The long-standing debate over breakfast tacos has a rich history, one filled with passionate arguments and culinary pride.

In Texas, just mentioning the words 'breakfast tacos' can trigger both delighted cravings and heated arguments.

In the heart of the Lone Star State, who deserves credit for these iconic morning creations is often a matter of fiery debate.

A 2016 article by Eater stirred the pot, sparking a full-blown Breakfast Taco War between Austin and San Antonio. While that specific dispute simmered down, disagreements still flare up from time to time.

To truly understand the story of this beloved dish, we must step outside Texas and turn our attention to its birthplace: Mexico.

Irresistible tacos in Monterrey

The breakfast taco is just one in a long line of foods—like pizza—whose origins are hotly debated, with competing claims of authenticity sparking lively discussions.

One thing is clear: Breakfast tacos are beloved on both sides of the Rio Grande. In her Dinogo series 'Searching for Mexico,' actress Eva Longoria visited Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León.

While in Monterrey, Longoria shared a breakfast taco with Mexican food bloggers Gerardo Alvarado and Ernesto Esquivel at Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona, a local favorite that has been serving the city for nearly two decades.

'The breakfast taco may seem simple, but it's been a staple for Monterrey's workers for almost 100 years,' Longoria narrates.

'Not just junk food'

Dinogo Travel spoke with Esquivel, a Sonora native who has lived in Monterrey for over a decade, to learn more about the city's breakfast taco culture.

'When I first arrived in Monterrey, I was amazed by the variety of breakfast tacos. You can have one with eggs, another with meat, or even with potatoes,' Esquivel shares.

Esquivel describes breakfast tacos as 'quick food, but not the kind you’d consider junk food.'

While breakfast tacos can be found across northern Mexico, Monterrey and Nuevo León are the true heart of this culinary tradition, offering the widest selection of fillings and the most taco spots.

Some of Monterrey’s most popular breakfast taco fillings include machacado (dried beef with eggs), barbacoa (slow-cooked meat, often roasted in a pit), and deshebrada (shredded beef). Simply put, it’s a meat lover’s paradise.

The History of the Breakfast Taco

Esquivel traces the breakfast taco’s origins back to the early 1900s in Monterrey, possibly even earlier.

Compañia Fundidora, once a major iron and steel factory established in 1900 and now a cultural park, played a key role in the rise of the breakfast taco in Monterrey. Early workers, starting their shifts at dawn, needed a quick breakfast, and the breakfast taco became their solution.

According to Esquivel, the breakfast taco’s influence spread into southern Texas, with Monterrey’s flavors, particularly from the north, showing a clear resemblance to the tastes found in Texas cuisine today.

In addition to Doña Mary’s, Esquivel recommends these top spots for a great breakfast taco in Monterrey: Tacos Rafa Ahogados, Tacos Piedra, and Tony’s Tacos.

Across the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande may divide two nations politically, but it hasn’t stopped the flow of shared culinary traditions and cultural influences—particularly when it comes to the breakfast taco. Texas is equally passionate about it, as evidenced by the endless debates surrounding the dish.

José Ralat, taco editor for Texas Monthly, states, 'No city in Texas can truly claim the breakfast taco.' He attributes its true origins south of the Rio Grande.

'The breakfast taco comes from Mexico, though its exact origin is unclear. The most likely birthplace is northern Mexico, but no specific city has been identified in the available literature,' Ralat explains.

Today, breakfast tacos are popular in Mexican states such as Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, and Coahuila, all of which border Texas, Ralat adds.

Eddie Vega, known as the 'Taco Poet of Texas' and a native of McAllen near Reynosa, Tamaulipas, highlights that historically, the region now known as South Texas was once part of Mexico.

Before 1836, 'the border was further north, and this area was a melting pot of indigenous and Spanish culinary influences,' Vega notes.

Vega recalls that growing up, breakfast tacos weren’t a trendy food, drawing attention from places like The New York Times or other media from coastal cities.

'When you're in south Texas, especially in the Valley where I’m from, breakfast tacos were a home-cooked tradition. My mom would make them. We didn’t go out to restaurants for breakfast tacos, mainly because the area was economically struggling, and eating out wasn’t an option, especially in the mornings,' he explains.

Enter Austin

Both Ralat and Vega emphasize that breakfast tacos were a beloved staple in south Texas and San Antonio long before Austin got involved. So, how did Austin end up being so closely associated with the breakfast taco?

Austin, with its sharp branding strategies and PR savvy, has become the face of the breakfast taco, says Ralat. 'Every year, coastal elites flood Austin for South by Southwest, try a taco, and suddenly it’s 'an Austin thing.' My job is to question that narrative and let the true history emerge,' he adds.

Ralat points out that San Antonio often feels overlooked compared to Austin, despite being older, more culturally rich, more diverse, and offering superior food.

'Both cities are quintessentially Tex-Mex, and breakfast tacos are part of that. But they also have roots in border cuisine. When the Eater article declared Austin the 'home' of the breakfast taco, it sent San Antonians into a frenzy,' Ralat recalls.

Vega argues that the culinary origins of breakfast tacos are too complex and spread across many regions for any one city to claim ownership. 'Cities like San Antonio, Corpus Christi, McAllen, Brownsville, or Laredo all have their own unique versions, shaped by local ingredients,' he says.

Moving on

Jessica Elizarraras, an executive producer for MySA.com and a native of the Rio Grande Valley, says that many people have put the debate over the breakfast taco’s origins behind them.

'I think we've mostly moved past the great taco war of 2016,' Elizarraras shared in an email interview with Dinogo Travel. 'Sure, there’s still some playful teasing, but tacos are loved all over Texas—1000 percent. The Mexican diaspora is vast, and so are their tacos.'

She references a 2016 article by Gustavo Arellano as a thorough resolution to the debate, which ultimately shows that Austin is not the birthplace of the breakfast taco.

Elizarraras also highlights the regional variations within Texas.

'In San Antonio, the flour tortillas tend to be a bit puffier compared to those in the Rio Grande Valley or along the coast. Con Huevos Tacos in San Antonio perfectly blends both styles: a thin, yet sturdy tortilla filled with creative, flavorful fillings.'

Breakfast tacos have gone national, spreading far beyond Texas.

Ralat observes that breakfast tacos are popping up all over the country, even in places like Nashville, where he recently spotted them on the menu.

'I’m wary of eating tacos labeled as Austin-style,' Ralat admits. 'I want the food to be of high quality, not just a marketing gimmick.'

Elizarraras encourages people to simply enjoy breakfast tacos—whether they include eggs or not.

'Breakfast tacos are as fleeting as they come, which only adds to their magic,' she said.

'Bean and cheese is a perfect example of a breakfast taco that doesn’t need eggs. Another great choice is chicharron en salsa (whether verde or rojo). Barbacoa, often made with a whole cow’s head or beef cheeks, is a classic breakfast taco in San Antonio, commonly enjoyed with a Big Red soda for a Sunday morning treat.'

The beauty of it all

Ultimately, does it really matter where a dish originates?

'Part of the problem is erasure. In Mexican-American culture, it’s disheartening to feel excluded from a conversation when you know you’ve been part of it for so long,' Vega shared.

Back south of the Rio Grande, breakfast tacos serve as a unifying force, according to Esquivel.

'I believe the breakfast tacos here in Monterrey, and across the northeast of the country, are something that brings everyone together,' he said.

They’re beloved by people from all walks of life, from the poor to the rich, he noted. 'The setting might be humble, even on the streets, but you’ll still find people in suits enjoying their breakfast tacos.'

For Ralat, breakfast tacos represent more than just a tasty way to kickstart the day.

'I think understanding history, especially the history of food, is essential because it offers us another lens through which to view our culture,' he explained.

'What fascinates me is that tortillas are at the heart of Mexican culture, and sharing a meal with someone is considered a sacred act. So, when you share tacos with someone, it becomes a literal expression of that connection. It’s a beautiful, joyful experience.'