AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Monthly released its list of the 50 best tacos in the state. In a competitive taco scene, here are the ones that made the cut for top 10 by region.
Rio Grande Valley
Ana Liz Taqueria in Mission, whose owner Ana Liz Pulido received a James Beard Award for Best Restaurant: Texas earlier this year, is continuing to receive high praise as the top spot on the list for its chile relleno taco. The taqueria embraces the traditional nixtamalization process for making its homemade corn tortillas. The winning taco contains a chile poblano filled with cheese and various toppings such as cilantro, onions and salsa.
Austin
Nixta Taqueria in Austin has an enchilada potosina taco inspired by the dish native to the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosí that solidifies the final spot in the top 10 of the list. Chile paste is incorporated into the masa for the tortillas and the refried beans are elevated with duck fat. The taco includes the classic chorizo-potato blend and is topped with shredded cabbage and queso enchilado to finish.
San Antonio
San Antonio’s Stixs & Stone took two things locals love and turned them into one with its Big Red and barbacoa taco flight, landing it at No. 8 on the list. The pink tortillas get their color by being infused with Big Red, and the beef cheek tacos are topped with queso fresco, pecan pesto, strawberry-Big Red jam and pickled watermelon rind.
Dallas
Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas is No. 4 thanks to its pulpo al pastor taco, which features marinated octopus cooked on a vertical spit like the classic al pastor made with pork and pineapple.
Landing at No. 9 is Maskaras Mexican Grill in Dallas. The restaurant’s claim to fame and spot on the ranking are thanks to its tacos ahogados, which is a deep fried carnitas taco bathed in salsa.
East Texas
Texas Monthly’s taco editor Jose Ralat calls El Paso restaurant Elemi the “beating heart” of New Tejano cuisine, a movement Ralat coined that blends nostalgic Mexican dishes with native Texas ingredients. The second restaurant in the top 10 is being recognized for its conejito pibil taco, a take on cochinita pibil that uses rabbit instead of pork and is cooked in achiote and topped with pickled onions.
Taqueria El Tiger made the list at No. 5 for its standout tripa y tembloroso taco, which consists of tripe and chicharron and topped with a salsa morita kimchi, blending Mexico and Korea. The restaurant is located less than 20 miles southeast of El Paso in Socorro, Texas.
Taconeta, also in El Paso, follows El Tiger at No. 6 for its mushroom taco. It features fried and battered cremini mushrooms, black bean puree and salsa macha, a blend of garlic, dried chiles, seeds and nuts fried in oil.
Houston
Azteca Taco House in Houston comes in at No. 3 with its costillas en salsa verde taco, which consists of bone-in pork ribs cooked in salsa verde.
Houston restaurant Papalo Taqueria got a nod for its zanahoria taco, another vegetarian dish that lands it at No. 7. The taco is filled with confit carrots topped with a salsa made from nuts, greens and queso fresco.
Here are the top 10 tacos in order:
- Chile relleno at Ana Liz Taqueria (Mission)
- Conejito pibil at Elemi (El Paso)
- Costillas en salsa verde at Azteca Taco House (Houston)
- Pulpo al pastor at Revolver Taco Lounge (Dallas)
- Tripa y tembloroso at Taqueria El Tiger (Socorro)
- Mushroom at Taconeta (El Paso)
- Zanahoria at Papalo Taqueria (Houston)
- Big Red and barbacoa flight at Stixs & Stone (San Antonio)
- Tacos ahogados at Maskaras Mexican Grill (Dallas)
- Enchilada potosina at Nixta Taqueria (Austin)