Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory and Grand Prairie's Hidden Taqueria Scene

1702 Small St.

Grand Prairie, TX

Just off Main

Growing up in Arlington, I never had much occasion to make the few miles drive east down Division street towards Grand Prairie. The farthest I normally traveled that direction was to the Six Flags Mall. My grandmother had worked at LTV in Grand Prairie, but other than work, she didn't go there for anything. As a young adult, I was required to take a class that was held in that area. As I drove through, it appeared to be a city in terrible decline. From that day forward, I nicknamed Grand Prairie "The Armpit of the Metroplex". 

Flash forward 20 years. I'll be honest, the city obviously suffers from a poverty problem. However, the main drag kind of had a different vibe going on. Some highway and road improvements definitely made it more visually appealing and lots of new businesses had popped up along the corridors to I-30. But noteably, it had become predominantly Hispanic. Almost a "Little Mexico" if you will but with more countries and nationalities mixed in.

As we cruised down Main St, headed to a nearby field for a drone racing event, I noticed some taquerias and got excited. But the Eureka moment came when I pulled up my GPS to see what kind of food was nearby. This place is a taco lovers Mecca! There were no fewer than ten places to buy tacos in the short drive down Main St from Beltline Rd to 25th. I was on a mission, "A mission from God!" as the Blues Brothers would say. I must try some.

I decided on the Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory. This place sits just off Main on Small St where the two converge. The parking lot was packed and the place was very busy. I approached the counter to order and decided on a beef fajita taco plate and a dozen beef tamales to go. If it's got tamale in the name, you best get some tamales.

The people eating in the restaurant were given a number to place on their table, but I was told my to go order did not need one. I cozied up to a table and hunkered down for the wait. I was paranoid about not seeing when my order was ready, so I kept obsessively glancing toward the counter. I did notice that all the tables were decorated with lotteria cards.

I was right to keep an eye on the counter. When my order was ready, the cashier simply shot me a quick glance from across the room. The drive back to the event with the food in my car was difficult. I almost pulled over to devour it immediately, but the good angel on my right shoulder won the argument.

My tacos were served with onions, cilantro, and a lime wedge. The first thing I noticed was the overly greased corn tortillas. They tasted oily. The beef was juicy and seasoned with black pepper. This was a pretty good taco that I'd eat again. The homemade beans had great flavor and the traditional rice was fantastic. I would definitely recommend this place to others.

On a side note, the tamales were good too. Not the best, but good. I loved that they came wrapped in a Freebirds bag. Recycling at its finest.

Tortas La Hechizera

My husbands new hobby has brought me to a part of the Metroplex I rarely have ventured to. It's  been about 20 years since the last time I had a reason to  go to Grand Prairie, TX. Today, I tried a place at 1610 E. Main called Tortas La Hechizera. Honestly, my sole reason for picking this place was the fact that it had a new looking building that most likely would have clean bathrooms. I really needed to pee so this was of the upmost importance. Normally, I would steer toward a more "authentic" looking establishment that probably has numerous violations with the code inspector.

When I walked in, the place was clean and pleasant. I scanned the large dining area and noticed the absence of any gringos. This was a good sign. I walked up to the counter and grabbed a menu. It was in Spanish on one side and English on the other.

Surprise number one...They do not serve beans and rice. Surprise number two...This place had a Cuban/Reggaeton thing going on. Some of the dishes had pineapple and they served Cuban sandwiches. There was Reggaeton music in Spanish playing throughout the place.

The cashier began speaking to me in Spanish but then quickly switched to English when I opened my mouth. I ordered three tacos:fajita beef, marinated beef, and chicken on corn tortillas. I also ordered a bottled Mexican Coke. When your order is ready, they call the number on your receipt. At least know your numbers in Spanish. I waited for numero diez to be called. And waited.

This is not the place if you're in a big hurry or on a quick lunch break. When I picked up my order I was offered salsa that was grabbed from the fridge behind the counter. It was a red sauce of some sort.

My order came with onions, cilantro and lime on the side. The corn tortillas were fantastic. They were soft and pliable. The meat though was...um...Cuban-ie. 

Let me take you back to 1998 when I visited Florida and was tricked into eating Cuban food. I was told it was a Mexican food place but those people were liars or retarded because it was definitely Cuban. Anyhow, I ordered the chicken enchiladas. Now, here in Texas, that would consist of some shredded chicken that most likely was boiled with some variance of chicken stock, onions, tomatoes, and maybe some jalapeño in there somewhere. It would be rolled into a corn tortilla and topped with either sour cream sauce or a  green chili verde sauce. Mmmm.

However, what I received on that terrible day in'98 was nothing of the sort. The chicken was boiled with just plain water, chunked into large pieces, and included the pimply chicken skin. That alone was enough to gag me. They tossed this culinary masterpiece into a corn tortilla and tossed it on a plate. No sauce. No nothing. Just crap on a plate. The most flavorless meal of my life.

Now let's skip ahead to today. My chicken taco was just like that without the chicken skin. It was gross and I couldn't eat all of it. The beef fajita meat was super dry and over cooked. I ate it but felt guilty afterword. The marinated beef, had slightly more flavor but was kind of fatty. I ended up dumping out the meat and piling on the cilantro and onions.

In addition, I thought it was pricey. 

I don't think I'll revisit La Hechizera again

P.S.

The bathroom was fantastic.

Taco Heads: Best New Addition to the Near West Side

I had eaten at Tacoheads once at their small trailer off of West 7th. It was late and my partner and I had stumbled out of Lola's Saloon after too many beers. I don't remember it at all. So, I was really excited when I first saw that they would be occupying a vacant location near my office on Montgomery St.

           The trailer at 7th and Carroll Photo:Tacoheads Facebook

As I drove by everyday, I watched the transformation of an uninspiring property into a modern taco beacon. There are two separate buildings with a patio area in between. One side, still under renovation, will become the bar. The other side is the kitchen and restaurant. It's a pretty small building, so the patio is essential.

  Artist rendition of the property completed. Photo from Tacoheads Facebook

I was fearful of the parking but it wasn't bad. Parking is behind the building. Enter the one-way parking lot from the side street and exit out the driveway on the north side of the building. They are adding more parking next door directly behind the old Hale House that is now the Fixi Shop.

I went with a friend the other evening. I had been patiently waiting. I never like to review a place the first couple of weeks it opens. It takes awhile to get a smooth running ship. Of course, I was dying to hear how it was from others. A coworker had been during the first week and confessed that his meat filling seemed inadequate for the price tag. I wasn't going to let his opinion sway mine until I had tried them myself.

Upon first entering, we were a little confused on what to do. My first instinct was to look up above a small counter area just inside the door for a menu. There was none to be found. We were quickly greeted and told it was open seating and to choose any table. My friend and I looked at each other confused and she asked, "Where do we order?". That's when we found out that we would have a server.

This totally threw me off. I was used to ordering and paying for tacos at a counter or window and also paying there.  I'll be honest, my first thoughts were How long is THIS going to take and How much more is THIS going to cost me. We had been working all day, were tired, and just wanted to eat some good food and get home as soon as possible. One of the appeals of taco based eateries is that you can stop in quick and get in and out on your lunch break with little hassle. Also, we are paid peanuts and really must appreciate where each dollar is spent. Tipping significantly adds to the final bill. I accepted the arrangement.

We chose a small table. It was cozy, very modern and clean. I liked the decor. 

The menus were very nice. Not quite what I was expecting from a taco place.

There was a breakfast menu on the back and a dessert menu that was coming soon.

There was also an extensive drink menu.

With beer on the back.

I decided to go with the Roasted Chipotle Brisket Taco with green cabbage, onion, cilantro, and queso fresco. I also ordered the Mama Castillo's Chicken Taco with pico de gallo and queso fresco.

They looked great and were served with a wedge of lime. They could have been slightly larger for the price however, I understand that having a nice place to eat comes with overhead. I tried the Brisket first. Fanfuckingtastic! Their meat tastes simmered. It's very tender and juicy. Even with lots of juice, the corn tortillas stayed together. The tortillas tasted grilled with some oil or butter to give them strength and flexibility. The cabbage and veggies were a perfect combo of toppings. 

I was surprised when I bit into my chicken taco. I hadn't noticed on the menu that it had different toppings than the brisket. It had lots of pico and some queso fresco but was lacking the crunchiness of fresh onion or cabbage. I'm not a huge tomato fan and I usually prefer my pico with more onion and pepper but, this was really very tasty. I ate every single bite and was wishing I had two more when I was done.

And therin lies my only real issue. The friend I was with also stated she was still hungry after eating her two tacos. We decided that on an average day we could probably go with three, but on a night when we had to work late and were really hungry, we could have put back four each. That would have cost us $14.00 plus tax. Add on an extra $1.75 for a soda and at least $3 for a tip. Quick math added up to $19.85. That's a lot of money for one person to eat dinner. I can hit up my local taco trailer on the far west side and get four tacos for $6 total.

I quickly decided that the exceptional service made the hit to my wallet more palatable. The staff went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. When we inquired about the red and green salsas, our server returned with a gentleman,who I believe was cooking that evening, to explain the salsas to us. Both salsas were great. The green jalapeño tomatillo salsa was spicey and made our noses run. The milder red sauce, my favorite, had an awesome roasted pepper flavor and was delicious. 

Tip: Ask for a fork to scoop up your drippings!

These are fabulous tacos and I will most definitely be visiting again, I'll just have to start saving a little ahead of time.

On The Very Greasy Border by Enrique Carlos

I'm just kidding. It's not really by Enrique Carlos (the Mexican version of Eric Carle that I came up with in my head.) 

The Very Greasy Taco by Enrique Carlos 

I stopped by On the Border for lunch while on a recent visit to north Arlington. It was not busy and I sat in the bar. I was less than impressed by the service.

I ordered the steak fajita street style mini tacos with charro beans and rice. You get three mini corn tortillas served open faced with seasoned fajita steak, grilled onion and, Jack cheese served with fresh  avocado, pico de gallo and ,red chili tomatillo salsa. Sounds great...until you see it.

For the $12.99 they charge for this, the food was laughable. Let's begin with the poor, single, corn tortilla that had unrealistic expectations thrust literally onto it. The grilled steak and onions were swimming in grease, the cheese was greasy...it was one big hot mess and, I don't mean that in a good way. The tortilla inevitably broke under the sogginess.

I don't know why some of these chain restaurants are having a hard time nailing down a pretty simple dish. These tacos could have been improved if they laid off the oil a lot and maybe changed up the toppings. I would suggest adding some cilantro and lime wedges. The acidic lime would have been nice to cut the greasiness of the beef.

None of it was spectacular. Most of it was mediocre at best. Avoid these tacos on your next visit. 

Riscky's BBQ:Your Taco Doesn't Get More Texas Than This

My latest taco tasting was at

Riscky's Barbeque

6701 Camp Bowie Blvd

on the West Side

Fort Worth, Texas 76116

This location can be a little tricky to get into because of its location at the split of Camp Bowie and Camp Bowie West (Hwy 80). From Lackland Road and Hwy 80 you can cut through the Fallahs parking lot. I can't remember if Big Lots is still there or not. Once to the other side, take a left on Camp Bowie and Risky's will be on your right.

I ordered the Chopped Brisket Tacos; chopped prime lean brisket, served on a handmade tortilla with no preservatives, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, with a side of beans and salsa. I was also given pickled jalapeño slices without having to ask. 

I had to pick up my to go order at the bar. The bartender was very friendly and had my food ready to go quickly. He even threw in those jalapeños I told you about.  It was $6.99 plus tax.

Once I got home, I flung open the styrofoam container and was overcome by the smokey brisket smell and the sight of bold fresh colors popping on my plate. I was supposed to take a pretty picture of the two tacos but animal instinct kicked in and I went in for the kill like a lion on a wildebeest.

I had devoured an entire taco before realizing I still needed a photo. Oops. 

These tacos are big. The meat is superb. It was moist but did not leave a messy puddle or soak through my flour tortilla. The brisket totally works in this taco. The medley of fresh toppings complimented each other and the brisket perfectly. The salsa tasted very fresh and homemade. I want to add that the cheddar cheese was not listed on the menu but, I'm glad they added it. The jalapeños are a must. They gave this taco just the right amount of spicey. On my next visit, I intend to try it with some bbq sauce instead of salsa.

Damn. I'm getting hungry and wanting more just thinking and writing about them. If you are a bbq lover and a taco lover, combine the two and try the chopped brisket tacos at Riscky's asap. They will make you yell out, "Yee hawww!"

Chilis-Why Have You Forsaken Me?

I went on a dinner date with my best friend the other day. I had been given a gift card to Chilis for Christmas. I traveled across the county to Roanoke near my friends home. Chilis has always been a tried and true favorite. They have always served good quality food. Their hamburgers are amazeballs as are the southwest egg rolls. So, I was super psyched to see their new menu with a Top Shelf Tacos section. We started the meal off right with some Blueberry Pineapple Margaritas. Yummy!

I chose the Prime Rib Tacos, a specialty item. Tender pieces of prime rib served over Jack cheese & topped with chimichurri sauce, house made pico de gallo, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and queso fresco. There was way too much Jack cheese melted into my meat. It was a big pile of goo at the bottom of my taco. The prime rib was terrible. I would compare it to the fake steak you get at fast food places like Taco Cabana. All I could taste were toppings. This taco left a ton of grease at the bottom and the poorly designed taco holders let the runny drippings flow off my plate and onto the table. I only ate half of my meal which is highly unusual for me.

My friend did me a solid and ordered the fish tacos. I'm not a seafood lover but wanted an opinion on more than one taco. It was grilled chili lime tilapia topped with house made cilantro slaw, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, and queso fresco.

She was not impressed with her taco either. She explained that the fish had an overbearing thick sauce on it that completely masked the fresh fish taste. She also complained that she could really only taste the toppings.

Moral of this story? Stick to the tried and true dishes from Chilis and go elsewhere for tacos.