Texas, known for its “Comida Rika Y Pikante.” Emphasizing fresh ingredients and simple, comforting dishes, Paprika offers a culinary reminder that the best foods often come from straightforward recipes. The truck operates at 6519 N. Lamar Blvd., open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM, and also appears at the Long Play Lounge St. Johns every Friday evening until sold out.
Vaquero Taquero is a renowned taco spot in Austin, Texas, celebrated for its authentic Mexican street-style tacos. Their signature dish, Taco al Pastor, features flame-seared pork from a trompo, wrapped in a handmade tortilla and topped with roasted pineapple, cilantro, onion, salsa, and avocado crema. Located in a lively area, Vaquero Taquero promises delicious eats and embodies the local culture and community spirit.
Nixta Taqueria in Austin, Texas, is known for its unique approach to traditional Mexican cuisine, emphasizing the use of heirloom corn. The menu showcases innovative dishes that highlight the versatility of maize, and the taqueria also offers the convenience of nationwide shipping through Goldbelly. Nixta’s commitment to quality ingredients and its community engagement, including a community fridge, make it a standout culinary destination.
Discada in Austin, Texas, offers a unique culinary experience with its tacos inspired by the northern Mexican “cowboy-wok” cooking technique. The restaurant infuses traditional discada cooking with flavors and styles from Mexico City, creating distinctive and savory dishes. Located at 1319 Rosewood Avenue, Discada is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 PM to 8 PM. You can explore their offerings and fascinating cooking methods on their website.
This favorite taco joint is celebrated for its authentic Mexican street food, specializing in tacos cooked on an asador, a traditional Mexican grill. This method imparts a unique, smoky flavor to the meats. In addition to their main location, they offer services for events and catering, ensuring that their delicious offerings can be enjoyed at various gatherings.
The city’s original vegan taco truck offers a creative array of vegan tacos, burritos, and Tex-Mex cuisine. It focuses on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and house-made hot sauces and quesos. Beyond great food, it’s dedicated to environmental sustainability. Located at 2324 E Cesar Chavez St, it’s open Tuesday through Sunday, from 9 AM to 11 PM.
Licha’s Cantina in Austin, Texas, serves authentic Mexico City soul food in a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere. Located at 1306 East 6th Street, it offers a range of traditional dishes and innovative cocktails. The kitchen and bar are open seven days a week, with extended hours on the weekends. Licha’s also provides off-premise catering services for various events.
The food truck is a family-owned and operated business that began serving food decades ago and officially opened in October 2022. With a focus on quality, the truck offers several delicious options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all made using fresh ingredients to ensure an exceptional experience for customers. Their signature dish is the “tacos estilo D.F,” which features braised protein options such as asada, al pastor, pollo adobado, tripa, chorizo de res, and lengua, as well as a vegetarian option of hongos al pastor. These street tacos are served on corn tortillas with cilantro, onions, and salsa, accompanied by lime wedges, sliced radishes, grilled onions, and jalapeños.
What started as a 10-seat taco shop in 1990 has turned into a twice-renovated Tex-Mex restaurant loved by East Austinites. Even as early as 1996, The Austin Chronicle voted that Mi Madre’s has the best breakfast tacos in Austin. They haven’t let the fame go to their heads, though, and they’ve kept their tacos priced at less than $5. If you’re starting your day a bit later, don’t worry; they serve breakfast options until 3 p.m. On top of all that, they have so much faith that everyone will love their tacos that they even have a guarantee that if you don’t love your meal—it’s free. Add one of their cafechatas (half cold brew, half house-made horchata) to really start your day right.
Amaya’s Taco Village features authentic and traditional recipes, its ingredients are always fresh, and its menu bursts with flavor. Amaya’s Village Tacos are the main draw at its iconic, circa-1976 mini-chain, turning out straightforward variations such as ribs, fish, chicken, beef, and more. If you want to explore their menu outside of tacos, they also serve delicious fajitas, chalupas, enchiladas, other classic platters, and beer and margaritas.
The El Primo food truck is not touristy; it’s the perfect little gem you need to satiate your taco cravings. They have some of the best breakfast tacos in Austin! Their offerings are filled with simple ingredients that come together in a harmonious display of balance. The tacos have a good amount of cheese, and the sausage is full of character without overpowering. Don’t forget to ask for their hot sauce that’s brimming with smokey and floral notes.
Las Trancas, located on Cesar Chavez, easily produces some of the best tacos in town. They make Mexico City street tacos, the al pastor and carne asada being the most popular. The al pastor taco is served shredded and braised on a pair of homemade corn tortillas with a light sprinkle of cilantro, finely diced raw onion, a dash of tomatillo salsa, and a squeeze of lime—essential in balancing and brightening the weighty beef! This taco stand is worth waiting in line.
From its humble beginnings in the early ‘80s as a street taco cart in a northern Mexican town, El Taquito broke the mold and introduced queso fresco and a slice of avocado in its tacos in 1995 on Riverside Drive. They brought their original street taco recipe to El Taquito to share with taco lovers in Austin. Pair a taco with their mango margarita, which is refreshing, fruity, and topped with chili lime.
Maria Rios Vega and Armando Vazquez, husband and wife team, got an ambulance back in May 2016 and decided to make their food truck dreams a reality. They cleaned and painted the vehicle, rebuilt the inside, and named it after Vega’s mother, Granny. When you stop by, try the chilaquiles taco, which is Granny’s most popular taco. It has delicious shredded chicken, cheese, onions, and a pickled jalapeño mixed with a mole sauce passed down through generations of family recipes. It’s a great bite, and if you love tacos, then you need to try Granny’s.
Rosita’s Al Pastor is a small trailer parked along Riverside Drive in East Austin, and it’s home to some of the best al pastor tacos ever (and tasty breakfast tacos, too). Their tacos al pastor are made with house-made flour tortillas and stuffed with meat carved off a spit grill. There’s also a restaurant run by the same people a few hundred yards away, but Rosita’s Al Pastor food truck is where Austinites like to go for tacos. The permanent food trailer keeps the menu alive into the wee hours and is known for drawing club-going crowds.
Originally a colorful food truck, this family-owned taco spot opened a brick-and-mortar location, and they’ll soon have six different locations where you can grab your favorites! While keeping true to the flavors of their hometown in Mexico, Pueblo Viejo is committed to fresh and quality food. Their kitchens offer a variety of Mexican dishes, including breakfast tacos, street meat tacos, gorditas, popular Mexican dishes, a variety of sauces, bottled drinks, and much more.
Since 1958, Tamale House East has been serving Austin traditional Mexican fare with modern twists. They’re known for their Mom’s Migas and Texas-sized tamales, but they also make some of the best tacos in Austin. Stop in for breakfast tacos or their lunch and chicken tacos and enjoy them with a side of their famous salsa. Try the Dad’s Fajita Taco with grilled steak, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions on a warm flour tortilla.
Veracruz All Natural Food Truck
While they have a few locations that serve up delicious eats, people love the East location for a great taco (though you won’t go wrong at any of them). This family, Latina, and women-run spot makes delicious eats. The Veracruz All Natural Food Truck is a bright blue trailer tucked away on Webberville Road. They consistently turn out handmade tortillas with savory fillings like al pastor, migas, and veggie options. They’re meant to be enjoyed with one of the truck’s all-natural aguas frescas, which is the perfect way to wrap up a delicious meal.
