Dallas Taco Bracket

Hello my beautiful taco heads!

It’s been a long time – 10 months to be exact – since we last spoke. And I foolishly promised that we were on the verge of entering a new era of Dallas Taco Bracketeering.

Clearly I lied. Insert lame excuse about new job, other commitments, blah blah blah. It’s my bad. However, in the down time I hope you all have had the chance to devour some of the many, MANY great new taco spots that have popped up over our fair burg.

Having talked with the many great tacomeisters – the plan, as it stands right now, is to hold brackets based on meat type for the traditional bracket (al pastor, tinga, barbacoa, etc.) and the specialty bracket will be run the same as it was in 2010 (submit your favorite crazy taco from your favorite spot – most popular will go in the bracket).

So stay tuned, there are great things abound in the next couple months for Dallas Taco Bracket.

March Madness is on the verge of closing, which means it’s time to cram another bracket down your throats!

That’s right folks, coming up in the next week or so will be the all new and improved Dallas Taco Bracket. There will be some changes this year to watch out for when you’re making your submissions so I wanted to give all you taco heads some advanced notice to gauge your thoughts.

I did like how everything was split by location last year, but what happens when a place has awesome barbacoa and lackluster al pastor? Time to rethink the game!

This year there will be a series of mini brackets by meat type leading up to the big matchups. Standards like barbacoa, pastor and chicharrones will all have a place alongside gringo favorites like fajita, some more interesting cuts of meat like lengua and so on. . .

We would still keep the bracket limited to a specific region of Dallas and the immediate surrounding cities, but I think this will allow more places to shine for more specific reasons.

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Stay hungry, taco heads, and get ready for Dallas Taco Bracket 2011!

Towards the end of last week I got sent a copy of an article on About.com entitled ‘10 Best Tacos in Dallas.’ Honestly, I don’t know what kind of homework went into this article, if any, but talk about a major let down. They might as well have included tainted Taco Bell tacos and a shoe wrapped in a tortilla.While some tacos I can’t argue with, some choices were just awful.

Of course, it’s easy to sit on my throne of tacos and unicorns and pass judgement on the article, but Taco Head Emily Dickens, called me out (with good reason) so here’s a little bit of a better list. For the sake of keeping it fair, I’ll even stick within the confines of Dallas proper (except for the best Korean tacos at Kor-BQ in Plano. . .seriously, delicious).

So here you go, in no particular order, my 10 favorite tacos in Dallas:

1. Good 2 Go Taco – Hotlanta – It won the specialty bracket so it really shouldn’t be  a surprise it’s on here. Waffle battered fried chicken, sweet potatoes and honey butter over loaded into a tortilla? I will punch anyone in the neck that says this is a bad taco. If you agree with me, I’ll kiss you on the mouth. Your call.
2. Tacos El Guero – Tripa – Attention, white people, you are missing out on some damn good food if you stick with beef and chicken fajita meat. Tripe is organ meat and it’s spongier than other cuts of meat. Because of this it soaks up much more flavor and makes an amazing taco. Plus, it’s only $1.35 for one taco so if you don’t have much to lose in trying it
3. Taqueria El Si Hay – Al Pastor – I’m very particular about tacos al pastor. The essential concept is the same almost anywhere you go (marinate pork, cook on vertical spit, slice off, chop, toss on flat top, serve) but they’re just better at El Si Hay. The meat’s a little salty, a little spicy and just enough grease to leave you tasting it for hours. Yum!
4. Taco Joint – Chuck Norris – A lot of people think the brisket tacos at TJ are the end all be all of brisket tacos. I, however, prefer to come in on Fridays for the pulled pork taco plate affectionately named the Chuck Norris. Sweet and juicy pulled pork with just enough tangy BBQ sauce to cover the meat but not pour out when you take that first bite. Add some avocado or guac to it and you’ve got yourself a taco that will roundhouse kick your mouth with flavor. It’s what Walker, Texas Ranger would want in a meal.
5. Cool & Hot – Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Taco – I stumbled across Cool & Hot by accident as I drove to meet friends in BAD for brunch one morning. After eating a full breakfast, I was sad to wait an entire week before I could make it back to try the tacos. Greasy, peppery chorizo mixed in with scrambled eggs and cheese with onion and cilantro is heaven. However, when you add their secret (well maybe not so anymore) spicy sauce which you have to specially ask for, you get a breakfast taco done in the best possible way. . .and they’re cheap!
6. Fuel City Tacos – Barbacoa – The people working at Fuel City wear shirts that say you have to try the barbacoa. T-shirts don’t lie. They’re that good. I don’t know what else to say about that.
7. Torchy’s Tacos – Brushfire – spicy and sweet jerk chicken with crema, cilantro, onion and fresh mango all piled in to two corn tortillas that somehow deny the laws of physics by not busting wide open. Add some diablo sauce for an extra bit of kick, you’ll be happy you did.
8. Kor-BQ – Galbi Tacos – Korean style marinated short rib with onion and cilantro mix on top? Yes, please, all day and every day. The meat’s juicy and loaded with sweet and spicy Korean flavor. The onion and cilantro add the right balance of flavor and texture to the tender meat. Add to it that the two owners are probably some of the nicest restaurant owners I’ve come across and you’ve got a sure fire winner.
9. Fearing’s – Lobster Taco – I’ll admit having Dean Fearing making you a taco is a lot like having John Nash help you with your 3rd grade math homework, but that’s the beauty of it. I’ve never wanted to wear a tuxedo more while eating a taco than I did with this one. Fresh and high quality ingredients make this one amazing. Add in a duck tamale for good measure and you’re living the life. They’ve also got a shrimp taco that’s nothing to sneeze at.
10. Urban Taco – Red Snapper Taco – They won the traditional bracket with their Dos Equix Barbacoa Taco, but for me it doesn’t get better than the red snapper. The serrano verde salsa is a little smokey and spicy, but balanced with the avocado crema and fresh pico it’s just enough heat. The snapper is flaky and moist, and I’ve never had it overcooked in the close to 30 times I’ve ordered it.

So there you have it, Taco Heads, those are my picks for the Top 10 spots to find a decent taco (and almost all within the confines of Dallas city limits!). Of course, I could prattle on for days about the subject and why you might be missing out if you don’t swing by Carrollton for some of the best cabrito I’ve had in the area. But, alas, that’s a story for another time.

What do you think? Agree or disagree with anything on here? Let me know in the comments, on Facebook or you can yell at me in real time on Twitter.