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A flat tortilla topped with beat, greens, and onions.
The barbacoa taco at La Santa Barbacha.
La Santa Barbacha

30 Must-Eat Tacos in Austin

The most wonderful tortillas filled with migas, fajitas, barbacoa, lengua, and mushrooms

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The barbacoa taco at La Santa Barbacha.
| La Santa Barbacha

Tacos are amazing and versatile; it’s ideal for an early morning quick start, a late-night indulgence, and great car food. While yes, most taco establishments and trucks serve up great tacos, Eater is highlighting Austin’s best tacos through this guide. This means steadfast options from Veracruz All Natural and Cuantos Tacos, barbecue takes from Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, unparalleled tortilla de maiz at gas station surprise Ñoños, quality options from Nixta Taqueria, and vegan greats from Vegan Nom.

Ever in pursuit of taco perfection, for the purposes of this map, Eater skipped taco chains (meaning Torchy’s Tacos and Tacodeli) in favor of places that are doing interesting things with Austin’s favorite foodstuff (albeit with fewer presidential visits).

For other taco needs, scope out Austin’s best breakfast tacos and birria tacos. There’s also a map for the best burritos if that’s a thing you’re into.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Con Todo

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The Eater Award-winning North Austin truck focuses on comida frontera stemming from owner Joseph Gomez’s Rio Grande Valley background. This means daytime and nighttime tacos con todo (cilantro, onions, salsa) with barbacoa, bistec, alambre, and calabaza asada. Orders can be placed in person, there is outdoor and indoor seating available at host site Celis Brewery.

Tacos Y Tortas El Chilango

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The North Lamar red taco truck strung with holiday lights slings affordable tacos in the evenings until the wee hours. The fresh corn tortillas, spicy green sauce, and bistek with sautéed onions and a squeeze of lime are the star of this show. It’s cash-only, and there are outdoor tables.

Carnitas el Guero

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Carnitas are definitely the move at the North Austin Michoacan-style restaurant with multiple locations. Opt for the orden personal, which comes with more than enough food for a single person from the morning to late night hours. There’s a pile of that juicy carnitas, plus tortillas, tacotes, and a doradita. There is indoor dining available.

A pile of pork meat, a circular tortilla, and a crispy taco.
Carnitas, a tacote, and a doradita from Carnitas el Guero
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Ñoños Tacos

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The gas station-adjacent taco spot in Georgian Acres belies the fantastic tacos inside. The meat is tender, the spices are spot-on, and the daily fresh tortillas are the best in the city, available from the mornings into the evenings. The restaurant is open with indoor and outdoor dine-in service; takeout orders can be placed online.

Paprika ATX

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This Highland truck serves up some of the best tacos in the city for lunch and dinner. The meaty tacos are all excellent, particularly the suadero, but the meatless tangy nopalitos are also just as good. Keep an eye on its Instagram page for specials, such as the shrimp. Orders are placed in person, and there is outdoor seating available.

Three tacos overloaded with meats and vegetables, with a small pile of quartered limes and plastic condiment containers with salsas.
Tacos from Paprika.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Mi Trailita Y Mas

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While the food truck is closed, the brilliant breakfast and lunch menu is still found at its Windsor Park restaurant. There are stellar fillings, especially the migas, and barbacoa. Place takeout orders in person or online; there are indoor dine-in areas.

Vaquero Taquero

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The North Campus taco restaurant dishes up South Texas-style tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the al pastor is really spectacular, as is the nopales. There’s a downtown location too. Orders can be placed in person or online for takeout and deliveries; both feature dine-in service with indoor and outdoor areas.

Nixta Taqueria

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New-school ingredients with old-school approaches, the East Austin taqueria is serving tacos, tostadas, and paletas. The duck carnitas is a thing of wonder, the enchilada potosina is a hearty taco with a potato/chorizo puree and duck-fat refried beans, and don’t overlook the thoughtful seasonal vegetable offerings. It’s open for lunch and dinner, plus breakfast on Sunday. The restaurant is open for indoor and patio dine-in services, and takeout/curbside pickup orders can be placed online.

A blue tortilla topped with cauliflower and cilantro.
The cauliflower taco at Nixta.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Cuantos Tacos

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The Central East Austin taco truck has become one of the city’s very best taco trucks, focused on Mexico City-style tacos from daytime into nighttime. The suadero and cachete are wonderful, and the meat mixtures (campechana, revuelta, or the champi-longi) are excellent too. Look out for specials, such as the estilo matamoros with bistec, or the tripas. Orders can be placed in person or online for pickups, outdoor dine-in service, and there are deliveries.

Ensenada ATX

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For Ensenada-style tacos, head to the Central East Austin food truck. The fried fish tacos are piled with cabbage, pico de gallo, and a mayonnaise-based sauce on a corn tortilla. Place pickup orders in person. There are outdoor dine-in tables.

Discada

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Discada refers to the northern Mexican style of cooking meat and vegetables using a kind of “cowboy wok.” Meat and vegetables are layered in and cooked in the juice from the previous layer. This taco truck serves only this type of taco, alongside elotes. The tiny lunchtime and dinnertime tacos are served simply with salsa and lime. Orders are placed online or in person and there is outdoor seating available.

Since the taco truck opened in 2018, it quickly grew to a total of three locations throughout downtown for a good reason. The meats are juicy (the brisket with smoked chile morita and black sesame is a favorite) and the vegetables are delightful (the cauliflower is wonderful). Of the three locations attached to bars, the original truck parked in the back of East Seventh Street mezcal bar Las Perlas makes for a good combination. Hours vary but typically include lunch and dinner services. Orders can be placed online or in person, all locations offer indoor and outdoor seating.

Two tacos with meat and sauce.
Tacos from Asador.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

La Santa Barbacha

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It’s all about barbacoa at the East Austin food truck parked at the Native for the daytime and evenings. You can’t go wrong with the simple barbacoa taco, but the Benito taco with pinto beans, barbacoa, chicharrones, an avocado slice, and queso fresco crumbles is also great. Pickup orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas at the host site.

Veracruz All Natural

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As Austin knows, Veracruz can do no wrong. Homemade tortillas and organic aguas frescas along with the migas, fish, and vegetable tacos inspire loyal devotion. Every location — trucks and restaurants — are typically jam-packed each week for good, delicious reasons. The Webberville location is fun and festive, and the Menchaca Road truck at host site Radio Coffee makes for a good taco/coffee trip. All locations are open for breakfast and lunch, and there are dinner hours at the Line Hotel and Radio Coffee. All locations offer online ordering, and there is in-person ordering, plus all locations feature on-site services with indoor and outdoor areas.

A metal tray with three tacos.
Tacos from Veracruz All Natural.
Veracruz All Natural/Facebook

The suadero tacos at the upscale Mexican restaurant in East Austin are pure magic, available for dinner and weekend brunch. Reservations are available, with room for walk-ins, and there’s both indoor and outdoor seating.

A hand holding up a taco with meat and green sauce.
A suadero taco from Suerte.
Suerte

Las Trancas

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For the money and the flavor, this East Austin truck is tough to beat. The daytime and late-night street tacos are tiny bundles of delight with a sheen of grease and thinly shaved spiced meats. The menu’s got the standards, but fans of offal will be pleased to find tripas and lengua. Orders can be placed in person and there are outdoor tables too.

Three tacos with meat on aluminum foil.
Tacos from Las Trancas.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Taco Joint

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The East Riverside Mexican restaurant is highly underrated despite making ridiculously superb breakfast and lunch tacos. A pro-move would be ordering the barbacoa and adding diced potatoes and refried beans. You won’t regret it. Pickup orders can be placed online or in person;, both locations are open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Two tacos on a pink and white plate.
Tacos from Taco Joint.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

The Vegan Nom

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Some of the city’s best vegan tacos can be found at this Holly truck for breakfast/lunch/dinner. The breakfast tacos use fluffy scrambled tofu, and the “fish” taco is deceitfully great. Takeout orders can be placed in person or over the phone, and there are third-party deliveries through Favor. The outdoor tables are available for dine-in services.

El Primo

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Grab a cup of coffee at Bouldin Creek coffee shop Once Over, and then indulge in a steaming bean and cheese breakfast taco from the small taco cart parked out front. People are passionate about El Primo’s beans in a way that’s just on this side of obsession. The migas stuffed with ham is another good bet, as is the barbacoa. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. Online orders can be made in advance, in-person orders are cash-only, and there are two outdoor tables.

Two tacos in individual cardboard trays, one with eggs and avocado, the other with brown meat and slices green leaves.
Tacos from El Primo.
Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Papalote Taco House

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All locations of Papalote serve up a nice array of tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from pollo a la parilla to turkey mole to vegetable-stacked rajas y hongas with bonus zucchini and cabbage to customizable egg tacos for the morning. Orders can be placed online or over the phone, and there are dine-in services.

Rosita's Al Pastor

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The Riverside original had to relocate its truck while also opening a new physical restaurant due to developments, but it still keeps its place of pride among the top pastor purveyors in the city during the daytime and late-night hours. Bright red-orange meat carved off a spit and freshly pressed fluffy flour tortillas are just the start. Orders can be placed in person at either the restaurant or the truck, and there are outdoor and indoor dining areas.

El Tacorrido

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Drive-thru tacos are a dream come true with all locations of El Tacorrido. There are breakfast tacos and meaty tacos (the carne guisada and the revuelta are great), but really the star of the menu is the mushroom taco. Orders can be placed in person, and it’s open from the mornings to the late evenings.

Flavia’s Kitchen

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Amazing corn tortillas and tacos can be found at the red Bouldin Creek truck open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The aporreado is the best of both breakfast taco and lunch taco worlds, consisting of a lovely mixture of chopped beef, eggs, and salsa. Orders can be placed in person, and there are outdoor tables available.

Three tacos with fillings on a blue-gray plate.
Tacos from Flavia’s.
Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Trippy Tacos

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This is just the kind of place that screams “Austin” (the logo is an anthropomorphic taco holding a tiny taco). But are the tacos good? Yes. The spicy shrimp, campechano, and Americano tacos are fan favorites. The namesake taco comes with bacon-wrapped fried chicken and mango. It’s open for breakfast and lunch. Orders can be placed online and there are tables.

A red food basket with three tacos.
Tacos from Trippy Tacos.
Trippy Tacos/Facebook

El Super Taco

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The tacos from the East Riverside truck in a former car wash are, well, really super, available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night cravings. The deshebrado and barbacoa are great choices. It now accepts cards along with cash, and there are outdoor tables.

Palo Seco 512

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The East Riverside truck changed its name from La Tunita to Palo Seco, but still serves its really excellent birria tacos, available with cheese and/or consomme, for lunch and early dinner. Orders can be placed online or in person. The outdoor table is available for on-site dining.

Pueblo Viejo

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The popular Austin taco truck now has a whopping six locations across the city. The best of these is the truck parked at South Austin cafe and bar Cosmic Coffee + Beer, where you can get coffee, beer, wine, cocktails, fire pits, and also Pueblo Viejo tacos? Street tacos and gorditas are represented, but there are delicious options for vegetarians. There are usually breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours. Most locations offer online ordering, otherwise place orders in person; all locations offer some sort of on-site dining.

La Flor

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Corn tortillas are the move at this West Congress gas station taco truck, especially with its chicken fajitas, for breakfast and lunch. Place orders in person and there are outdoor tables.

Taqueria Morales

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Handmade tortillas, y’all. There is nothing like ‘em, and the South Austin truck makes some of the best in town for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is pretty simple — tacos, sopes, tortas, quesadillas, and a hamburger for good measure. The barbacoa is immensely popular as is the cheesy “gringa” taco. Orders can be placed in person and there are tables.

A blue-gray plate with four tacos.
Tacos from Taqueria Morales.
Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ

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Barbecue marries Tex-Mex at this taco spot in far south Austin. Look for people lined up outside the trailer, clamoring for a taste of the smoked carnitas, pulled pollo, and smoked brisket tacos. There’s a dedicated breakfast hour, and then there are lunch and dinner services. The truck accepts in-person orders and there are plenty of outdoor tables.

A tray of six tacos, each filled with a slice of bacon, brisket, and fried eggs.
Breakfast tacos from Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
Nick Solares/Eater

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Con Todo

The Eater Award-winning North Austin truck focuses on comida frontera stemming from owner Joseph Gomez’s Rio Grande Valley background. This means daytime and nighttime tacos con todo (cilantro, onions, salsa) with barbacoa, bistec, alambre, and calabaza asada. Orders can be placed in person, there is outdoor and indoor seating available at host site Celis Brewery.

Tacos Y Tortas El Chilango

The North Lamar red taco truck strung with holiday lights slings affordable tacos in the evenings until the wee hours. The fresh corn tortillas, spicy green sauce, and bistek with sautéed onions and a squeeze of lime are the star of this show. It’s cash-only, and there are outdoor tables.

Carnitas el Guero

Carnitas are definitely the move at the North Austin Michoacan-style restaurant with multiple locations. Opt for the orden personal, which comes with more than enough food for a single person from the morning to late night hours. There’s a pile of that juicy carnitas, plus tortillas, tacotes, and a doradita. There is indoor dining available.

A pile of pork meat, a circular tortilla, and a crispy taco.
Carnitas, a tacote, and a doradita from Carnitas el Guero
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Ñoños Tacos

The gas station-adjacent taco spot in Georgian Acres belies the fantastic tacos inside. The meat is tender, the spices are spot-on, and the daily fresh tortillas are the best in the city, available from the mornings into the evenings. The restaurant is open with indoor and outdoor dine-in service; takeout orders can be placed online.

Paprika ATX

This Highland truck serves up some of the best tacos in the city for lunch and dinner. The meaty tacos are all excellent, particularly the suadero, but the meatless tangy nopalitos are also just as good. Keep an eye on its Instagram page for specials, such as the shrimp. Orders are placed in person, and there is outdoor seating available.

Three tacos overloaded with meats and vegetables, with a small pile of quartered limes and plastic condiment containers with salsas.
Tacos from Paprika.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Mi Trailita Y Mas

While the food truck is closed, the brilliant breakfast and lunch menu is still found at its Windsor Park restaurant. There are stellar fillings, especially the migas, and barbacoa. Place takeout orders in person or online; there are indoor dine-in areas.

Vaquero Taquero

The North Campus taco restaurant dishes up South Texas-style tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the al pastor is really spectacular, as is the nopales. There’s a downtown location too. Orders can be placed in person or online for takeout and deliveries; both feature dine-in service with indoor and outdoor areas.

Nixta Taqueria

New-school ingredients with old-school approaches, the East Austin taqueria is serving tacos, tostadas, and paletas. The duck carnitas is a thing of wonder, the enchilada potosina is a hearty taco with a potato/chorizo puree and duck-fat refried beans, and don’t overlook the thoughtful seasonal vegetable offerings. It’s open for lunch and dinner, plus breakfast on Sunday. The restaurant is open for indoor and patio dine-in services, and takeout/curbside pickup orders can be placed online.

A blue tortilla topped with cauliflower and cilantro.
The cauliflower taco at Nixta.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Cuantos Tacos

The Central East Austin taco truck has become one of the city’s very best taco trucks, focused on Mexico City-style tacos from daytime into nighttime. The suadero and cachete are wonderful, and the meat mixtures (campechana, revuelta, or the champi-longi) are excellent too. Look out for specials, such as the estilo matamoros with bistec, or the tripas. Orders can be placed in person or online for pickups, outdoor dine-in service, and there are deliveries.

Ensenada ATX

For Ensenada-style tacos, head to the Central East Austin food truck. The fried fish tacos are piled with cabbage, pico de gallo, and a mayonnaise-based sauce on a corn tortilla. Place pickup orders in person. There are outdoor dine-in tables.

Discada

Discada refers to the northern Mexican style of cooking meat and vegetables using a kind of “cowboy wok.” Meat and vegetables are layered in and cooked in the juice from the previous layer. This taco truck serves only this type of taco, alongside elotes. The tiny lunchtime and dinnertime tacos are served simply with salsa and lime. Orders are placed online or in person and there is outdoor seating available.

Asador

Since the taco truck opened in 2018, it quickly grew to a total of three locations throughout downtown for a good reason. The meats are juicy (the brisket with smoked chile morita and black sesame is a favorite) and the vegetables are delightful (the cauliflower is wonderful). Of the three locations attached to bars, the original truck parked in the back of East Seventh Street mezcal bar Las Perlas makes for a good combination. Hours vary but typically include lunch and dinner services. Orders can be placed online or in person, all locations offer indoor and outdoor seating.

Two tacos with meat and sauce.
Tacos from Asador.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

La Santa Barbacha

It’s all about barbacoa at the East Austin food truck parked at the Native for the daytime and evenings. You can’t go wrong with the simple barbacoa taco, but the Benito taco with pinto beans, barbacoa, chicharrones, an avocado slice, and queso fresco crumbles is also great. Pickup orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas at the host site.

Veracruz All Natural

As Austin knows, Veracruz can do no wrong. Homemade tortillas and organic aguas frescas along with the migas, fish, and vegetable tacos inspire loyal devotion. Every location — trucks and restaurants — are typically jam-packed each week for good, delicious reasons. The Webberville location is fun and festive, and the Menchaca Road truck at host site Radio Coffee makes for a good taco/coffee trip. All locations are open for breakfast and lunch, and there are dinner hours at the Line Hotel and Radio Coffee. All locations offer online ordering, and there is in-person ordering, plus all locations feature on-site services with indoor and outdoor areas.

A metal tray with three tacos.
Tacos from Veracruz All Natural.
Veracruz All Natural/Facebook

Suerte

The suadero tacos at the upscale Mexican restaurant in East Austin are pure magic, available for dinner and weekend brunch. Reservations are available, with room for walk-ins, and there’s both indoor and outdoor seating.

A hand holding up a taco with meat and green sauce.
A suadero taco from Suerte.
Suerte

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Las Trancas

For the money and the flavor, this East Austin truck is tough to beat. The daytime and late-night street tacos are tiny bundles of delight with a sheen of grease and thinly shaved spiced meats. The menu’s got the standards, but fans of offal will be pleased to find tripas and lengua. Orders can be placed in person and there are outdoor tables too.

Three tacos with meat on aluminum foil.
Tacos from Las Trancas.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

Taco Joint

The East Riverside Mexican restaurant is highly underrated despite making ridiculously superb breakfast and lunch tacos. A pro-move would be ordering the barbacoa and adding diced potatoes and refried beans. You won’t regret it. Pickup orders can be placed online or in person;, both locations are open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Two tacos on a pink and white plate.
Tacos from Taco Joint.
Nadia Chaudhury/Eater Austin

The Vegan Nom

Some of the city’s best vegan tacos can be found at this Holly truck for breakfast/lunch/dinner. The breakfast tacos use fluffy scrambled tofu, and the “fish” taco is deceitfully great. Takeout orders can be placed in person or over the phone, and there are third-party deliveries through Favor. The outdoor tables are available for dine-in services.

El Primo

Grab a cup of coffee at Bouldin Creek coffee shop Once Over, and then indulge in a steaming bean and cheese breakfast taco from the small taco cart parked out front. People are passionate about El Primo’s beans in a way that’s just on this side of obsession. The migas stuffed with ham is another good bet, as is the barbacoa. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and early dinner. Online orders can be made in advance, in-person orders are cash-only, and there are two outdoor tables.

Two tacos in individual cardboard trays, one with eggs and avocado, the other with brown meat and slices green leaves.
Tacos from El Primo.
Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Papalote Taco House

All locations of Papalote serve up a nice array of tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from pollo a la parilla to turkey mole to vegetable-stacked rajas y hongas with bonus zucchini and cabbage to customizable egg tacos for the morning. Orders can be placed online or over the phone, and there are dine-in services.

Rosita's Al Pastor

The Riverside original had to relocate its truck while also opening a new physical restaurant due to developments, but it still keeps its place of pride among the top pastor purveyors in the city during the daytime and late-night hours. Bright red-orange meat carved off a spit and freshly pressed fluffy flour tortillas are just the start. Orders can be placed in person at either the restaurant or the truck, and there are outdoor and indoor dining areas.

El Tacorrido

Drive-thru tacos are a dream come true with all locations of El Tacorrido. There are breakfast tacos and meaty tacos (the carne guisada and the revuelta are great), but really the star of the menu is the mushroom taco. Orders can be placed in person, and it’s open from the mornings to the late evenings.

Flavia’s Kitchen

Amazing corn tortillas and tacos can be found at the red Bouldin Creek truck open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The aporreado is the best of both breakfast taco and lunch taco worlds, consisting of a lovely mixture of chopped beef, eggs, and salsa. Orders can be placed in person, and there are outdoor tables available.

Three tacos with fillings on a blue-gray plate.
Tacos from Flavia’s.
Nadia Chaudhury/EATX

Trippy Tacos

This is just the kind of place that screams “Austin” (the logo is an anthropomorphic taco holding a tiny taco). But are the tacos good? Yes. The spicy shrimp, campechano, and Americano tacos are fan favorites. The namesake taco comes with bacon-wrapped fried chicken and mango. It’s open for breakfast and lunch. Orders can be placed online and there are tables.

A red food basket with three tacos.
Tacos from Trippy Tacos.
Trippy Tacos/Facebook

El Super Taco

The tacos from the East Riverside truck in a former car wash are, well, really super, available for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night cravings. The deshebrado and barbacoa are great choices. It now accepts cards along with cash, and there are outdoor tables.

Palo Seco 512

The East Riverside truck changed its name from La Tunita to Palo Seco, but still serves its really excellent birria tacos, available with cheese and/or consomme, for lunch and early dinner. Orders can be placed online or in person. The outdoor table is available for on-site dining.

Pueblo Viejo

The popular Austin taco truck now has a whopping six locations across the city. The best of these is the truck parked at South Austin cafe and bar Cosmic Coffee + Beer, where you can get coffee, beer, wine, cocktails, fire pits, and also Pueblo Viejo tacos? Street tacos and gorditas are represented, but there are delicious options for vegetarians. There are usually breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours. Most locations offer online ordering, otherwise place orders in person; all locations offer some sort of on-site dining.

La Flor

Corn tortillas are the move at this West Congress gas station taco truck, especially with its chicken fajitas, for breakfast and lunch. Place orders in person and there are outdoor tables.

Taqueria Morales

Handmade tortillas, y’all. There is nothing like ‘em, and the South Austin truck makes some of the best in town for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu is pretty simple — tacos, sopes, tortas, quesadillas, and a hamburger for good measure. The barbacoa is immensely popular as is the cheesy “gringa” taco. Orders can be placed in person and there are tables.