Nixta Taqueria works from a taco-based menu, but the technique underneath it goes back centuries: nixtamalization, the process of treating corn to make masa, sits at the center of what comes out of the kitchen. Chef and owner Edgar Rico opened the restaurant with his partner Sara after a path that ran through Tom Colicchio's Craft, the launch of Son of a Gun in Los Angeles, Ludo Lefebvre's Trois Mec, Jessica Koslow's Sqirl, and Enrique Olvera's Pujol in Mexico City — plus time spent learning from home cooks in Oaxaca.
That range shows up on the menu, where dishes like beet tartare sit alongside the tacos, drawing attention for pairing unexpected flavors into a taco-shop format.
The recognition has piled up fast: Michelin awarded Nixta a Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, Eater named it to its Essential 38, StarChefs included Rico in its 2023 Rising Stars class, and the James Beard Foundation named him Emerging Chef in 2022. The Infatuation scored the restaurant 9.1 out of 10, and it landed on A Taste of Koko's 2025 best-of list for Austin.
That range shows up on the menu, where dishes like beet tartare sit alongside the tacos, drawing attention for pairing unexpected flavors into a taco-shop format.
The recognition has piled up fast: Michelin awarded Nixta a Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, Eater named it to its Essential 38, StarChefs included Rico in its 2023 Rising Stars class, and the James Beard Foundation named him Emerging Chef in 2022. The Infatuation scored the restaurant 9.1 out of 10, and it landed on A Taste of Koko's 2025 best-of list for Austin.