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.