Nachos originated in Piedras Negras, in which Mexican state?

Nachos originated in Piedras Negras, in the Mexican state of Coahuila.

Piedras Negras sits in northeastern Mexico on the Rio Grande, directly across from Eagle Pass, Texas. The city is closely associated with the invention of nachos because Mexican restaurateur Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya created the dish there in 1943 at the Victory Club restaurant.

The commonly told origin story says that Anaya prepared a quick snack for a group of American military officers’ wives who had crossed the border from nearby Fort Duncan. With the restaurant cook unavailable, he cut fried corn tortillas into triangles, topped them with shredded cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños, and heated them. The result became known as “Nacho’s Special,” using Nacho as Anaya’s nickname for Ignacio.

Coahuila is sometimes confused with neighboring northern states such as Sonora, Nuevo León, or Chihuahua because nachos became strongly associated with Tex-Mex food and border cuisine. The birthplace claim, however, points specifically to Piedras Negras in Coahuila.