AUSTIN, Texas — It’s the battle of the tacos! California and Texas go head-to-head in a war over taco superiority in America. With the most cities in the top 15 of Real Estate Witch’s survey is California, at five. But rising to the top of the best taco city survey is Austin, Texas, at No. 1.
America’s love for tacos is beyond words. And fast-food Mexican-inspired dishes aren’t what’s being discussed here. It’s the authenticity in preparing tacos you won’t get at an Americanized Mexican restaurant that people crave.
Folks that want the taste of real tacos often bank on local Mexican food trucks and family-owned shops to deliver the goods. What’s better than the original?
The Lone Star State held its own in the survey, with Austin as America’s best taco city. San Antonio slid in at the fourth spot, and Houston made it in at 10. Dallas ranked No. 20.
Now, overall, the survey considered California to be the best state for tacos since five of its cities ranked in the top 15 — San Jose, No. 2; San Diego, No. 5; Los Angeles, No. 6; Riverside, No. 8 and Sacramento, No. 13.
Here’s how the survey results were determined:
- 6x: Taco restaurants per 100,000 residents
- 4x: Average Yelp star rating of taco places
- 3x: Cost of taco supplies — prices for 1 pound each of cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomato, and onion
- 3x: Affordability of weekly taco supplies as a percentage of average income
- 2x: Taco passion — Google Trends scores for 23 taco-related terms, such as “tacos,” “tacos near me,” “taco recipe,” “taco truck,” “Taco Tuesday,” etc.
- 2x: Taco restaurants per square mile
- 1x: Percentage of restaurants that are taco places
According to the survey, Austin had the highest percentage of taco-centric restaurants with 7.4%. Google search trends showed San Antonio “has the most taco passion,” and it’s the top city for birria tacos.
Other No. 1 rankings for California include Los Angeles for its carnitas tacos and San Diego for its fish tacos, based on Google trends Real Estate Witch found.
Cleveland was the lowest out of all the rankings.
The results of the survey is certainly up for debate. Which cities do you think should have made it to the top of the list?
FAQs
Austin has won the No. 1 spot two years in a row. The study said data was gathered by researching the number of taco locations in a city, and Austin had the highest percentage of restaurants that are taco places at 7.4%. “No one can say tacos aren't popular in the Texas capital,” the study said.
What is the number one taco city in the US? ›
1 spot. AUSTIN — A recent study done by Real Estate Witch that ranked the top 50 cities for tacos in America has reignited the never-ending great Texas Taco War. Austin came out on top for the second year in a row. Its eternal rival, San Antonio, ranked fourth, behind San Jose, California, and Las Vegas.
Which city in Texas has the best tacos? ›
The Lone Star State held its own in the survey, with Austin as America's best taco city.
What state has the best tacos in the US? ›
1. California
So, it's no surprise that this is simply the best city for tacos in California, which is chock full of taco hot spots.
What is the taco capital of the US? ›
With dozens of taquerias, restaurants and markets to choose from in one small city, it could be overwhelming to tackle this taco wonderland without a little direction, so here's your quick-start guide on where to begin in Kansas City, Kansas, America's true taco capital.
What's the #1 restaurant in the US? ›
And the top spots have stayed consistent. For the seventh consecutive year, Manhattan's Le Bernardin was named the number one restaurant in the U.S. This is also the fourth time chef Eric Ripert's signature seafood restaurant is ranked at the top spot globally.
What city has the best Mexican food in the USA? ›
Which US City Has The Best Mexican Restaurants?
- Washington, DC.
- New York City, New York.
- Chicago, Illinois.
- Miami, Florida.
- Houston, Texas.
- Dallas, Texas.
- Phoenix, Arizona.
- San Diego, California.
Was the taco invented in Austin? ›
In short, no one really knows for sure. Breakfast tacos — a staple meal to residents of Austin, San Antonio, Rio Grande Valley, and Corpus Christi — are widely believed to have originated in Monterrey, Mexico in the early 1900s before spreading to Texas around ~1950.
Who sells the most tacos in America? ›
Taco Bell. Taco Bell is one of the most well-known taco franchises in the world. In 1962, their first location was opened in Downey, California by Glen Bell. In the United States, Taco Bell and their franchisees operate over 7,200 restaurants that serve more than 40 million customers each week.
What city in Texas is known for food? ›
Austin is a well-known foodies' paradise, and both locals and visitors flock to the myriad food truck parks throughout the city.
Of course you might guess that Mexico eats the most tacos in the world. You also might assume that the United States is second, but no. Norway is #2 in taco consumption world wide.
Are tacos Mexican or Texan? ›
Tacos are thought to come from Mexico, long before the Spanish arrived. Ancient Mexicans used freshly made, soft, flat corn tortillas and gave them with fillings like fish and cooked organs. It was a staple meal that provided vital nutrients and energy to those who consumed it.
Which US states have the best Mexican food? ›
What states have the best Mexican food? Well, the border states, of course, and the closer to the border, the better. So El Paso and San Diego, for example, have very good Mexican food. Albuquerque and Santa Fe have superb Mexican food, and real Mexican (some Texas towns, such as San Antonio, are closer to Tex-Mex).
Which US city has the best tacos? ›
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin not only has the best tacos in Texas, but the best tacos in the whole country! The study by Real Estate Witch ranked the 50 top tacos cities in America, and Austin won for the second year in a row.
What state is known for walking tacos? ›
Are Walking Tacos a Texas Thing? The origins of Frito pie, which led to the more gussied up walking taco, are in some dispute. New Mexicans say that a woman named Teresa Hernandez created the dish in the 1960s at a Santa Fe Woolworth store.
Which US state has the most Taco Bells? ›
There are likely several reasons why there are more Taco Bells in California than in any other US state: Large population: California has the largest population of any US state, so it makes sense that there would be more of any type of business, including fast food chains, in the state to cater to the larger market.
What state is Taco Bell most popular in? ›
The state and territory with the most number of Taco Bell locations in the US is California, with 882 restaurants, which is about 11% of all Taco Bell restaurants in the US.
What city has the most taco shops? ›
Austin, Texas, has the most taco places per capita at 7.1 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents.