{"id":69697,"date":"2025-03-07T00:01:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T06:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69697"},"modified":"2026-04-06T11:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:50:13","slug":"taconeta-el-paso-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69697","title":{"rendered":"Taconeta – El Paso, Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Taconeta, a James Beard Foundation Seminfinalist in the “Outstanding Wine and Beverage Program” Category<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The meme below purports to show where the highest quality of tacos in Texas can be found.\u00a0 \u00a0 Study the map and you’ll get the impression the meme’s creator believes tacos are “nonexistent” throughout about half of the Lone Star State.\u00a0 That includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as all of West Texas.\u00a0 \u00a0Most of what the meme’s creator believes are the Lone Star State’s “best tacos” can be found only in San Antonio and the South Texas Plains as well as in portions of the Texas Hill Country.\u00a0 A “best tacos” designation is also accorded to the El Paso area.<\/p>\n

There is, of course, no official sanctioning of this (or any other) Texas Taco Map.\u00a0 It’s just someone’s opinion, perhaps someone well traveled and conversant in the exploration of taco greatness.\u00a0 Much more highly regarded and as close-to-official as it comes is Texas Monthly Magazine’s “50 Best Tacos in Texas<\/strong><\/a>” listing.\u00a0 \u00a0Compiled by the Magazine’s “Taco Editor” Jose Ralat, who traveled around 14,000 miles, from Amarillo to Brownsville and El Paso to Texarkana, it actually validates that great tacos are to be found throughout the state.\u00a0 Contrary to the Texas Taco Map, great\u00a0 tacos aren’t the exclusive source of pride for an anointed few sections of the state.<\/p>\n

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Texas Taco Map<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jose Ralat<\/strong><\/a> (who’s got one of the two best jobs in the universe; the other is Texas Monthly’s “Barbecue Editor,” a position currently held by the legendary Daniel Vaughn<\/strong><\/a>) made some very interesting observations in his compilation of the best tacos: “My travels confirmed a shift in the state\u2019s taco scene that I first started noticing a few years ago. More than ever, chefs, cooks, and taqueros\u2014often Mexican immigrants or first-generation Mexican Americans\u2014are crafting nostalgic dishes from their blended cultures and incorporating native Texan ingredients. I\u2019m calling the movement New Tejano<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Ralat declared “El Paso is the epicenter of New Tejano cuisine<\/em>.”\u00a0 That’s not an affront to the great taquerias in San Antonio and Austin.\u00a0 It’s recognition of a vastly overlooked and perhaps underappreciated area’s tacos.\u00a0 My friend and blogger-in-arms Steve Coleman of Steve’s Food Blog<\/strong><\/a> has often lamented the lack of recognition accorded El Paso, especially on the national scene.\u00a0 While Houston, Dallas and Austin are widely acclaimed for their culinary excellence, El Paso seems to be relegated to the “Rodney Dangerfield” no respect pile.<\/p>\n

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Guests Line Up To Place Their Orders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Among the 50 best tacos in Texas–and Ralat sampled some 1,200 tacos during his quest to find the state’s best–three of the top ten are from El Paso.\u00a0 Perhaps most notably is ELEMI<\/strong><\/a>, whose chef Emiliano Marentes has been nominated for James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef – Texas” honors three times.\u00a0 Jose Ralat ranked ELEMI second among all the tacos he sampled.\u00a0 Ranked number five on the list is Taqueria El Tigre<\/strong><\/a>, in operation for only six months when Ralat compiled his listing.\u00a0 Ranked just below Taqueria El Tigre at number six is Taconeta which showcases ” tacos that are exemplars of the New Tejano movement<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Although heralded for its nixtamalized tacos and inventive cuisine, Taconeta is even more highly regarded for its beverages.\u00a0 In 2025, Taconeta earned a James Beard Foundation nomination in the “Outstanding Wine and Beverage Program” category.\u00a0 According to the Foundation, “The James Beard Awards have long recognized the critical role that beverage plays in the culinary landscape<\/em>.”\u00a0 It’s a category that “specifically celebrates the drinking aspect of hospitality<\/em>.”\u00a0 \u00a0Ostensibly, Taconeta’s nomination also recognizes the pairing of wines and beverages with tacos and other Mexican fare.\u00a0 It gave my friend Steve pause to reflect on that pairing.<\/p>\n

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One of Two Crowded Dining Rooms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though I’m an avowed teetotaler and Steve doesn’t imbibe adult beverages very often, we were both curious about the pairing of Mexican food with aguas frescas.\u00a0 It’s a topic he explored in his review of Carnitas Queretano<\/strong><\/a> in El Paso.\u00a0 No visit to El Chuco<\/strong><\/a> would be complete without breaking bread (or tortillas) with my friend.\u00a0 With Kim and The Dude in tow, we headed to Taconeta on an evening in which the winds threatened to blow us all the way to Kansas.\u00a0 We wondered half in jest if we’d be experiencing an unwanted pairing of dust and tacos.<\/p>\n

El Paso’s tempestuous winds didn’t dissuade aficionados of Taconeta’s beverage program and cuisine.\u00a0 Though we arrived just after 5PM on a Friday evening, guests were lined up from the entrance to the station where they placed their orders.\u00a0 It would be that way for the entirety of our visit.\u00a0 One of our servers confirmed that “it’s always this way<\/em>” and not resultant from the James Beard nomination.\u00a0 In better weather, he told us, lines extend through the outdoor patio.\u00a0 He also related that just as many guests visit Taconeta for its beverage program as for its cuisine.<\/p>\n

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Interesting Art Work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Taconeta’s street-facing facade is rather homogeneous, as bland and generic as so many restaurants.\u00a0 Step inside and it’s quaint and quirky, contemporary and traditional, hip and modern.\u00a0 It’s also loud…very loud.\u00a0 We weren’t able to catch up because we couldn’t hear one another.\u00a0 In part because dust obfuscated the sun’s illuminating rays but mostly because of the restaurant’s low strobe lighting, our photos aren’t of the best quality (my apologies).\u00a0 \u00a0Sound and sight distractions aside, we visited Taconeta for the food.\u00a0 That (and ostensibly the beverage program) is where Taconeta shines.<\/p>\n

The Taconeta experience requires guests to stand in line until they reach the spot where orders are taken.\u00a0 Once you’ve done so, you’ll be escorted to your table.\u00a0 On the minus side, guests might feel a bit rushed and will order more quickly than they otherwise might.\u00a0 My preference is to peruse the menu thoroughly then place my order.\u00a0 \u00a0On the plus side, waiters don’t have to repeatedly visit tables occupied by slow readers like me.\u00a0 Savvy diners will peruse the Taconeta menu online so that they’re ready to order when they reach the end of the line.<\/p>\n

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Mushroom Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2021, Jose Ralat described Taconeta’s menu as “veggie-forward<\/em>,” indicating it “packs a punch<\/em>.”\u00a0 In the Top 50 feature, he explained:\u00a0 “What sets this taqueria apart in the flour tortilla\u2013loving border city is its use of corn tortillas that are, you guessed it, nixtamalized. It also pays special attention to its beverages, offering fresh aguas frescas, agave spirits, and local craft beer<\/em>.”\u00a0 In part because Ralat raved about it, I had the vegan mushroom taco<\/strong><\/em> (tempura fried mushrooms, guacamole, salsa goku, pickled onions and crispy kale.\u00a0 It was undoubedly the best mushroom taco, if not vegan taco, I’ve ever had.<\/p>\n

Both from the standpoint of flavor and texture, this taco was as pretty as a picture (though because of my terrible photo it may not look it).\u00a0 It starts with the blue corn tortilla in which all ingredients are nestled like a mother embracing her baby.\u00a0 El Pasoans tend to like flour tortillas, so experiencing a corn tortilla is always a treat.\u00a0 Blue corn makes it even moreso.\u00a0 \u00a0Sheathed in tempura, the mushrooms retain earthy and umami qualities.\u00a0 Like Ralat, I appreciated that there were “no button mushrooms here<\/em>.”\u00a0 The goku salsa has a pronounced piquancy so apply it with caution.\u00a0 The guacamole is creamy and velvety…so good.<\/p>\n

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Milpa Bowl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Taconeta’s “Bowls” section of the menu came one (followed by maybe one-hundred) of the best bites of the evening.\u00a0 Those delectable bites are courtesy of the Milpa Bowl<\/strong><\/em> (Aztec salad spring mix, sweet potato, avocado, pickled onion, pepitos, golden raisins, achiote-citrus vinaigrette), a complete meal in a bowl.\u00a0 The option to add a protein (pollo, suadero carnitas, mushroom) is like topping gold with silver.\u00a0 My choice were the suadero carnitas.\u00a0 Suadero is a thin cut of beef from the lower part of the cow, between the belly and the leg.\u00a0 It’s often mistaken for brisket.<\/p>\n

Milpa, a Spanish term for a field in which food crops are grown, is an apropos name for this bowl.\u00a0 Outstanding would be an even better descriptor.\u00a0 I’m a “bowls guy.”\u00a0 You can literally toss any melange of related or disparate ingredients in a bowl and I’d enjoy it.\u00a0 This one just happened to have ingredients that went together like a fine orchestra.\u00a0 Each ingredient hit the right notes.\u00a0 My favorite was probably the grilled camote (sweet potato) which, along with the golden raisins offered a sweet contrast to savory ingredients.\u00a0 The pepitos provided a crunchy delight while the achiote-citrus dressing and pickled onions lent tangy elements to a well-balanced and delicious bowl.<\/p>\n

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Carnitas Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My Kim isn’t one for “exotic” fillings and would probably find tacos from one of Texas’s “nonexistent tacos” regions acceptable.\u00a0 Her favorite tacos always have been and remain carnitas tacos<\/strong><\/em> (pork shoulder confit, guacamole, escabeche, chicharron).\u00a0 Because of her inability to handle piquant items, she asked that the escabeche (quickly pickled carrots, cauliflower, jalape\u00f1os, and onions) be excluded.\u00a0 She praised the guacamole’s creaminess and fresh, deeply rich flavors and the slow-cooked, nicely spiced shredded pork.<\/p>\n

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El Teofilo Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have no idea who Teofilo may or may have been, but Taconera’s Teofilo taco<\/strong><\/em> (shrimp a la diabla, melted cheese) is one of the best shrimp-based tacos I’ve had.\u00a0 A la diabla is fiery and flavorful Mexican dish features succulent shrimp coated in a spicy, tangy, and smoky sauce made from dried chiles.\u00a0 Nestle those shrimp into a soft blue corn tortilla and add a layer of molten cheese and you’ve got a winner.\u00a0 The shrimp have the snap of freshness (thank goodness they weren’t fried).\u00a0 Teofilo, whoever he is or was, would be proud of the taco named for him.<\/p>\n

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Elote En Vaso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At some Mexican restaurants, substitutions aren’t welcome on dishes such as elote en vaso<\/strong><\/em> (corn in a cup).\u00a0 Taconeta let my Kim have her elote dish her way which is with no chile.\u00a0 The elote en vaso (Mexican white corn served in a cup with lime mayo, cotija, and chile powder) is terrific.\u00a0 A diner at an adjacent table joked that “the former first son would have snorted all that cotija<\/em>“).\u00a0 Hmm, why snort it when it lends such a tangy, salty flavor?\u00a0 It presents a pleasant contrast to the sweet white corn as does the lime mayo.\u00a0 More than contrast, the flavors are a delightful amalgam of flavors that work so very well together.<\/p>\n

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Tres Leches Confleis<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We’ve enjoyed dozens of pastel tres leches (three milks cakes) at Mexican restaurants throughout the Southwest, but only at Taconeta have we seen Tres Leches Confleis<\/strong><\/em> on any dessert menu.\u00a0 Confleis, in fact, is a term with which I was unfamiliar.\u00a0 The term is derived from the popular breakfast cereal, Corn Flakes.\u00a0 \u00a0Yes, Corn Flakes.\u00a0 The term applies does not apply to texture.\u00a0 I watched as our server poured a liquid from a large pitcher onto the pastel tres leches.\u00a0 He explained that the pitcher contained the milk of a sweet cereal (everyone’s favorite).\u00a0 That additional milk gave the pastel tres leches even more moistness and deliciousness than most tres leches cakes we’ve ever had.\u00a0 It’s an interesting departure from the standard.<\/p>\n

As we walked out of Taconeta, our ears still ringing, the consensus was that we didn’t necessarily enjoy the experience (we’re old and don’t like a lot of noise).\u00a0 On further reflection, however, I’ve got to say the dishes I had were all very, very good.\u00a0 Taconeta may have been nominated for a James Beard award on the strength of its beverage program, but the food is what I would return for.<\/p>\n

Taconeta
\n<\/strong>311 Montana Ave A-1
\nEl Paso, Texas<\/strong>
\n(915) 303-8038
\nWebsite<\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 7 March 2025
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 1
\nRATING<\/strong>: N\/R
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$ – $$$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>:
\nREVIEW #1459<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The meme below purports to show where the highest quality of tacos in Texas can be found.\u00a0 \u00a0 Study the map and you’ll get the impression the meme’s creator believes tacos are “nonexistent” throughout about half of the Lone Star State.\u00a0 That includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as all of West Texas.\u00a0 \u00a0Most of what the meme’s creator believes are the Lone Star State’s “best tacos” can be found only in San Antonio and the South Texas Plains as well as in portions of the Texas Hill Country.\u00a0 A “best tacos” designation is also accorded to the El Paso area. There is, of course, no official sanctioning of this (or any other) Texas Taco Map.\u00a0 It’s just someone’s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":69706,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4771,57,5647,727,35,553],"tags":[4781,4776,4777,4778,4772,4775,4774,4773,1509,4780,4779],"class_list":["post-69697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2025-james-beard-foundation-seminfinalist-in-the-outstanding-wine-and-beverage-program","category-mexican","category-rating-n-r","category-tacos","category-texas","category-across-america","tag-4781","tag-carnitas-taco","tag-el-teofilo-taco","tag-elote-en-vaso","tag-james-beard-foundation-semifinalist","tag-milpa-bowl","tag-mushroom-taco","tag-outstanding-wine-and-beverage-program","tag-texas-monthly","tag-top-50-best-taco-restaurants-in-texas","tag-tres-leches-confleis"],"yoast_head":"\nTaconeta - El Paso, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=69697\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taconeta - El Paso, Texas - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The meme below purports to show where the highest quality of tacos in Texas can be found.\u00a0 \u00a0 Study the map and you’ll get the impression the meme’s creator believes tacos are “nonexistent” throughout about half of the Lone Star State.\u00a0 That includes the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex as well as all of West Texas.\u00a0 \u00a0Most of what the meme’s creator believes are the Lone Star State’s “best tacos” can be found only in San Antonio and the South Texas Plains as well as in portions of the Texas Hill Country.\u00a0 A “best tacos” designation is also accorded to the El Paso area. 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