The New York Times’ annual “The Restaurant List” is out, in which a team of editors and reporters reveal their favorite places to eat and drink in hte U.S. Texas has long maintained a small (yet mighty) presence in the curated listicle, now in year five, though it shrunk a little in 2026.
Two Texas taquerias managed to eke out a place among the 50 restaurants the Times favorited this year: Paprika in Austin and Elemi Taqueria in El Paso.
“Austin may feel steeped in the tech industry now, but Paprika—with its cheerful spirit and casual, all-are-welcome vibe—still feels like it belongs to the community,” wrote Texas native and Times food reporter Priya Krishna…