Tacodeli

Best tacos in Texas! True to its roots and not ruined by the new fusion taco craze. A ton of fresh, organic, and flavorful options. Hope they extend the chain to Houston!

THE OTTO. Add eggs and jalapeños! Amazing and fast! Get the orange hot sauce it’s awesome!

Maybe it was coincidence that just today was an off day or maybe it’s psychological, but when I went today the food just didn’t taste quite as good as te Lamar Tacodeli location. Staff was nice as always! But my Tikin Xic lacked that special something that made it so amazing the last time I had it. Also, I’m sad to say, at this location at least (probably all of them), they no longer have the steak mole which is a real shame. I tried the chicken mole, but it just lacked that special something and I don’t know if that’s because of the location, coincidence/​day, or if I just like that item less. It just didn’t have enough flavor, which is unlike taco deli.
Fun story: I tried the make your own breakfast taco for the first time. The spinach and mushrooms were great, but I was shocked because it had no eggs. That’s what makes it a breakfast taco! Turns out, that is one of the items that you need to mention when you make your own lol. It’s right at the top too, I just missed it. Somehow, just spinach, mushroom, and cheese still tasted pretty darn good!
So while my experience today was a let down, it’s only a let down in comparison to my amazing past experiences. This is still really incredible food. But I’ll probably go out of my way to go to the Lamar location even though this is a lot closer.

As I look around me, after spending a decade waiting for my damned tacos, I cannot believe the technological advancement. It seems the internet is everywhere! Everybody has little TV screens on their phones now, too! Wow, the cars look so futuristic!
Seriously, every derned time I have gone to this place I have had to wait 20 – 35 minutes for my food!!!
Personally, I think Torchy’s tacos are much more delicious. They’re certainly faster with their taco cooking.
I literally waited *35 minutes* for an order of 4 tacos today…5 minutes in line then 30 minutes while their slammed kitchen prepared them. Everybody else waiting was all crowded around an exit and people at tables mostly waiting, but a few eating, so it was a big cluster F the whole time. Luckily it’s Austin so the patrons and staff were nice. Golly there are a lot of nice folks in Austin.
The employees could tell everybody was pissed about the wait so they offered free drinks and even gave me a couple coupons for breakfast tacos. Sorry Tacodeli, I’d use those coupons but I don’t want to lose another decade of my life waiting on you all. I would be afraid that by the time the free tacos got in my belly I robots would be in charge.
I vowed today to never go back to this Taco Deli, unless they somehow expand the location and their ability to cook tacos faster.
I would give 1 star, except I’m obviously annoyed with my experience today (so somewhat biased) and also the tacos are OK. Not awesome, OK. Again, not as amazing as everybody thinks. The «steak» was chewy and tendon-​y. Gross.

Taco Tuesday had come around and this place was on my try list! A buddy of mine told me they had a Banh Mi taco, so I was VERY interested in trying this out.
I got there around 2PM (they closed at 3PM) and it was painfully obvious that I was new there because I was taking so much time checking out their menu! The cashier was quick to address any questions I had and he recommended the Cowboy Taco and the Banh Mi taco and an order of chips n salsa.
Sat down and waited and noticed they served Maine Root sodas on tap! Nice! The tacos didn’t take long to come out at all, and I noticed the chips were prepackaged in plastic bags. Wasn’t expecting that, but they tasted great! Just wish they were warmed up. I will ask them if they can do that next time. I got their «Dona (pronounce DOH-​NYAH)» salsa and it was GREAT! Perfect balance of spice and garlic! After about 8 chips I started to sweat from the heat but I couldn’t put the chips down!
I took a bite of the Banh Mi taco and it was delicious! The pork cuts were juicy, hot and perfectly seasoned/​marinated. The pickled toppings and cilantro just just it all off perfectly. Loved-​loved-​loved it!
The Cowboy Taco was just as good with tender juicy cuts of beef and guac. The perfect signature beef fajita taco. The only thing I would do differently is have the tortillas cooked a little longer. I ordered them with flour and I like mine rather toasty. I asked the manager if I can order them that way and he said absolutely! So the next time I come in I will most definitely order them custom.
It’s a little pricey for tacos, but you’re paying for wonderful service and the top notch flavors that are packed into their tacos. Money well spent, in my opinion. The staff service was outstanding and I’m totally pumped to go back and try more!
PS. Be sure to sample their other salsas! Good stuff!

Can I give this place more stars? I get pumped up knowing I’m coming here and leave so satiated and blissed out. The food is consistently scrumptious and the staff here always leave a big smile on my face! Cute, outdoor seating and they have locally made cookies from Bribery Bakery now, too!

Amazing! Go there at least twice a week!
Freakin vegan and migas tacos are my fav!!! Always fresh!!!

I can’t lie. These are the best tacos you will ever have. My friend from Florida came to visit and insisted he needed to have tacos everyday. When he arrived, he wanted to go to multiple taco joints. After having Taco Deli his first day here, he didn’t want to go anywhere else. Ha ha! So we had Tacodeli 4 days in a row!
My only issue is I always get the craving for a taco at like 3:05pm. They close at 3. Just wish they were open a little bit later. I don’t have the typical 9 – 5 schedule. The mojo is my favorite!!! There are so many to choose from though you really can’t go wrong. The salsas are all great. Chips could be better but I never get them so it doesn’t really affect me. This location isn’t as crowded as the North Lamar so I always come here. Everyone is always super friendly.

I would love to leave it at all the nice things I said below but, unfortunately, one of their employees left a very bad taste in my mouth and I hadn’t even eaten there today. I was attempting to pull in to the alley behind Taco Deli that I take to get to my parking lot at work and her giant red SUV was parked right in the middle of the one lane alley (for her convenience of course. Never mind other people that could potentially need that alley clear to get to their place of business.) Since it’s not advised to back up in to on coming, rush hour traffic, I was forced to wait for the sassy employee to come out and give me attitude for being inconvenienced by her. Not only did she sit in her car for a minute, she then drive as slow as possible for the 50 yards or so of alley. I then walked in to speak to a manager, who while clearly mortified, had no interest in making sure a very upset regular patron of Taco Deli’s left feeling a little better about the business she was entrusted to manage. Not a shining day for this location at all.
I officially work with in walking distance of my favorite taco joint. Breakfast? Yes! Lunch? Yes! Dinner? Nope. The only bummer is the early closing time and the fact that it is always packed. What else can I expect from a place that serves up deliciousness on the regular. This new job of mine came with the standard benefits and one seriously lucky location bonus. I’m a very happy girl these days.

I used to be curious as to why people would wait in such lines at all of the taco deli’s around town, until I stopped in and tried it for myself. Obsession at first bite! I now frequent taco deli at least twice a week (sad, crazy for tacos girl, I know). I have a few favorites. The cowboy, vaquero, sirloin egg and cheese, and the pork belly when they have it. I always get the blue plate special that can find with a variety of choices as far as beans and rice, plus two tacos. I love their queso and the fact that they offer Maine root sodas. Pro tip: skip the massive line and call in your order ahead of time so that it’ll be ready when you arrive. Also, don’t forget to try their doña salsa!!! Delicious!

Amazing breakfast and lunch tacos in Austin.
Vegetarian customers should try Heather and Freakin Vegan.

Hot Sauce Aficionados– Welcome! I had a good ol’ time trying out the sauces. La Doña is where its at. Having never been here and wanting to score some breakfast tacos I went on the advice of the cashier and just went along with what they liked and the Migas tacos was good! I added on some guac and steak, loved it. This visit was a to go order but I will be coming back and checking out that side patio.

Got the cowboy and delibelly. Both were so good and filling. Also ordered the queso and it was so good– a mixture of queso, salsa, and guac. I came around 12:30 on a Saturday and the line was quite long but the wait was manageable, around 20 minutes? Even though it was prime time lunch time, my friend and I were able to find a table right after ordering. Workers are very nice and friendly too.

Great service and ambiance. In a quick pinch, I’d go again but the food overall was average to me.

This location is the unofficial cafeteria for IBM employees down the street. The wait times are insane after 12PM weekdays.
With that said, the tacos are amazing and the rotating daily specials adds variety to the already large selection.
Try:
Bahn mi
Akaushi hangar steak
Scallop
Al pastor

Can’t go wrong with breakfast tacos, right?! Especially if they’re served all day on a Sunday. With that being said, The Otto, The Jess Special & The Sirloin, Steak & Cheese were good choices. Whether it’s something hearty like their streak or something light like their migas mix, you can’t go wrong with any choice on the menu. As far as sauces/​salsas, make you try their green side, not the verde but the other one (I can’t remember the name all of a sudden), real spicy but real good!

This is a great example of why I usually give second chances before leaving a bad review. I wasn’t a big fan of Taco Deli in general for a long time. I stopped in at a N. Lamar location once when I was 19 and in a rush to get to my job. In hindsight, I should have known better than to try so many new things at once (its just not my style). I got the papas, egg, and cheese taco and even though I knew it was mashed potato style, I thought it would hit my craving and it just didn’t. Pretty simple, the mashed aspect changes the flavor and texture of a traditional breakfast taco and it just didn’t sit right. I was disappointed in how long it took (again, I came in during peak hours when I was already running late) and tried kombucha for the first time… what a mistake.
I guess the experience stuck with me and I didn’t give them another chance until years later. Although not convenient for me, I do occasionally go to Coffee Bean on another’s request. They are a carrier of Taco Deli and desperation one morning had me ordering a Jess Taco. It was amazing. Not only did it taste fantastic but the portion size was consistent with what you would get in store. Another one of my coffee shops recently started carrying Taco Deli and as this new location had just opened up near me, I started frequenting during late start days at work.
I specify my need to go only on late start days because the line is almost always out the door on weekends. Even calling in a to-​go order usually has me waiting for quite a bit. But they sell it by having friendly staff and great food. My regular order is a jess on flour and a papas, egg, and cheese on flour. Yeah, I started craving what I once couldn’t stand. Its all in the timing.

Love, love, love the cowboy taco. The meat (beef tenderloin) is cooked perfectly. Comes with grilled corn, carmelized onions, roasted peppers, guac, and queso fresco. It is a small taco for $ 4, but every bite is worth it. I have tried the happy taco (free range chicken) and wants to try other tacos, but the cowboy is just so good, I don’t want to be disappointed.
This location has a nice patio, kid and dog friendly. They do not serve lunch until 11am and closes at 3pm.

Lunch is better than breakfast tacos when it comes to TacoDeli. I was so excited when I saw this spot opening in my ‘hood. I’ve been to many other locations, and I love the local feel, with all organic and fresh ingredients. Awesome. They also serve local kombucha, which I always enjoy with my tacos at TacoDeli (giving my liver a break from taco + tequila). The peeps working are great, upbeat and friendly. They have plenty of parking, you can usually get in and out quickly, and it’s usually DamnGood (oops wrong slogan).
Ok one weird tidbit. A classic potato-​egg-​cheese taco (my fav)… The potato is mashed/​purée/​whipped weird potatoes. Do not like. Oh, and their queso is pretty good (not DamnGood) but the chips come in individual sealed packages. Weird.
Overall I will continue to eat TacoDeli for lunch, but I’ll probably hit up Torchys or Taco Shack for my breakfast fix.

Oh my goodness I love Tacodeli.
I’ve had Torchy’s in the previous years, but now Tacodeli has also stolen my taco loving heart.
This is a brand spankin new location that is walking distance to my cousin’s house, so I ate here about 5 time in less than a week.
There is always the debate whether Torchy’s or Tacodeli makes the superior taco. Here’s my Vegan point of view!
Tacodeli has waay more vegetarian and vegan options. They have an entire section dedicated to us veg folks, and even one already made vegan called the «Freakin Vegan.»
–Chips and Guac: This guac is simply amazing and is a great thing to munch on while you wait for your tacos.
–Space cowboy: Vegan without the cheese. This was apparently the «must-​order» since it’s the veg version of their cowboy taco, but it was just ok in my book. Port mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted peppers, guac. It is a good combo!
–Florentino: Another portobello mushroom taco variety, but with sauteed spinach. I also thought this on was ok. I guess I’m not a huge fan of their port mushrooms.
–Freakin Vegan. Simple and delicious and the only vegan option available during «brunch/​breakfast» time. It’s just black beans, pico, and avocado. But it’s so good because they pile the beans! So much beans! Plus add the fresh avo, and you have a messy, overflowing, delicious taco. Get it on the flour tortilla for maximum quantity.
–Papadulce: My favorite! Although it’s unfortunate that it’s not «100% vegan.» It contains a little honey in it. But the sweet potatoes are just so amazing and goes so well with the grilled corn, caramelized onions, and roasted peppers. Delicious! I ate it again and again and again.
They also have a great variety of sauces, but the spicy one fell flat for me.
This location also has amazing customer service, super friendly and helpful. Lots of outdoors seating that is pet friendly!
I was back and forth between Tacodeli and Torchy’s for a while. I think Tacodeli wins for «overall experience,» but I have to give the edge to Torchy’s for now. You can hop over to that review shortly to see why…