Taco Shack

Very dissapointed in the quality and taste of the food at Taco Shack on Medical Pkwy. The refried beans are bland and soupy. The potatoes are like flavorless pieces of styrofoam. Their idea of migas is precooked scrambled eggs and folded into pico de gayo with some tostadas. They have sacrificed quality for quantity. The measure of any restaurant is the quality of it’s basic dishes. The beans are horrendous and the spanish rice is abhorrent. After giving them 3 chances I will not be returning and cannot recommend them to anyone that seeks good Mexican food.

Really? Items in this picture are SMALLER than they appear. A $ 5 dollar breakfast bowl with the dimensions of 4 in x 2 in. Aka SIDE item at any BBQ place. What a joke. And the food sucks too. Nasty flour tortillas.

Well. let me give this location a review so they will have one for 2014! YES YES YES or SI SI SI… I love this place… the tacos are hot and tasty like San Antonio and not priced like some sort of specialty food. It is on the way to work and during the many stops on lamar on my way downtown I get to eat — so I am in a good mood when I get to work. Carne Guizada and bean cheese and egg are my favorites but next year I will try their special tacos! I like the 2 ladies that work there they are always nice.

This Taco Shack is the ONLY one my wife and I go to. It’s in our hood and we love it! They know us by name and always deliver consistent breakfast tacos. They are good! Very good. So good we have to budget for it. ;-)

The location is very convenient, and the employees are super friendly. We’ve been going there for a while, and Marta, the cashier, knows our family now. The service is very fast. The way I judge taco places is by the crispiness of their bacon, and Taco Shack is a win; the bacon is perfectly crispy.

Let me start off by saying, I love Taco Shack… Pretty much every location EXCEPT this one. I have given this particular location several shots as it’s super convenient on the way to work but in the end prefer to go to the Spicewood Springs location. This is all based on service alone.
It appears as though it’s always the same lady working the cash register area. This lady is particularly rude and scowl-​y. I have never been mean to her or back-​talked or anything. I’m not that kind of person, yet have continually received this attitude from her over several visits over several years. Starting to think it’s not a coincidence and just how she acts towards the average person grabbing a taco. So, if you enjoy ordering to a woman who doesn’t acknowledge you’re standing there and just stares at you to ‘ask’ for your order, this location is for you.
The lady making the tacos seems very sweet, and the food is near identical to other taco shacks nearby. If you want way more friendly shack service, I highly recommend the Spicewood Springs location!

I wish I had checked reviews before driving thru for lunch today. This stuff reminds me of the cheap, poor quality food you get around a college campus. You know what I am talking about, the places that only stay in business because of their convenient locations and captive customers who don’t have time to drive and find something else. Gross!
I had a chicken fajita soft taco, a beef fajita soft taco, and a Coke. When I opened the chicken taco, it had a little nasty grey and red stringy (vein?) piece in it that I decided to remove. The chicken was blah, and the «steak» was greyish and looked like it had been cooked in a crock pot and never browned. In fact, I think the tacos would have tasted better with no meat at all. I hoped the hot sauce might help flavor this disaster, but it was all hot and nothing else. I’m talking weird, blazing, horseradish hot! So I ate what I could and washed it down with the Coke. All that, and I got to pay over $ 7 for it too. FAIL. Next time I’ll go to Torchy’s.

I was talking with a friend at work the other day about TS. My experiences have been with this one, mostly, and the one across from Central Mkt. They pre fry their bacon and over cook the heck out of it. I have tried both the bacon, egg and cheese (BEC), and, the sausage, egg and cheese (SEC). I used to pop in around 0630 ish (opening time). The BEC are lame. The overcooked bacon really screws it up for this one. The SEC are fairly decent and the guy is usually generous with the portion. They both could use more cheese. This chain has great potential. My biggest problem with TS is the service. The opening lady at this joint is a little freaky and quite rude. Could be a medical condition, I dunno. She is rarely on time and always in a pissy mood. As for the other store, same rudeness. Maybe their trying to do the Dicks thing (on the river walk in SA). If so, they got it all wrong. Maybe it’s management and poor working conditions? At this point, I don’t care. I ditched them a long time ago. If you’re looking for something better, service and quality, hit the Monkey Nest! I’ve recently discovered them and love them. Let me add two more things. Enchiladas Y’ Mas kicks breakfast taco butt. Unfortunately, they don’t open until 0700. As for the rudeness at TS, my friends at work agree.

Just a quick bite at TS. Disappointed breakfast tacos where not available all day, but nice friendly drive thru service. Reasonable fajita tacos. Overall good job.

I’ve frequented this location for several years and always experienced good service and delicious tacos.

Why, oh why do people like this place?
I’ve tried several times to like it. It doesn’t work for me at all.
The food is mediocre at best.
Less than a mile away, you have Taco Deli, Torchy’s, and several other places that can do a nice Mexican meal ranging from standard Tex-​Mex fare (which is what Taco Shack tries and fails to do) to edgy and gourmet.

My wife & I have been going to the Taco Shack since we moved to Austin nearly 14 years ago so I think it’s about time I post a Unilocal review. I’ve loved watching their success over the years, from their start in the modest location off Medical Pkwy — which happens to be right around the corner from where we used to live, how I miss those morning walks to #1 — to several locations around Austin. A true local success.
I’ve had their entire breakfast menu and some lunch items (the 1 star deduct is for lunch and the Fox news on their TVs)… but, for me, it’s all about The Shack Taco, though the barbacoa is a close second.
The Shack is: Fluffy eggs, perfectly fried potatoes crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside, spicy chorizo fried with a slight crispness, sprinkled w/​finely shredded cheddar cheese, all wrapped in a warm flour tortilla served w/​a side of their great hot sauce… heaven! This perfect breakfast taco combination even convinced my mother-​in-​law who generally shuns any «adulterated» egg concoction… she has also seen the light.
Always friendly staff and, typically, fast service.

Pretty good. I go here because it’s close to home. Perfect, thick, center-​cut bacon. It’s a breakfast place and they have gross, cheap OJ. All breakfast places should at least offer good OJ.
They are also closed Sundays! Shame

Tried two of the Shack Tacos and a bacon & egg for brunch. Relax, I’m going walking afterwards.
The combination of ingredients go well together however I am used to having them cooked together not added together like pieces of Ikea furniture waiting to be assembled. I like that the eggs were pillowy but, as others have commented, one of the three I tried did have watery eggs.
Red salsa, not so much. It is designed for a blander palate. Should have waited to add some green. If I had options i was not asked or offered.
Staff were friendly, like the history of the place and not a bad drink selection considering.
I’ll deduct 1 star for value and 1 star for overall flavor. I’m willing to give them a chance on lunch, just not on a Saturday since they only do lunch during the week.
In the words of Hoggett, «That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.»

I come here because its convenient, good and cheap. But most importantly, I am always running late in the mornings and its never busy. I park in one of their 3 parking spots, I walk in and order 2 tacos. I pay. I get my tacos 20 seconds later. And I leave. Its as simple as that.
Do not come here if you are on a «diet.» Do not come here and expect there to be no grease. Its mexican food for crying out loud. I hate that when I go eat Mexican with someone, or make some. A certain someone I seem to hang out with too much always gripes…“ewwwhh its so greasy! Just look at that grease!” What do you think this is? A salad bar? Come onnnn!
With that being said, I can only recommend the breakfast tacos. 2 toppings for $ 1.65. Not bad for some yummy filling breakfast. I normally get a bean and cheese. yes, the beans fall out the end of the taco. But i try and play a little game called «catch it with my mouth.» My only criticism is the chorizo. Its good, don’t get me wrong. But… I’m used to egg & chorizo to be COOKED TOGETHER, at the same time. Not egg separate, and meat separate. Everyone in here is not from America, heavy accents. They know this. Yet they still cook it separate. I guess they are trying to stick with the price saying 2 toppings. I think I may ask them about it next time.
Still, its pretty awesome to have 3 locations near me. I’d say there are 3 within 3 miles of me.

Big things come in small packages. Taco Shack just might have the highest breakfast size to restaurant size ratio in the city. OK, so it’s a meaningless ratio, but you won’t be disappointed when a burrito the size of a wheelbarrow tames your growling stomach.
Taco Shack has received a lot of criticism for being bland. In a sense, I can understand where these folks are coming from. TS doesn’t feature the wildly imaginative recipes that, say, Torchy’s does, nor does it have the spicy, savory food that more authentic places have. It’s definitely food geared toward a more conventional American palate, but calling it «bland» is a misnomer. TS’s fare is in fact highly satisfying in much the same, simple way that a Whataburger is – and in true American form, there is enough food in one serving to feed three non-​Americans.
Take the «Burnet Road» burrito, for example. It is a massive contraption overstuffed with thick potatoes, pillowy scrambled eggs, and gooey cheese. You say, wait just a minute, Jeremy. You mean that the entire burrito is made of mushy, semi-​veg-​friendly stuff? Not to worry, the good folks at TS have you covered. Because they love you, they added a layer of crispy bacon on top that adds a wonderful, crunchy texture and some much-​needed animal fat. The result is an orgasmically satisfying brunch, even if you can tell it didn’t come from Jalisco.

In, out, stuffed with cheesy, potato-​y goodness. Slurp, crunch, yummm. Give me a breakfast burrito to go and I’m a happy camper.
I see a lot of nasty reviews on here for this Taco Shack and can’t help but wonder if my terrific taco experience was simply a fluke. Even so, it was a warm, perfectly melty, hit-​the-​spot-​with-​salsa kind of fluke. and that may be the best kind.

It would seem difficult to botch a breakfast taco, but these folks appear to have found a way. Sure, they are served quickly, but that is little consolation when the salsa is tasteless and the eggs are watery. Now that Taco Deli is down the street, one would hope that they’d step up their game.

I’ve had some seriously good tacos in town. Unfortunately, none of them came from here.
Love this truly «shack» of a location with it’s tiny interior and picnic tables outside. Sadly, the food just doesn’t deliver. The chorizo is pretty good, but most everything else is completely devoid of flavor.
The eggs had no taste at all and tasted as if they’d been watered down. The beans and potatoes were both also completely without flavor, seasoning, anything. BLAND would be putting it mildly.
With all the places to get breakfast tacos in town, I’m surprised an institution such as this has survived when their product seems to be lacking both in flavor and imagination.

We had breakfast tacos on the brain and wanted to try the oft rave reviewed cocino de consuelo. CDC was closed so we went to Taco Shack. People in Austin have been shocked that i’ve never hit this particular favorite so i figured it was time to take the Taco Shack challenge.
So besides the limited selection and the surly cash register lady, I had a super random exchange that colored the whole experience. We ordered a bevo and a burnet road special. When my «tacos» were ready, i picked them up, decided to eat outside and opened the bags to discover two huge salsas. That’s it. No tacos. So i went back inside and looked for another bag. No bag. So then I’m kind of looking around the thimble-​sized shop and the counter lady acts like i am ANNOYING her with my presence. Then the weird exchange happened just like this:
Her: What are you looking for?
Me: Im looking for my tacos
Her: You already got your tacos
Me: No… there were only two salsas in the bag. No tacos
Her: *yelling to the guys* she wants more salsa!
Me: No… I HAVE salsa. I need tacos.
Her: What?
Me: *looking at her like she’s insane, going outside, getting the salsa, showing it to her* I HAVE salsa.
Her: OH *Taking the salsa*:
Me: Um i’d like to keep one of them. To eat with my tacos. So… where are my tacos?
Her: (in Spanish) yelling at cooks that that they misunderstood the order and to make me said tacos
Me: Ok i guess i come back in?
Her: Ignoring me.
Me: Standing there like a moron.
This whole exchange literally stopped the ordering in its tracks. Everyone was staring, the lady was obviously exasperated and I almost felt like busting out my relatively decent spanish to clarify the situation but then didn’t want to be that girl anymore than I already was.
After the fiasco, we finally get tacos that were tasteless, wildly egg heavy and weirdly watery. I dont know how that happens but it was really unappealing. Combined with my weird exchange, this goes to the bottom of my breakfast taco stops.