Casita Taco

noooooo! they can’t close! GREAT tacos and the staff are always so nice.

So fresh! I’ll have to come back to try more items. I can only eat 2 tacos at a time when they’re so cheaply priced at 1.25 each (before noon price). Love LOVED the egg and sausage, but slightly disappointed by time I ate my second taco, egg and chorizo. I guess that’s a 50% star rating, but I was just amazed by the first taco.
If you’re stopping by for breakfast, place your order, walk over for Irie bean for a coffee, and then your tacos should pretty much be ready :)

Meh, these are seriously bland tacos. I thought my first visit was a fluke so I gave it another shot, but no luck.
I imagine this would be really good if you had never visited any of the other more competent taco places in the city. There 3 better places within a mile of this location.

My only comment: the migas breakfast taco is much better at other places. Get the pork taco here. It is divine. Also, the salsas and service rock!

Apparently I’m very fickle about my «favorite breakfast taco» place. I’ve lived in this neighborhood awhile but never even knew this place existed until I noticed the sign for some reason driving to work. Finally got to try it today. Awesome because it is within short walking distance of my place.
Really unassuming place when you walk in, order at the counter and your delicious tacos are made to order. Had a bacon and egg and migas taco. The migas was the standout, with fresh ingredients and coming piping hot off the griddle. The two ladies working at the time were great. Salsas, especially the green, were excellent.
I love finding these little local neighborhood gems, especially when they’re a 5 minute walk from my place. Will definitely be back for more.

How the heck did Casita Taco on Lamar surprise me? It looks very unassuming at boring in terms of its design. I mean, it was cleaner and nicer in service than 90% of the tacos joint I have been to. Yet… it still maintained the very nitty gritty of a good joint at which to grub on some Mexican handheld goods.
With a simple menu, they really keep things well in their reigns of quality control, and that is for good cause. The use very soft and moist white corn tortillas for their breakfast staples, and they utilize some pretty solid ingredients, as a whole.
As you may have seen from some of my other postings, my standard for a breakfast taco starts with beans and ends with potatoes. By standard, I mean that I only order those few items. The potatoes came in large slices, and were a touch bland. The creamy beans did not provide not enough beans compared to the doubled up tortillas. I do like the double tortilla method as to add mass and hold the fillings, though. Nice touch, Casita.
The chalupa is smaller than most, but they pile on the ingredients. I had 2 full mounds of guacamole and a good smear of beannage. The bowl-​like chalupa holds onto ingredients more efficiently than the normal tostada.
Casita does a fine job in providing you with your grab and go sort of goods that fulfill your quota for the most important meal of the day. Plus, it is found in a nicely kept sort of dining establishment, not infested with bugs. And the offerings here are straightforward, so not as to ward of the business folks dropping in for a «bacon, egg, and cheese.» Salsas are OK at best, in my opinion.

At some point over the course of the 7 years I’ve been in Austin, I succumbed to what I still view as the irrational love of breakfast tacos. After all, there are so so many far superior foods than tacos, from poached eggs and hollandaise sauce to crepes and french toast, yet somehow I am totally hooked.
Anyway, the Casita breakfast taco menu is unassuming and at first glance I was not sure how they had 4.5 stars based on such a small and simple selection.
That was before I opened my first of 3 breakfast tacos. Flavorful, moist, and absolutely delicious with fresh tortillas. I had a migas taco, and potato egg and cheese taco, and a sausage egg and cheese taco, and they were all superb. For breakfast tacos alone, this place is 5 stars.

Casita Taco is inexpensive and yummy comfort food. Everything on the menu is exactly what you expect and exactly what you want. The chips are delicious, as are the breakfast tacos, the burritos, the nachos, and, well, everything. The people behind the counter are incredibly friendly and sweet and always accommodating. There is some awesome synergy going on between them and Irie Bean next door, and the shared back porch is one of our favorite places to hang out on a weekend morning.
I can’t think of a single critical thing to say about this place.

Seriously authentic tortillas and so close to my house! They taste like my mom’s tortillas.
I agree with the racist Unilocaler’s review for this restaurant, the food definitely tasted like it was made by someone who «came from the Home Depot parking lot». Except for they wrote it as an insult. I am writing it as a compliment. The more Mexican the cook, the better my Mexican food. Seems like pretty elementary logic.
Go eat tacos here now. Also, don’t plan on sitting because there are a limited number of seats, so pick em up to go or eat em standing up.

I have lived behind Maria’s Taco Express for over a year, and except for one time during that crazy snow storm last February i have walked strait pass that place and over to Casitas. Consecutively good food, friendly service and excellent prices. I have never had a even a remotely bad experience here.
By far my favorites are the migas tacos, always perfectly cooked, and the flour tortias are thin and crispy (who cares where they come from; there great) they don’t hinder the taste of the actual filling inside like some really thick ones can. Eggs are always perfectly cooked, and the roasted salsa is muy delesioso ! They are also right next door to ire bean so I get fantastic coffee as well.
If I’m hitting this place up for lunch I get the Roasted Pork Baja Torta, its around 5 bucks and I can never finish it. It reminds me of the ones I use to get back in Mexico, bread is toasty, its messy as hell, and the pork is super tender.
Every single employee here has always been super friendly and smiley .
Bonus points because they have an amazing patio out back, have outletes outside to plug in my computer, and they always have clean water bowls for my doggies.
I’m moving to Denver at the end of the month, and I think I might miss this place the most. You rock ! Keep up the good work!

Yum!!! Look, this is a small, family owned taco shop and that is their thing and they do it very well.
1. Nicest people in all of Austin and amazing customer service. You can order food, and then go get coffee at the place next door — and they will bring you your food when it’s ready. Or sit in the back courtyard which is really nice and a little hidden gem on S Lamar. Service with a smile.
2. It is inexpensive. Breakfast tacos are even cheaper if you actually go there at breakfast time. They load you up with steak, or whatever meat you ask for. No chincy tacos.
3. Sometimes I just go in and tell them what I feel like eating, and it isn’t even on the menu but they make it however I want it, and they don’t charge too much. A business that aims to please!
4. Salsa and sauces are all homemade and are very good. Get the roasted salsa.
No frills, little family taco shop. If you are hungry, they can help you. I only wish they opened at 7am so I could get there pre-​work.

I’ve been eating here for a year now and haven’t had a bad meal yet. I mostly go for the simple stuff, egg & potato w cheese is my favorite, but it’s all well made.
This isn’t an extravagant restaurant which makes it a winner in my book because it’s closer to me than Taco Xpress and more concerned with their food than what celebrity photo to hang on the wall.

Yummy in my tummy! Those tacos were so awesome.
Since I wasn’t in the mood to pay for an overpriced breakfast buffet at the hotel, we were scoping out a place to eat on the way to go kayaking.
I was about to U-​turn when I see a small sign that says «breakfast tacos». Yay! Love those two words… Nearly melting in the June heat, I eagerly parked and was in a hurry to find this taco oasis.
Inside, I asked the counter man if they were done serving bfast tacos and he said yes-​only to crush my food soul. Turns out he was only kidding. Jokes are not received well when I’m hungry. Period.
The waitress brought over two corn tortillas overflowing with perfectly cooked eggs, potatoes and melty cheese. Topped off with a tiny bit of salt, pepper and roasted salsa. Harmony.

Great place to get tacos in the heart of South Lamar!
So I had a bunch of errands to do and I really had a craving for some breakfast tacos, some South Austin ambiance and a cool place to chill. So I stopped off at Casita Taco, which is right next to Irie Bean coffee, another great hangout. I walked in and ordered my tacos from a sweet lady that treated and talked to me like we were directly related. She was very accommodating, social and likable. The tacos were made to order and they were EXCELLENT! She offered up specials and even told me that if I came back, that I could phone in my order and pick it up. I had my choice of sitting outside watching the South Lamar traffic or sit in the back which was a gorgeous zen garden/​patio in the back. Complete with a great sitting atmosphere and fountain.
What a great place to enjoy your day, get some work done and enjoy what this great South Austin café has to offer. It really doesn’t get better than this!

I used to live by good olé’ Casita Taco and would go there quite often but it has been a while. I was on my way to a meeting today and went by to get a bean and cheese Taco. It was exactly the same, super sweet lady at the front taking my order, clean place, and 4 different sauces to choose from.
And if you are trying to eat on whatever change you find in your couch cushions then this is the place for you. My bean and cheese taco was $ 1.60! The tortilla was fresh and looked homemade, bean and cheese was pretty standard but it was warm and filling i used the green medium sauce, and it was delicious. Great stop for a breakfast taco.

I’d been here once before, to-​go migas that were oily and bland, with beans and rice that were pretty gross, in a styrofoam container with a plastic fork that I just figured were the cheap way to go.
Stopped here again, figured I’d try the cheese enchilada (generally one of my favorite foods, I should mention). Specifically asked the lady behind the counter if it was vegetarian, said I’d eat it there. So in 5 minutes when they plop a styrofoam plate on the counter, I take it to my table and voila! It’s cold and full of chicken. Umm…
5 minutes later the cheese enchiladas are served up, wasting more styrofoam. It’s a couple wimpy-​looking corn tortillas rolled around… get this: shredded UNMELTED american cheese.
Pretty sure the cook came from the Home Depot parking lot that morning.
Vegetarians, and people who like anything but the cheapest worst food, should avoid at all costs.

Casita Taco is a trusted member of my, «HOLY BALLS! I need a decent taco MEOWWW!!!» list.
It’s easy to get to and park, and it’s relatively quick to get a taco. When Taco X-​press is too packed for my tastes, I have no regrets to going across the street to this place.
They have great made from scratch taco sauces and they’re always very friendly. If you need a decent taco or two to start your day, this place will do in a pinch if you’re not feeling like fighting the sea of taco enthusiasts at Taco X-​press or Taco deli.
mmmm tacos.

I am a south Texan born and raised and the one thing I miss the most about home is the best damn breakfast taco you or any one else have ever tasted. Now I understand I won’t get that here in Austin and I don’t expect to.
But when I read here on Unilocal that they make their own flour tortillas I felt a little tiny glimmer of hope.
I was let down, big time. I watched the lady pull the tortilla from the bag, the taco filling was just average and my breakfast of 2 tacos and a soda totaled over 5 dollars (I would pay more than that for a real tortilla)!
Store bought tortillas, yuck. Wake up Austin! We need some real tex-​mex, not any more lazy excuses.
I can still taste

Here is my top ten list of reasons to go here, Letterman style:
10. The new owners have been running this place for the past 6 months and it is a family-​owned-​company, not a part of a chain!
9. You will on average pay $ 2 per breakfast taco that will consist of fresh, in-​house tortillas and fresh ingredients!
8. These new people leave the salt and peppering or salsa-​ing up to you!!! Which is apparently a nice change considering past reviews!
7. The husband ordered barbacoa and said it was the best he had in Austin (and he has tried barbacoa repeatedly in various locations).
6. The secret to their barbacoa is that the use leaner cheek meat and mix it up with roast so that it is not fatty!
5. You can get tacos without meat! You can also get Mexican coke in a glass bottle!
4. They buy their meat and ingredients locally! (Always a nice way to go!)
3. There is outdoor seating/​it is wheelchair accessible, too!
2. Their number one seller for lunch/​dinner is the Ranchera Burrito for just $ 6.95 and worth each cent. This is a large burrito with your choice of Charbroiled Steak, Charbroiled Chicken, Roasted Pork, or Barbacoa, this burrito includes cheese, rice, beans, sour cream, fresh guacamole and salsa. YUM.
1. And the number one reason to come here is to meet Anel (Anelle), whom also goes by «Nellie» because she is the most charismatic, compassionate, and friendly person on that side of Lamar! She works hard, cares about everyone, and really wishes the best for all people! Always ask her what to get to eat there, too, she will lead you in the right direction. She is the lady that in the last review tried to cross Lamar to give that nice man his burrito. They just don’t make them like her anymore! :)

Mexican food is boring, and those big-​as-​your-​head burrito places are especially gross.
Still, when the change machine at the car wash across the street wouldn’t take any of my crisp, new $ 10 bills, I decided to go into Casita Taco for lunch (and for some change to wash my car).
I ordered the first thing I saw on the menu: A pulled-​pork burrito, which cost nearly $ 7 with tax. They made it while I went back to take care of my car.
The burrito? Big as my head. Had rice in it, which is weird, and could have used more meat. And the sauce (served in little ramekins on the side) was just an orange liquid. Not like salsa at all.
Still, it was pretty tasty. It was a lot more than I could eat, and it was the first thing I’d eaten all day (at 4 p.m.)
So why do I recommend this place? Because the lady working the counter was the nicest person I met all day. She actually tried to cross the street to the car wash to bring me my burrito when it was done. I came over to their side instead and sat down to eat on the stone table they have out front. She went in and got me an ice water (without my asking for it). She said she hoped to see me back there, and was sincere.
A rare instance of perfect customer service.
I’ll order something else next time. The ingredients were all fresh and tasty. I bet their tacos are great.
Oh – I’ve been to Irie Bean (the coffee shop next door) several times. There’s a fantastic courtyard out back that the two businesses share. So it’s a good place to sit outside and read while you eat.