Houston eaters are always on the hunt for a good taco. With terrific taquerias cropping up around town every week, it’s hard to keep track. To help Houstonians keep their eye on the prize, Jose Ralat of Texas Monthly, has released the 2026 edition of The Best New (Or Improved!) Taquerias in Texas. Featured on the list, are 5 Houston taco joints. Continue below to see the latest and greatest taquerias in Houston.
Alturas Mexican Cafe
Enjoy cafesitos, street tacos, and homemade tortillas at Alturas Mexican Cafe. The family-owned taqueria in The Heights, serves authentic Mexican dishes with recipes spanning generations. One such secret family recipe its the cafe’s rich mole, served over a slow cooked chicken thigh and leg topped with sesame seeds. Ralat also highlighted the pambazos, quecas, and cafe de olla.
Bar Xolo
The bar and kitchen head by two Mexico City natives, Chef Javier Becerra and Angel Bautista, Bar Xolo brings the spectrum of CDMX spices and spirits to Montrose. Housed in sophisticated digs, Bar Xolo offers a contemporary take on CDMX cuisine, with options like the Tacos Oscar, comprised of potato, caviar, and house-made cheese.
Huncho’s Tacos
Huncho’s Tacos is a Sugar Land-based taco joint that serves 100% Halal cuisine. It’s menu features an eclectic mix of staples, like Al Pastor and carne asada, alongside more creative options like its birria ramen and rib-eye tacos – both fan favorites.
At Maximo, Adrian Torres elevates modern Mexican cooking with house nixtamalized masa and creative plates. Among the Houston taco hotspots highlighted in Texas Monthly’s 2026 roundup, Torres stands out at Maximo—a modern Mexican destination previously honored with a Michelin Bib Gourmand—for authentic techniques like in-house nixtamalization and inventive dishes such as masa-encrusted fish and duck carnitas.
Zaranda (Honorable Mention)
One of the Houston standouts on Texas Monthly’s 2026 list, Zaranda delivers a wood-fired, coastal Mexican experience from Hugo Ortega. Zaranda is Hugo Ortega’s upscale restaurant offering a West Coast take on Mexican coastal flavors with wood-fired dishes and seafood. The menu ranges from tacos and tostadas to items from the Zarandeado menu, with pescado recommended as a standout.
