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When Brent Thrash opened Moontower Tacos in February 2013, he did so with a menu listing more than 20 styles of tacos. That in itself isn’t significant in a Mexican food town like Denver, but of those options, six landed on the breakfast menu. These soft-sided eats were an homage to Thrash’s high school years spent in Austin, Texas. Breakfast tacos (not burritos) are a staple in the Lone Star State but were little-known here when Thrash moved to Boulder for college in 2005.
Thrash’s Texas influence is especially evident in Moontower’s “migas,” a specific type of breakfast taco that combines crispy chips with scrambled eggs. (The name and inspiration may have come from the Spanish and Portuguese dish that’s made using breadcrumbs.) The traditional Tex-Mex standby takes eggs, tortilla strips, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, onions, and beans and enfolds them in a flour tortilla to make a taco. Thrash takes a slightly different approach, though. “We [drew inspiration from] my favorite versions of migas that I had back in Austin,” he says. For this mashup, Moontower takes the egg-and-tortilla scramble and tops it with house-made queso, pico de gallo, and avocado.
The various textures and flavors set these migas apart from other breakfast tacos (even those on Moontower’s menu). This isn’t just eggs and tortillas—it’s a twist on tradition with thoughtful additions. 609 Grant St., 303-832-1107, moontowertacos.com