It’s impossible to talk about one of Austin’s most popular cuisines, Tex-Mex, without mentioning breakfast tacos. If there were an Olympic competition of Tex-Mex, then breakfast tacos would be Austin’s contribution. Sure, you can make them on your Blackstone, but if you’re planning a trip to Texas’s foodie city, whether for 24 hours or more, you simply must know where to find the best breakfast tacos in Austin.
At their core, breakfast tacos are a classic combination of eggs and meat wrapped in a flour or corn tortilla. Over the years, this working-class morning food has become an object of fascination in its own right. Most mornings, places selling these little hand-held breakfasts in Austin are completely overrun with locals and tourists alike. Everyone seems to love breakfast tacos. “It’s pretty much a cross-section of America… It’s a pretty democratic taco — come one, come all kind of thing,” Roberto Espinosa of Austin’s Tacodeli told Eater Austin.
For our guide on the best breakfast tacos in Austin, we tried dozens in restaurants and taco trucks. We consulted locals and reviewed plenty of online publications. After consuming many kilos of eggs, potatoes, chorizo, beans, and guacamole wrapped in tortillas, we’ve developed our definitive list for the best Austin breakfast tacos.
Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop
A South Austin institution since 1962, Joe’s Bakery & Coffee Shop is family-run and entirely no-frills. The entrance is plastered with newspaper clippings and old photos, and the walls are painted a grimy, dark blue. But nothing overshadows the pastry counter in the counter, or the crowds of diners who stand by the door, dutifully waiting for their table. Nearly 70 years after it opened, Joe’s Bakery remains as popular as ever, with the original owner’s daughters and granddaughters still running the show…