James Beard Award-winning taco writer shares his 3 favorite tacos in Texas
Gee, I wonder if they’d each be willing to consider setting up a branch in a strip center on the SW side of Houston?
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I love tacos. Even home made or fast food or cafeteria tacos are good, but taco greatness has truly exploded in the last few years. Birria, carnitas, guisado, pastor, barbacoa, and on and on. It is wonderful to enjoy the ever emerging, albeit subtly, art of the tortilla. Great taco trucks proliferate so quickly I could start the “great sampling” and possibly never see its end. I am also thrilled to see cities embracing each others’ styles. The other night I had a superb puffy taco that could have easily been in SA but was in ATX. Let me us know when the big three open their place in Houston.
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I am putting Cuantos in Austin, specifically the suadero, at the top of my list. Everything else there is near the very top of my list. They are in a small food court with lovely trees and hilarious grackles on twelfth, just a couple of blocks east of I-35. Plenty of parking is available. I also grabbed a fresa soda at the juice truck, an excellent accompaniment. BTW the answer to the question (cuantos) is al menos cinco (at least five). They are small but only $2.75. They deserve their Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.
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[quote=“Vecchiouomo, post:2, topic:44665”]
“I could start the “great sampling” and possibly never see its end” - I could use that phrase to refer to my entire foodie ‘career.’ I’m stealing it to use if I ever need it.
The best tacos were always to be found at taco trucks but I haven’t been active for more than eight years and there aren’t many mobile vendors in my part of town. I don’t get out much, anyway. I wonder how many of the best from 15 years ago are still around. Or what has replaced them?
My orientation as a foodie was always more toward trying new things constantly rather than trying to find the very best. I turned to usenet groups, B4-u-eat.com (eradicated by the arrival of Yelp) and early Chowhound to identify/be told by others the best. That was way before ‘influencers’ (didn’t we used to call them trolls?), too.
I guess I’m hijacking my own thread so I’ll stop.
Always appreciate your posts on the Austin foodie scene.
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Was just in Austin and tried some of the highly rated spots. I enjoyed discada, not so much Cuantos. The winner for me and the one that tasted more like Mexico City was Paprika ATX on N Lamar. The suadero, carnitas and al pastor were all stellar.
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Ok…burp…onward to Discada and ATX. Oddly enough, I think my favorite carnitas tacos are still Angie’s. If she would replace the yellow cheese with crumbly Mexican cheese, they would be even better.
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The yellow cheese can be a problem. Some do it better than others but most the ones I like are in San Antonio. SA also has better “interior Mexican” than Austin. Check out La Generala in SA.
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Forgot to mention Yellow Bell tacos, a food truck by the interstellar bbq guy operates next to a brewery up in Round Rock. Pulled lamb tacos and an al pastor quesadilla were quite good.
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