Tacos are more than just an ubiquitous staple in Dallas — they’re a way of life. The warm, tortilla-hugged dish can be found in gas stations, trucks and walk-up windows all over town, as well as Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants, breakfast and brunch spots, and even anchoring high-end tasting menus. So, it’s perfectly reasonable to eat tacos from sunrise to sunset, and then again once the bars close. And considering that tacos vary significantly across style and provenance, you never have to eat the same one twice. There are more taco spots than one can count, so rather than a definitive list of the best tacos in DFW, let’s call this our 10 favorite tacos in the city right now. Grab some napkins and dive in.
Revolver Taco Lounge
The restaurant from award-winning chef Regino Rojas serves Michoacán-style tacos on handmade corn tortillas. Options range from classic street tacos like carne asada, carnitas and lengua to cheffed-up varieties, including goat birria, trout, lobster and shrimp guisado, and the Netflix-famous pulpo al pastor, which involves a whole octopus tentacle treated in the traditional al pastor style and rolled into an extra large heirloom corn tortilla. If you prefer to eat your tacos in an intimate tasting room, book a table at Revolver’s high-end offshoot, Purepecha.
Resident Taqueria
This Lake Highlands gem opens early, so you can swing through in the morning for breakfast tacos loaded with eggs, chorizo, potatoes and fresh salsas. Lunch and dinner bring pecan-smoked chicken, slow-cooked brisket, shrimp tempura and some of the best vegetarian tacos in town, including caramelized cauliflower and mushroom-poblano. Keep your eyes peeled for specials, too, as the kitchen regularly cooks up limited-time tacos, with past iterations including soft shell crab and chicken satay. If there’s any room left on your table, stock up on elote, cucumber gazpacho and ice-cold beers.
José
José is a lot more than a taco joint. Chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman’s Jalisco-inspired menu features seasonal crudos, fresh salads, chicken mole and langoustine enchiladas. But do not, under any circumstances, miss the tacos. Because then you’d be depriving yourself of handmade tortillas filled with skirt steak, cilantro-lime marinated shrimp, fried mahi-mahi and lion’s mane mushroom tinga. Continue your smart decision making, and throw in an achiote-spiced mezcal cocktail or a pour from the massive agave spirits list.
Del Sur Tacos
Oak Cliff’s Del Sur Tacos is a fun and lively spot, with a bar, patio and full menu of Mexican favorites. Tortas, enchiladas, chile rellenos: they’re all here. But when it’s tacos you crave, skip straight to the slow-cooked birria, carne asada, carnitas and pan-seared cod. On Taco Tuesdays, tacos are just $2 and Margaritas are $5, so you can do some serious damage without a distressing call from your accountant.
Maskaras Mexican Grill
Maskaras is a museum-like treasure trove of lucha libre masks, wrestler figurines and memorabilia, but the food is serious business. The kitchen is making a full smorgasbord of dishes, but you’re here for the birria tacos and the tacos ahogados (“drowned tacos”), which are deep-fried and swimming in sauce. Messy? Yes. Delicious? Very much yes.
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Tacos and beer will never go out of style, but tacos and wine are an unheralded duo celebrated at this Bishop Arts favorite. You can choose from tacos like cochinita pibil, barbacoa, chicken tinga and blackened Baja fish, and the wine list is stocked with interesting bottles by owner and wine pro Jimmy Contreras. The smart play is to bring a friend or significant other and share the tacos and wine combo, which nets you six tacos of your choice, plus a featured bottle of wine, all for just $45.
Milagro Taco Cantina
Situated at Trinity Groves, Milagro specializes in Tijuana street tacos and Sinaloa-style ceviches, and they make a solid Margarita. So that’s three things to be excited about. The menu has a few of the usual suspects, like pollo and al pastor, but the seafood options are the real star. Octopus and shrimp are treated with care and stuffed into tortillas with fresh toppings and spicy salsa. Then there’s the Costra de Salmon, which sees smoked salmon combined with asadero cheese, avocado and crema. It just works.
Chilangos Tacos
This bright and busy restaurant channels Mexico City’s taquerias, serving fresh tortillas and a tight taco menu featuring chicken, al pastor, carne asada, barbacoa, caramelized mushrooms and the cult-favorite birria. The latter is only available on weekends, so that’s your time to shine. Three birria tacos — available with or without melted cheese — are joined by a side of hot consomme. Dip, bite, repeat.
4012 Ross Ave, 10777 Harry Hines Blvd
El Come Taco
Cow head, tripe, tongue, veal brains — these are just a few of the options on El Come’s menu. Collect them all if you’re feeling adventurous, otherwise you can stick to tacos like skirt steak, marinated chicken, al pastor and beer-battered tilapia. The menu also includes a range of starters and sides like guacamole, elote, nopales and ceviche. Heads up: the restaurant is connected to La Viuda Negra, the speakeasy-style mezcaleria that has one of the best agave selections in town.
Trompo
Trompo has changed formats and locations a few times over the years, but it’s still one of the best spots to score authentic pork tacos carved straight from the vertical, rotating spit. Start there, then try other delicious things served on corn tortillas, like bistek, barbacoa and chicken tinga. There’s also a selection of quesadillas, sides and drinks to keep you coming back.
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