Here’s How To Find Taqueria 10/10, Austin’s New Taco Speakeasy
I kind of have to cringe any time I use the word "Austin" and "speakeasy" in the same sentence. There are so many speakeasy cocktail bars, and let's be honest: they're not secret. (There's lots of cocktail bar competition! Everyone wants business!) But this new taco speakeasy in Austin, while not super secret, actually is a destination that I 10/10 recommend. (Har har...) Here's how to find Taqueria 10/10 in downtown Austin.
This little taco shop, from owners (and twins!) Raul and Luis Esquer, is in the same building as Roma nightclub, Reina rooftop lounge, and Rey Rey bar. Phew. That's a lot of booze, a lot of dancing, a lot of club-going in one building, and they clearly needed tacos to balance it all out. Enter Taqueria 10/10!
They make their nixtamalized corn tortillas and tiny translucent flour tortillas from scratch. The massive spinning trompo is the star of the show, but they also offer carne asada, pollo (chicken), and nopal (cactus/VG).
The tacos are, in two words, freaking delicious. I stopped by for lunch, but I was thinking of how good these would taste late at night after going to a downtown concert. They're the perfect late-night food in downtown Austin.
How to Find Taqueria 10/10 In Austin
When you search for it on your maps you'll get "206 Trinity St unit 110, Austin, TX 78701," but that's technically the side of the building.
To find Taqueria 10/10, you'll have to go to the alley between 2nd St and 3rd St. From there, you'll see a sign for the taqueria speakeasy:
You'll walk into that doorway in the little black wall, and you'll find yourself in Rey Rey bar. When I stopped by during lunchtime, the bar was technically open, but the staff were restocking and there were cardboard boxes all over the place. I must have looked confused because one of the bartenders said, "looking for tacos? That way," and pointed me through another doorway.
I was funneled into a bright, windowless interior restaurant space with a line wrapping around the bar. (Don't be deterred by the long line! It moves very fast. I moved through the entire line in about 10 minutes.)
The decor is made to feel like you're at a legitimate Mexican taqueria. White tile walls, metal tabletops, and the simple menu etched into a mirrored wall. All of the seats are small (and a bit uncomfortable) because isn't necessarily a place to lounge...it's a place to enjoy a delicious, quick bite of food.
The menu is simple: tacos, quesdillas, and burritos. (There's also something called a "volcan" which is a corn tostada with cheese. I haven't tried it yet.)
After you place your order at the POS, you'll be handed a receipt. Scoot down the line and hand the receipt to a staff member behind the bar. ("No ticket, no food."
If you want all the fixings (cilantro/chopped white onion) be sure to ask for it "con todo." It took them about 60 seconds to prepare my tacos for me.
There's a serve-yourself salsa bar with 3 different options, ranging from a mild salsa verde to a zippy hot red salsa.
If you're reading this and curious about the quality of these tacos compared to other tacos in Austin, here's what I have to say:
These tacos are phenomenal. I tried pastor and carne asada on both flour and corn tortillas with two different types of salsa. Two tacos + a tip will cost you about $10, which is a pretty reasonable price for handmade tortillas in a downtown Austin location. (Although I cringed a bit knowing I'd be in CDMX the next day paying a fraction of the cost for amazing tacos once I got there.)
The flour tortillas ruled the show for me. They're little 5" babies, so you I ate this taco in about 3 bites. And I savored every single morsel.
Since Taqueria 10/10 is located near the convention center, there's a good chance there will be a lunchtime crowd of convention-goers when you stop by.
Such was the case for me, and I couldn't even find a single bar stool to perch on inside. So I brought my tacos outside and ate a little table in the alley.
The vibe inside would have been better (actually, I just mostly wanted air conditioning), but considering I had to scarf these tacos down before jumping in my car to pick up my children from childcare, I didn't mind the outdoor space. I enjoyed my 3 minutes of taco heaven and added this place to my "must visit again" list. Next time I'm getting all my tacos on those four tortillas!
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