14 Unique Tacos In Austin You Need To Try
I recently visited Austin, Texas, for the first time and was thrilled with the amount of tacos available — birria tacos, breakfast tacos, barbacoa tacos, carnitas tacos, tacos al pastor, discada tacos cooked in a tractor plow disc, and many more. A Yelp search for "tacos near me" yielded more results than I could eat in three days. I had my fill of regular chicken, beef, and veggie street tacos, but I'm a sucker for bizarre reinterpretations, flavor mashups, unexpected ingredients, and visually striking presentations. I got suggestions from reviewers, bloggers, and local foodies for some wildly creative tacos in Austin, and I sampled as many as I could while I was there, but I just didn't get to them all. So for some of them, I had to take their word for it.
So while you'll want to stop at every taco truck in Austin — and you really should eat as many as possible while you're there — I suggest saving some room for the tacos you can only find in Austin. These 14 unique tacos will open up a whole new world of possibilities for what you can serve in a tortilla.
Duck Carnitas Taco at Nixta Taqueria
Nixta Taqueria's award-winning Chef Edgar Rico fills his authentic corn tortillas with some unusual ingredients, such as citrus-cured tuna, smoked carrots, and beet "tartare." But the unique, meaty treat that lures taco-lovers into his Austin restaurant is a new spin on carnitas: duck carnitas tacos.
Carnitas are usually made with pork braised low and slow in lard or broth. Chef Rico's unique carnitas feature duck meat, which is cooked for 12 hours in a mixture of duck fat, Mexican Coke, oranges, evaporated milk, chiles, and aromatics. It's no wonder Chef Rico has earned awards from James Beard, Michelin, Food & Wine, and Time Magazine.
Customers attest that the duck carnitas tacos are incredibly tender and flavorful. Shaved onions and watermelon radish add a bit of crunch, and tomatillo salsa cruda provides a kick of acidity. Cilantro (grown in the backyard) and a sprinkle of sea salt add a bright finishing touch. But don't forget to appreciate the freshly made stone-ground tortilla, which holds the taco together. Because no matter what is served inside a taco, a bad tortilla can ruin the whole experience. Nixta Taqueria's tortillas are made using the traditional process of nixtamalization to make masa with heirloom corn sourced from a family farm in Mexico, because Chef Rico and his wife and co-owner are part of the maiz revolution, like many native communities that are reclaiming their agricultural heritage.
(737) 338-3595
2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
Pink Pollo Asado Taco at Taquero Mucho
You'll be tickled pink with the pollo asado taco at Taquero Mucho. Not only because it is full of juicy lime-marinated grilled chicken, but because it comes served in a rosy corn tortilla and is topped with pink pico de gallo and finely shredded radishes, creating a vibrant pop of color contrast with the green guacamole. In fact, all the tortillas, chips, sopes — the best thing you're not ordering at Mexican restaurants — and even the breakfast waffles at Taquero Mucho are tinted pink with natural ingredients. You can also get a variety of pink drinks and even a tres leches cake with, you guessed it, pink frosting.
Where can you find such pink-a-licious food? It's easy —just look for the restaurant where everything is pink. Both Taquero Mucho locations in Austin are shockingly pink, from the bubblegum walls and Barbie-pink furniture, to the neon lights and vibrantly hued floral decor. There are plenty of pink-tastic backdrops and props inside and outside the restaurants, which provide for some fun Instagram photos. Owner Gabriela Bucio, a proud Latina woman, created Taquero Mucho as a place to celebrate and empower women and serve Mexican food inspired by her heritage.
Multiple locations
The WTF at Velvet Taco
Velvet Taco's menu is full of unique and unconventional tacos, some of which are featured on this list. But as creative as the permanent menu is, there are even wilder, crazier taco creations 52 times a year! Every Wednesday, Velvet Taco drops a new WTF (Weekly Taco Feature). These WTFs are over-the-top innovative, incorporating unexpected flavors and ingredients. Sometimes they are unusual twists on familiar cuisine like fried green tomatoes, lemon pepper buffalo wings, or cordon bleu served in a tortilla. Others are inspired by global cuisines like gochujang pork and Hey Honey Harissa Pork.
One of the most unusual tacos I've ever seen is called the 420 Blazin' Taco, featuring ingredients you'd never think of eating together. Picture this: creamy mac and cheese, chicken coated with Flamin' Hot Cheetos, Flamin' red chile aioli, and the final touch? Fruity Pebbles cereal sprinkled on top! I guarantee you've never tasted a taco like this. Most WTFs are sold for just one week and are never repeated, however, some return annually, and the 420 Blazin' Taco is one of them. You can get it each year during the week of April 20.
Multiple locations
Bone Marrow Taco at Comedor
A hot tortilla lathered in butter is a nostalgic childhood treat for many Texans. Even one of the best H-E-B store-brand products is a bag of butter tortillas, which are a popular purchase among regulars. For a decadent reinterpretation of the classic appetizer, order the bone marrow tacos at Comedor, a fine dining Mexican restaurant located in downtown Austin.
When roasted, bone marrow melts into a rich and fatty spread. An order of Comedor's signature bone marrow tacos comes with a basket of freshly made corn tortillas and plate-sized bones, which are halved to access the rich marrow. The marrow is topped with pecan gremolata and greens, which customers say cut through the richness and provide an enjoyable contrasting texture. It is a great dish for sharing. Just scoop out the nutrient-rich marrow and spread it generously on the warm tortillas for a bona fide luscious treat.
(512) 499-0977
501 Colorado St, Austin, TX 78701
French Dip Taco at Velvet Taco
In Austin, birria tacos are everywhere. They are tacos filled with savory meat and dipped in a consommé flavored with meat and chiles. But do you know what kind of tacos are not found everywhere in Austin or anywhere else? French dip tacos.
Velvet Taco, known for its unique mashups of classic dishes and tacos, makes a French dip taco that combines the traditional sandwich with Mexican flavors. A traditional French dip typically has some kind of sliced beef served on crusty bread and dipped in a beefy broth called au jus. Some versions include melted cheese and caramelized onions, while others are flavored with horseradish mayo or aioli.
The French dip taco at Velvet Taco uses a flour tortilla to cradle thinly sliced beef ribeye topped with melted gruyere cheese, grilled red onions, and horseradish cream. Crispy fried onions are added to emphasize the onion flavor and simulate the crunch of a crusty French bread. The taco is served with a cup of chipotle-enhanced au jus. And as long as you're there, try another of Velvet Taco's unique classic combinations, like the chicken and waffle taco or the Nashville Hot Tofu taco, just some of the many reasons Velvet Taco was number one in our ranking of popular Mexican restaurant chains.
Machete Taco at El Buen Comer Veracruzano
Many of the tacos you'll find in Austin are regular-sized, but Texas does have a reputation for everything being a bit bigger. So, for a Texas-sized taco, order a machete-style taco, which is roughly the size and shape of a machete blade. Imagine sinking your teeth into a taco that is almost 2 feet long! How do you eat such a monster? Well, the corn tortillas are oblong, usually made with a specialized tortilla press. The tortilla is filled, then the taco is cooked like a quesadilla, making the outside crispy and firm enough to keep its shape.
In Austin, there are a few authentic Mexican food trucks and restaurants that sell machetes, which are thought to have originated in Mexico City. At the Austin food truck El Buen Comer Veracruzano, you can get a hearty 20-inch-long machete filled with traditional meat like pastor, lengua, shrimp, and chicharrón. However, for an authentically Mexican flavor you won't find at any Tex-Mex restaurant, order your machete with flor de calabaza (squash blossom) or huitlacoche (corn fungus that is safe to eat). Both ingredients are considered delicacies.
El Buen Comer Veracruzano Facebook
(512) 792-6992
13525 Dessau Rd, Austin, TX 78660
Prickly Pear Cactus Taco at Paprika ATX
Austin-area taquerias feature lots of grilled, braised, and smoked meat (it's a big BBQ town after all), but the vegetarian taco options are just as flavorful and popular. Austin's taco culture is strongly influenced by traditional Mexican flavors and cuisines, which historically featured plant-based dishes more than meat. Cactus has been a primary food source for Mexicans and Native Americans for centuries, so for a traditional Austin taco experience, you need to try a cactus taco at least once.
Paprika ATX, which was named Yelp's third-best taco spot and 19th food truck in 2025, offers tasty nopalitos tacos (and brightly colored Frisbee plates). The food truck uses a fresh, nixtamalized corn tortilla filled with slices of nopal cactus — which you probably know as prickly pear cactus — along with black beans and queso fresco which balance out the sharp tang of the cactus.
Don't be surprised if you feel better after eating the nopalitos taco. Prickly pear cactus boasts many health benefits and is high in antioxidants and fiber. It has been used to treat wounds, inflammation, high blood sugar, and cholesterol, and is believed to protect against viruses, nerve damage, and hangover symptoms.
(512) 716-5873
6539 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752
Fish N' Chips Taco at Velvet Taco
Why indulge in just one cuisine when you can get two for the price of one? Flavor mashups are always a fun way to eat food you love in a new way. Velvet Taco offers several taco-fied takes on global cuisines, but I was particularly intrigued by the chain's twist on a fish taco. The Fish N' Chips Taco can be described as either a British spin on a Baja taco or a Mexicanized version of classic English street food.
A classic Baja fish taco — which is actually a fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisines — typically contains tempura-fried fish, cabbage, salsa, and a mayo-sour cream sauce. Cheese is optional, but if you're going to pair cheese with fish tacos, you've got to choose the right kind.
Velvet Taco's reimagination of the fish taco keeps the slaw but adds french fries doused with malt vinegar, a thickly beer-battered piece of pollock, and a bright yellow zigzag of zingy curry aioli. It's similarly acidic to the original fish taco but has a completely different, non-Mexican flavor profile and is less messy to eat than many other types of tacos. As long as you're there, explore the other fusion-flavored tacos at Velvet Taco, like the Spicy Tikka Chicken taco.
Chilaquiles Breakfast Taco at Granny's Tacos
Breakfast tacos are a fundamental aspect of Austin food culture. Seriously, you can't go there and not eat one. And not the gringo breakfast tacos with eggs, bacon, and cheese, but authentic Mexican breakfast tacos. Granny's Tacos makes all kinds of breakfast tacos in a taco truck, which is actually a repurposed ambulance (and reason enough to check it out). You can get a meaty machaca taco, a tomato-based ranchero taco, or a crunchy migas taco, with a choice of breakfast toppings you'd expect, plus some you wouldn't, like cactus and broccoli.
But the breakfast taco you won't find anywhere else is the chilaquiles breakfast taco. It's Mexican comfort-food chilaquiles, kind of like saucy nachos, wrapped in a soft tortilla. The chips are warmed in your choice of red or green salsa or mole and topped with scrambled eggs, onion, cotija cheese, jalapeño, and sour cream. It is an unexpectedly delicious way to start, end, or improve your day, since Granny's breakfast tacos are served all day.
(512) 701-4000
1401 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
Camote Taco at De Nada Cantina
Austin has fantastic tacos — even the veggie tacos are so good that it's not just the vegetarians that order them. Take, for instance, the camote (sweet potato) taco at De Nada Cantina. The handcrafted, made-to-order taco begins with a house-made blue corn tortilla spread with pureed smoked black beans, filled with strips of sweet potatoes, topped with a tangy chipotle slaw, and finished with herby chimichurri and cilantro. Customers like that it is flavorful and hearty without being greasy. In fact, Austinites can't stop talking about the tacos at De Nada Cantina, which is why if you want to taste them, you'll need a reservation.
Another popular vegetarian taco on the cantina's menu is the mushroom picadillo taco, a crispy taco with mushrooms and smoked black beans, topped with the usual tomato, lettuce, cheese, and crema.
Multiple locations
Crispy Dog at Yellow Bell Tacos
Is it a hot dog? Is it a corn dog? Is it a taco? Yellow Bell Taco's Crispy Dog is a bit of all three. It's a hot dog wrapped in a corn tortilla, deep fried, and topped with pico de gallo, avocado salsa, and jalapeño crema. And did I mention the hot dog is stuffed with cheese? This cheesy, crispy, spicy taco dog is an upgrade of the simple dog-in-a-tortilla that used to be popular in San Antontio.
But is it really such a stretch to serve a hot dog at a taco place since, according to some, a hot dog is technically a taco? At least it's a surprise to find such a pedestrian dish on the menu of a food truck run by famed pitmaster John Bates, who also owns the Michelin-starred InterStellar Barbecue, one of Austin's top BBQ joints. As you'd expect from such a lineage, crispy dogs are made with quality ingredients, like all-beef Hebrew National frankfurters and nixtamalized corn tortillas, which are thick and pliable and taste better than those made with masa harina, which can have a metallic taste.
(512) 969-9175
1900 E Howard Lane, Building H, Pflugerville, TX 78660
Poke Tiny Tacos at Austin Taco Project
Austin Taco Project occasionally concocts wildly creative tacos, like a Black Forest dessert taco or the fusion Oc-Thai-pus taco, for limited-time specials or private events. Still, the Poke Tiny Tacos are one of the unique tacos you'll find on the permanent menu.
These are tiny tacos, an appetizer size, but they meet the basic criteria for a taco: a shell filled with something delicious. In this case, it's a wonton wrapper, folded into a taco shell shape and deep fried. The stiff shell is filled with a seaweed salad and tender cubes of ahi tuna, dressed with citrus ponzu and spicy aioli, and topped with sesame seeds. The tiny tacos are each presented atop a scoop of guacamole, which not only keeps them upright but also serves as a dip for the two-bite tacos.
The avocado is the crossover ingredient for this dish — at home in both Hawaiian and Mexican cuisine. In fact, many Hawaiians have avocado plants growing in their yards because the fruit was introduced to Hawaii by Mexico and Central America, whose ancestors, the Aztecs, have been mashing the fruit into guacamole for more than 500 years.
(512) 682-2739
500 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78701
Chinese BBQ Chicken Taco at The Peached Tortilla
From the moment you arrive in Austin, you'll come across tacos like you've never seen before. Case in point: right inside the Austin airport you'll find fusion tacos that will take your taste buds on a trip to Japan, Korea, Vietnam, or China. The Peached Tortilla, which has multiple locations — including the one at the airport — serves Southern-Mexican-Asian-inspired tacos. The Chinese BBQ chicken taco is an explosion of Asian flavors captured in a tortilla. It starts with chicken that has been marinated in chili and garlic. Then it is smothered in rich Chinese BBQ sauce and topped with crunchy Asian slaw and cilantro.
Once you taste the creative taco-fied versions of various cuisines, you'll understand why Austin is known as an innovative hotspot. Tacos are the perfect vehicle for experimentation as chefs find inspiration from various cultures and borrow flavors from their cuisines. This should come as no surprise in a state where the overall identifying cuisine is Tex-Mex.
Multiple locations
Chocotaco at Suerte
This list ends with dessert, of course, and while the name of the dessert is familiar, this is not the Choco Taco you used to buy from the ice cream truck or Taco Bell. The Chocotaco at Suerte — an Austin restaurant known for its succulent confit brisket tacos, enormous-sized chips, Michelin Guide recognition, and cool vibe — is the Choco Taco you've been looking for all your life. It is inspired by the classic childhood frozen treat, which featured a sugar cone shell, "light" vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirls, that was dipped in chocolate and nuts. This elevated dessert is light-years better than Klondike's version.
This is a house-made chocolate-masa shell, filled with peanut caramel and cinnamon semifreddo, and topped with chocolate and roasted peanuts. It has been on the menu since 2020, when Pastry Chef Derrick Flynn developed it during quarantine, and it's been so well-received that it's not going anywhere. So while Choco Tacos are one of those nostalgic ice-cream truck treats, just know there is a better, grown-up version waiting for you in Austin, Texas.
(512) 522-3031 (text)
1800 E 6th Street, Austin, TX 78702