Austin – As Austin continues to grow, it’s getting harder and harder to find staples of the Capital City, but Juan in a Million has stood the test of time. “At the beginning, it was tough, man,” said Juan Meza. “The neighborhood was a little bit different.”
Juan has taken over the operations of Juan in a Million from his dad, Juan, who opened this one of a kind restaurant back in 1980 when things on the east side of Austin were a bit sketchy.
“It wasn’t an easy start,” said Juan. “A lot of people are like, ‘I had my door’s locked on the way over here.’ But now it’s nice. Now it’s not so bad. We knew there was change coming when we started seeing people riding their bicycles at night. And I was like, ‘That’s not normal. Are they sure this is the right neighborhood?’”
Today, Juan in a Million is so close to downtown that it’s becoming a part of it, and that’s making it easier for folks to come get a popular taco, the Don Juan. “I like my tacos hefty,” said Juan.
This huge offering has become a pilgrimage for hungry folks who may or may not be seeking a cure for the ol’ college hangover. “It started off as a college dish,” said Juan. “It was a college student that came over. They wanted something together. My dad said, ‘Let me put this together for you.’ They wanted something big. They were really hungry. And my dad was trying to make it affordable, so he put these ingredients together. And from there, man, it just took off.”
It’s hard to describe this meal that’s technically just a taco but comes with enough filling to stretch into a few. “It’s a plate of food, but it comes on a tortilla, but then it comes with two or three more tortillas to make more tacos out of it,” said customer Ines Guevara. “But yeah, it’s delicious, but it’s huge. It’s huge.”
Now, tortillas aren’t the only thing you’re going to want with your taco. Juan in a Million is also known for their salsa which might hit 6 digits on the Scoville scale. “Most people, they start off, ‘Ah, it’s too hot,’” said Juan. “And then they just can’t put it down. You can’t put it down. They’ll get that chip in their mouth, mouth’s burning, sweating profusely, and they just can’t put it down, man. Like, ‘More, give me more, give me more.’ And of course, we go through a lot of tea and a lot of water.”
Considering Juan the Don has brought in actors, politicians, and other TV show hosts, anyone would be ready to get their hands on a taco, so it’s time to seek out out the jedi master of making them, Maria. With 35 years of experience making this taco, Maria is all business when it comes to cracking the eggs. “Oh yeah, yeah. It’s her world back here,” said Juan. “We’re just living in it.”
This recipe ain’t rocket science calling for potatoes, bacon, and eggs. Throw on some cheese and that’s it. “She cooks it to perfection, puts it in the tortilla,” said Juan. “Then they put it over here on the line, then add cheese to it just to top it off.”
After being presented with a giant plate of breakfast taco fixings, the first step for any seasoned veteran at Juan in a Million is to pull out a tortilla and load it up to your heart’s content. The smell of bacon and melted cheese hits your nose like a delicious train before you get a kick of that spicy sauce, and you’re ready to go to town on this taco. “It’s daunting,” said Ines. “I think I only had a third of it, but it was really good.”
As soon as you take a bite, you get every single flavor from the potatoes and the eggs. And the salsa is extra important, especially in the taco. But man, that bacon and cheese. The bacon’s crispy, the cheese is salty. Both of them come together to make a great flavor in a taco. Well, for a Texas tradition that’s one in a million, come into Juan in a Million in Austin. It’s well worth a stop on The Texas Bucket List. “For a pound of food, you’re paying seven bucks,” said Juan. “Yeah, you can’t get that anywhere.”