Authentic South Texas-Style Tacos Coming to Hyde Park

The vibrant Vaquero Taquero breakfast taco cart parked in downtown Austin at 5th Street and Congress Avenue is expanding later this month. Soon enough, there will be a second larger location with expanded hours at 43rd and Duval, where it will sell authentic al pastor and carne asada, and more.

With the aim of “defending the Mexican cuisine by respecting its culture,” brothers Daniel and Miguel Cobos set out to make the food they grew up eating in the Rio Grande Valley. The pair, armed with knowledgeable backgrounds — Miguel is a McComb's School of Business alumnus, and Daniel worked with Ground Up food trailer and at the Mexic-Arte Museum — opened the diminutive taco cart in spring of 2016. The breakfast taco-centric menu features machaca (shredded beef) and eggs; chorizo and eggs; and plenty of vegetarian options, including one with sautéed portobello mushrooms, steamed spinach, and queso fresco. All tacos feature the cart’s signature homemade flour tortillas made fresh daily each morning.

Rendering: Vaquero Taquero/Official

The duo is rolling out their second location on Monday, February 27, just in time for SXSW. The new outpost will pull double duty with two actual trailers — one trailer dedicated to the trompo (rotisserie skewer) for the tacos al pastor, and another trailer featuring an asador (charcoal grill) for al carbon tacos, meats, and vegetables. “If you eat carne asada and it's done on a griddle, you've been lied too. If you eat al pastor and it's done on a griddle, you've also been lied to,” Miguel explained to Eater. The menu will also include handmade flour and corn tortillas for other South Texas favorites, such as campechanas, gringas, piratas, and more street-style tacos.

During SXSW, find the Vaquero Taquero trailer at Volcom Garden (6th and Attayac streets). It will remain open to the public. After SXSW, it will relocate to its home on the northwest corner of 43rd and Duval streets. Then, its hours will be from Tuesday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The downtown Vaquero Taquero cart will remain open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

In other exciting taco news, Veracruz All Natural is opening up a second brick and mortar and its first within the Austin city limits this spring.

• Vaquero Taquero [Official]
• Vaquero Taquero [Facebook]
• Vaquero Taquero [Instagram]