After the closure of our beloved A La Carrera, Celebrity Intern and I were mooning about, wishing we could reunite ourselves with their delicious, cheap, oh-so-close-by breakfast taco-y goodness. Our stomachs were empty, our kitchen was bare. Whatever would we do to fill our growling bellies?
A flash of inspiration! I spotted the yellow paper where Foodie Banker’s original recommendations were listed, and summoned the powers of Authentic Mexican to discover…
… a place on the list we hadn’t yet visited!!
And thus we got into the truck and zoomed up north for a little action from La Tapatia (13450 Research Blvd).
The Yelp reviews were good, Foodie Banker’s other suggestions had all been solid, and so we approached La Tapatia with high hopes. Could this be our new breakfast taco fave?
photo via Yelp reviewer Kantiki J.
An unassuming little taqueria, La Tapatia is definitely a casual joint. We immediately liked their laid-back atmosphere, with beer posters and signs everywhere, bamboo shades blocking out the harsh glare of the morning sun, and plenty of Mexicans working in the kitchen and enjoying the cheap eats.
Perusing the menu, we discovered the Foodie Banker had been right about the cheapness of the place: you could actually get 3 breakfast tacos for a mere $3! Since we’re actually more into regular tacos for breakfast (as opposed to the egg/bean/potato mixes most people think of as breakfast tacos), Celebrity Intern ordered one a piece from the slightly pricier (but still exceedingly inexpeez) taco menu, choosing one beef fajita, one chicken and one beef barbacoa. I went the breakfastier route and selected the migas, which I’d never tried before but always heard good things about, around Austin.
Celebrity Intern inhaled his tacos, moaning with ecstasy, and so we have no pictures, unfortunately.
As for my plate, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I saw the giant size of my migas platter, particularly since the whole thing only cost $3.50. Piles of potatoes, refried beans, and an enormous omelette with everything but the kitchen sink thrown in, and plenty of salsa to top it all off right. It reminded me of the “mishmash” dish I occasionally ordered at a greasy spoon in Montreal, and I wondered how I’d manage to eat it all.
I ended up eating about 1/3 of the delicious creation, and got the rest to go. I was able to stretch one meal out for the entire day, since they provided tacos as well. You could definitely share this plate with a friend… or two!
We’ve been back to La Tapatia to sample more of their tasty tacos (I enjoyed the thick pieces of steak in their carne guisada, and Celebrity Intern is still salivating for more of their chicken tacos), and would highly recommend them to anyone with a hankering for some real Mexican in North Austin.
A La Carrera may be dead and gone, but La Tapatia lives on and has taken up the mantle of Best Breakfast Tacos. ¡Viva la revolución!
