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    Foodie News

    It's National Taco Day: Where to find Houston's best tacos

    Sarah Rufca
    Oct 4, 2012 | 6:00 am

    Let's be real: Every day in Houston is taco day. It just so happens that on Oct. 4, the country catches up by celebrating National Taco Day.

    Since we at CultureMap are loathe to instigate a riot by trying to rank the best taco shops and taquerias around town (there's just too many!), we've decided to share our personal favorites. From exotic meats to vegetarian fare, it turns out tacos should be their own delicious food group.

    Since we at CultureMap are loathe to instigate a riot by trying to rank the best taco shops and taquerias around town (there's just too many!), we've decided to share our personal favorites.

    Breakfast tacos from El Ultimo

    "Bacon, beans and eggs from this bingity-bangity, festively painted bus that stops at the corner of Long Point and Antoine. Crispy bacon, real refried beans (with lard) and fresh eggs wrapped in a large handmade corn tortilla. Oh! And topped with spicy salsa made by the wife of one of the venders." -Barbara Kuntz, photo editor

    Fish tacos from Ruggles Green

    "Ruggles Green fish tacos absolutely effin' rule. Gotta get them grilled, not fried, to maintain a perfect level of "lightness" that's so pivotal to the fish taco experience." -Tyler Rudick, staff writer

    Crispy tacos from Molina's Cantina

    "Every once in a while I crave the kind of tacos that I grew up with: crunchy shells, ground beef, piles of shredded yellow cheese. These have all of the above and despite a plate that's covered in grease, they never seem to get soggy. They are miracle tacos." -Sarah Rufca, associate editor

    Fried avocado taco at H-Town StrEATs

    "It's a great combo of crunch (fried avocado) and spice (they top it off with sriracha), and they put a cabbage slaw on top that balances the two flavors really well. It's on a fresh corn tortilla which just ties the whole thing together. The batter they use to fry the avocado is key too — it's really crunchy." -Emily Goetz, marketing coordinator

    Anything from 100% Taquito

    "I love 100% because it's authentic and cheap." -Anna Domning, office manager

    Brisket tacos at Otto's BBQ

    "I know this is a little different, but I find myself eating them pretty often. They are piled full of lean chopped brisket with avocado and a little onion, just right." -Chad Miller, chief sales officer

    Vegetarian taco from Tacos Tierra Caliente

    "It's not listed on the menu plastered on the side of this ramshackle truck near West Alabama Ice House, but it'll please even the meatiest eater. Melted white cheese forms the base on the flour tortilla, topped by pico, lettuce and a hefty serving of always-perfect avocado — served with a squeeze of lime and a drizzle each of red and green salsa, and at $2.00 each, this taco really can't be beat." -Whitney Radley, staff writer

    Cuban taco at El Rey Taqueria

    "You can't complain about fusion cuisine when the result is something as pure awesome as this. The combination of fajita chicken, black beans, mushy plantains and sour cream is totally unique and as delicious as it is messy." -Sarah Rufca, associate editor

    Fish tacos from Berryhill Baja Grill

    "It's the original and just so good … I grew up on these." -Meredith Riddle, senior account executive

    Fried avocado taco from Radical Eats

    "Because every veggie taco should have something fried. And the taco is vegan and gluten-free, and though it does taste a tad gluten-free-ish, it's still darn good." -Joel Luks, listings editor

    Snapper taco at El Gran Malo

    "The fish tacos at El Gran Malo have freshly seared snapper that's really flavorful." -Emily Goetz, marketing coordinator

    Verde Taco at Tacos A Go-Go

    "Deliciousness: The mixed veggies are fresh and crisp, zucchini piled atop a scoop of black beans and drizzled with an unidentifiable spicy cream sauce, all on a double-layer of perfect corn tortillas. They're a great deal at $1.99 each, but make it a plate (two tacos plus rice and beans) for just $6.69 — you won't regret it." -Whitney Radley, staff writer

    LCC Tacos at Last Concert Cafe

    "I just tried the crispy tacos here and they were awesome. This is my new go-to place for tacos." -Meredith Riddle, senior account executive

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    he finished the job

    Houston chef Tristen Epps dishes on his Top Chef victory — and what's next

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 13, 2025 | 9:05 am
    Top Chef Tristen Epps
    Photo by David Moir/Bravo
    Kristen Kish, Tristen Epps, Gail Simmons, and Tom Colicchio.

    Houston has played a leading role in America’s culinary scene, but the city has never been home to a Top Chef winner — until last night. In the final episode of season 22, chef Tristen Epps earned the title and a $250,000 cash prize.

    Epps secured his victory by remaining true to the Afro-Caribbean cuisine that helped him secured an impressive four Elimination Challenge wins and $35,000 in additional prize money from two Quickfire wins and as a member of the team that won the show’s signature Restaurant Wars challenge. His four-course menu took a panel of celebrity judges on a journey that also referenced the finale location of Milan, Italy.

    In particular, Epps wowed the panel with his second course — Chicken “Durango” with injera shrimp toast and shellfish jus — that referenced both the Ethiopian chicken stew doro wat and the Italian dish pollo durango, a sly nod to the history of imperialism between the two countries. He finished his savory offerings with Oxtail Milanese Crepinette with Carolina Gold rice grits, curry butter, and bone marrow gremolata, which earned praised from the panel.

    “Historically, we’ve been underserved oxtail,” Top Chef alum and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet said during the episode. “Tristen took the time to pull it, create that beautiful, huge, maybe too big, portion of oxtail. And cover it with that gremolata. He did not forget the bone marrow. That’s very, very smart.”

    Throughout Top Chef’s run, Epps has been holding a series of pop-ups devoted to everything from hot dogs to steakhouses. Now, he can turn his attention to Buboy, a tasting menu concept that will celebrate the Afro-Caribbean cuisine he championed throughout his time on the show.

    CultureMap caught up with Epps on Friday morning for a brief chat about his victory and what’s next.

    CultureMap: What do you remember from the day you cooked that final dinner?
    Tristen Epps: It was an extreme amount of focus. A lot of writing in my notebook. I didn’t want to laugh. I didn’t want to cry or do anything except finish the job, regardless of whatever the outcome would have been. I remember wanting to call my mom. I really wanted to talk things out so I could calm myself down and stay within my focus. Once I got into cooking, I felt so much at ease. It’s my happy place. It’s my serenity.

    CM: How did you feel when you saw Gregory Gourdet on the panel? Did you feel like you had an advocate in the room?
    TE: I’ve cooked with gregory before, a long time ago. It was really fun. I loved what he was doing.

    I felt like I had kind of an advocate. I was worried my food wold be too spicy or too overpowering [for the European chefs]. Seeing Gregory was really good, especially with what I was doing.

    CM: Other chefs, including Gregory Gourdet and Houston chef Dawn Burrell, have done well on the show with Afro-Caribbean cuisine but they didn’t win. How important was it to you to finish the job and use those flavors to win the title?
    TE: To me that was super important. There’s adventurous people who make phenomenal food. They’ll go once because it’s interesting, bu they’re usually skeptical. When you don’t nail it, they say, that’s why I go to the regular places that are familiar.

    Finishing the job was really important to me. People have come up short on this. I wanted to get this right for everyone who’s made that step forward and created the ladder.

    CM: What have your last 12 hours been like since the episode aired? Have any celebrities reached out to you?
    TE: A lot of calls, a lot of good luck. A lot of everything. It’s been amazing.

    A lot of past Top Chef winners reached out to me, giving me a lot of support and telling me what they did after they won.

    [ESPN football commentator] Mina Kimes did, which was really cool.

    CM: What are your plans for the prize money?
    TE: It’s going to go to Buboy. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, it can go a little faster.

    CM: You’ve been holding a series of pop-ups that range from tasting menus to hot dogs? What’s next?
    TE: Part of getting the restaurant open has been introducing myself to all of Houston. These pop-ups represent my interests and my fun. They’re the things that Buboy is going to represent. It can be fun, it can be a conversation, it can be educational, it can push the limits of cuisines we know. It’s an expression of culture in whatever way I see fit that day.

    The hot dog concept will probably be a separate venture, but who’s to say there’s not a hot dog at the end of that meal?

    Top Chef Tristen Epps
      

    Photo by David Moir/Bravo

    Kristen Kish, Tristen Epps, Gail Simmons, and Tom Colicchio.

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