Nixta Taqueria

  4.4 – 1,144 reviews   • Restaurant

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Owners, James Beard Award-Winning Chef Rico and Sara Mardanbigi, are bringing tacos, tostadas, paletas, low-intervention wine y más to the E. 12th and Austin community. We’re using heirloom corn, sourced from Oaxaca, Mexico, to make some imaginative tacos on the daily. Open for dine-in and take-out. MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recipient.

Bright, straightforward counter-serve spot offering traditional Mexican food, plus beer & wine.

✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out ✔️Delivery Nixta Taqueria 78702

Address and Contact Information

Address: 2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Phone: (737) 338-3595

Website: https://nixtataqueria.com/

Menu Photos

Order and Reservations

Reservations: opentable.com

nixtataqueria.square.site

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Reviews

Sienna Ni Riordain
Visted Nixta for the first time after hearing great things and was not disappointed. This is the best Mexican food I’ve ever had. I am vegetarian and there were tons of options for me. The camote taco (sweet potato) was the best sweet potato I’ve ever had (I eat a LOT of sweet potato). The carrot tostada is delicious as well. My partner had the duck taco and quesadilla and they were lovely. Chips and salsa were phenomenal also. The tepache drink is delish too. Service was great – super friendly and attentive. Overall we felt very looked after and left very happy and well fed. Place was vibey as well even though it was a random Tuesday in March
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Danish Vij
Had an amazing dining experience at Nixta Taqueria in Austin, a true fine-dine Mexican spot that exceeded expectations in every way. We were a group of three and ordered quite a variety — Beetroot Taco, Duck Taco, Tuna Tostada, and Chicken Taco — and every single dish was bursting with unique flavors and beautifully presented. The food was absolutely incredible — a solid 5/5 across the board.

The staff and service were exceptional, attentive without being intrusive, and clearly passionate about what they do. The vibe of the place was warm, modern, and energetic, creating the perfect atmosphere for a relaxed evening with friends. We also tried a few drinks, and they complemented the food perfectly — refreshing and well-balanced.

The only small challenge was finding parking, but once seated, everything else made up for it completely. It’s one of those places that makes you appreciate the artistry behind good food.

If you’re in Austin and want to experience elevated Mexican cuisine with a creative twist, Nixta Taqueria should definitely be on your list.

Must-try: Beetroot Taco & Tuna Tostada
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Frank Carrillo
This place had some of the best Taco’s I’ve ever had. We had the Quesadilla with Chorizo, Bean & Cheese Taco with Chorizo, Enchilada Potosina Tacos, and
Duck Carnitas Taco. Everything was flavorful and delicious. My favorite was the Bean and Cheese Taco with Chorizo. The pictures don’t do this place justice.
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Michael Barton
Great taquería that deserves the acclaim. The salsas are a shockingly good star in a show of star tacos. The salsa sampler order is good enough to order on its own. The tacos are great, with a few vegetarian options available. The best is the carnitas taco. It’s got a perfect balance of savory flavors. Order outside when you arrive and try to get a table inside. It’s a small but worthwhile interior for the service and smell.
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Anna
Nixta was recommended to us as wee were told they have unique meals and a duck taco. We stopped at lunchtime on a Friday and it was not that busy. Its kind of tucked away in a residential-ish area, but they do have a small parking lot otherwise there is street parking.

We got the chips n dips, duck carnitas taco, and a quesadilla with chorizo. To drink we got horchata and the seasonal (cantalope) agua fresca. The chips and dips were good, the salsa morita has a nice smoked flavor with a good kick and the duck fat refried beans are the perfect pairing to help cool it down. The quesadilla was smaller than I thought but still good and the chorizo had a nice kick.

The dining space is covered and there are a variety of tables and beautiful colors throughout.
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Angelica Le
Rating: 3.7/5 [take out]

We came on a Saturday about 10 minutes before opening (5 PM) and were the first ones there. People began lining up behind us shortly after. At 5:01 PM, someone came out to start setting up, which took about 5 minutes, and our order took roughly 17 minutes to prepare. Nixta looks like a ghost kitchen since all seating is outside. They recommended we wait in their outdoor patio so they could find us when our takeout order was ready.

Nixta makes their own tortillas and masas using heirloom corn from Mexico, and what makes them especially unique is that their tortillas are half blue and half yellow which makes them beautiful to look at.

Duck Carnitas Taco ($10): The duck confit was extremely greasy. The flavors were okay, but the texture wasn’t pleasant. I was the most excited for this one but wouldn’t order it again.

Tuna Tostada ($15): Huge slices of yellowfin tuna that were fresh enough with good flavors. This was my friend’s favorite.

Beet “Tartare” Tostada ($9): I misread this and thought it was beef, but it ended up being a pleasant surprise. It was the best-looking item, with lovely piping of avocado crema. They gave a generous portion of beet and seasoned it very well. This was my favorite of the four items we tried.

Wagyu Tlayuda ($32): This was a waste of money. I looked up what a tlayuda was and it’s supposed to be like a Mexican pizza, but this came out more like a quesadilla. It was barely filled, with lots of empty spaces, especially around the edges. There was far more cheese than meat, and the wagyu didn’t shine at all. It was one of the most underwhelming things we ate; even Taco Bell’s ground beef has a more prominent flavor. The best thing about this entree was actually the sauce.

Nixta is great to try once, but there’s nothing that makes me want to come back. While they have unique tacos and tostadas, they’re overpriced for what you get.
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Raul
Not worth the hype for me. Nixta has gotten lots of publicity, but unfortunately the plate portions seemed too small for me. I ordered quite a bit of the menu and felt it was too expensive for what one gets in return. The staff was amazing super accommodating and went the extra mile to make sure we had a good experience. It’s a nice quiet place for a date or night with friends specially during the week. The food menu is quite small, but the alcohol menu has a lot to offer including natural wines. I would return for light bites and drinks.
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Christian’s Explorations
We had an amazing experience at Nixta Taqueria. Their tasting menu usually has six courses and we added one more. Every dish felt thoughtful and creative, and they did a great job elevating Mexican flavors while still keeping everything comforting and familiar. They also offer a full vegetarian tasting menu, which is a great touch and shows how much care they put into their guests’ experience. The mole rosa with roasted beets was the standout for me. It was rich, bright, and unforgettable.

We also chose the non alcoholic beverage pairing and it was fantastic. The PAIS DE MAIZ was especially memorable.

The atmosphere felt intimate and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable. It’s a perfect spot for a date night.
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Madeleine Hulstrom
Nixta Taqueria feels like your grandma’s taco joint met fine dining. It was warm, soulful, and elevated in all the right ways. You can feel the passion and creativity from the husband-wife duo behind this place. From the moment we sat down, the hospitality was exceptional. Natalia, the wine manager, helped us select an excellent bottle and even surprised us with an extra sparkling pour as a thoughtful gesture when we told her we were new to Austin and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience thus far. Sara, the owner, even gave us a post-dinner garden tour that made the whole experience feel extra personal and special.

The food was phenomenal, with the bean and cheese taco and suadero taco as standouts. And I’m still thinking about the beet “tartare” — such an inventive, flavorful take that somehow tastes like the real thing. The chips and salsa trio was also a must-order (I’d skip the avocado crema, the salsas shine on their own).

Nixta is the perfect mix of heart, craft, and creativity. Easily one of the most unique yet quintessentially Austin dining experiences. We can’t wait to return to try their taco omakase!
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Morgan Fairbrother
We were so excited to try Nixta Taqueria! We arrived at 5:15PM to beat the rush/waiting in a long line. The staff were great. They took the time to explain the menu since it was our first visit.

We decided to try 5 dishes.

Chips n dips- Good starter. We were there for happy hour (Tues-Sat 5PM-6PM) so it was $5 instead of $10. All it’s worth.

Bean & cheese taco with chorizo, Chipotle mayo, and avacado- One of the more basic tacos, but we enjoyed it.

Duck carnitas taco- Would not order again. I was really looking forward to trying this one. The texture and flavor wasn’t for us.

Tuna tostada- A good serving of tuna, had a lot of flavor.

Bulgigi mulita- This was the special of the night. By far the best item we ordered. However they charged $18 for this one taco.

Nixta Taqueria was on our list of restaurants we wanted to try for a while. It was $70 total for 5 dishes and a coke (no alcohol). Was really hoping to love this spot, food was just too okay for the price. Glad we experienced Nixta, but will not return.
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