Austin, TX - #1
San Antonio, TX - #3
Houston, TX - #7
Dallas, TX - #14
Best Taco Cities Stats 🌮
California and Texas seem to be wrestling for taco superiority. California has one more city (5) than Texas in the top 15, but a Texas city (Austin) won the No. 1 spot!
Taco lovers who have visited both states know that each has something different to offer in terms of Mexican cuisine. It's all a matter of whether TexMex or CalMex is more your style.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who's ever visited Austin that the city doesn't just have a remarkable amount of taco places but also a population that loves tacos more than almost any other place on Earth.
Austin's overall Taco Passion score is 95.4 out of 100, 45.9% higher than the average city in our study (65.4). It's also the No. 1 city for al pastor and breakfast tacos, based on search interest.
This again tracks with Austin having the most taco places per capita out of any other city in our study. At 7.1 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, that's a whopping 255% more taco options than the average city (2).
As many Texans know, San Antonio and our No. 1. taco city, Austin, have long been rivals when it comes to which city has the best tacos. It's also long been documented that the heated discussions about tacos in these cities go much deeper than just how good the tacos are.
Since the two cities are so close, we'd recommend visiting both to compare the taco scenes (and barbecue scenes while you're at it). San Antonio has a lot of options, with 4.6 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, 130% more than the average city (2).
San Antonio's taco places also stack up fairly well in terms of quality to other cities. Its average Yelp star rating for taco restaurants is 4.35, 7.4% higher than the average city's (4.05). What's more, San Antonio is also really affordable for tacos. Tacos for three to four people in San Antonio cost just $12.91, compared to the average cost in the U.S. of $15.37.
Houston is known throughout Texas for having a diverse array of quality cuisine, most commonly Viet-Cajun, barbecue, Louisiana Creole, and Nigerian. However, Houston's taco spots fare pretty well compared to the average city. The average Yelp star rating for Houston taco restaurants is 4.15, slightly higher than the average city at 4.05 (2.5% higher).
Solange's hometown also has a lot of taco places compared to other types of restaurants, with 5.3% of all restaurants in Houston specializing in tacos. Houston has a 35.3% higher percentage of taco spots than the average city (3.9%).
Which taco terms, in particular, are Dallas residents most passionate about? Dallas ranks in the top five most-passionate cities for people searching for "tacos near me," as well as birria tacos, barbacoa, breakfast tacos, enchiladas, salsa, and quesadillas. It's safe to say Dallas loves tacos.
Tacos are also more affordable in the Dallas metro overall. Taco supplies for three to four people cost approximately $14.20, 16.7% less than the average cost of $15.37 in the U.S.
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San Antonio, TX - #3
Houston, TX - #7
Dallas, TX - #14
Best Taco Cities Stats 🌮
- Austin, Texas, is America's best taco city, while Hartford, Connecticut, is the worst. Jump to section👇
- Austin also has the most taco restaurants per capita, while Virginia Beach, Virginia, has the fewest. 👇
- Taco supplies are cheaper in the top 15 cities. Chicken, tomato, onion, cheese, and lettuce cost around $14.76 in the top 15 cities, compared to $15.37 in the average city in our study. 👇
- Tacos are the most affordable in our No. 2 taco city, San Jose, California — costing just 0.7% of residents' average weekly income. They're the least affordable in New Orleans (1.8%). 👇
- San Antonio, our No. 3 overall taco city, is the No. 1 city for birria tacos and quesadillas based on local search interest. 👇
- Oklahoma City, the No. 4 taco city, ranks No. 1 for overall taco passion based on Google searches in the area. 👇
- As our worst city for taco places, Hartford only has 0.7 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, 65% fewer than the average city. 👇
California and Texas seem to be wrestling for taco superiority. California has one more city (5) than Texas in the top 15, but a Texas city (Austin) won the No. 1 spot!
Taco lovers who have visited both states know that each has something different to offer in terms of Mexican cuisine. It's all a matter of whether TexMex or CalMex is more your style.
1. Austin, Texas
| 🌮 Tacos Over Here, Tacos Over There Our No. 1 taco city has the highest percentage of restaurants that are taco places than any other metro in our study at 7%. That's 78.8% higher than average (3.9%). |
It will come as no surprise to anyone who's ever visited Austin that the city doesn't just have a remarkable amount of taco places but also a population that loves tacos more than almost any other place on Earth.
Austin's overall Taco Passion score is 95.4 out of 100, 45.9% higher than the average city in our study (65.4). It's also the No. 1 city for al pastor and breakfast tacos, based on search interest.
This again tracks with Austin having the most taco places per capita out of any other city in our study. At 7.1 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, that's a whopping 255% more taco options than the average city (2).
3. San Antonio, Texas
| 😋 Come for Los Spurs, Stay for the Birria San Antonio ranked No. 1 for birria tacos and quesadillas in terms of residents' passions for the two dishes. Birria tacos are a Mexican classic but have really taken off in recent years in the U.S. |
As many Texans know, San Antonio and our No. 1. taco city, Austin, have long been rivals when it comes to which city has the best tacos. It's also long been documented that the heated discussions about tacos in these cities go much deeper than just how good the tacos are.
Since the two cities are so close, we'd recommend visiting both to compare the taco scenes (and barbecue scenes while you're at it). San Antonio has a lot of options, with 4.6 taco restaurants per 100,000 residents, 130% more than the average city (2).
San Antonio's taco places also stack up fairly well in terms of quality to other cities. Its average Yelp star rating for taco restaurants is 4.35, 7.4% higher than the average city's (4.05). What's more, San Antonio is also really affordable for tacos. Tacos for three to four people in San Antonio cost just $12.91, compared to the average cost in the U.S. of $15.37.
7. Houston, Texas
| 💲 Big Savings in H-Town Tacos in Houston are cheaper than in the average city. Taco supplies for three to four diners cost approximately $12.78, 16.7% less than average ($15.37). |
Houston is known throughout Texas for having a diverse array of quality cuisine, most commonly Viet-Cajun, barbecue, Louisiana Creole, and Nigerian. However, Houston's taco spots fare pretty well compared to the average city. The average Yelp star rating for Houston taco restaurants is 4.15, slightly higher than the average city at 4.05 (2.5% higher).
Solange's hometown also has a lot of taco places compared to other types of restaurants, with 5.3% of all restaurants in Houston specializing in tacos. Houston has a 35.3% higher percentage of taco spots than the average city (3.9%).
14. Dallas, Texas
| 🤠 In Good Company Like the other major cities in Texas, Dallas made it into the top 15! Dallas scored high for overall Taco Passion with a score of 90 out of 100, 37.6% higher than average (65.6). |
Which taco terms, in particular, are Dallas residents most passionate about? Dallas ranks in the top five most-passionate cities for people searching for "tacos near me," as well as birria tacos, barbacoa, breakfast tacos, enchiladas, salsa, and quesadillas. It's safe to say Dallas loves tacos.
Tacos are also more affordable in the Dallas metro overall. Taco supplies for three to four people cost approximately $14.20, 16.7% less than the average cost of $15.37 in the U.S.
Where to Find the Best Taco Places in America (2022 Data)
From the highest-rated tacos to the most taco places per capita, we ranked the nation's 50 most populous metros to determine the best taco cities in America.
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