As the coronavirus pandemic news worsens in Texas, the food industry is reeling, with restaurants ordered to close their dining rooms across the state. Among these businesses, of course, are Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and taquerias essential to Texas life and our bellies. They’re all hurting and dealing with the crisis as best they can to get us the food we love, scrambling to shift operations to curbside pickup, drive-through, and even delivery. Some restaurant owners have been forced to lay off workers, and some, especially at midrange and fine-dining establishments, have made the difficult choice to close temporarily.

Taco trucks, which are a staple in Austin, and some pop-ups, which are an exciting element of the Texas taco life, aren’t as affected by restrictions as other businesses because of their walk-up model. This helps keep some small businesses running and keeps people fed with the ultimate quick, healthy, and portable food. This is how tacos began: a simple street food meant to sustain workers and the urban masses. This is just one of the many ways tacos are a force for good.

It’s more important than ever to support restaurants and food businesses that continue to operate. Here is a list, by city and region, of what some taquerias and Mexican restaurants are doing.

Austin

Eldorado Café is offering curbside pickup for orders made by phone or online, and delivery via Favor.

Fonda San Miguel is offering curbside pickup for an abbreviated menu. They’d appreciate it if you also order a bottle of booze to go, which Texas restaurants can now sell you—as long as you order food, too—thanks to a waiver issue by Governor Greg Abbott.

Kesos Tacos is offering food to-go and via delivery and curbside pickup.

Mi Madre’s Restaurant is offering its menu for pickup and delivery. Call the restaurant for to-go orders. Delivery is available via DoorDash. Gift certificates are available for purchase at their online store.

Nixta Taqueria has set up an online ordering system for tacos, alcohol, nonalcoholic beverages, and gift cards.

Tacodeli has closed its dining rooms at all of its Texas locations. Its online ordering system remains operational, and the chain has established curbside pickup.

Vaquero Taquero has set up preorders for window pickup, with delivery coming soon.

Veracruz All Natural was accepting only to-go orders and had advised its customers that its menu might change across its network of trucks and brick-and-mortar locations, but as of March 18, it decided to shut down operations until further notice.

Dallas

Chilangos Tacos is operating on takeout and curbside pickup basis only.

Desperados is accepting phone calls for takeout and curbside pickup.

El Come Taco is open for delivery and pickup via phone or messages made through its Facebook and Instagram pages.

José is offering curbside service and delivery.

Las Almas Rotas, a mezcal bar with a small kitchen, closed temporarily but is now serving food to-go online through its Square site and regular website, though operating hours have changed.

Locura, a new elotes specialist, is open for call-in and pickup.

Resident Taqueria is accepting to-go orders by phone and online and offers its full-menu through Uber Eats.

Revolver Taco Lounge has furloughed its staff, closed its private reservation-only dining space, Purepecha Room, and its front-room taqueria, but is offering pickup from its taco window. All orders must be made ahead at 214-272-7163.

Taco y Vino is offering server industry members a box of six tacos with a bottle of cava or rosé for $30. The Bishop Arts District restaurant has its full menu available for curbside pickup. That includes bottles of wine.

Taco Stop is accepting phoned-in preorders delivered to your car and food delivery service via Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash. It is also offering its Stopboxes meal kits with tortillas, choice of filling, and all the fixings.

Taqueria Taxco is takeout and delivery via Uber Eats, Grubhub, and DoorDash.

Trompo has canceled brunch and adjusted its operating hours to 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. All food is 20 percent off through March 30.

Urban Taco is operating via curbside pickup. Fort Worth-based boutique Centre has also prepaid for eight hundred taco meal kits, available for pickup. Call the restaurant at 214-823-4723 for a time slot.

Fort Worth

Tex-Mex standard-bearer Joe T. Garcia’s is offering to-go orders and curbside pickup. The same goes for its sister restaurant Esperanza’s and its two locations.

La Pantera Tacos y Mas, the nightshift taqueria at Panther City BBQ, has closed, but some of its tacos are available for curbside pick until 4 p.m. for the rest of the week.

Magdalena’s Supper Club is offering dinner packs, which include salads, main courses, soups, a la carte side dishes, and taco fillings by the pound, via delivery or curbside pickup. No-fee delivery within Dallas–Fort Worth is available Thursday to Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Curbside pickup is available Thursday and Friday noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday noon to 3 p.m. Call 817-740-8085 or 817-296-8215 or email [email protected] to order.

Mariachi’s Dine-In is offering service industry workers a free box of four tacos and an elote. There is a limit of one box per person and a fifty box maximum daily. Delivery is available through Uber Eats.

Houston

Belly of the Beast is selling $25 taco family packs for four to five people. Filling options include birria de res, pork belly carnitas, pollo en mole, and pollo rojo. All orders come with rice, refried chickpeas, onions, cilantro, salsa, and handmade corn tortillas. Order online or by phone (346-351-1153) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Family packs are available for curbside pick up. All orders over $10 include a free kid’s meal.

Cochinita & Co at Politan Row food hall is offering a to-go menu. Orders must be made in advance.

H-Town Restaurant Group has temporarily closed its Oaxacan-inspired high-end restaurant Xochi. However, as it’s posted on Instagram, sister restaurants Hugo’s and Backstreet Café “remain open for delivery via delivery apps, and for curbside pick-up. For pick-up orders of $50 or more, get a $20 gift card!”

La Esquina Food Truck is open and offering free delivery through Uber Eats.

La Macro taco truck is only taking to-go orders.

The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation and its Uptown location are offering curbside pickup and delivery via DoorDash and Grubhub. For to-go from the Uptown restaurant, call 346-335-2404. For to-go orders from the Navagation outpost, call 713-228-1175.

Papalo Taqueria, a new downtown taco shop, is offering curbside pickup, adding that if customers “need a break from being at home, drive & maintain that social distance by supporting and ordering to-go from all your small & local businesses to help them survive during this rough patch.”

San Antonio

Comadre Panaderia pop-up will be at the Market at Crosby on Saturday, March 21—with strict rules announced in an Instagram post, including no cash allowed. The menu includes creatively flavored conchas, strawberry milk tres leches cake, empanadas, tortillas, and sourdough starter. They can also deliver to your home.

El Remedio Mariscos y Taqueria food truck is only accepting phone-in orders for pickup.

La Panaderia has got your carb fix with online ordering.

Los Barrios Family Restaurants is open for dine-in (for no more than fifty diners), takeout, and curbside pickup through March 22.

Ray’s Drive Inn continues to serve its puffy tacos as a, well, drive-in, gloved carhops and all.

Elsewhere

La Cosecha Mexican Table in New Braunfels has implemented strict sanitation protocols and is offering family-style to-go options.

El Fogón Tacos & Beer in Brownsville is offering pickup and delivery.

Taco Suave, a walk-up taqueria in Waxahachie, has seen a dip in business but an increase in to-go orders. Delivery is available via Grubhub.

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