TacoProject

Taco recipes, taquería reviews and regional guides from Austin: al pastor, birria, breakfast tacos, salsas and the stories behind them.

Jamie Okafor

Recap: Taco Tuesday Meetup #42

Thanks to the 38 (!) of you who showed up for Taco Tuesday Meetup #42. We took over the patio, ordered roughly our body weight in tacos, and held the traditional end-of-night salsa vote.

Tacos de carnitas, carne asada and al pastor
Photo: Larry Miller / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A taco truck in New Orleans
Photo: Infrogmation of New Orleans / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
A barbacoa taco
Photo: Missvain / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)
Carnitas taco on a small plate
Photo: Jan Mark Holzer / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
A bowl of salsa verde
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. JED / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
A bowl of fresh guacamole
Photo: Nikodem Nijaki / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Highlights

  • New record: one member ate eleven tacos. He has asked to remain anonymous. (It was Greg.)
  • The salsa vote ended in a tie between a roasted tomatillo verde and a peanut-chile macha. Recount pending.
  • First meetup with a guacamole bar. Would do again.
  • Someone brought homemade horchata. Hero status confirmed.

Meetup #43 is next month. Watch the Events category for details, and bring your appetite.

🌮 Taco Emoji Etiquette: When to Use 🌶️ vs 🔥

Every Taco Tuesday group chat eventually hits the same crossroads: someone posts a photo of their plate, and you need to respond. Do you send 🌶️ or 🔥? We have opinions.

Use 🌶️ when…

  • The salsa is actually spicy, as in habanero or chile de árbol spicy.
  • You are warning someone before they take a bite.
  • You are rating heat levels, one 🌶️ to five.

Use 🔥 when…

  • The taco looks incredible, regardless of heat.
  • There is visible char from a real grill.
  • Someone just made their first batch of homemade tortillas.

And please: 🌯 is a burrito. Do not send it in response to a taco. We will know. 🌮

Review: Los Dos Compadres Taco Truck

Our score /5

4.5

Visited

March 8, 2025

📍 Taquería profile: Los Dos Compadres (hours, ratings, address)

A taco truck parked on a city street
Photo: Paul Sableman / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Short version: go. Long version: still go, but bring cash, patience, and a napkin strategy.

What to order

  • Carne asada: chopped fine, salty, charred. 5/5.
  • Carnitas: crisp bits and soft bits in perfect ratio. 4.5/5.
  • Lengua: tender, beefy, underrated. 4/5.
  • Quesadilla: fine. You did not come here for a quesadilla.

What not to expect

Seating. Shade. A menu longer than eight items. Anyone answering your questions about gluten.

Score: 4.5 / 5. The best dinner you will eat off the hood of your own car.

Review: Taquería El Trompo Feliz (Austin)

Our score /5

4.5

Visited

June 14, 2025

📍 Taquería profile: Taquería El Trompo Feliz (hours, ratings, address)

Taquería El Trompo Feliz sits on a corner lot in East Austin, wedged between a tire shop and a yoga studio, which feels about right for Austin. The star of the show is the trompo: a proud, lacquered cone of adobo-marinated pork crowned with a pineapple, carved to order by a taquero with the reflexes of a fencing champion.

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