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Austin wraps up 8 entries on Texas Monthly's top 50 tacos list
Football may be the state's obsession, but arguing about food is a close second. When an authoritative list like Texas Monthly's 50 Best Tacos in Texas is released, plenty of armchair quarterbacks argue over what taco editor José Ralat got right — and wrong.
Although Ralat has served in his post since 2019, the October 21 rankings were his first definitive overview of Texas' best tacos. The editor traveled 14,000 miles, tasting tacos from Amarillo to Brownsville. Austin had a strong showing, including one taco in the coveted top 10.
Nixta Taqueria secured the No. 10 slot with the enchilada potosina taco, which features tortillas flavored with guajillo chile paste, topped with duck-fat refried beans, potato, chorizo, cabbage, and chile-rubbed cheese. The write-up focuses largely on where the ingredients come from, and dubs the menu "New Tejano."
In all, Austin secured eight of the slots on the introductory survey. Though tradition factored into Ralat's reasoning, he also considered unconventional tacos, assessing the overall taste and the tortilla. Besides Nixta's chile-forward effort, the local winners showcased both simple-but-perfect classics and free-spirited twists.
- Con Todo: Bistec estilo Matamoros
- Cuantos Tacos: Suadero
- Discada: Discada
- El Paso Flauta: The Number Two
- Ramen del Barrio: Lengua Yaki-Taco
- Suerte: ChocoTaco
- Yellow Bell Tacos: Lamb
Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio boasted 10 entries on the list, led by No. 8 contender Stixs & Stone. Houston and Dallas rang in with five entries each: Azteca Taco House repped Houston at No. 3, followed by Dallas' Revolver Taco Lounge at No. 4. The top spot, however, went to Ana Liz Taqueria in Mission. Led by Ana Liz Pulido, the winner of the James Beard Awards' Best Chef: Texas nod for 2024, the taqueria scored high marks for its deconstructed chile relleno taco.
The full list is available at texasmonthly.com.