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Taqueria Nacional
Taqueria Nacional
Photo: R. Lopez

Breakfast Tacos: Where to Get a Morning Mexican Fix

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Taqueria Nacional
| Photo: R. Lopez

The breakfast taco probably owes less to Mexico and more to Texas, where it's been a staple on menus for three decades. Taco stands, trucks and delis throughout Austin sell inexpensive flour tortillas stuffed with eggs, cheese, salsa and meat or vegetables for breakfast, or pretty much any time of the day. In San Antonio, the savory morning offerings sometimes come in the thicker, "puffy" tortillas for which the city is known.

DC's taco boom during the past couple of years has been focused mostly on lunch and dinner, but a small but growing number of the district's taco purveyors have a.m. options, too. Fillings range from the traditional egg to more exotic pairings, including short ribs and steak.

Here's where diners can satisfy a morning taco craving. Falls Church breakfast taco fans, be patient — Taco Bamba plans to open for breakfast soon with a specific menu of breakfast taco offerings. Have another favorite spot for breakfast tacos? Share in the comments.
—Ben Wieder

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Guapo's

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The options: Wraps de Huevo y Chorizo Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables, Cheese, and Chorizo. Rolled in Two Fresh Flour Tortillas. ($8.95)
They don't call them breakfast tacos, but this local DC Tex-Mex chain offers chorizo and egg "wraps" for brunch on the weekends. Two to an order, with potatoes, fruit and unlimited chips and salsa.

Alero Restaurant

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The options: Tacos Rancheros: Two soft flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs and ranchera sauce served with Mexican rice, refried beans, Alero potatoes and fruit garnish. ($8.99)
Brunch at the original Alero's in Cleveland Park and the branches in Dupont Circle and Columbia Heights offer tacos rancheros, stuffed with eggs and ranchero sauce. There's two tacos to an order and they come with rice, beans, potatoes and fruit on the side.

Tortilla Coast

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The options: Tacos de carne y huevo: tender braised short rib, scrambled eggs & pico de gallo ($11.95).
Tortilla Coast's swankier Logan Circle location offers an upscale take on the breakfast taco, pairing short ribs with eggs and pico de gallo as part of its weekend brunch.

Pica Taco

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The options: Breakfast taco ($2.50)
It doesn't get much more authentic than these no-frills taco shops in Columbia Heights and the U Street Corridor. They serve breakfast every morning until about 11, and breakfast tacos come with eggs, cheese, black beans and avocado. Chorizo or other meats are a little extra.

Taqueria Nacional

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The options: Egg and cheese, Egg and cheese with bacon or chorizo ($2.50-$2.75)
The relocated Tacqueria Nacional now only serves breakfast on the weekends, but the tacos take center stage. The egg and cheese tacos are small, but packed with flavor. They can be customized at their salsa bar and you can add bacon or chorizo for a quarter.

El Centro D.F.

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The options: Multiple combinations including such fillings as barbacoa, lengua, chicken tinga, egg & chorizo and more (two for $7)
The weekend brunch features four different types of breakfast tacos, from egg and chorizo to egg and guajillo chile, along with several of the regular lunch and dinner taco options. They come two to an order, or you can test the depths of your stomach with unlimited breakfast tacos (and anything else on the menu) as part of their bottomless brunch.

Los Cuates

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The options: Tacos de Huevo y Chorizo Scrambled eggs with vegetables, cheese and chorizo. Rolled in two flour tortillas. ($9.95)
This small Georgetown Mexican restaurant offers "tacos de huevo y chorizo" on the weekend — a mix of eggs, vegetables, cheese and chorizo in a flour tortilla. They come two to an order, with potatoes and fruit.

El Tamarindo

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The options: Two flour tortilla tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, refried beans and melted Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheeses. ($9.29, plus more for added meat)
Breakfast tacos are available every day or as part of the weekend brunch at this Adams Morgan Mexican/El Salvadoran spot. The basic breakfast tacos come with eggs, beans and cheese, but you can add a variety of meats, including bacon, chorizo and steak, for a few bucks extra.

District Taco

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The options: Basic, healthy, veggie (3 for $7)
The breakfast tacos are huge at this food truck-turned brick and mortar. There are three varieties: basic, which comes with egg, cheese and potatoes; healthy, which uses egg whites; and the veggie, which features beans, cheese, onions and peppers. All are customizable with toppings and you can add bacon or chorizo for an additional $.50.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

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The options: Puffy tacos on the brunch buffet ($29.95)
Puffy tacos are one of the more conventional options on the Farmers Fishers Bakers brunch buffet — and also one of the most popular. Diners can fill them themselves using various toppings.

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Guapo's

The options: Wraps de Huevo y Chorizo Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables, Cheese, and Chorizo. Rolled in Two Fresh Flour Tortillas. ($8.95)
They don't call them breakfast tacos, but this local DC Tex-Mex chain offers chorizo and egg "wraps" for brunch on the weekends. Two to an order, with potatoes, fruit and unlimited chips and salsa.

Alero Restaurant

The options: Tacos Rancheros: Two soft flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled eggs and ranchera sauce served with Mexican rice, refried beans, Alero potatoes and fruit garnish. ($8.99)
Brunch at the original Alero's in Cleveland Park and the branches in Dupont Circle and Columbia Heights offer tacos rancheros, stuffed with eggs and ranchero sauce. There's two tacos to an order and they come with rice, beans, potatoes and fruit on the side.

Tortilla Coast

The options: Tacos de carne y huevo: tender braised short rib, scrambled eggs & pico de gallo ($11.95).
Tortilla Coast's swankier Logan Circle location offers an upscale take on the breakfast taco, pairing short ribs with eggs and pico de gallo as part of its weekend brunch.

Pica Taco

The options: Breakfast taco ($2.50)
It doesn't get much more authentic than these no-frills taco shops in Columbia Heights and the U Street Corridor. They serve breakfast every morning until about 11, and breakfast tacos come with eggs, cheese, black beans and avocado. Chorizo or other meats are a little extra.

Taqueria Nacional

The options: Egg and cheese, Egg and cheese with bacon or chorizo ($2.50-$2.75)
The relocated Tacqueria Nacional now only serves breakfast on the weekends, but the tacos take center stage. The egg and cheese tacos are small, but packed with flavor. They can be customized at their salsa bar and you can add bacon or chorizo for a quarter.

El Centro D.F.

The options: Multiple combinations including such fillings as barbacoa, lengua, chicken tinga, egg & chorizo and more (two for $7)
The weekend brunch features four different types of breakfast tacos, from egg and chorizo to egg and guajillo chile, along with several of the regular lunch and dinner taco options. They come two to an order, or you can test the depths of your stomach with unlimited breakfast tacos (and anything else on the menu) as part of their bottomless brunch.

Los Cuates

The options: Tacos de Huevo y Chorizo Scrambled eggs with vegetables, cheese and chorizo. Rolled in two flour tortillas. ($9.95)
This small Georgetown Mexican restaurant offers "tacos de huevo y chorizo" on the weekend — a mix of eggs, vegetables, cheese and chorizo in a flour tortilla. They come two to an order, with potatoes and fruit.

El Tamarindo

The options: Two flour tortilla tacos stuffed with scrambled eggs, refried beans and melted Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheeses. ($9.29, plus more for added meat)
Breakfast tacos are available every day or as part of the weekend brunch at this Adams Morgan Mexican/El Salvadoran spot. The basic breakfast tacos come with eggs, beans and cheese, but you can add a variety of meats, including bacon, chorizo and steak, for a few bucks extra.

District Taco

The options: Basic, healthy, veggie (3 for $7)
The breakfast tacos are huge at this food truck-turned brick and mortar. There are three varieties: basic, which comes with egg, cheese and potatoes; healthy, which uses egg whites; and the veggie, which features beans, cheese, onions and peppers. All are customizable with toppings and you can add bacon or chorizo for an additional $.50.

Farmers Fishers Bakers

The options: Puffy tacos on the brunch buffet ($29.95)
Puffy tacos are one of the more conventional options on the Farmers Fishers Bakers brunch buffet — and also one of the most popular. Diners can fill them themselves using various toppings.

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