In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, it’s tough to drive a mile or two without passing a Mexican restaurant, Tex-Mex joint, taqueria, or taco truck. Who makes the freshest, spiciest salsa, or offers the most tender al pastor, or provides the most pleasing array of garnishes is subjective, but this list of restaurants is a good place to start.
From casual spots to fine-dining establishments, Dallas’s taco scene is worth celebrating.
Mami Coco
For flavorful, fresh, straightforward fare, this taqueria that made it to Yelp’s top 10 taco spots in the country is a don’t-miss. The salsas in squeeze bottles are crafted in-house and the red is especially spicy. These tacos are easy on the wallet, too: Three street tacos in corn tortillas cost $7. The menu also offers enchiladas, flautas, and horchata. Multiple locations, mamicoco.org/
El Come Taco
This counter-service street taco joint showcases fillings, including veal brains and cow head, that you’re far more likely to see in Mexico City than in Dallas. Served on two tortillas, each taco is stuffed with tender meat and fresh toppings. Tables come equipped with red and green house-made salsas in squirt bottles and rolls of paper towels. 2513 N. Fitzhugh Ave., Dallas, elcometaco.com
Maskaras Mexican Grill
If there’s one Dallas taqueria with street cred, it’s Maskaras. The restaurant is run by a former beauty queen and her former-model husband, both of whom hail from the Mexican state of Jalisco. With its Lucha Libre décor and tortas that will transport you to the streets of Guadalajara, the place is definitely Jaliscan. Locally, the restaurant was thrust into the limelight when Texas Monthly named its tacos ahogadas among the 10 best tacos in the state. You can’t go wrong with any of the tacos at Maskaras, but those deep-fried tacos ahogadas most certainly live up to the hype. 2423 W. Kiest Blvd., Dallas, maskarasmexicangrill.com
Cuates Kitchen
This food-truck-turned-brick-and-mortar, helmed by twins from the Mexican state of Veracruz, serves a long list of tacos built with homemade-masa corn tortillas. Mix-and-match well-seasoned conchinita pibil, batter-fried fish, and carnitas tacos to make an epic platter, and pair them with a margarita. Drop in on Taco Tuesdays, and enjoy a discount of $2 off your tacos from 5 to 9 p.m. 3811 Fairmount St., Dallas, cuateskitchen.com
Nuno’s Tacos and Vegmex Grill
Why should carnivores have all the fun? At this vegan Mexican restaurant, diners can order meat-free versions of classic tacos, made with plant-based proteins that conjure barbacoa, al pastor, and even fish. Sauces include a homemade “birria” consommé for dipping that tastes just like the real thing. Nuno’s doesn’t skimp on the fixings—expect tacos loaded with vegan cheese, crunchy shredded cabbage, and fresh pico de gallo. There are booths and tables for dine-in, but Nuno’s is largely known for takeout. 8024 Spring Valley Rd. Ste. 8024, Dallas
The Mexican
At the Mexican, tacos make for a posh night out on the town. The lobster tail tacos may be the fancies tacos in Texas. The order of three come stuffed with black beans, rice, aioli, crema, and chile morita (dried and smoked jalapeño) mayo. From the terracotta-pattern tile flooring and jewel-toned furniture to walls showcasing dramatic Mexican art, the restaurant raises the bar for taco night. 1401 Turtle Creek Blvd., Dallas, themexican.com
Tacos El Metro
From the moment it opened its doors in 2024, Tacos El Metro has been among the most talked-about Mexican restaurants in Dallas. Though the concept is simple — think tacos, tortas, and quesadillas — it’s helmed by Sergio Quijano and Michael Garcia, two veterans of fine dining whose expert training is on full display. They roast whole pigs for the puerco taco, make horchata from scratch, and sell fresh serrano peppers as a side. This is one of those places where you can’t order the wrong thing, but consider the juicy, tender ribeye carne asada taco. 3720 Walnut Hill Ln., Dallas, tacoselmetrodfw.com
Milagro Taco Cantina
A Tijuana-style taqueria with a sagrado corazón mural outside by the door, this order-at-the-counter spot is known for tender meat, homemade mango salsa, and a house specialty called mole fries. Those mole fries will pair well with pollo al pastor tacos and a cold margarita. 440 Singleton Blvd. Ste. 100, Dallas, milagrotacocantina.com/
Chilangos
Even with six locations around the Metroplex, this fast-casual Mexico City-style taco chain often boasts lines out the door. Options include everything you’d see in a taco stand on the streets of Mexico, including carne asada, pastor, barbacoa, and suadero. The addictive spicy red salsa is made fresh in-house. Multiple locations, chilangostacos.com/
The Dream Tacos
With its flower chandeliers, neon signs, and velvet furniture, this sit-down taco restaurant is a fun place to eat creative tacos and take cute pictures. “Creative” might be an understatement. The menu includes spaghetti and meatball tacos, vegan Beef Wellington tacos, and Philly Cheesesteak tacos. Multiple locations, thedreamtacos.com/
Dragon Casa
At this Chinese-Mexican restaurant, the tacos arrive in woven bamboo steamers, just like the buns and dumplings. Start not with tortilla chips and salsa, but wonton chips and sweet-and-sour sauce. Then move on to tacos filled with your favorite Chinese takeout dishes: orange chicken, honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, and more. 3355 E. Trinity Mls. Rd. Ste. 213, Dallas, dragonhousetx.com/location-dragon-casa/#
Velvet Taco
Gourmet taco spot Velvet Taco offers interesting menu items like chicken and waffle tacos topped with real maple syrup, fried paneer cheese tacos with tomato chutney, and Korean fried rice tacos made with slow-roasted pulled pork. Check the hours for the location near you because some outposts stay open through the middle of the night, perfect for post-bar munchies. Multiple locations, velvettaco.com/
Cris and John
Mexican-Vietnamese restaurant Cris and John, named for the Mexican-Vietnamese husband-wife team that owns it, draws lines down the block with its fusion dishes, including tacos with a Vietnamese twist. The Sweet Drama Taco mixes marinated beef belly with kimchi made in-house, cucumber, fried shallots, and homemade mayo. The base of the Fishin’ Good Taco is swai, a freshwater catfish popular in Vietnamese cuisine. It comes tossed with Cajun seasoning, lettuce, pickled carrots, homemade mayo, and a pickle. 6090 Campbell Rd. #136, Dallas, crisandjohn.com/
Domingo
The family from Mexico City that runs this little Mexican restaurant up in Little Elm took inspiration from the Sunday dinner tradition that’s been passed through the generations. Everything on the menu is spicy, tasty, and fresh, but the standouts are the crunchy shrimp tacos dressed with creamy chipotle salsa, cheese, beans, and avocado. A side of rice and guacamole rounds out the meal. 800 W. Eldorado Pkwy. Ste. 126, Little Elm, domingokitchen.com/
Resident Taqueria
For gourmet tacos in fresh, made-to-order tortillas, check out this cute restaurant and bar in Lake Highlands. It belongs to Andrew Savoie, a fine-dining chef who cut his teeth at Jean Georges in New York City. Choose among tacos you won’t find anywhere else, including pecan-smoked chicken with pickled sofrito, peanuts, cilantro, and salsa macha; and falafel with cabbage, red onion, cotija, and lime crema. 9661 Audelia Rd. #112, Dallas, residenttaqueria.com/
Tikka Bowls and Tacos
As soon as this Florida chain arrived in the Metroplex in 2024, people started lining up to find out what exactly Indian-Mexican fusion food was. The result was a pleasant surprise: Think Chipotle-style build-your-own tacos (or bowls or burritos), but with a South Asian twist. Have your tacos wrapped in either flour tortillas or naan, and then choose among a wide variety of fillings, including paneer, beef, and goat; a whole slew of curries; and all the typical taco fixings. 4144 S. Cooper St., Arlington, tikkabowlsandtacos.com/arlington-tx…