A study on the best taco cities in America found that Texas has a lot of love for them but California still has us beat.

If you haven't noticed, we're currently engaged in a silent "CIVIL WAR" between Texas and California. The two states (and its residents) are fighting back and forth about which is better in various "cultural" and "political" ways. This one particular battle front has to do with food and one of our most beloved treasures: Tacos.

Tacos Is A $77 Billion Dollar Industry In America.

I don't know anybody that doesn't like tacos...like literally NOBODY. Its versatile, customizable and efficient. What's not to like about them? Their versatility and convenience are part of why restaurants serving just tacos have become so common in the U.S. A recent study conducted by "Clever" ranked the top taco cities in America and we won't waste your time on those other cities, (like in Washington D.C. where they asked me if I would like to use a FORK to eat my tacos..TRUE STORY..weirdos) we're going to focus just on Texas.

They analyzed data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, Roaming Hunger, Yelp, and Numbeo.

According to their data, California has one more city (5) than Texas in the top 15, but a Texas city won the No. 1 spot. Taco lovers who have visited both states know that each has something different to offer in terms of Mexican cuisine. It's all a matter of whether TexMex or CalMex is more your style. Give me TEX MEX because I find Californians love to put guacamole and avocado on damn near everything and that's an automatic disqualifier in my book.

Let's See What Cities Made The List:

NUMBER ONE: AUSTIN

The Cap City has the highest percentage of restaurants that are taco places than any other metro in our study at 7%. That's 78.8% higher than average (3.9%). From Torchy's to Juan In A Million, its well known that Austin is strong Taco city.

NUMBER THREE: SAN ANTONIO

San Antonio ranked No. 1 for birria tacos and quesadillas in terms of residents' passions for the two dishes according to the study. Austin and San Antonio resident often argue amongst themselves over who is the better taco city but San Antonio might have them beat cost wise: Tacos for three to four people in San Antonio cost just $12.91, compared to the average cost in the U.S. of $15.37.

NUMBER 7: Houston

H-Town also has a lot of taco places compared to other types of restaurants, with 5.3% of all restaurants in Houston specializing in tacos. I don't find myself wanting Tacos when I go to Houston though because they have a great overall food scene there but according to the data, Tacos in Houston are cheaper than in the average city. Taco supplies for three to four diners cost approximately $12.78, 16.7% less than average ($15.37).

NUMBER 14: DALLAS

I was kind of shocked to see Dallas so far down on this list when you consider that Dallas ranks in the top five most-passionate cities for people searching for "tacos near me," as well as birria tacos, barbacoa, breakfast tacos, enchiladas, salsa, and quesadillas. My personal recommendation for tacos in Dallas (IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW) is THIS PLACE:

Here's the Top 10 Taco Cities In America Overall:

1. Austin
2. San Jose, CA
3. San Antonio
4. Oklahoma City, OK
5. Los Angeles
6. Las Vegas
7. Houston
8. San Diego, CA
9. Phoenix
10. Riverside, CA

Quick Shoutout To Jucy's Taco Here In East Texas

Here's The Top 10 WORST TACO CITIES: (no surprise, most of them are on the East Coast)

1. Hartford, Connecticut
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. New York, New York
4. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
5. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6. Baltimore, Maryland
7. Miami, Florida
8. St. Louis, Missouri
9. New Orleans, Louisiana
10. Cleveland, Ohio

For The Next Study, Include "Not So Major Cities" So We can See Some Of Our Favorites On The List!

EDIT: This story was updated on Feb 23, 2023.