From Buzzy Food Trucks to Hidden Gems, These Are the Best Breakfast Tacos in Austin

They say that the best bagel in New York City is the bagel closest to you. When it comes to finding the best breakfast tacos in Austin, the same rule applies. We are absolutely spoiled for breakfast tacos in this city. Masa is in abundance, eggs are whisked to perfection, and the potatoes are crisped in bacon fat (if you’re lucky). Not to mention, the SALSAS.

Here, breakfast tacos are a spiritual experience. An assortment of hot, delicious ingredients tucked inside a homemade tortilla, then wrapped tightly in foil and delivered in a brown paper bag—one filled with fresh, mini salsas and napkins and riddled with oil stains. Pair it with a cup of black coffee from one of Austin’s finest cafés and you’ll truly encounter heaven on earth. THIS is breakfast in Texas.

How We Tested the Best Breakfast Tacos

But if you’re pressing us to reveal the BEST tacos? Well, our local Austin team certainly has our favorites. Yet, when it comes to breakfast tacos, there’s always the feeling that a new stand-out is just waiting to be found. And unlike the buzzy (yet delicious) restaurants that call Austin home, you’re less likely to find your newest taco obsession from a hip Instagram page. No, this is an old-school word-of-mouth situation. Tacos belong to their most immediate communities. They’re sacred and yet, ask an Austinite their favorite spot and you’ll experience no gatekeeping. In seconds you’ll know exactly where to go—and likely, what to order.

Which is why we turned to our local readers and posed the simple question: “Best breakfast tacos in Austin?” The responses came swift and steady.

“Taqueria Jessica on Mc Niel. Piping hot every time and the potatoes are *sparkle emoji*”

“Granny’s—super small, fresh, but always delish and fast! Super sweet staff, too.”

“Migas poblanos taco from Veracruz…with their green sauce *green heart emoji*”

Several of you named our old standbys. However, there were some new ones in the mix, as well. For the sake of research, we did our due diligence by picking up an assortment of tacos from new-to-us spots on the East Side, North Austin, and everywhere in between. Our team tasted for four distinct categories: freshness of ingredients, complexity in flavors, chewiness of the tortillas, and that extra “something” that’s hard to define—but just happens to be the very thing that makes a breakfast taco so dang good. If you see them on the list below, they passed our marks with flying colors. And so, without further ado:

The Best Breakfast Tacos in Austin

Image courtesy of Veracruz All Natural

Best Overall: Veracruz

Veracruz stands undefeated when it comes to authentic Mexican food. The homemade corn tortillas are worth a visit in and of themselves. Plus, the menu boasts a deliciously fresh juice and smoothie bar. Over a dozen readers recommended the Migas Taco and we agree—this could be the very best breakfast taco in Texas. If you’re unfamiliar with migas, it’s typically a breakfast dish that combines tortillas, eggs, and vegetables. At Veracruz, the corn chips retain their crunchy texture as they’re mixed in with the freshest veggies, eggs, and cheese. And it’s all wrapped in a hot, sturdy corn tortilla—a generous portion size, to boot.

Reader Recos:

“Migas Taco—the ingredients always taste so fresh!”
“Migas Poblanos Taco and a Good Morning Juice”
“La Reina from Veracruz”
“The salsa is out of this world!”

Best Feel-Good Taco: Picnik

Hold on to your yoga mats, because Picnik is here to prove that breakfast tacos can be delicious and nutritious. Picnik accommodates many diets and lifestyles (paleo and gluten-free folks will rejoice) and the thoughtfully sourced ingredients taste as good as you’ll feel.

Image courtesy of Tanya Sashi

Best All-Day Breakfast Tacos: El Tacorrido

Not every taqueria in Austin serves breakfast tacos all day, so when you need a bacon, egg, and nopales at three o’clock on a Saturday, head to El Tacorrido. Our small team was surprised and delighted to find that three of us named El Tacorrido as a favorite, myself included. I even hired El Tacorrido to cater my wedding rehearsal dinner… that’s how good they are.

Best For When You’re Really Hungry: Joe’s Bakery

Family-owned and serving Austin for over 75 years, this East Austin institution won’t leave you wanting more—until the next morning, that is. Dine in or order out, either way, you’ll be filled to the brim with perfectly overstuffed tacos.

Reader Recos:

“It’s the homemade tortilla for me!”
“Best bacon, egg, and cheese hands down!”
“Migas! They’re big and not overpriced!”

  • Price: $
  • 2305 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702 | 512-472-0017 | website | Instagram

Image courtesy of Joann’s Fine Foods

Best Lazy Sunday Vibes: Joann’s Fine Foods

If your ideal weekend brunch includes people-watching and breakfast tacos, head to Joann’s on South Congress to get your fill. The tacos—and the people—won’t disappoint.

  • Price: $$
  • 1224 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704 | 512-358-6054 | website | Instagram

Best Hidden Gem: Taqueria Jessica

This family-run food truck was recommended by a reader and a happy find for this North Austin girlie. The tacos hit all the right notes during our taste test and I’m already a repeat customer. This was a stand-out in our taste test for the perfectly thin tortillas and fresh, flavorflu ingredients. Side note: they serve authentic birria on the weekends and I hear it’s the place to be.

  • Price: $
  • 7221 McNeil Dr. Austin, TX 78729 | 737-202-4312 | website | Instagram

Best Twist on Tradition: Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon

Fresa’s takes tradition and gives it a cheeky twist. Expect a mix of the usual suspects (eggs, bacon) and modern favorites (baby kale, black bean purée)—all delicious and served daily from 8 to 11 a.m.

Reader Recos:

“So many options! Delicious! Best salsa!”

Image courtesy of Mylk Collective

Best Classically Austin: Taco Deli

For many, Taco Deli is the flavor of Austin. If you grab a taco from a coffee shop or the farmers market, expect it to be from Taco Deli. And with modern classics like the Otto and the Jess Special, it’s no wonder our collective city has stood up to agree: you simply cannot go wrong with Taco Deli.

Reader Recos:

“Papas, egg, and cheese with red salsa!”
“Jess Special and Otto!”
“The Otto.”
“Papas, bean, and cheese on corn. Perfection *star emoji*”
“It’s all about their papas.”
“Freakin’ vegan on a corn tortilla. I’m not even vegan, it’s just delicious!”

Image courtesy of Social By J Stewart

Best Under-The-Radar: Texas Honey Ham

IYKYK. And if you don’t, now you do. Texas Honey Ham boasts some of the most fiercely loyal fans when it comes to breakfast tacos. And with tacos like The Dragon on the menu (sausage, bacon, frijoles, cheese, habanero ranchero sauce) it all begins to make sense.

Reader Recos:

“Any combo. It’s not wildly known because it’s in Westlake!”
“It’s actually legit.”
“Tortillas are so fresh & ingredients (esp the ‘lil queso) are top notch *100 emoji*”

  • Price: $
  • 3736 Bee Cave Rd, Suite 6 Austin, TX, 78746 | 512-330-9888 | website | Instagram

Image courtesy of Taylor Hannan

Best Austin Institution: Cicso’s

Cisco’s claims to be Austin’s oldest Tex-Mex restaurant—a historic landmark that is a delight to see on a street like E 6th, where new establishments arise by the day. Stop by the diner counter then head to the back for a frozen-in-time, 50s dining room experience. (And, not taco related but—treat yourself to an order of biscuits.)

  • Price: $
  • 1511 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 | 512-478-2420 | website | Instagram

Best Family Recipe: Granny’s Taco Truck

Granny’s Tacos—where everything is from scratch and the portions don’t hold back. We noticed a good amount of veggies packed in each taco during our taste test, along with a sweetness to the tortilla that stood out from the crowd. Speaking of crowd, the line will be long but you can now order ahead at the Cesar Chavez location.

Reader Recos:
“Great portion size for price. Migas taco is my fav. Nice people!”

Best Buzzy Food Truck: La Santa Barbacha

If you’re after great breakfast tacos AND aesthetics, you need to head to La Santa. From our taste test, we could tell that the ingredients were high-quality and the meat was superb. Barbacoa is the main star here, so don’t expect the typical bacon, egg, and cheese. Honestly, you won’t miss ’em—these tacos are something to savor.

Final Word

Breakfast tacos will always and forever be the taste of Austin. Whether you hit up all the spots on our list or saddle on over to the nearest taco truck, Austinites know: a morning with breakfast tacos will always surpass a morning without.

Hands-Down, These Are the Best Shrimp Tacos of Your Life

We spent the month of July at our beach house in Malibu, and it was exactly the slow-paced summer I’d been craving. Whenever I’m at the beach, I can feel a reset of my entire system. Our family’s schedule is cleared of most commitments, so the time allows us to downshift into a more relaxed state of mind. When we’re in Malibu, my favorite time of day is just before sunset, when everything’s dipped in golden light and you can find us gathered around the grill prepping ingredients from the farm stand, cold drink in hand. And this summer, our MVPs were these grilled shrimp tacos with grapefruit-avocado salsa, also know as the best shrimp tacos on the planet. Call us obsessed.

This post is sponsored by Wild Basin Hard Seltzer. Content for 21+.  Please drink responsibly.

Now that we’re back in Austin, I’m determined to bring some of that relaxed spirit home with me, even though I’m juggling the realities of a busy work schedule combined with carpooling our kids from one activity to another. For me, the best way to keep that summer spirit alive is to cook (and eat!) as many meals outside as possible. Which makes Wild Basin Hard Seltzer the perfect partner for today’s post, since they’re all about getting outside this summer to create truly memorable food and drink pairings with people we love. Read on for these shrimp tacos, and the Wild Basin Hard Selzter Grapefruit I’m drinking with them.

Ingredients you’ll need for these grilled shrimp tacos

This is a short and sweet ingredient list—which I consider to be a baseline requirement for any great summer recipe. Here’s what to grab at the grocery:

  • Limes
  • Grapefruit
  • Honey
  • Garlic
  • Chili Powder
  • Mayo
  • Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
  • Cabbage
  • Corn Tortillas
  • Avocados
  • Cilantro
  • Jalapeños

How to make the best shrimp taco recipe

Marinate the shrimp

The key to keeping this simple is that pretty much all of our ingredients play double-duty. The marinade is also used as the base for the creamy sauce, and the grapefruit salsa uses several of the ingredients in the marinade, because again—I like a short grocery list.

To make the marinade, you’ll whisk together the zest and juice from your citrus with honey, garlic, chili powder and olive oil. Then you place the shrimp in a bowl and pour half the marinade over it. You only want this shrimp to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour at most—longer than that, and you’ll risk starting to “cook” the shrimp in the citrus (we’re not making ceviche here).

Make the quick crema

Let’s talk more about this sauce, because it plays a major role in making this shrimp taco recipe the best. All you need for the creamy sauce is your reserved marinade that gets combined with either mayo or sour cream. You’re going to toss a bit of it with our shredded cabbage for a 5-second slaw, then you’ll reserve the rest to drizzle over the top of the finished tacos.

Grapefruit salsa meets grapefruit seltzer

This grapefruit salsa was inspired by the zesty flavors in the Wild Basin Hard Seltzer Grapefruit I paired with these tacos. It’s refreshing and light—exactly the kind of drink I want to sip poolside with friends. You can taste the difference of the real grapefruit juice, and when I want to slow down and relax, it’s nice to skip the hand squeezer and just open up a can.

I also made grapefruit the star ingredient in this addictive grapefruit salsa. It’s an incredibly easy salsa that really elevates these tacos; simply toss together chunks of avocado and grapefruit, then add cilantro and adjust the jalapeño to add as much heat as you like. Double the recipe and set out some for pre-dinner tortilla chips for dipping.

How to cook shrimp for tacos

Trust me on this: the key to the most delicious shrimp is getting that char, which means that a quick cooking method is the way to go. I like to cook shrimp on high heat in a cast-iron skillet set over the grill grates—it allows you to get that quick sear, while also ensuring that your shrimp don’t fall through the grates.

Once you’ve placed the shrimp into the pan and heard that sizzle, resist the temptation to move or flip the shrimp until the first side is nice and caramelized.

Put your tacos together

To assemble these shrimp tacos, you’re going to top a charred corn tortilla with some of your cabbage slaw, grapefruit salsa, and then the grilled shrimp. Garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of crema, and serve with lime wedges. The best shrimp tacos you’ve ever had (that also happen to be ridiculously easy—I won’t tell if you don’t.)

Tips for shrimp taco success

Change up the toppings

If you want to skip the salsa, just add slices of creamy avocado, bits of fresh cilantro and a few squeezes of fresh lime. Pico de gallo is always welcome!

Switch up the protein

You could definitely turn these into fish tacos, using the same marinade, sauce and salsa. Cod or halibut filets work great for this recipe.

Make it easy

I rely on a few key shortcuts when I make this shrimp taco recipe:

  • Use a bag of pre-shredded cabbage
  • Buy raw shrimp that’s already peeled and deveined
  • Char the corn tortillas right on the grill, so you can keep all the cooking outdoors (with minimal clean-up!)

What to drink with grilled shrimp tacos

Let’s talk about what makes Wild Basin Hard Seltzer Grapefruit the perfect backyard sipper on a hot summer day. First, it has a 5% ABV, which is exactly the light and refreshing drink I like to enjoy poolside. Plus, it’s all-natural and made with real fruit juice, a difference you can really taste. If you need me, you can find me in the backyard devouring this pairing for the rest of the summer. Read on for the recipe, and find Wild Basin near you.

Print

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Description

These shrimp tacos are quite simply the best. With a citrus-honey marinade and zesty grapefruit salsa, it’s a quick summer dinner that’s prepared almost entirely on the grill—and perfect for entertaining.


  • Zest of 1 lime and 1 grapefruit

  • 1/4 cup lime juice

  • 1/4 cup grapefruit juice

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for pan

  • 1/4 cup mayo or sour cream

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 pounds large or jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined

  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage

  • Corn tortillas, charred over grill

  • For serving: cilantro leaves and lime wedges

For the grapefruit salsa:

 

  • 1 grapefruit, peel and pith removed, and cut into segments

  • 1 avocado, cut into chunks

  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

  • 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, chopped

  • Kosher salt, to taste


  1. Make the marinade: whisk together zest, juice, honey, garlic, chili powder, and olive oil. 

  2. Place shrimp in a bowl, then pour half the marinade over it. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, mix ¼ cup of the reserved marinade with ¼ cup of mayo or sour cream. This is your quick & creamy sauce. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  4. Make the grapefruit salsa: gently toss all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

  5. Preheat grill to medium heat (375 degrees), and place a cast-iron skillet directly on the grates to preheat.

  6. Drizzle olive oil on the bottom of the skillet, then place shrimp in the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Baste the shrimp with the reserved marinade, then turn and cook for another two minutes, until opaque.

  7. Remove from grill.

  8. Toss the shredded cabbage with a couple tablespoons of the creamy sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

  9. Assemble tacos: top a charred corn tortilla with slaw, salsa, and then shrimp. Garnish with cilantro and a drizzle of sauce, and serve with lime wedges. Eat!

  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Method: Grilling

Keywords: Best shrimp taco recipe