\u201cThere\u2019s never the right timing, and it\u2019s always the right timing,\u201d said Juan Andion, who opened Tacos on the Street in San Antonio last September. \u201cIf we were concerned about what\u2019s happening in the world, we could be paralyzed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
But nothing gets in the way of ganas\u2014guts, desire, determination, and hard work. The 25 best new taquerias\u2014revealed in alphabetical order by location (alongside ten honorable mentions)\u2014all have that quality.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
The bravery and passion shown by Navarro, Andion, and the others mentioned here inspired me. With a team of tasters and scouts (mostly Texas Monthly staff), I visited nearly two hundred taquerias for this midterm report, which we publish in between our major effort to name the Best Tacos in Texas<\/a> every four years. (The last was for the November 2024 issue.) We covered more than 10,500 miles in a few months. Taquerias must have opened, reopened, or expanded their menus between August 2024 and this past March.<\/p>\n As I made my way across the state, I noted several trends. For example, marisquer\u00edas, Mexican seafood spots, have proliferated\u2014I ate myriad tacos gobernador (cheesy shrimp tacos that originated in Sinaloa). More taquerias are offering primo aguas frescas<\/a>, like those featured in \u201cLos Otros\u201d (at the end of this story), and, despite increasing beef prices, ribeye tacos<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n We taco-loving Texans should rise to the occasion and support these optimistic taquerias. As we happily wipe the salsa from our chins, we\u2019ll know we\u2019ve made the right choice.<\/p>\n ArlingtonAqu\u00ed Se ComeYear opened: 2026<\/p>\n This suburban taqueria sits in the back right corner of the Kwick Food Store. Weave through aisles of chips and candy to get to the tacos, which have fillings such as lean yet juicy beef barbacoa or bulky threads of pork carnitas. Don\u2019t miss the textural double whammy of chicharr\u00f3n guisado, a mix of chopped chicharr\u00f3n and cubed chicharr\u00f3n prensado (pressed pork cracklings). This rare treat combines soft pieces of skin and fat with firm meat in a red salsa and is served in your choice of a flour or yellow or blue corn tortilla\u2014all are wonderfully chewy with a buttery finish. Request the chipotle-tamarindo salsa, a clay-colored condiment that is smoky, earthy, fruity, and tingling with spice. The thoughtfully made taco is just one example of how Aqu\u00ed Se Come<\/a> surpasses the typical expectations for a convenience store taqueria. 300 W. Randol Mill Rd, 469-716-7232. Sun\u2013 AustinComadre Panader\u00edaYear opened: 2023<\/p>\n Although Comadre Panader\u00eda<\/a> opened outside of the date range we specified for this list, the East Austin bakery started selling breakfast tacos just last year. Owner Mariela Camacho<\/a>, a San Antonio native, is known for her innovative pan dulce (the candy corn conchas are a seasonal favorite), but she now also applies her baking skills to sourdough-tinged tortillas. The bean and cheese taco is a true power combo in which velvety pintos are caught in a net of salty cheddar. The sublime nopales, egg, and cheese taco\u2014an homage to Camacho\u2019s mother\u2014features chopped and seared cactus pads seared in a chile de \u00e1rbol\u2013spiked, ranchera-style salsa. 1204 Cedar Ave, no phone. Thu\u2013Sun 8 a.m.\u20132 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n Paprika ATXYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n Husband and wife Margarito and Hayden P\u00e9rez have suffered a cycle of closures<\/a>, immigration-status issues, and other setbacks that would likely break many business owners. But the couple persevered to open their dream project\u2014a permanent location<\/a> adjacent to the lot where their food truck was stationed. The carnitas are cooked in the traditional cauldrons called cazos and have a touch of sweetness. The suadero\u2014which is roughly chopped and simmered in beef tallow\u2014tastes best in a special suadero taco with spicy salsa macha. Perhaps the best day to visit is Saturday, when pork flies off the trompo and into tacos al pastor for the line of salivating customers. 6539 N. Lamar, 512-716-5873. Tue\u2013Sat 11\u20136.\u00a0<\/p>\n BrownsvilleCentrito BotaneroYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n This downtown restaurant<\/a> is a modern cantina, where ornate chandeliers hang from high ceilings and the pristine bar front gleams. You can catch a game on one of its many TVs as you dig into tacos served on rustic earthenware plates. The dark-spiced tacos de trompo sprinkled with pineapple cubes are a must, but start with the shrimp aguachile negro, whose juice made of Maggi seasoning opens your palate for the joys to come. 915 E. Elizabeth, 956-778-6080. Sun 1\u201310, Wed & Thu 5\u2013midnight, Fri 5 p.m.\u20132 a.m., Sat 1 p.m.\u20132 a.m.<\/p>\n Chilmoli Mexican SteakhouseYear opened: 2023<\/p>\n The owners of Centrito Botanero also operate an upscale restaurant one street over. One of its specialties, a ribeye taco, is accented with bone marrow and capped with fried leeks and the short-lived inferno of chile pequin salsa. But the taco that earns the restaurant<\/a> a place on this list is the milanesa. Added to the menu in September 2024, it features a beef filet that is marinated in citrus-forward ponzu sauce, then breaded in panko (chef Rafael Villalpando is partial to Japanese ingredients<\/a>) and fried to a tender delight. It\u2019s served on a base of refried beans with a shaky tower of french fries, creamy salsa, and quesillo balancing on top. 1001 E. Washington, 956-518-7000. Sun 1\u20137, Wed\u2013Sat 5\u2013midnight.\u00a0<\/p>\n Centuries of Chinese influence on Mexican cuisine<\/a> can be seen in this far North Dallas restaurant<\/a>. Customers can dive into dishes such as tacos stuffed with strips of Peking duck or tantalizing birria inside xiao long bao (soup dumplings) or mixed with fried rice. 3355 E. Trinity Mills Rd, 469-640-2855. Sun 11\u20133, 5\u20139:30, Tue\u2013Sat 11\u20133, 5\u20139:30.\u00a0<\/p>\n Tacos JuanchoYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n This Oak Lawn\u2013area taqueria is easy to spot with its bright orange exterior. Inside, you\u2019ll find more of this color in the tiles, chairs, and plates, which complement the vermilion tacos al pastor, the restaurant\u2019s standout offering. Pork is sliced from the trompo and placed in tortillas made from a mix of masa harina and masa made from nixtamalized corn<\/a>. (The combination results in a stronger tortilla.) The best taco on the menu is the ribeye, inspired by the taco de gaonera served at Mexico City taqueria El Califa de Le\u00f3n. Tacos Juancho<\/a>\u2019s version is far superior, featuring succulent beef, milky yet caramelized quesillo, creamy avocado, and queso fresco on a blue corn tortilla. 3604 Oak Lawn Ave, 214-484-4970. Sun 9\u201310, Mon\u2013Thu 8\u201310, Fri & Sat 8 a.m.\u20131 a.m.<\/p>\n El PasoTaqueria ElemiYear opened: 2026<\/p>\n Emiliano and Kristal Marentes changed contemporary Mexican food in Texas when they opened Elemi<\/a> in downtown El Paso in 2018. In 2024 they relocated the restaurant to a larger space in the suburb of Horizon City. This year they made their biggest gamble yet with their second restaurant, a modern taqueria<\/a> tucked into a shopping center on El Paso\u2019s growing West Side. Of course, tortillas made from nixtamalized corn are the foundation for tacos with fillings including slices of garnet-colored pork from a trompo or birria mushroom. This new spot gives the city even more of the whimsy and creativity that its sibling restaurant is known for. 7729 Paseo del Norte, no phone. Tue\u2013Sun noon\u201310.<\/p>\n Fort WorthTaqueria La Revoluci\u00f3nYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n This suburb of Fort Worth is home to a bevy of taquerias and Mexican restaurants, many focused on seafood. La Revoluci\u00f3n<\/a> spotlights a little of everything but excels in seafood, especially with its taco gobernador, a cheesy shrimp taco that is crisped on the plancha. Also stellar is the ribeye taco, popping with beefy flavor and a dash of salt and finished with sweetness from ribbons of caramelized onions. Marvel at the twelve or so freshly made aguas frescas served by the ladle from a cooler\u2014my favorite is the vibrant pi\u00f1a. 4000 E. Belknap, Haltom City, 817-372-7320. Sun\u2013Thu 10\u201310, Fri & Sat 10\u2013midnight.<\/p>\n HoustonAlturas Mexican Cafe\u00a0Year opened: 2026<\/p>\n It might be a challenge to find Alturas Mexican Cafe<\/a>, with its poor signage and hard-to-spot storefront, but a visit to Myriam Navarro\u2019s dream restaurant is well worth the effort. She and her husband, Erik, offer all-day dining, starting with tart and peppy chilaquiles<\/a> verdes and breakfast tacos using house-made flour tortillas. Later, opt for lunch and dinner favorites such as classic pork, beef, and chicken tacos, as well as shredded chicken soaked in candy-sweet mole poblano for enmoladas, a dish similar to enchiladas. 2409 Airline Dr, no phone. Sun 7\u20135, Tue\u2013Sat 7\u20137.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bar XoloYear opened: 2026<\/p>\n Don\u2019t call this new, moodily lit room a cocktail lounge. Xolo<\/a> is a dinner bar, according to executive chef\u2013owner Javier Becerra, who created the intimate Montrose spot with several partners. Find co-owner Angel Bautista behind the bar, mixing raicilla-based cocktails while you wait for dishes such as the Tacos Oscar to arrive at your table. Named after Becerra\u2019s twin, who enjoyed snacking on potato tacos as a child, the dish features a trio of tortillas cushioned with a costra<\/a> (a griddled blanket of crispy cheese on the tortilla\u2019s exterior) of house-made quesillo and buoyant potato foam garnished with the tiniest flourish of briny caviar. 223 Westheimer Rd, 832-892-2713. Sun & Mon 4\u201311, Wed 4\u201311, Thu\u2013Sat 4 p.m.\u20131 a.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the growing number of halal taquerias<\/a> in the state, Huncho\u2019s<\/a>, in southwest Houston, stands out for its guacamole-slathered Tijuana-style taco. The best of the bunch here is the ribeye taco, whose beef shimmers in its own juices. 8559 S. TX-6, 832-679-9096. Sun\u2013Sat 9\u201310.<\/p>\n MaximoYear opened: 2024<\/p>\n After Maximo<\/a>\u2019s original chef left, the restaurant returned in January 2025 with 27-year-old chef Adrian Torres and a stellar revamped menu. While the atmosphere is charming, with a patio fountain worthy of a Tex-Mex palace<\/a> and an area for dancing, it\u2019s the $45 tasting menu and a lineup of masa-based hits that keep us returning. The item that rules them all is the wild mushroom taco with white-capped bunapi, a crunchy lilliputian fungus that eats like popcorn with a woodsy flavor. The dishes get even more eyebrow raising from there. The masa cornbread is smeared with butter studded with Oaxacan flying ants known as chicatanas and then dabbed with caviar. The shrimp tostada surprises with a garnish of nutty chapul\u00edn<\/a>, or toasted grasshopper. 6119 Edloe, West University Place, 713-878-7774. Sun 11\u20133, 5\u20139, Wed & Thu 4\u20139, Fri 4\u201310, Sat 11\u20133, 5\u201310.<\/p>\n LongviewKi\u2019Mexico ETXYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n There\u2019s no taco spot like Ki\u2019Mexico<\/a>\u2014located inside Greenside Beverage Company, a shop that sells beer and natural wine\u2014in East Texas. Take appetizers such as lamb chops lacquered in a pomegranate reduction, for example. Signature tacos<\/a> like the New Yol\u2019, filled with what else but New York strip, add Spanglish elegance. 102 N. Green, 903-686-9194. Sun 11\u20133, Tue\u2013Thu 11\u20139, Fri & Sat 11\u201310.<\/p>\n McAllenBarrio 37Year opened: 2025<\/p>\n This upper Rio Grande Valley restaurant<\/a> evokes a municipal market in Mexico. In each corner is a stand serving a different kind of taco: trompo, carne asada, carnitas, and fajita. Cumbia, salsa, and conjunto blast over the speakers, and one wall is built to appear like a two-story house with a Mexican roof dog on top. But wait until you try the tacos. The soft carnitas are a one-two punch of salty and sweet, the carne asada glistens, and the fajita meat tastes like it\u2019s right off the ranch. 1300 E. Nolana Ave, 956-515-2439. Sun\u2013Thu 11\u201310, Fri & Sat 11\u201311.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alejandra Cavazos<\/a>, her husband, Rafael Ramirez, and their chef\u2013business partner, Antonio Monzon, have created a menu<\/a> that straddles McAllen and Cavazos\u2019s native northern Mexico. You can go for homey dishes, such as the taco de fideo, vermicelli noodles plump with tomato broth and dressed with an avocado wedge and crumbles of queso fresco, or devour creative options, such as the hibiscus-flower tacos decked out with tongue-lashing salsa macha. 3618 Pecan Blvd, 956-777-5399. Sun\u2013Sat 7\u201311.<\/p>\n MidlandHijos del Ma\u00edz\u00a0Year opened: 2024<\/p>\n Specializing in nixtamalized-corn tortillas and handmade flour tortillas, this Permian Basin restaurant<\/a>\u2019s menu spans the breadth<\/a> of Mexican cuisine. Customers can enjoy Guadalajara\u2019s favorite stew, carne en su jugo, as well as the northern Mexican backyard specialty of mixed-meat discada capped with melted white Mexican Mennonite cheese. Pickled onion strands garnish northern beef barbacoa in a Oaxacan banana-leaf wrapping. Start with the large flour tortillas and butter, available upon request. 3408 N. Midkiff Rd, 432-901-7557. Sun\u2013Thu 8\u201310, Fri & Sat 8\u2013midnight.<\/p>\n OdessaCarnitas San LucaYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n The best carnitas in Texas<\/a> are sold from a trailer<\/a> in the parking lot of a Cricket Wireless store. The first sign of greatness is the sample that taquero David Flores passes through the trailer window. The golden pork breaks into threads with a delicate touch, and once you taste the saltiness and sweetness, you\u2019ll order some right away. Specify which cuts you\u2019d like, such as surtida (mixed), maciza (lean), costilla (deboned rib), cuerito (skin), or the otherworldly buche (pork stomach). 4200 Andrews Hwy, 432-282-6982. Tue\u2013Fri 10\u20138, Sat & Sun 9\u20136.\u00a0<\/p>\n PlanoTaco KingYear opened: 2024<\/p>\n Ahmad Alkhatib offers halal tacos tinged with Mexican and Levantine spices, such as cumin and oregano, at his trailer. The combination reflects the owner\u2019s youth in East Los Angeles and his Palestinian American heritage. There are the requisite birria tacos<\/a> and burritos, but you must try the signature King Taco<\/a>, in which an asiago-forward costra is filled with well-seasoned carne asada. 4100 Fourteenth, 214-440-7180. Mon 10\u201310, Wed & Thu 10\u201310, Fri & Sat 10\u2013midnight.<\/p>\n PharrSr. AsaderoYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n The first U.S. location of this Veracruz-based taqueria<\/a> sits in a border-town lot. It\u2019s a trailer with a carport shelter in front, like many taco joints in the Rio Grande Valley. Grilled meat is the focus here, and much of it is covered in melted cheese. For example, the sombrerito taco features carne asada, al pastor, or fajita in a wobbly mass of white cheese. The chile guero taco is filled with beef and the namesake pepper cradled in cheese that cascades over the tortilla\u2019s edges. It\u2019s a beaut of creaminess and supple meat. Lactose-free diners can get the same effect by ordering a taco with a plump arch of picanha, a flavorful cut from the top sirloin cap. 2400 S. Cage Blvd, no phone. Sun\u2013Sat noon\u201311.<\/p>\n Taqueria El DeliciosoYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n One of more than a dozen vendors in the spacious International Food Truck Park, Taqueria El Delicioso<\/a> offers slick tacos estilo Matamoros<\/a>\u2014chopped bistec topped with avocado and queso fresco\u2014alongside other regional favorites, such as espadas, a type of tostada loaded with mozzarella and steak, and bacon-wrapped hot dogs<\/a>. Mischievous miniature lawn gnomes decorate the ground in front of the cashier table. 503 W. Nolana Loop, 956-905-6287. Mon\u2013Thu 5\u2013midnight, Fri & Sat 4 p.m.\u20131 a.m.<\/p>\n San AntonioAguazul\u00a0Year opened: 2026<\/p>\n Executive chef Enrique Lozano, the James Beard Award semifinalist behind El Charlatan<\/a>, in Socorro, brings his New Tejano<\/a> flair to this mariscos restaurant with a sixteen-page menu that moves from aguachiles to fish tacos to sushi. Especially striking is the shrimp aguachile azul, which gets its sapphire color from a secret ingredient, and the Big Red shrimp taco on a refreshing \u201ctortilla\u201d made from jicama, a tuber that is native to Mexico but frequently used in Asian cooking. The menu reflects the Chinese and Mexican American heritage of owners Jose and Ericka Fong. Aguazul<\/a>\u2019s take on surf and turf, a pulpo (octopus) and tripa taco, is incomparable. 2831 Northwest Loop 410, 210-809-4466. Sun\u2013Sat 11\u201310.<\/p>\n Anacacho Coffee & CantinaYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n When he closed Stixs & Stone, chef Leo Davila promised that his Big Red and barbacoa tacos<\/a>, number 8 on Texas Monthly\u2019s 2024 list of the 50 Best Tacos in Texas<\/a>, would reappear at his next project. The native San Antonian made good on that pledge, and you can now find them at both the casual Anacacho Tacos on the StreetYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n
Sat 11\u201311.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-2.jpg\")
Peking duck tacos at Dragon Casa, in Dallas.Photograph by Mackenzie SmithDallasDragon CasaYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n![\"Carne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-4.jpg\")
Carne asada tacos at Huncho\u2019s. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith ![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-5.jpg\")
The modern dining room at Huncho\u2019s, in Houston. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
\nHuncho\u2019s Tacos\u00a0Year opened: 2025<\/p>\n![\"Taqueria](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-6.jpg\")
Taqueria La Prieta Mamona, in McAllen, offers a selection of tostadas. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith ![\"Owner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-7.jpg\")
Taqueria La Prieta Mamona owner Alejandra Cavazos. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith
\nTaqueria La Prieta MamonaYear opened: 2025<\/p>\n
Coffee & Cantina<\/a> (where you can also taste a tangy nopales, bean, and cheese breakfast taco) and at the more upscale Esencia<\/a>. Davila is at the helm of both restaurants inside the remodeled St. Anthony Hotel, downtown. 300 E. Travis, 210-227-4392. Sun\u2013Thu 7\u201311, Fri & Sat 7\u2013midnight.<\/p>\n
![\"Waca\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-14.jpg\")
Waca\u2019s tacos de birria alongside a cup of consomm\u00e9. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith ![\"waca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-11.jpg\")
Tearing into Wacabolas, crispy avocado-and-chicken balls served with cabbage and raspberry-chipotle sauce. Photograph by Mackenzie Smith![\"illustration](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0626-taquerias-otros-vertical-3-scaled.jpg\")
Illustration by Laurie Perng Los Otros <\/p>\n