Texas Monthly just put out its first list of the 50 Best Tacos in Texas. Any such list is arbitrary by definition because, well, did José Ralat, the taco editor, eat every taco in Texas at every taco joint to make such an assessment? Hell, it took me a bit of time to eat, photograph, and write a haiku for every taco at Tacodeli, and that didn’t include the make-your-own permutations that mathematically amount to 185,120 different combos.
Ralat did travel 14,000 miles and visit more than 400 taco joints over six months, so props (and a ramekin of jealousy) for that. There are a lot of damn good tacos in this state, so finding good ones is like drilling for oil in Spindletop circa 1900. Whatever lands on such a list invariably includes many a good topped tortilla. I’ve already been to quarter of a dozen spots on the list, including Nixta (top ten taco), Suerte, and Ray’s Drive Inn, so I have 47 to go to fully assess Mr. Ralat’s palate poll.
I started my tour at what appears to be, at first glance, a ridiculous choice: a bean and cheese taco at The Original Donut Shop in San Antonio. I mean, really? A bean and cheese taco? At a donut shop? Now don’t get me wrong: I loves me a good bean and cheese taco, but does a bean & cheeser really make the top 50? From a freakin’ donut shop?
To complicate matters, I walked into the donut shop with an I-35 hangover after a 45-minute drive from San Marcos to San Antonio turned into a two-hour Fury Road side-pathed blood match. My patience and confidence in humanity was at a minimum when I entered the mid-century modern building. Dining is fast casual, and the space one notch above a dive (which is fine by me). Ralat didn’t specify if the “cozy” bean and cheese should arrive “toasted,” so I ordered one of each adding a slice of bacon on the toasted. I had to double take the prices: $2 for the bean and cheese and $2.59 for the bean and cheese with bacon. Say what? I was concerned these would be mini tacos, only enough to tease my hunger. A quick glance at the griddle revealed nothing but regular-sized tortillas. “Just two tacos, please.
Oh my. These were indeed full-sized tacos (so the value here is off the chart) and biblically good. Ralat’s use of the word “cozy” for these tacos is quite perfect, since they are warm and instantly comforting. The beans were beany and smooth (pureed?) and of the perfect viscosity for staying in the fold. I suspect these are the “real deal” beans with lard, but I couldn’t tell for sure. I’d say the cheese-to-bean ratio was abut 1:2 or 3; hefty, but balanced with the legumes. No question: this was the best bean and cheese taco I’ve ever had. The toasted version was even better, adding crunch to the warm glow of the standard-bearer. I should have taken photos of the innards, but one does not stop to snap the rose while ascending to heaven.
I walked out of The Original Donut Shop a new person. The world was suddenly brighter and full of possibility. The sins of I-35 had been washed away and replaced with birdsong.
Only forty-six tacos to go.
The Original Donut Shop, 3307 Fredericksburg Rd, San Antonio, TX 78201, +1-210-734-5661
austin wanderlist 