78704 Roundup: Breakfast Tacos Galore

Does anyone remember that Shit Austinites Say video, the one with a bunch of college kids just standing around, chanting “TACOS, TACOS, TACOS!”? Well, if there’s one true stereotype you can pin on this city, it’s that we love us some tacos. Particularly ones of the breakfast variety. From taco stands and trailers to nice restaurants, this city is a taco lovers paradise: but you needn’t stray far out of the ’04 to find a big variety of them. Below I have compiled a list of my favorite places to get breakfast tacos in 78704, and evaluated them based on my own personal preferences. This list is very subjective, and with all the tacos in this zip code I wouldn’t be surprised if I missed a few. Drop a line in the comments if your favorite down-south breakfast tacos didn’t make the cut!

Melizzo’s

Melizzoz takes the cake. These are THE best tacos in the city, hands down, Torchy’s be damned. I know, saying that might be blasphemous in Austin, but Torchy’s has grown a bit too big for their britches in my opinion, and their breakfast tacos are massive and very greasy. Melizzoz is slightly similar to Torchy’s in menu only: they make “designer” tacos, with interesting ingredients and cute names. But in execution, Melizzoz tacos are way fresher, and as the truck says, “made with love”. Located in a trailer on South First street, you can pick them up or enjoy your tacos outside on a colorful picnic table. Pro tip: stay for lunch and get the fried avocado taco. You will not regret it. It might be the best decision you ever made, in fact.

Benefits: Amazing tacos made with love, and a beautiful outdoor setting.

Drawbacks: Closes early on some weekdays.

El Tacorrido

El Tacorrido is a great Mexican taqueria on the corner of Oltorf and South First street. It’s walk up or drive through only, so its perfect when you’re in a hurry or on the go. You can build your own breakfast taco for $2. Pro tip: you can add things that aren’t listed on the menu under “breakfast taco ingredients”, such as avocado or even chicken. Open from 7 am until midnight every day, El Tacorrido is one of the most reliable places for quick tacos in 78704. Everything is made fresh to order, and tacos are reasonably sized (small), so get a couple of them if you’re really hungry.

Benefits: Convenient, cheap, and reliable.

Drawbacks: You might want to learn a few words in Spanish if you want your order made correctly. (Is that a drawback, though?)

Taco Deli

Taco Deli isn’t exactly what I would call “authentic” by any measure, but they make some damn delicious tacos nonetheless. They have multiple locations around town, but my favorite is the one tucked away on Spyglass. It has a great outdoor seating area– when it’s not too crowded– and is right next to the greenbelt. The tacos are what I would call “Americanized”, or even “Austinized”, with ingredients and combinations you would never see in Mexico. Regardless, it’s absolutely delicious and their breakfast tacos are always fresh and never greasy. Definitely the healthy hippy place to get tacos. Taco Deli is also the leader in exporting breakfast tacos to local coffee shops fresh and early every morning, so even if you can’t make it over there, chances are you can grab one somewhere. I usually get them at the Irie Bean on South Lamar.

Benefits: Fresh and healthy, available everywhere.

Drawbacks: They stop serving breakfast tacos at 11 am on weekdays and 3pm on weekends, which is akin to treason in my book.

La Mexicana

La Mexicana brings all the authenticity to the South Austin breakfast taco scene. A traditional Mexican Panaderia (bakery), they have way more to offer than just sugar cookies and churros. Besides being a great place to grab fresh fruit juice, La Mexicana makes some absolutely killer breakfast tacos, and very cheap. Their handmade flour tortillas are fluffy and real, which is no less than you would expect from a Mexican bakery, but it will amaze you every time you bite into one. This place gets overlooked in my opinion, and as long as its been around I still consider it somewhat of a hidden treasure.

Benefits: Open 24 hours a day!! (Also on an unrelated note, get a slice of their Tres Leches cake. You can thank me later.)

Drawbacks: Not exactly the best ambiance for dining.

Rosita’s Al Pastor

Rosita’s Al Pastor is another place that earns the title of “authentic”. I learned about this gem of a trailer from Melissa, my go-to friend for everything food related in Austin. It’s a bit outside of 78704, situated on Riverside a few blocks east of 35. It is cheap, quick, and amazingly delicious. The menu is surprisingly huge for a food truck, but they seem to manage it just fine.

Benefits: Convenient and cheap.

Drawbacks: The line can be long on weekends. Also, the outdoor seating is limited so you might want to take it to-go.

Habaneros

Last but in no way least is Habaneros Mexican Cafe on Oltorf. This is the place to go if you want to sit down and enjoy your breakfast tacos with a nice coffee or horchata. Only open for breakfast and lunch, the service is awesome and the place is always pleasantly busy. Family owned and operated for 20 years, Habaneros is consistent and delicious. They make their own toritllas as well, and for a sit-down dining experience the price is really cheap. This is definitely the place to go for brunch, or after a night downtown when you just want to sit and watch the world go by.

Benefits: Sit-down dining with food truck prices.

Drawbacks: There’s usually a wait for brunch on the weekends (worth it, though).