In Houston, taco lovers are not only enjoying their favorite lunch spots but also noticing that tacos are getting more expensive. The average price has gone up by 5.9%, now costing $5.81, according to a report from Toast's Q2 2024 Restaurant Trends. This uptick in pricing is representative of a larger trend that has seen sandwiches, wraps, bowls, and burgers average a 4.6% increase across quick-service restaurants nationally. Despite the hike, Texans aren't facing the steepest costs across the board, with the same report noting that sandwiches and wraps in Texas are among the least expensive in the country, averaging at $9.36, as detailed by Houston Chronicle.
This uptick in taco prices correlates with another fact for Houstonians: grocery prices are soaring faster than anywhere else in the nation, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture finding a 7.8 percent increase in 2023, as Houston takes the crown for the highest grocery price inflation. According to the USDA study, this unprecedented rise in grocery costs, particularly in cereals, baked goods, and nonalcoholic beverages, is already imposing substantial impacts on regional budgets, as mentioned by Chron.
However, morning habits are showing signs of shifting too, with select cities, including Richmond and Philadelphia, witnessing a rise in breakfast transactions. Houston itself saw a 3 percent decrease in lunch spending but is embracing the night with a 2 percent uptick in late-night spending, Houston Chronicle reports indicated. On the flip side, dinner spending took a dip in Austin, with a 4 percent decrease when contrasting Q2 2024 to the previous year.
Amidst these fluctuations, Houston remains a city where savvy locals can still hunt down wallet-friendly options. Tacos may be getting pricier, but they're still crowned as one of the cheapest meal choices, with venues like Tacos Tierra Caliente and Brothers Taco House offering a variety of tacos costing less than $3. Despite the highest grocery price inflation tag revealed by the USDA study and the realization that the average weekly grocery bill is a staggering $302.65—the second-highest in the nation.
