I moved here from Southern CA a few years ago and can't say enough great things about TX... but we…read morearen't huge fans of "TEX MEX". I have tried dozens of places in Austin for tacos and just can't seem to find anything close to the tacos I enjoyed when I lived in San Diego.
Living in San Diego, I spent a lot of time in Mexico and I would definitely say they make tacos a particular way. And it was easy to find places in Southern CA that served what I refer to as "authentic" Mexican tacos. When I came to TX, I had heard all about TEX MEX and the "tacos" and was really surprised at the difference between the tacos here and the ones from Mexico/SoCal.
But, I'm resilient as a "foodie". I will keep trying until I find that one place and yesterday... I finally found what I would say are the MOST authentic Mexican tacos. I happened to find out about this place on a Facebook post and drove out. It's not a place I would have driven by and even if I did, I might not have stopped. But again, I am determined to find someone who can make tacos like I'm accustomed to eating. It's a little trailer located right on the road and they have a big "TACO" sign on the road so you shouldn't miss it. If not the sign, you will probably see a crowd of people enjoying tacos or waiting for their order.
I started off ordering what I would consider the 'basics' - a Carne Asada taco and an al Pastor taco. For me, if these are good, the rest of the food is likely to also be good. For starters, they prepare it when you order it! This is a great sign. So many taco places I have been to, they have the meat all ready and just scoop it into a taco shell. Taco meat should be made to order and not premade so already, you know this is a quality taco shop. You can get corn or flour tortillas but I strongly recommend the corn for a taco. They serve them the traditional way with two tortillas and the tacos come with a generous serving of meat. And talk about hot and fresh! I've also found here in Austin, it's been difficult to find legitimate salsa. I had the green sauce and without question, the BEST salsa I have had since moving to Texas. They really should be selling their salsa!
My first round of tacos was so amazing... I ordered more! I ordered more of the carne asada and al pastor to take home to the family and even ordered some bean & cheese burritos. Oddly enough, a bean & cheese burrito is such a staple of just about any Mexican restaurant in SoCal but try and get one here in Texas and it's almost impossible. It was refreshing to find a place that makes a bean & cheese burrito and make them authentically; in a large flour tortilla.
If your only experience with Mexican food is "Tex Mex", do yourself a favor and make the trip out and experience some authentic tacos. If you have moved here from SoCal and are missing tacos from home... you'll want to make the drive out here for these tacos! And if you like spicy, you must try the green salsa.
By the way, to save time, they do take phone orders so you can always just place your order on your way over and they will have them ready when you arrive. They are very nice people and the food is amazing!