Best Puffy Taco in San Antonio · San Antonio, TX
Ray's Drive Inn has claimed the title of birthplace of the puffy taco since the Lopez family opened it on San Antonio's west side in 1956. The shells are pressed and flash-fried so they puff up crisp and light, then piled with picadillo or beans — a San Antonio original that sparked a citywide obsession.
A west-side drive-in institution for 70 years, Ray's is the 2026 Centurion Award winner in San Antonio.
Each Centurion Award is a dated record tied to one year’s evaluation — earned annually, never carried over. Open a year for the full citation and verification details.
Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Ray's Drive Inn
This page is the standing record for Ray's Drive Inn (2026). It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
If you’ve put in the years, you may already clear the bar. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.