In March 2024, Taco Heart, located at 7th and Passyunk in Philadelphia, garnered attention for offering a diverse variety of Austin-style breakfast tacos, a novelty in the local culinary scene. Owned by Nano Wheedan, who moved from Austin to Philadelphia in 2020, Taco Heart is known for its freshly griddled flour tortillas and offers 11 different types of breakfast tacos along with build-your-own options. This establishment marks a significant presence in Philadelphia’s expanding breakfast-taco market, which includes over 25 venues across the region, featuring a wide range of styles from Tex-Mex to more traditional Mexican offerings with intricate garnishes.
Notable mentions in the city’s breakfast taco evolution include Honest Tom’s, a former food truck turned brick-and-mortar restaurant that first introduced these tacos in 2009 near Drexel University’s campus. It transitioned through multiple phases, including going vegan in 2018, before it was ultimately sold and rebranded in 2019. Other establishments, like Mission Taqueria and Sor Ynez, further diversify the breakfast taco offerings in Philadelphia, adapting them with local touches and personal chef influences from their Mexican heritage.
Taco Heart and similar eateries have contributed to popularizing this niche breakfast option, revealing a growing appreciation for breakfast tacos in Philadelphia, which blend traditional Mexican flavors with local culinary trends.