Football may be the state's obsession, but arguing about food is a close second. When an authoritative list like Texas Monthly's 50 Best Tacos in Texas is released, plenty of armchair quarterbacks argue over what taco editor José Ralat got right — and wrong.
Although Ralat has served in his post since 2019, the October 21 rankings were his first definitive overview of Texas' best tacos. By his own account, the editor traveled 14,000 miles, tasting tacos at more than 400 restaurants from Amarillo to Brownsville.
Houstonians might be disappointed to see only five entries in the top 50, but the city did merit two in the top 10. Ralat also named three Houston restaurants to his list of honorable mentions.
Carlos Gallegos of Azteca Taco House secured the No. 3 slot with his costillas en salsa verde, described by Ralat as "chopped, bone-in pork ribs stewed in a tart green salsa." He recommends chewing carefully to avoid biting into the bones. Chefs Stephanie Velasquez and Nicolas Vera of downtown's Papalo Taqueria ranked No. 7 for their zanahoria, which features confit carrots topped with salsa and pepitas that's served on a nixtamalized corn tortilla.
The zanahoria taco is made with confit carrots. Papalo Taqueria/Facebook
In all, Houston secured five of the slots on the introductory survey. Though tradition factored into Ralat's reasoning, he also considered unconventional tacos, assessing the overall taste and the tortilla. Besides Azteca and Papalo, the local winners range from one of Houston's most iconic restaurants to newer upstarts.
- Cochinta & Co.: Vegan Tinga
- The Original Ninfa's on Navigation: Tacos al Carbon
- Tres Chiles: Barbacoa de Borrego
Three more Houston restaurants earned honorable mentions:
- Henderson & Kane General Store: Green chorizo
- Tacos Frontera: Tijuana-style carne asada
- Villa Arcos: Super Bacon
Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio topped the list with an impressive 10 entries, topped by No. 8 — the Big Red and barbacoa taco flight at Stixs & Stone. Austin boasted eight, led by No. 10 contender Nixta Taqueria. Dallas tied Houston with five entries, led by Revolver Taco Lounge at No. 4. The top spot, however, went to Ana Liz Taqueria in Mission. Led by Ana Liz Pulido, the winner of the James Beard Awards' Best Chef: Texas nod for 2024, the taqueria scored high marks for its deconstructed chile relleno taco.
The full list is available at texasmonthly.com.
The zanahoria taco is made with confit carrots. Papalo Taqueria/Facebook