Tacodeli

Believe the hype, kids. T-​del is the real deal. You can end your search and fire up your blogs because this is the best breakfast taco in town.
I popped in here on an unusually gorgeous 80º day in January after walking all over the boardwalk by Lady Bird Lake. I was OD’ing on endorphins and thought, Tacos. DUH!
Because it was Sunday, breakfast tacos were served all day. On weekdays they stop at 11 a.m. so keep that in mind. On the rec of the cashier I went with the Otto and a Vaquero on flour torts. Solid all around. The tortillas were sturdy, with a little fluff, and cradled all ingredients like Barry Sanders cradled footballs into end zones.
The Otto had crisp bacon, fresh cheese, ‘cado, and a refried bean paste that rounded everything out. Completely hit the spot. The Vaquero was a Goddamn Coachella rave tent in my mouth. Loved it. Crisp corn, fluffy eggs, sweet roasted peppers, same Jack cheese. Insane. Loved every bite and I never felt more like an Austinite than when I finished off each taco with their delicious selection of salsas. (Their dona is their call to fame and I can see why. It’s fiery and green and smooth and if you listen closely you can hear it say «I love you».)
I know I write long reviews sometimes, so if you’re looking up this joint on Unilocal because you can’t decide lemme help you out:
EAT AT TACODELI.

Always fantastic. And breakfast all day on the weekends, hooray! They close early (3/3:30pm) so make sure to go for breakfast or lunch.

There is no other. There is only TacoDeli.
Austin has many great taco spots. But nothing has the quality, consistency, flavor, and absolute magic of TacoDeli.
The ingredients are fresh, the recipes are creative, and the salsa dona is absolutely DOPE.
I lived across the street for a year– best decision I ever made.

All I can say is when you order the wrong thing and LOVE it, it shows how good taco deli is.
For breakfast, the Jess special and sirloin and egg are my go to tacos. I just feel ready for the day after those tacos. And unlike the «other» place, Tacodeli lets you choose one or all of their sauces, which I like all four. Tacodeli for breakfast and lunch on same day. I wish they were open for dinner.

I wish you could give 10 stars. 5 doesn’t do it justice. This isn’t your simple taco place. The flavors of each taco that comes out of here seems like they were devised by some magician taco genius.
There. Isn’t. A. Bad. Option.
I’ve tried everything on the menu numerous times. Not once has any of them been sub par. Definitely a must try and I guarantee it will become a regular stop for you. Once you start, you’ll get hooked and you’ll start craving Tacodeli everyday! Ahhhh so delicious

I got three different breakfast tacos for lunch. Each one was delicious and really hit the spot. I got them on tortilla. My only regret is not having more opportunities to return so I can try everything on the menu.
This location is pretty small — not a lot of seating.

This is the best Tex Mex restaurant ever created. I always get the Cowboy taco, one of there others (you cannot go wrong), and a Mexican Coke. The outdoor seating is great, especially by the benches on the side. Don’t forget to order queso!
Side note: If you are getting breakfast, the Otto is the best taco.

Tacodeli is life. This location is right by my friend’s office and another friend’s apartment, so I see myself frequenting it a lot. Parking is super easy, which is a perk because sometimes the lot at the lamar location is always cram packed that you have to find parking elsewhere, so bonus points to this location. The inside is smaller than other Tacodelis I’ve been to, but they make up for it with their quick service. We got our food in seconds.
The cowboy taco is a classic that I have to get every single time I go into a shop. It didn’t disappoint. Also the delibelly is an amazing taco that is a special on Wednesdays. The meat is so tender. I definitely recommend getting it!

I am sad I am not a fan. I took my mother here based on the reviews. Over $ 17 for 3 tacos and 2 drinks??? I can get 6 tacos and 2 drinks for less than that at my hole in the wall taco place.
I was even more disappointed when we got our tacos. We ordered the steak and egg tacos. We had 2 tiny pieces of steak in each of our tacos.
We didn’t bother complaining since it took so long for our order and it was packed with people.
Not sure what all the hype is. Next time my mom visits from out of town I’ll know where not to go.

I don’t know what happened to Tacodeli — but the last couple times I came here I was massively underwhelmed. The cowboy taco beef was kinda chewy and overcooked with barely any meat in the taco. Same with the Mojo Fish — just barely any fish in the taco, with the fish being kinda smushy like.

Got here at 11am for lunch. Beat the crowd and… The food… The tacos… Had a breakfast miga, then a Mojo fish and Tikin Xic. Now I know what to ask for if ever I find myself on death row.

You can’t beat it, I don’t care what out of town reviewers say. In addition to having tremendous variety (I’m looking at you, Torchys) they’re always friendly, clean and definitely consistent. The fillings are yum, and I trust them to source locally when possible. And the tortillas are always fresh and pliant! I also love the salsas and appreciate that it’s self serve. (I’d like to see less landfill waste — please get rid of the plastic)
And yes, there are taco trucks, but most look like they’re offering some free organisms as a side… Avoid!

Was just as good as everyone said it would be. I enjoyed the whole Austin experience, even as a local. The white cheese is the boss and you can’t go wrong with any taco. Try ordering online if you’re in a rush. I only tried lunch ones. I’ll come back for breakfast, but I hear they are just as good. Too bad there isn’t one in South Austin.

After reading several positive and negative reviews I decided to take a chance mostly because they have a decent vegetarian selection.
Small Corazon-​5 star salad with jalapeño ranch dressing and fresh, crisp romaine.
The Heather-​5 stars. Delicious and cheesy with a nice balance of ingredients.
Papadulce-​5 stars. The taco was both sweet and smoky with tons of flavor.
Several reviews mentioned a scarcity of ingredients. That was not the case for me. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t get meat, but I was pleased with the portion size and the customer service. Next time I’m in Austin I will be back.

Great fantastic food. A really great Tex Mex establishment.
I particularly enjoyed the guacamole and salsa. The tacos have some pretty unique combos to them and the beans are not traditional but tasty for sure.
This one will make it on the repeat list for sure!

I was told that, before I left Austin, I had to try the «other» taco place besides Torchy’s. That brought me to Tacodeli one day for lunch. I managed to beat the lunch rush on a Thursday, but I saw it come as I was eating. So, a beginning note: Try to avoid the rush. The staff was quick and ably handled the many taco-​craving customers; but if you’re stomach is rumbling, come early.
On to the tacos. I tried four, which was enough to leave me full but not «get me a wheelbarrow» full. Being of the non-​meat-​eating type, I went with the Shrimp Taco, the Fish Taco (which on this day was Mahi Mahi; usually it is the Texas drum fish, whatever that may be), the Space Cowboy (portabello mushroom and a poblano pepper sauce), and the Florentino (spinach, portabello, and red peppers).
I started with the Space Cowboy, and it probably was my favorite of the options. I appreciated the heaping serving of guac on top, not overwhelmed by the sprinkled queso fresco. The portabello was pretty thickly cut, so if you’re not a huge mushroom fan (as my dining companion is not), don’t pick this one. I, however, am a ‘shroom lover, so I enjoyed this taco. The marinate gave the taco lots of flavor but was not so overpowering that it dominated the other flavors. As an overall note, I also appreciate that the (flour) tortillas were not double wrapped. The single layer was sturdy enough to hold in all fixings, and without the extra wrap it wasn’t so filling. (The extra wrapping likely would have taken me to wheelbarrow status.)
The Florentino was a dud. There were fewer veggies, so the taco was pretty small. And no flavor stood out. This one needed salsa and probably more than I added. It was missing something. I say either add more salsa or some guac or stay away, unless you need minimal flavor to be satiated.
On to the fish, I dove into (pun intended) the Fish taco. This one was solid, too. The fish was flaky and had lots of chili flavor from the rub. All the flavors sang together, and it was nice and hearty. No complaints here. The shrimp taco, on the other hand, just tasted like shrimp. I’m still tasting it now. It was as if they had used shrimp cocktail instead of the advertised grilled shrimp; and the aftertaste of shrimp is just lingering on my tongue. Moreover, the onion inside wasn’t too grilled, so it crunched and munched the way thick, long slices of onion shouldn’t in a taco. I’d pass on that one again.
I was told the scallop special on Thursdays was tasty; the salmon taco was awkward (and, personally, I think salmon is a terrible, unacceptable choice for a fish taco); and as noted above, the mushroom in the Space Cowboy was too much, a point with which I don’t entirely agree. Another point in favor of the quick, friendly service. But if I come back to visit Austin and feel the need for tacos (and I think I would), I’m going with Torchy’s. Or I’d pick neither Tacodeli nor Torchy’s and instead choose a local food truck. Those are good options, too. Branch out, fellow Unilocalers. There is more to the world (and, specifically, Austin proper) than two taco joints!

Man oh man… I was struggling to decide what to order from the breakfast menu. The menu was simple in it’s mixes, no more than a few ingredients each, which really let’s the tastes com through.
The sirloin was well seasoned and fit well into a breakfast meal. Recommend 2 – 3 tacos per person and you’ll come out satisfied.
Only bad point: they went heavy on the egg and seemed to skimp on the other ingredients. Even the migas seemed too egg heavy.

This place is dang good. In a town of store bought tortillas and flavors gone wrong, Tacodeli gets it right. Living in mini Mexico (San Antonio) had given me expert knowledge of what makes a Btaco so delicious. It’s all in the tortilla. (do you hear me torchy’s lame breakfast tacos?!!) thin flour and it doesn’t over power the tacos. No one wants a taco where all you taste is the Tort. You want a delicate balance of the fresh ingredients on the inside, with a soft tort to melt in your mouth.
I’ve never been here for dinner or lunch. But for me, if it compares to what they do with breakfast, then I’m a fan and a half. I won’t even list what I had. Cause I’m sure everything you get will be amazeballs. Skip torchy’s and only use them for queso cravings. Come here for tacos.

Never disappoints!
This is by far my favorite breakfast taco in Austin. From the steak, egg, and cheese (I add avocado) to the Popeye, you just can’t hide the high quality (organic, sustainable, local) ingredients that make such a simple food taste so good.
This place also embodies all that is in Austin — located off the beaten path, near the entrance the greenbelt, the rustic feel gives it quite a bit of charm.

For the 1^st time husband made a suggestion on where to go eat! This may seem small, but since becoming a Unilocaler, I’ve suddenly become an instant food directory, but I digress…
Happy to finally see my husband put in a little effort, I obliged to his request for Tacodeli. So #1, parking isn’t great. Be prepared to maneuver a bit. We got lucky and pulled up just as another car pulled out, but I could see that others had to park down the street and walk. And really, I’m sure that walking wouldn’t be that big of a deal in this neighborhood as it’s right next to the Green Belt Hiking trail.
80% of their seating is on the patio and although the sun was out today, it was nice that the gas heat lamps were out. The wait was maybe 10 minutes to order and then another 15 minutes to actually get our order.
Considering we came during the lunch rush I won’t really complain about waiting. My husband ordered 2 rock fish tacos and 1 cowboy. I tried the Migas Royale and shrimp taco. All good food. Even the mashed potatoes weren’t that bad, but honestly, I felt like my plate went on a Weight Watchers diet. There was clearly no pork involved in any of that dish. A little «yuppied-​up» if you ask me.
What can I say, I like my migas very traditional. I gave it a try, but wouldn’t go back for seconds. Maybe for the shrimp, but not the migas. Just personal preference I suppose.