Picking the ten best tacos in Houston is something akin to picking the most beautiful women in Texas. There are far too many options to do any justice by limiting the list to just ten.
Instead of trying to pack the list with an arbitrary top ten, I spent the past three weeks pilfering other taco lists, talking to Houston's taco experts, driving the streets of Houston and generally gorging myself on tacos all over town in an effort to bring diversity and some sort of dignity to what may be Houston's most impossible list.
Another problem I found building this list for Eating...Our Words is that despite staying stationary a lot of the time -- some for upwards of years -- taco trucks are still mobile food units. Trucks I wanted to visit for this list -- like La Chona on the Northwest side and Tacambaro at Canino Farmers Market -- were nowhere to be found.
What follows are the very best taco varieties -- yes, I tried almost every version at each stop -- at some of Houston's very best taco trucks and taco stands.
10. Taqueria Taconmadre 905 Edgebrook
The big green bus still serves a gigantic menu of favorites -- their burritos made our Top 10 Food Truck Items last year -- but my pick is their small taco stand down on Edgebrook. The fajita gringa taco is the way to go but the traditional tacos are exceptional as well.
9. Taco Keto 1401 Cullen at Clay
Squatting in the parking lot of an auto repair shop across from the Kroger on Cullen, Tacoketo splatters its tacos --and its gorditas -- in bright red salsa before tossing the tortillas on the griddle. The result is a crispy spicy mess of a taco that is one of my very favorites in Houston. Go with the deshebrada, the shredded roast beef debris is juicy and meaty and pairs well with the crispy tortillas.
8. Taqueria Mora Irvington at Collingsworth
I'm a sucker for grilled onions on a taco. Taqueria Mora tosses its fajita meat on the griddle with plump onions for a taco that fans of fajita served on sizzling comals will be sure to appreciate. This new truck has been up and running for less than four months but it can hang with even the most established taco slingers in the city.
7. Dona Maria 2601 Navigation
My go-to hangover cure is this small mom-and-pop shop just down the street from my house on Navigation, which is run by a retired Houston firefighter and his family. Since it's open for breakfast and lunch only, get here early if you want a table during the weekend morning rush. The flour tortillas here are outstanding and I am partial to the chorizo even outside of its typical breakfast taco setting.
