Nixta Taqueria

Nixta Taqueria is the kind of place that could only exist in Austin. It’s a lo-fi East Side spot, with colorful corn murals, fluorescent lighting, and a golden disco ball - the restaurant version of an independent film on a shoestring budget. It may be a little rough around the edges, but that doesn’t stop Nixta from winning multiple Restaurant Academy Awards, including the Taco We Want To Eat Most This Year and the Best Supporting Beet in a Series, Miniseries, or Tostada.

Scrappy as the space might be, the food at Nixta is more like what you’d find in a blockbuster restaurant. It treads a line between the super-traditional (they make their own masa) and the unconventional (you don’t see many taquerias where duck confit stands in for carnitas). All the tortillas are homemade, leaving your hands smelling of corn hours later – like they should. Unlike a typical Austin taqueria, however, the influences are more than Tex-Mex. Many of the dishes, like the cured tuna tostada with chipotle mayo, feel like Mexico by way of California by way of Texas (which makes sense, because the chef here used to work in some of the best restaurants in LA and Mexico City).

Then there’s the wine list—which reads like one you’d find at a restaurant with $39 entrees instead of a taqueria with paper napkins—with interesting natural wines from Texas, France, and Mexico. We like the charmingly cheesy wine glasses that probably came with the place, but you can also just get a Modelo.

Overall, Nixta reminds us of the early days of Veracruz All Natural, or when Barley Swine was just a tiny, buzzy spot on South Lamar—in other words, some of the best of Austin’s indie hits. When you get to spend a sunny afternoon outside on the picnic tables, you feel like you’re at the next restaurant version of Bottle Rocket, Clerks, or Dazed and Confused— and it won’t be long until everyone else discovers how good it is, too.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Shanna Hickman

Duck Carnitas Taco

It’s a riff on a carnitas taco - traditionally made with pork - but here it’s shredded duck confit. Duck confit can be a little fatty, but the taco is brightened by a salsa cruda, radish, white onions, and cilantro. All on a ridiculously good blue corn tortilla. You should order this.

photo credit: Shanna Hickman

Tuna Tostada

There’s a pretty generous portion of cured yellowfin underneath chipotle mayo, cilantro, and furikake. It can be a little difficult to split this because the tostada can be so crispy, but it’s so good you probably shouldn’t share it anyway.

photo credit: Shanna Hickman

Beet Tostada

Like Coldplay or Guy Fieri, people sometimes have mixed feelings about beets. If you’re not a fan, this will probably change your mind. Here the beets are almost like a beef tartare, but the beets are roasted and not raw, and they’re served with an avocado crema, fresh horseradish, and lime. It also happens to be vegan.

photo credit: Shanna Hickman

Paletas

We really like the avocado paleta with spicy candied pineapple, but our favorite is the coconut one with coconut chips, toasted to order with a torch. Yes, they have a torch dedicated to toasting coconut. We need one.