I Ordered Tacos From Mexico While Still in Texas (And It's Completely Legal)
My phone thought I moved to Canada 6 times while I was sleeping. I also had birria tacos delivered from Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas without ever crossing the border.
Welcome to Borderline, the series where we find the places in America where reality glitches.
If you live in a border town, your GPS is confused, your phone bill is lying to you, and yes, cross-border delivery is a real thing. Here is how it actually works.
The Stat That Fries Your Brain
There are over 120 incorporated cities that sit directly ON the US border. Not near it. On it.
In these places, your house can be in America and your mailbox in Canada. Your Uber Eats map can show restaurants in two countries. And your cell phone can rack up international charges while you are still in bed in Vermont.
I went to two of the weirdest ones to test it.
Stop 1: El Paso, Texas / Juarez, Mexico - Ordering Birria Across The Wall
I was standing in El Paso. I opened Uber Eats and DoorDash, and there they were: restaurants in Juarez.
So I ordered.
How does it work? It is not one driver doing an international smuggling run with your tacos.
Here is the real system:
1. The Relay System: This is what locals call the 2-driver handoff. A driver in Mexico picks up your food and brings it to the port of entry or to a parcel forwarding store near the bridge. A US driver on the American side picks it up after it clears and completes the last mile to you. It looks exactly like a drug deal in a parking lot, but it is just tacos.
2. The Forwarding Store Loophole: In towns like El Paso, Laredo, and Point Roberts, there are stores whose entire business is holding packages and food orders from across the border. You pay a small fee, usually $5 to $10.
Is this legal?
Yes. Cooked food for personal consumption in small quantities is generally admissible from Mexico and Canada as long as it is declared by the commercial driver or carrier. No beef products that are uncooked, no raw pork in some cases, but cooked tacos, poutine, and Tim Hortons are all fair game. The drivers do this hundreds of times a week. They know what is allowed.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Uber Eats, DoorDash, Verizon, or Mint. Rules change at the port, so always ask your forwarding driver what is currently allowed.
### The 6 Myths About Cross-Border Delivery Everyone Gets Wrong
Myth 1: Customs will stop your pizza and throw it away.
Nope. Customs cares about agriculture risks and resale quantity. One order of cooked birria is not a commercial import.
Myth 2: One driver crosses the border with your order.
Almost never. Insurance, passports, and wait times make it impossible. It is always a relay.
Myth 3: You need a passport to order.
You do not. Your food has a passport, you do not.
Myth 4: Point Roberts, WA is a myth.
It is very real, and it is the weirdest town in America. It is attached to Canada, not the US. To get to the rest of Washington by car, kids have to cross two international borders to go to school.
Myth 5: That hotel on the border is a gimmick.
In Derby Line, Vermont / Stanstead, Quebec, there is the Haskell Free Library and Opera House. The border line is literally painted on the floor. Take a step and you change countries. Your phone loses its mind.
Myth 6: Airplane Mode + WiFi will save you from roaming.
This is the most expensive myth. Here is why it fails.
Why Airplane Mode + WiFi DOES NOT Save You From Roaming Charges
I put my phone on airplane mode and turned on WiFi at my Derby Line hotel. I still woke up to 6 welcome to Canada texts.
Why? Two reasons:
If you turn airplane mode off for even 10 seconds to get a text, your phone automatically connects to the strongest tower, which might be Rogers or Telus in Canada.
Even in airplane mode, some phones with WiFi Calling enabled will route your call through a Canadian tower if it thinks it is closer, triggering a charge.
Carriers charge based on which tower your phone pinged, not what your GPS says.
5 Hacks to Travel Border Towns Without Going Broke
If you are visiting El Paso, Laredo, Detroit, Buffalo, or Derby Line, do this before you go:
1. Manual Network Lock: Go to Settings > Cellular Network Selection and turn off Automatic. Manually select T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon. This physically prevents your phone from joining Bell or Telcel.
2. The eSIM Trick: Buy a $5 US-only prepaid eSIM from Mint, US Mobile, or T-Mobile before you go. Use it for data. Keep your primary SIM off for the trip.
3. Download Offline Maps: Google Maps will glitch and think you are in Mexico. Offline maps keep you navigating even when your data is off.
4. Ask About the Forwarding Fee: If you are ordering across the border, confirm if the delivery fee includes the forwarding store fee.
5. Take Screenshots of Your Bill: If you do get a false roaming charge while still in the US, carriers will almost always reverse it if you can prove you were at a US hotel with a receipt.
Have you ever been charged for roaming while still in America? What is the one food you would order from across the border if you could?
Comment below. I am crowning the worst phone bill in Borderline history for the next video.
Next Week on Borderline: I am ordering breakfast in America, lunch in Canada, and dinner in Mexico from ONE parking lot. Yes, that place exists.
If you want more places where your GPS is too scared to go, subscribe and join the Borderline crew.