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| Tacodeli's "cowboy" taco. Photo: Portal and Friends/Flickr |
Austin's taco scene skews toward what some might call "gringo fancy," characterized by the prominence of flour tortillas and nontraditional ingredients like bison and basil -- and fish, which is found infrequently in Sunset Park.
Brooklyn tacos, on the other hand, pay homage to one of the neighborhood's main demographics, Mexican immigrants, with tacos wrapped in two corn tortillas. They typically contain nothing more than a meat filling -- goat, lengua (tongue) and cabeza (brains) are among commonly selected options -- minced raw onion, cilantro, a spritz of lime and an optional flurry of queso fresco (white cheese).
Poll and more after the jump.
Chief among the Sunset Park taquerias is Tacos Matamoros. The cabeza and goat barbacoa are juicy and highly flavored, and a pork number comes with a spicy kick not found in the Austin fare we've sampled so far. Down the street, a shack with neither a name nor solid operating hours offers tripe, while El Potrillo offers the (to us, boring) option of chicken.
Tacodeli, on the other hand, has a wildly eclectic menu typical of what we've found in Austin. There's the delicious -- and worthy of seconds -- Cowboy (beef tenderloin rubbed with ground coffee and brown sugar, topped with onions, corn, roasted peppers, queso fresco and guacamole) and Mojo Fish (tilapia seasoned with paprika and garlic mojo, topped with guacamole and pico de gallo).
Owner Roberto Espinosa says the menu is varied due to customer preference. "The chicken mole was [because of] a recommendation. I never thought it possible to offer mole tacos!" All are commonly served on flour tortillas, though corn is an option. Asked about the prevalence of flour tortillas, Espinosa again cited his customers' tastes. "We also serve whole wheat tortillas."
Near the University of Texas an outpost of Torchy's Tacos serves a fried avocado taco as well as one with fried chicken. Both include a "poblano ranch" sauce that this eater never spied the likes of in Brooklyn.
Yet a surprising find was street-corner truck Taqueria Piedras Negras, which shells out tacos reminiscent of Sunset Park. If you can get past the meat's high oil content, the carnitas and stewy beef barbacoa are well-seasoned gems.
It boils down to where on the spectrum a taco lover's affections lie: Some might cite class differences -- or whether one's palette skews American or more traditional Mexican. To this taster's stomach, Sunset Park offers the better taco. Nevertheless, Austin holds promise, the promise of new discovery, even if it's in a flour tortilla.
But you tell us:
| Austin | |
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| Brooklyn | |
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| other (tell us in the comments! |
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7-08-2009 @4:09PM Nathan said... Tacos Don Memo food cart in West Philadelphia!! Resembles the Brooklyn, Mexican immigrant style. Get spicy pork with spicy salsa.
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7-08-2009 @4:10PM David Giesberg said... Austin has more than the TacoDeli and Torchy's "gourmet" tacos - there are lots of more "traditional" taco stands/trailers/restaurants if you explore. Maria's Taco Xpress is a favorite - La Fogata is a great neighborhood option (and cheap!)
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7-08-2009 @4:31PM Aytunc said... San Diego!!!!!!
best street tacos, best drunk tacos and burritos, and the best fish tacos that everyone should eat before they die.
My perfect hookie day consists of calling in sick, having a fish taco and corona for lunch and surfing at encinitas beach.
hmmm, its not too late to have an excuse to sneak out from work now.
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7-08-2009 @5:11PM Matt_M said... I'd bet my behind that Austin has more traditional Mexican taco joints (and immigrants) than Brooklyn, you just didn't venture into the "dangerous" East Austin to find them.
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7-08-2009 @5:16PM MH said... Austin has plenty more places. As soon as I read "gringo fancy" I thought to myself, "This reviewer has only been to Torchy's, hasn't he?"
Check out the Taco Journalism blog for the _real_ guide to Austin tacos.
http://tacojournalism.blogspot.com/
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7-08-2009 @5:39PM Darlene said... San Diego! Duh.
Roberto's. Jillberto's. Humberto's. Any kind of hole in the wall taco shop really.
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7-08-2009 @6:41PM dogatemyfinances said... Is Freebirds the best burrito because they have sundried tomatos and also whole wheat tortillas?
Go eat tacos somewhere roughly authentic near Austin. This is just insulting to suggest that gringo fancy is the only taco in Austin.
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7-08-2009 @7:06PM Jose said... Thanks for all the feedback. I searched high and low for more trucks and shacks, believing I would find tacos that would make me forsake Sunset Park. Most of the ones I saw on Austin's East Side were shuttered. Piedras Negras (recommeded by the guys at http://www.tacojournalism.blogspot.com), like I wrote, was wonderful. I want more of that. That's why I'm not totally down on Austin. Please recommend more joints.
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7-08-2009 @7:07PM Jamie said... This is really making me miss Austin Mexican food.
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7-08-2009 @9:18PM Jodi said... Comparing Texas tacos to Brooklyn tacos is ridiculous. Texas hands down has the best selection. I don't know where you were driving in East Austin but there is a taco truck on just about every block -- often two or three, and unless it was Sunday or a holiday, you're bound to find one that is open. The places you tried are totally for the gringos and if you want delicious, traditional tacos, you don't have to look far. Just down the street from Torchy's is El Primo that has wonderful tacos served with a delicious salsa on the side. Other favorites include: La Tapatia, Mi Madres, Nueva Onda, Pie Slice, Porfirios, and Marcelino Pan y Vino.
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7-08-2009 @9:20PM LP said... You couldn't find any open taco stands? Then go to one of the MANY freestanding taco places that don't serve "gringo-fancy" fare. Taqueria Arandas, or the similarly named Taqueria Arandinas both serve non-fancy tacos from their many locations each.
Also many of the "fancy" taco fillings are actually based on recipes from other regions of Mexico. I'm surprised the owner didn't specifically tell you that.
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7-08-2009 @9:38PM AustinEpicurean said... Austin, hands down. While there are great places all over the country, there is no where else where Taco Perfection has been achieved!
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7-08-2009 @9:35PM RS said... Dude, you can get tacos from gas stations here, and you tried tacos from TWO whole places? TWO Tex-Mex places? Please.
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7-12-2009 @1:21AM URwhatUeat said... 2 chicken tacos on corn tortilla from Aranda's #3 (Burnet Rd., Austin) with onion/cliantro instead of lettuce/tomato. Squeeze a lot of the lime directly onto the meat. Maybe add some of their delicious salsa. With a limonade and some added guacamole for the chips.
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7-09-2009 @6:59AM Lacey said... In addition to the places mentioned above (Aradninas, mmm), I would also recommend both Mi Madre's on Manor (you have not lived until you have tried the migas tacos), or Juan in a Million on Cesar Chavez. As a former Austinite who's been in Brooklyn for 5 years, I'll just say I think the comparison is a bit off -- the tacos in Sunset Park may be delicious, and you may eat them for breakfast, but they are by no means breakfast tacos. To get the real thing, you need to go to Texas (unfortunately for me)!
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7-09-2009 @10:12AM ac said... What?! You go to Tacodeli and Torchy's and then write this? There are some many other more traditional mexican places in Austin that do have homemade corn tortillas. Heck, you don't even have to look that hard! You totally ruined your credibility as any sort of food critic. Go back to Brooklyn.
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7-09-2009 @10:38AM Jose said... Thanks to the folks who have given recommendations.
I spent all day driving around not only hitting spots suggested by others but also searching for surprises. It's a shame some were closed. However, as I wrote in the final paragraph my mind isn't completely made up. If anyone wants to take me to other establishments, ones considered more authentic, lead the way. I'm game!
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7-09-2009 @12:03PM neilsmith said... Austin all the way. And there are plenty of places to find more traditional Tacos. Tacodeli is one of my favorites, but I also love El Chilito on Manor.
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7-09-2009 @12:11PM Taco Lover said... "You totally ruined your credibility as any sort of food critic. Go back to Brooklyn."
Wow, what a warm welcome to the Great State of Texas! The author of this piece said he's new to Austin, so instead of all the hate, why don't you invite him out on a taco tour to show him what he missed?
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7-10-2009 @8:48PM mg said... check out some of the places reviewed on taco journalism http://tacojournalism.blogspot.com/
i have no affiliation with them, however, they review many of the non-gringo places that are worth seeking out.
Austin is a big, wide city, it takes some time to find such eateries. I don't think it is fair to base the evaluation of Austin's tacos on Torchy's (blah-bland-greasy) and Tacodeli alone.
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