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The Ultimate Guide To The Best Breakfast Tacos in Austin

This is your guide to the best breakfast tacos in Austin! I’ve been eating at least 1 breakfast taco per week ever since I moved to Austin to attend University of Texas….which means I’ve consumed hundreds of Austin breakfast tacos in order to write this guide. Oooh, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Let’s start with the basics: how does a breakfast taco differ from a breakfast burrito, exactly? It’s pretty simple: breakfast tacos are made with small tortillas (either flour or corn), and burritos are much larger. That makes the ratio of filling/tortilla much greater on a burrito, which is harder to eat.

Where did they come from? They’re not an authentically Mexican breakfast (duh). Breakfast tacos are Tex-Mex, a cuisine that originated in the kitchens of Mexican immigrants living in Texas. They’re simple, filling, and diverse; it took the general Texas population a while to catch on, but in the last few decades, breakfast tacos have become one of the most iconic foods in Texas.

Here in Austin Texas, we are obsessed with breakfast tacos. It doesn’t take a lot convincing to get anyone on board with the fact that breakfast tacos are a religion in ATX. They are delicious, warm, cheap, versatile breakfast meals that can be held in one hand. They are best consumed with a cup of hot black coffee.

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The ultimate guide to the best breakfast tacos in austin

1. Valentina’s Tex-Mex BBQ

Valentina’s is a BBQ/Tex-Mex food truck in far South Austin. It looks far out of town on a map, but the drive is sooo worth it for these incredible breakfast tacos!

For starters, they make their giant, fluffy flour tortillas in house. (Trust me – this makes all the difference!) The fresh eggs, salty beans, and smoked brisket or bacon honestly make these tacos my very favorite in Austin.

What to order: You have to try the Real Deal Holyfield (pictured above) at least once: it’s a flour tortilla filled with fried egg, potatoes, refried beans, bacon, smoked brisket or pulled pork, and homemade tomato-serrano salsa. Ooof.

Valentina's Tex Mex bbq

11500 MANCHACA RD, AUSTIN TX 78748

512-221-4248

2. Joe’s Bakery and Coffee Shop

Joe’s Bakery (not to be confused with Jo’s Coffee – that’s the SoCo coffee shop that’s famous for the I Love You So Much mural) has been a staple in Austin since 1962.

They make their own delicious flour tortillas in the bakery and they are SO good! This is a popular breakfast spot in Austin on the weekends, so expect a bit of a line. But one bite into that chorizo-egg-cheese breakfast taco and you’ll forget aaaall about the wait.

What to order: I love all of the basic breakfast tacos (bacon/egg/cheese or chorizo/egg/cheese), but the Carne Guisada is special here: they use pork butt (as opposed to the traditional beef) and slow-cook it before piling it inside a fresh, hot tortilla. Breakfast is served.

Joe's bakery and Coffee Shop

2305 E 7TH ST, AUSTIN TX 78702

512-572-0017

Also see: 11 Best Ice Cream Shops in Austin (Including Vegan Options)

3. Rosita’s Al Pastor

If you’re looking for a true hole-in-the-wall breakfast taco experience in Austin, head to Rosita’s Al Pastor. It’s an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant tucked into a little strip mall on East Riverside, with an accompanying food truck parked in the parking lot. The tortillas and salsas are all made fresh in-house, and it’s a great place to grab a quick, hot breakfast to start your day.

What to order: Any of the basics. These tacos are super cheap, so it’s a good restaurant to place a big order for the office. You’ll instantly become everyone’s favorite co-worker.

Rosita's Al Pastor

1911 E RIVERSIDE ST, AUSTIN TX 78741

512-442-8402

4. Fresa’s

Fresa’s Chicken Al Carbon has two locations: go to the Lamar location if you want drive-thru (omg this option has saved me on a few particular mornings!), or the South First location for a walk-up window where you can place your order in advance.

These are kind of “bougie” breakfast tacos. They’re a bit small, more expensive, but they start with homemade flour tortillas that are filled with REALLY tasty ingredients.

What to order: “The Margie” made with steak and egg and charred onions, or “The Lorenzo” (for something healthy) made with egg whites, spinach, black beans, avocado, cheddar, and serrano.

fresa's chicken al carbon

1703 S FIRST ST, AUSTIN TX 78704

512-992-2946

Also see: 16 Food Trucks You Have To Try In Austin

5. Polvo’s

Polvo’s opens early, but it’s rarely busy until the lunch/dinner hours when folks flock here for pitchers of margaritas and big plates of sizzling fajitas. However, sneak in right when they open at 7 am and you’ll see a few hard-working employees rolling out tortillas and cooking them fresh on the griddle before transferring them to a giant pile to fuel hungry customers throughout the day.

I appreciate that Polvo’s breakfast tacos are massive! A single taco fills me up on an average morning, or I’ll get two if I’ve finished a particularly intense morning workout.

What to order: Bacon/egg/cheese for sure. The chorizo/egg/cheese here is too greasy for my taste.

Polvo's

2004 S 1ST ST, AUSTIN TX 78704

512-441-5446

6. Cisco’s Restaurant

Everyone from famous Texas politicians to loud families with young kids to hungry out-of-towners have been enjoying hot Tex-Mex food and homemade biscuits at Cisco’s since 1950s.

Show up hungry for these big breakfast tacos! They’re exceptional whether you enjoy them on a plate in the casual eatery, or wrapped up in foil for an on-the-go East Austin breakfast taco experience.

What to order: The migas tacos at Cisco’s is great! I often just go with a simple bacon/egg/cheese, too.

Cisco's Restaurant

1511 E 5TH ST, AUSTIN TX 78702

512-478-2420

7. Tyson’s Tacos

Tyson’s Tacos has fully embraced the “weirdness” of Austin Texas with their eclectic taste in decor, creative menu item names, and the “free food for musicians” policy. (Just ask to tune and play the ukulele when you arrive, and you’ll get a freebie.)

They’ve got their own smoker out back, so the air always smells delectable. Try one of the scrumptious taco creations on the menu, or just create your own – you can’t go wrong here.

What to order: I recommend starting with the “Avocado Abogado” (egg, rib eye, avocado and skillet potatoes) or the “Fried Egg & Brisket” (fried egg, brisket, skillet potatoes and bacon) and then working your way through everything else on the menu.

Tyson's tacos

4905 AIRPORT BLVD, AUSTIN TX 78751

512-451-3326

Psst: planning a bachelorette party in Austin? Get my FREE 3-day PDF weekend itinerary!

8. TacoDeli

TacoDeli has been around since 1999, and now they multiple locations around Austin and have even expanded to other Texas cities. Here’s why Austin loves this place: TacoDeli uses organic, free-range eggs (you’ll taste the difference in your breakfast taco) and local produce and meat, their employees are some of the nicest people in the service industry (you’ll definitely be greeted with a smile!) and their breakfast tacos are available in almost any big coffee shop in Austin (super easy to find!)

Of course, the best TacoDeli experience is when you walk into the shop and order a fresh breakfast taco made-to-order, but you can also get a pre-wrapped taco from a steam tray at lots of coffee shops (try Houndstooth!). I have many fond memories of dark, early mornings in grad school, peeling back the aluminum foil of my “Jess Special” taco and sipping on hot, black coffee while driving to campus.

What to order: “The Otto” (organic refried black beans, double bacon, avocado, jack cheese – and then ask to add eggs, because every great breakfast taco should have eggs on it.)

TacoDeli

1500 SPYGLASS DR SUITE B, AUSTIN 78746

512-732-0303

9. El Primo Taco Truck

Join the line (and bring cash) to grab breakfast at one of Austin’s most popular taco stands. This is a fun little morning spot because it’s parked outside Once Over coffee shop, so you can order breakfast tacos at the food truck, and then walk indoors to get an iced coffee while you wait for your food to be prepared. Don’t have cash? You can also place an order online and use a card.

What to order: There are only 5 options, and I like them all. However, if I’m being 100% honest? I like the lunch tacos here even better than the breakfast tacos!

EL PRIMO

2011 S FIRST ST, AUSTIN TX 78704

512-227-5060

10. Habanero Cafe

This is a little family-owned, cash-only cafe in South Austin that serves cheap and delectable breakfast tacos every morning.

Sometimes I’ll meet friends here for morning breakfast dates, and other times Ill walk up to the front counter and place an order or 4 tacos to go for a quick weekend breakfast at home with Nate. My order is usually ready in 5 minutes.

What to order: Just do the build-your-own taco option here (tacos made with eggs + one more filling are just $1.55.)

HABANERO CAFE

501 W OLTORF ST, AUSTIN TX 78704

512-416-0443

11. Veracruz All Natural

Even if you’re not from Austin, you’ve likely heard of this food truck + restaurant because Food Network called their migas taco one of the “Top 5 Tacos in America.” No big deal. (PS: expect a long line if you show up to the food truck on the weekends.)

The migas tacos really is SO good! I appreciate that they put a hefty chunk of avocado on top of the crispy tortilla/egg/cheese mixture.

But don’t forget about “La Reyna.” It’s the healthier option on the menu, full of egg whites and mushrooms and all sorts of other veggies.

What to order: I mean…definitely start with the migas taco here.

veracruz all natural

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

512-629-8238

12. Texas Honey Ham Co.

Everyone told me to try this taco, and I put it off for a long time because I got “Texas Honey Ham” (a small west Austin restaurant) confused with “Honey Baked Ham” (a big country-wide company.) Oops!

Texas Honey Ham Company specializes in breakfast tacos and hot, grilled lunch sandwiches. You can fill up your breakfast taco with something other than ham, if you wish…they also have all the basics like bacon, chorizo, and sausage. However, since ham is obviously what they do (it’s in the title, after all!) try one of the ham breakfast tacos at least once.

What to order: The Taco Ranchero (any two items cooked with their ranchero sauce.)

texas honey ham co.

3736 BEE CAVE RD #6, WEST LAKE HILLS TX 78746

512-330-9888

13. One Taco

These tacos are FUN! The menu is bright and colorful and the tacos all have creative names like ‘The Big Kahuna” (fried egg, sausage, potato, cheese,) or “The Pancake Taco” (egg, potato, and bacon wrapped up in a pancake.)

There are a bunch of locations now, so it’s super convenient! (Psst: Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives featured this food truck, so you might have heard of it.)

one taco

1900 W ANDERSON LN, AUSTIN TX 78757

512-580-1322

14. Vaquero Taquero

I mean….DANG. Vaquero Taquero is at the top of the taco game! Simple, no frills, and absolutely delicious.

You can head to the food truck or to the new brick-and-mortar on Saturday and Sunday mornings for breakfast tacos. (I wish they were open on the weekdays, too!)

What to order: Keep it simple, here. Grab the black beans & queso fresco, or the chorizo & eggs. (Psst: just like I mentioned with the Taco Primo truck, I actually prefer the lunch/dinner tacos here to the breakfast tacos. That pastor taco is a WINNER!)

vaquero taquero

104 E 31st ST, AUSTIN TX 78705

512-366-5578

15. La Mexicana bakery

These tacos have made the list for one reason very important reason: La Mexicana is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When your flight gets delayed and you’re driving home from the airport at 2 am and STARVING, La Mexicana is a good option for a quick, cheap meal of breakfast tacos.

The tacos, in fact, are nor all that memorable. They’re serviceable. But the the food is hot, cheap, and filling, and sometimes that’s all you need.

la mexicana bakery

1924 S FIRST ST, AUSTIN TX 78704

512-443-6369

16. Taco Joint

“All tacos come topped with glorious cheese.” Ahhh! Everyone loves reading this on a breakfast taco menu…it means that cheese doesn’t count as one of your three toppings, so you can fill these babies up! Quick and convenient, Taco Joint’s breakfast tacos are a crowd favorite in Austin.