Named after a Northern Mexico cowboy-wok cooking technique, Discada brings the flavors of Mexico City to the Capital City. “There’s only 1 type of taco on the menu, and the owners, Xose Velasco and Anthony Pratto, nail it,” say Rico and Mardanbigi. A combination of beef, pork, bell peppers and onions is left to marinate for 24 hours before being slow-cooked for six hours in a tractor plow disc. “It’s a bunch of different cuts of proteins that are confited for hours, with a pickled habanero salsa and a herby green salsa to cut through the richness,” they add.
If you ask any Austinite where to get tacos, they’d probably point you toward East Austin, home to neighborhood taco joint Nixta Tacqueria. You can’t miss it; the eatery’s exterior is painted a vibrant blue with pink trim, and it’s helmed by two taco masterminds: Michelin Young Chef and James Beard Award-winning chef Edgar Rico and co-founder and operational head Sara Mardanbigi.
Rico’s experimental spirit, combined with Mardanbigi’s upbringing in rural Arkansas, where she learned the craft of flour tortillas, is why you’ll find unconventional ingredients like beets and avocado crema together on a tortilla, aka the beet “tartare” tostada.
For Rico and Mardanbigi, Nixta Taqueria is more than just tacos—it’s about community. Since opening in October 2019, the duo has built a community garden and even piloted a 24/7 community fridge. “Our mission is to provide imaginative creations that are steeped in technique, history, tradition and finesse for our community,” says Mardanbigi.
Having run their own taco spot, Rico and Mardanbigi know a thing or two about tacos. Here are their favorite taco spots in town.
