Tacodeli opened in Austin, Texas, in November 1999, and over the past 25 years it has grown to become one of the most popular taco purveyors in the state. To celebrate its quarter-century anniversary, the brand has brought back one of the features that endeared it to so many diners in the first place — a lineup of daily specials.
The taqueria founded by chef Roberto Espinosa and built alongside business partner Eric Wilkerson initially launched daily specials in 2003, continuing the practice until 2020, when the pandemic forced the restaurant to consolidate operations. Now they’re back, with five featured tacos served during the week and a special ceviche served on weekends.
A few of the specials are returning favorites that have populated the Tacodeli menu at various points over the years, while others are new creations.
The Brisket El Ray tacos are a multi-day process, featuring Akaushi beef cooked in bacon fat.
On Mondays, diners can get carne asado tacos made with hangar steak, avocado, onion, cilantro, and lime, while Tuesday brings a new chicken tinga taco featuring Mexican cabbage slaw and crema. Both are served in a Jack cheese-crisped tortilla.
Wednesdays mean new brisket tacos with bacon, caramelized onion, and salsa de árbol. Thursdays see the return of the grilled scallops taco with roasted peppers and corn, and the Friday special is a returning steak chimichurri taco with queso fresco.
The weekend ceviche is another blast from the past, featuring lime-cured shrimp or fish with roasted bell peppers, grilled corn, serrano peppers, onions, and guacamole.
“For 25 years, we’ve always done what we do for the love of tacos, and our new daily specials menu is another example of our approach,” said Espinosa. “I view it as a way for us to reflect on the company’s journey and say thank you to the customers that have been with us since the beginning.”
He added that the specials are here to stay, not just a limited-time offering for the anniversary, and that they’re a way for the company to showcase its culinary creativity.
The kitchen’s culinary chops also are on display in dishes like the special brisket taco, which is made with Akaushi brisket sourced from HeartBrand Beef. The preparation and cooking process take several days as the team slow-cooks the seasoned meat in rendered bacon fat to imbue it with a punch of flavor.
Those taco specials are joined for a limited time by $5 Margaritas and Ranch Waters, which will stick around at least through November 8, which is Tacodeli’s official 25th anniversary.
Today, the brand operates 14 locations across Dallas, Houston and Austin, including its new Austin location on South Lamar that opened in July, and its second Houston location, which opened in May. Tacodeli is planning several new stores across Texas in 2025, and hopes to open its first restaurant in Fort Worth in the near future.
Beyond its on-premises offerings, which include breakfast tacos, lunch and dinner tacos, salads, bowls, guacamole, and queso, Tacodeli also has rolled out a selection of its salsas in Whole Foods Market stores nationwide and at select H-E-B locations across Texas. That includes the brand’s creamy, jalapeño-spiked Salsa Doña. This fan-favorite salsa was created in 2000 by Doña Bertha Gonzales as part of an in-house contest held by Espinosa. Gonzalez won, and her salsa has been an iconic taco-topper ever since.
