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Taco-bout Tasty Tacos in Austin

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by The OpenTable Team
Updated 06 February 2020

Most foodies know of Austin as the barbecue and Tex-Mex heartland, but food in this Texas town certainly spans beyond that. Foodies love their local craft beers, live music venues and global cuisines with a Texan twist. All these enticing elements complement one of Austin's most beloved foods – tacos! The city even claims the breakfast taco as its own culinary icon. So where do the most experienced eaters go when they want the best tacos in Austin? Welcome to the Tastemaker 20. We pulled data covering thousands of restaurants to uncover the best of them all according to OpenTable's savviest diners. The following 20 hot spots all feature tacos, whether authentic Mexican versions or fusion creations. Book a table today and discover the best tacos in Austin.

A photo of Joann's Fine Foods restaurant
Joann's Fine Foods
4.7
4.7 (499)
$30 and under
Tex-Mex
Downtown
About the restaurant
Joann’s Fine Foods, open daily for breakfast, lunch, happy hour and dinner, comprises a restaurant, patio, a courtyard bar with its own menu and a seasonal pool bar. The casual South Congress neighborhood spot is inspired by a classic American diner and serves excellent Tex-Mex and California-inspired cuisine. Among the restaurant’s specialties are some of the best tacos in Austin. Five versions are available: grilled redfish, chicken tinga, beef picadillo, barbacoa and vegetarian avocado tacos, all loaded with toppings. All come with a choice of fresh flour or corn tortillas, and the option to add rice and veggie or refried black beans.
Top review
caitlin
Dined on 18 Dec 2024
Wonderful service, very accommodating and the food was delicious!
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A photo of Austin's Best Happy Hour of a restaurant
Experience
Austin's Best Happy Hour
A photo of Ciclo restaurant
Ciclo
4.8
4.8 (783)
$30 and under
Steakhouse
Downtown
About the restaurant
Ciclo, an upscale restaurant inside the Four Seasons hotel, presents acclaimed chef Richard Sandoval’s contemporary take on fine Latin cuisine. Austin locals or visitors looking for a fancy take on tacos should dine at Ciclo for lunch or dinner and check out the shareables section of the menu. At lunchtime there’s a tuna tartare taco on a jicama tortilla, accented with cucumber, ginger, cilantro and serrano. Dinner features lobster tacos, which come on flour tortillas with a black bean puree, chile de arbol salsa, avocado and cilantro. Further, fish tacos a la talla are a signature item on the lunch menu. These feature adobo-grilled fish, avocado and aji tartar sauce.
Top review
Sara
Dined 2 days ago
Went on Christmas Eve and got treated like family right when we walked in. Service was immaculate, honestly one of the best experiences I’ve had in a while. I highly recommend this spot, just overall 5 stars!!
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Popular dish
8 oz Filet Mignon
A photo of ATX Cocina restaurant
ATX Cocina
4.8
4.8 (2642)
$50 and over
Contemporary Mexican
Downtown
About the restaurant
Shareable, modern Mexican fare starring often unexpected ingredients is the specialty of ATX Cocina, which also boasts the largest tequila and mezcal collection in Austin. The restaurant’s signature cocktails make a fine accompaniment to some of the best tacos in Austin. All feature exceptional tortillas made using heirloom corn from Oaxaca, ground and cooked in-house. One of the most unusual taco options on the dinner menu is the tacos de flor with hibiscus falafel, sunflower butter, pickled carrot and candied hibiscus. There’s also a starter of tacos arabes with lamb, recado rojo, rajas and garbanzo puree. True taco lovers should head to ATX Cocnia for its Friday-only lunch service, when seven options include a mole poblano duck, quail with wild mushrooms and Veracruz-style fish.
Top review
NickVIP
Dined 2 days ago
Great service and good company. The waitress was very professional.
A photo of Grizzelda's restaurant
Grizzelda's
4.6
4.6 (1080)
$31 to $50
Mexican
East Austin
About the restaurant
In a stylish, boho-chic space filled with light and greenery, Grizzelda’s presents coastal and central Mexican cuisine for dinner, Sunday brunch and happy hour. Taco plates, which come with rice, refried black beans and homemade tortillas, make up a significant section of the dinner menu. Stand-out options include the picadillo with dry-aged beef, papas and charred rajas, and the camarones fritas with fried gulf shrimp, cilantro-lime red cabbage, cilantro aioli and mayonesa roja. There’s also a beer battered fish taco on the happy hour apps selection, offered alongside great deals on wines by the glass, palomas and other cocktails.
Top review
Jesus
Dined 5 days ago
Overall it was a great experience. We were there celebrating my birthday and they were so accommodating and helpful. Hands down some of the best service and ambience for sure. The food is pretty good but nothing to write home about. The drinks on the other hand….. liquid perfection !!
A photo of La Condesa restaurant
La Condesa
4.6
4.6 (2245)
$30 and under
Mexican
Downtown
About the restaurant
For its creative cuisine designed for sharing, La Condesa takes equal inspiration from Austin and Mexico City. Chef Rick Lopez presents innovative creations for weekday lunches, weekend brunches and nightly dinner, with some of the best tacos in Austin featuring on every menu. The lunch menu dedicates a whole section to tacos, with roasted chicken, achiote-marinated shrimp and barbacoa with black bean mole among the options. There’s also an intriguing vegetarian taco, the camote with roasted sweet potato, crushed avocado and pineapple salpicon. Brunch presents the same camote and pollo tacos as the lunch menu, adding a lengua taco with beef tongue and salsa chipotle. The dinner menu stars braised short rib tacos with manchego on corn tortillas as well as a lamb barbacoa, harissa and preserved lemon yogurt on bacon fat-flour tortillas.
Top review
Erica
Dined on 18 Dec 2024
Our waiter Manny was super! Great recommendations and great service. Food was fresh and flavorful. You can tell the care and time they take to make their plates here. I enjoyed the background and context given for each plate as it came out and made the experience that much better.
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Popular dish
Tres Leches
A photo of Cafe Blue - Hill Country Galleria restaurant
Cafe Blue - Hill Country Galleria
4.5
4.5 (1867)
$30 and under
Seafood
Bee Caves / Lakeway / Lake Travis
About the restaurant
Café Blue at the Hill Country Galleria specializes in classic seafood dishes, showcasing the freshest local catch of the day on its dinner, lunch and weekend brunch menus. The restaurant offers an oyster bar, and diners might start a meal with snow crab claws, ceviche, a daily selection of oysters on the half-shell or a lavish seafood tower. Café Blue’s dinner and lunch menus include two excellent seafood taco options, both on corn tortillas with a side of mixed greens in a ginger-lime vinaigrette. Choose from blackened mahi-mahi tacos with fresh spinach and a tropical fruit salsa, and the gulf coast fried shrimp tacos with zesty coleslaw and a chipotle-lime sauce. These options share the lengthy menu with sandwiches, po’boys, burgers, steaks, entrée salads and more than a dozen seafood specialties.
Top review
Isabella
Dined on 18 Dec 2024
Our server Jenna was kind, efficient, and made sure we had everything we needed at all times!
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A photo of Fried Shrimp Cobb Salad of a restaurant
Popular dish
Fried Shrimp Cobb Salad
A photo of Ranch 616 restaurant
Ranch 616
4.6
4.6 (1549)
$31 to $50
Southwest
Downtown
About the restaurant
Eclectic southwestern cuisine, live music and hunting lodge-inspired décor characterize Ranch 616. Chef-owner Kevin Williamson takes inspiration for his bold cuisine from South Texas spices and the freshest gulf seafood. Southern Living Magazine called Ranch 616’s fried oysters the best in the south for three consecutive years. Try the famous oysters as an appetizer but be sure to follow up with some of the best tacos in Austin. Lunch and dinner menus both feature crispy fish tacos and crispy shrimp tacos with a side of tobacco jalapeno onion rings. The lunch menu adds Tony’s beef vacio tacos stuffed with Negra Modelo lime and scallion marinated beef steak, caramelized onions, spepper, guacamole and sides of borracho beans and Spanish rice.
Top review
ConnieVIP
Dined 2 days ago
Great cocktails and food and service was perfect.
A photo of Bar Peached restaurant
Bar Peached
4.7
4.7 (1505)
$30 and under
Asian
Downtown
About the restaurant
Asian-Southern fusion comfort foods and creative cocktails are the signature of Bar Peached, a hip Clarksville eatery from the same team behind Peached Tortilla. Regulars and critics alike rave about the tacos, which dominate the dinner menu. They come as trios, with a choice of BBQ brisket, spiced cauliflower or pork belly banh mi, and large-format plates with braised pork shoulder or fried fish. There are also the confit duck foldies, a “taco cousin” dressed with tamarind hoisin sauce. Don’t miss the signature margarita de peached, a draft cocktail starring a habanero and Thai basil infused tequila that pairs perfectly with any taco choice.
Top review
LouiseVIP
Dined 4 days ago
Just really tasty yummy food!! And cute place with attentive staff.
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Popular dish
Pork Buns
A photo of Avocado Toast of a restaurant
Popular dish
Avocado Toast
A photo of Brussels Sprouts of a restaurant
Popular dish
Brussels Sprouts
A photo of Roaring Fork - Downtown, Congress restaurant
Roaring Fork - Downtown, Congress
4.7
4.7 (3495)
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
Downtown
About the restaurant
Roaring Fork, an upscale-casual restaurant specializing in wood-fired cuisine, started in Scottsdale, Ariz. and since expanded to two locations in Austin. The downtown venue is in the heart of the city, inside the InterContinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel on Congress Avenue. It’s an ideal setting for visitors and locals alike to dine on grilled, blackened, slow-roasted and spit-roasted meats, seafood and other specialties. The grilled fish tacos, which come in portions of two or three, come with corn tortillas, guacamole, corn pico, remoulade, salsa verde and black beans. They are a highlight of both the lunch and dinner menus.
Top review
Tiffany
Dined 2 days ago
We had a great dinner tonight for my husbands 50th birthday. The servers recommendations were on point and we enjoyed every bite of our meal. It was a 10 out of 10 experience and we will definitely be back.
A photo of Caroline restaurant
Caroline
4.3
4.3 (1152)
$30 and under
American
Downtown
About the restaurant
In an airy, sophisticated space on Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, Caroline Restaurant presents globally inspired new American fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Among lunch and dinner snacks like spicy deviled eggs, grilled shishito peppers and roasted sweet corn dip with cotija are ahi tuna poke tacos. They’re topped with jicama and avocado and drizzled with a ponzu vinaigrette for an enticing fusion take on a classic. Also on the lunch menu is an entrée-size serving of cauliflower “chorizo” tacos with a kale and apple slaw. For a more casual experience, diners 21 and older might go to Upstairs at Caroline, a rooftop bar with tacos on its bar bites menu. It’s open on Thursday to Saturday evenings only.
Top review
JhonPaul
Dined 1 day ago
Truly a magical lunch with my family for Christmas. Big thanks to our server, Noah R for the kindness and top notch hospitality. Food was super tasty and came out in a timely manner. Every person we came in contact with was as absolutely kind and welcoming. Will definitely be back!
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A photo of Chicken Schnitzel of a restaurant
Popular dish
Chicken Schnitzel
A photo of Mahi Tacos of a restaurant
Popular dish
Mahi Tacos
A photo of Green Chili & Chicken Enchiladas of a restaurant
Popular dish
Green Chili & Chicken Enchiladas
A photo of Fulton restaurant
Fulton
4.3
4.3 (205)
$30 and under
American
Austin
About the restaurant
Taking inspiration from the finest local seafood and the cuisines of Italy and Asia, Revue presents an eclectic array of pizzas, ramens, pasta dishes, salads and tacos, among other original creations. Diners craving tacos need to come during lunch time, when there are a couple of options to consider. These comprise the Korean BBQ tacos with short rib, spicy mayo and kimchi salsa inside flour tortillas, and the vegetarian fried avocado tacos with green papaya, cabbage, Thai herbs and sesame mayo, also on flour tortillas. Other menu highlights at Revue include pork belly fried rice, a Korean tofu bowl, a pork and ‘nduja Bolognese over hand-cut pappardelle, and the meatball and burrata pizza.
Top review
CKseesit
Dined on 1 Jan 2021
I had the waffles they were good..but not very hot. However it was a busy time so I understand.
A photo of Eddie V's - Arboretum restaurant
Eddie V's - Arboretum
4.9
4.9 (3988)
$50 and over
Seafood
Arboretum
About the restaurant
Eddie V’s, an upscale national chain specializing in seafood and steaks, has its Austin venue a stone’s throw from the Arboretum shopping center. Locals and visitors alike stop by for a fine sit-down meal or a lighter bite after shopping. The Maine lobster tacos, which come on house-made fresh tortillas with grilled sweet corn pico, are a major highlight of the appetizers section of the dinner menu. Enjoy a portion before continuing to a main course of fish or prime steak with decadent sides like au gratin cheddar potatoes, truffled macaroni and cheese or crab fried rice. Alternatively, share the tacos along with other smaller plates such as the burrata and beet salad, jumbo lump crab cake and kung pao calamari.
Top review
KCVIP
Dined 2 days ago
We had an awesome dinner …..as usual. Service was outstanding as well. We will be back!!
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A photo of Maine Lobster Tacos of a restaurant
Popular dish
Maine Lobster Tacos
A photo of Maine Lobster Bisque of a restaurant
Popular dish
Maine Lobster Bisque
A photo of Geraldine’s restaurant
Geraldine’s
4.7
4.7 (2343)
$30 and under
Unspecified
Downtown
About the restaurant
For live music, Austin-inspired cocktails and contemporary southern cuisine, head up to the fourth floor of the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt and grab a table at Geraldine’s. The restaurant is open all day, seven days a week and boasts some of the best tacos in Austin among its eclectic, produce-forward creations. Check out the snack menu, offered daily from 2 to 5:30 p.m., for crispy fish tacos with roasted salsa verde and pork carnitas tacos with chipotle aioli, onions and jalapenos. The fish tacos feature on the lunch menu as well.
Top review
Lois
Dined on 17 Dec 2024
I had the good fortune to be treated to the best dinner of my life. The hotel is beautiful and inviting, the restaurant has a special welcoming atmosphere that was special and inviting. Our waiter was exceptional in his knowledge of the food and in his professionalism. The food was the best combination of taste, flavor, texture, and visual delight imaginable. This magnet of culinary superiority will draw me back again and again.
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Popular dish
Buttermilk Biscuits
A photo of Steak & Eggs of a restaurant
Popular dish
Steak & Eggs
A photo of Stuffed French Toast of a restaurant
Popular dish
Stuffed French Toast
A photo of Corner restaurant
Corner
4.6
4.6 (998)
$30 and under
Contemporary Southern
Downtown
About the restaurant
With its eye-catching industrial-chic space and prime location at the corner of 2nd and Congress, downtown’s Corner Restaurant always draws a crowd. Adding immeasurably to the eatery’s appeal is its inventive, Texas-inspired cuisine, offered daily for dinner and late-night dining, for breakfast and lunch on weekdays and brunch on weekends. Tacos are a signature item, featuring in three versions – crispy fish, pork carnitas and beef barbacoa – for lunch, dinner and late-night. The brunch menu features the carnitas and crispy fish tacos and adds the Americano with eggs, cheddar, hickory-cured bacon,sausage and salsa roja.
Top review
ArianneVIP
Dined 1 day ago
Awesome Christmas lunch here! Jose was awesome! 10/10
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Popular dish
Texas Red Snapper
A photo of Smoked Brisket of a restaurant
Popular dish
Smoked Brisket
A photo of Calling All Bachelors/Bachelorettes 🎉 of a restaurant
Experience
Calling All Bachelors/Bachelorettes 🎉

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