Thursday, March 1, 2007

Breakfast Tacos!

Here’s a quick rundown of the breakfast taco scene in Austin, TX, originally by Karen Broyles, and updated a little by me:

Austin is a breakfast taco town: eggs, cheese, maybe some chorizo or potatoes, in a tortilla. Simple, fast, tasty, and cheap!

I’m going to try to run down the best and/or highest-profile breakfast tacos around, but only with this disclaimer: there are always going to be more, possibly better ones, and everyone has their favorite(s). They’re everywhere in Austin--not only are there the endless carts set up in parking lots, but even Texas burger chains serve them (Whataburger, for example, calls them “taquitos”). Here are a few of my favorites. Not all are terribly accessible for out-of-towners on foot, but if you can get there I’d recommend them.

Oh, and by the way, they’re not just for breakfast anymore.

For quick and easy tacos near the Convention Center, there’s a Taco Shack located in the Frost building, but they cater to the weekday breakfast and lunch crowds, so if you sleep in, you’ll miss out. Monday through Friday they’re open 6:30AM to 2:30PM, and on Saturday, they’re open 7AM to 1PM. And they are closed on Sundays.

If you’ve got enough time to sit down and enjoy some breakfast tacos, check out Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, located on Congress Ave. It’ll be a short walk from your hotel, and there’s often a wait during SXSW, but it’s worth it. We’ll cover Las Manitas more in a future entry.

Mi Madre’s is just barely east of UT campus at 2201 Manor (pronounced MAY-nor) and famous for their breakfast tacos. I like their other food, but the tacos are so good that most Austinites never get past them. You can get all the usual things in your taco, in whatever combination you want (beans, cheese, potatoes, eggs, Mexican rice, any imaginable meat, migas, avocado, etc.). They’re closed on Sundays and after two, so make sure you get there while they’re still serving.

Taco Xpress (2529 South Lamar), sometimes also known as Loca Maria’s, is the South Austin taco stand of choice. Everything’s good and they have all the standard offerings, but especially recommended are the migas taco, the refried beans, and the vegetarian taco with tasty black beans. This is where you want to go to experience the more gritty South Austin ambiance rather than the trendy South Congress thing. You’ll know you’re there when you see the giant lady’s torso sticking out of the modest building.

Juan in a Million is an Austin fixture at 300 E. Cesar Chavez Street. You can get all the usual tex-mex dishes, but everybody comes for the Don Juan, a potato, egg, cheese, and bacon breakfast taco (I get mine without bacon) that comes so stuffed that you have to order at least two extra tortillas to unload into. The fact that one taco equals three normal ones means that if you eat more than a couple of Don Juans you might get your picture up on the wall.

The thing about the Don Juan is that even though potato-egg-cheese tacos are ubiquitous here, this particular concoction is completely unique. There’s not another similar taco to be found anywhere. It’s excellent hangover food, and so filling you shouldn’t order more than one on your first visit.

The other big attraction is Juan himself, proprietor Juan Meza. He’s usually around and if he is you’ll know, because he has to give pretty much every single person a handshake and a knowing glance when they come in or soon after. I hear he’s less gentle with dudes than he is with the ladies.

Mother’s is Austin’s highest-profile vegetarian restaurant, just north of UT campus at 4215 Duval St. It’s not my favorite, but during weekend brunch they nearly completely redeem themselves by serving a great breakfast taco with their “bueno soysage” fake sausage with eggs or tofu. It’s very nourishing and healthy-tasting while still satisfying all the proper taco requirements.

Last but not least, Amaya’s Taco Village (in the Capitol Plaza shopping center at 5405 N. I-35) offers one of the most authentically tex-mex options in town. I don’t know what they do to their beans (I pretend not to detect the lard), but together with the requisite velveetaish cheese you find in the best tex-mex joints they are irresistable. Runny, but irresistable.

And if you’re vegetarian, and find yourself in the neighborhood, get some of the breakfast tacos with veggie chorizo at Bouldin Creek. Delicious! 

(Thanks again to Karen Broyles for her original write-up).