The year 2010 will go down as the Year of the Taco in the Metroplex. Several new Taco-centric establishments have opened this year to coincide with the growth of the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop empire.
If done right, nothing hits the spot like a tasty taco and a cold adult beverage. Apparently, others feel the same way, too. It was time to hit the streets and find out what the holy taco is going on at these taco diners.
Our candidates – Rusty Taco, Torchy’s Tacos and Fuzzy’s Tacos – were rated based on price point, atmosphere, menu options, and the quality of the tacos.
Rusty Taco
4802 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, 75206
214-613-0508, www.therustytaco.com
As soon as I pulled into the parking lot at Rusty Taco, I immediately took a liking to the place. Rusty recently opened in a former garage and offers extensive outdoor seating. Although the weather in the Metroplex can be dicey, we suffer from an acute shortage of establishments that allow you to dine alfresco. Even an average meal becomes instantly more enjoyable if consumed outdoors.
Although at the Rusty Taco, a meal is just as enjoyable indoors. The layout inside consists of four long tables with seating for 10 each in the middle. There’s also counter seating along the outside walls that extends from the register down the length of the open grill. This set-up creates a communal dining experience where you share space with others. One thing lacking, though: no televisions. Grrrrr!
The outside dining area consists of multiple picnic tables and 20-plus tables. To Rusty’s credit, the music played inside is piped to the outside dining area.
The menu at Rusty Taco is very straight forward. Rusty offers a variety of tacos, chips and salsa, sodas, beers and margaritas. I tried the Roasted Pork, Beef Fajita, Chicken Ranchero, Brisket, Fish and Rusty (achiote-marinated roast pork) tacos. At $2 per taco, you can easily afford to mix and match without emptying your wallet.
Although I did not try the chips and salsa, my tablemates found the large chips better than the norm and the salsa flavorful. All of the tacos I ordered came with cilantro and a small slice of lime, and were served in corn tortillas that weren’t too greasy or too dry. In each case, the amount of meat was substantial, leaving no doubt as to what you had ordered.
The Fish Taco had several large grilled slices of fish, purple cabbage and a chipotle-based sauce. The generous portions of fish were cooked nicely and flavorful. The Brisket, Roasted Pork, and Beef Fajita tacos all shared the same characteristics – a generous quantity of meat that was moist and delicious. The Brisket Taco had onions, cilantro and a light dusting of feta cheese that worked well together. The Roasted Pork Taco had pickled onions and feta cheese, and the Beef Fajita Taco came with grilled onions. In each case, the accompanying ingredients enhanced the flavor without being a distraction.
The Chicken Ranchero Taco was good but did not reach the same level of uniqueness as the other tacos sampled. The seasoning, though, definitely made it more distinctive than the typical chicken taco. The Rusty Taco lived up to it being the namesake. The meat was perfectly done and extremely tasty.
To customize your tacos, you can choose between three different sauces available at the pick-up counter – Verde (mild and tangy), Rojo (bold and spicy) and Narañja (hot and unforgiving). All three are very good, although the Narañja is not as unforgiving as I hoped.
When it comes to the atmosphere, Rusty Taco offers a casual setting with lively music ranging from classic rock to contemporary country. The music is loud enough to hear (and enjoy) without being a distraction. The overall noise level is energetic, yet low enough for normal conversation.
Torchy’s Tacos
5921 Forest Lane, Dallas, 75230
972-720-9200, www.torchystacos.com
Based on my research, I was looking forward to my visit to Torchy’s. This Austin “legend” has quite a following in the capital city, and that obviously has spread to the Dallas location at Preston Road and Forest Lane.
I dropped by on a Friday at 12:30 p.m. and there was a line out the door. Being very short of patience, I left and returned an hour later. Even at that time, the place was still very busy.
The menu is very extensive and eclectic – 13 different variations of the taco are available including the “Damn BP” special taco ($1 from each sale benefits the gulf fishermen). Many of the tacos have quirky names such as Dirty Sanchez, Crossroads, The Democrat, The Republican, Mr. Pink, and Brush Fire.
In addition to tacos, Torchy’s offers various sides such as rice and beans, chips and dips, fajitas and desserts. Unfortunately, you can’t wash those items down with a beer or margarita. Tacos without an ice cold beer is just inexcusable.
Prices for tacos range from $3 for The Republican (grilled jalapeño sausage) to $4 for the Mr. Pink (Ahi tuna), Crossroads (smoked beef brisket) and Baja Shrimp. I ordered the Green Chili Pork, Trailer Park Trashy (fried chicken, green chilies and toppings – you can get it “Trashy” by taking off the lettuce and adding queso), Brush Fire (Jamaician jerk chicken) and Crossroads.
While ordering, I was asked if I wanted my tacos on flour or corn tortillas. I prefer corn so kudos to Torchy’s for giving you the option.
In terms of the atmosphere, the noise level at Torchy’s is very loud. There is music playing but you can barely hear it above the collective noise of the place. As much as I wanted to grab a seat and relax, I waited up front since you could barely hear them call out the orders.
Unfortunately, it took them 25 minutes to call my order. Yup, 25 minutes! I was one of many who frantically waited for their order and hoped their bosses didn’t send out a search party.
I returned the next day to see if the Friday chaos was an anomaly. Although busy, the wait was more reasonable. It was still chaotic at the counter and in the kitchen, but hopefully that was due to the fact that Torchy’s has been here in Dallas less than two months.
Inside, Torchy’s has made an effort to make the place a bit upscale. There are about 20 tables that seat four people each. There is one lonely small flatscreen mounted on one wall, and as previously noted, the noise level is uncomfortably loud. Sadly, not a place I would choose to linger.
While the atmosphere falls short, the tacos are unique, outstanding and borderline gourmet. Each one appeared to have been carefully crafted into a thing of culinary beauty. The time and attention given to construct a Torchy’s taco might explain the wait time between ordering and pick-up. Are they worth the wait? Absolutely.
The smoked beef brisket in the Crossroads lived up to its name. The brisket’s flavor and texture were consistent with a brisket I would prepare on my backyard smoker. The accompanying ingredients of grilled onions, jalapeños, cilantro, jack cheese and avocado were all fresh, well portioned, and worked in unison with the brisket. It definitely was one of the best beef brisket tacos I have had.
The Brush Fire consisted of Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapeños, mango, sour cream and cilantro. The combination of flavors made me want to savor every bite. The Diablo Sauce that came with the Brush Fire packed a nice punch without drowning out the other flavors found in this taco. The Green Chile Pork Taco continued the stellar streak, as the slow roasted pork carnitas paired well with the green chilies, queso fresco, cilantro and onions.
Torchy’s also has no equal when it comes to the hot sauces. You can augment your tacos with the Diablo (fire-roasted habañero blended with vinegar, spices and tomatoes), Chipotle (creamy mixture of ranch, smoked chipotle peppers, adobo and roasted tomatoes), Poblano (creamy ranch blended with serranos and grilled poblano peppers), Tomatillo (blend of three fire-roasted chilies, tomatillos, grilled onions, cilantro and lime), and Roja (fire roasted roma tomatoes, chilies, grilled onions, garlic, cilantro and lime). After trying all five, I would willingly drive from my suburban enclave to Torchy’s just for the hot sauces. You can purchase a bottle of the Diablo to take home; hopefully they will offer the other four sauces for sale in the future.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
Multiple Metroplex locations
www.fuzzystacoshop.com
In the spirit of full disclosure, I wanted Fuzzy’s to rate the highest on all accounts for this feature. I like establishments with a tongue-in-cheek childish approach and a lively atmosphere. Being able to buy a tank top emblazoned with “Eat Me” for the love in your life has to be worth something. Plus, a Fuzzy’s just opened close to my house so I was looking forward to adding a new option to my neighborhood dining routine.
No matter if it’s the Southlake or TCU location, Fuzzy’s scores high marks for its atmosphere. The interior is painted in very bright colors, with neon beer signs and flatscreens on the walls. There’s also enough merchandise on display to outfit a college fraternity. The acoustics at Fuzzy’s is such that you can enjoy the music, carry on a conversation and hear your pick-up order being called out. That’s how it should be done.
Of all the taco joints, Fuzzy’s menu is the most extensive … by far. They offer various appetizers including soups and quesadillas, Big Salads, Baja Tacos, Jumbo Burritos, Grilled Sandwiches and Mexican Dinners. On my visit, I ordered the Garlic Beef Taco, Grilled Chicken Taco, Grilled Fish Taco, Shredded Pork Taco, and the Chicken Fajita Original Nachos. Tacos can be ordered soft or crispy.
Even though I visited Fuzzy’s during lunchtime, my order was ready in no time. The location I visited had plenty of seating options – several long high top tables, individual booths, and numerous four square tables. Each seat offered comfortable viewing of the flatscreens.
The Chicken Fajita Original Nachos were definitely worthy. The fajita chicken was tender and savory, and the nachos were covered in a reasonable amount of cheese that was pleasing in terms of consistency and flavor. A light amount of finely chopped tomatoes and green onions were sprinkled on top and wonderfully complemented the cheesy delight.
The meat in the Pork Taco was moist and above-average in flavor. The remaining tacos were very ordinary in composition and flavor. The meats were dry and lacking in flavor, and came with a small amount of shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, grated yellow cheese, and a pinch of feta cheese. The bottle of Butt Burnin’ Hot Sauce found on each table had to be used liberally to create sufficient lubrication to eat the tacos. Needless to say, the overall taco experience at Fuzzy’s was very disappointing.
One positive, Fuzzy’s serves a variety of beers, including draft beer in large cold mugs, wines and margaritas. Diners at Fuzzy’s skew towards a younger crowd, probably because of the price point (tacos are only $1.99 each), the extensive menu choices and the lively atmosphere.
Bottom Line
If you are all about the quality and flavor of your taco, then Torchy’s is the clear winner with Rusty Taco second and Fuzzy’s
a very distant third. Fuzzy’s does score high marks for its nachos and extensive choices on their menu. All three establishments offer breakfast tacos, so visit our Web site to see how each stacks up at breakfast time.
In terms of the atmosphere, Fuzzy’s has the most going for it. Rusty Taco is a very close second, especially with its outdoor dining experience. Torchy’s atmosphere, though, is very lacking and chaotic. I recommend getting your Torchy’s tacos to go so you can enjoy them in peace.
For overall experience – food, atmosphere and people watching – Rusty Taco does the best job.
Agree with me? Sample these and all the other taco joints around town to find your favorite. You’ll be glad you did. |
