Today is one of our favorite ridiculous made-up holidays: National Taco Day. As if we needed an excuse to eat food wrapped in tortillas. Is this how the Irish feel on St. Patrick's Day? Oh well, we better get in the spirit. If you're looking to celebrate National Taco Day, but you aren't sure how, we've got some information for you. We've written about a few of our favorite taco joints (there's no good alliteration for a term that means "taco place") in the hopes that you will frequent these establishments and enjoy the meaty goodness that awaits you there. Read on for taco information.
BOCA 31
Yeah, of course we're gonna start this list with Boca 31. While this new Denton restaurant from star-chef, Andres Meraz, is known for their empanadas, they also have delicious tacos. Soft corn tortillas, stuffed to the brim with slow cooked fillings, and toppped with aji amarillo coleslaw and pico de gallo, we're talking about tacos worth sweating in the hot Texas heat to eat. The chicken pastor has a bright and lively citrus kick, and is a perfect choice alongside their aqua fresca of the day. (Our favorite is their pineapple mint.) The brisket blew us away - as it is slow cooked in a multitude of peppers for more than 6 hours, which yields tender beef with layers of flavor, but none of the accosting heat we are sometimes confronted by. Meraz expertly introduces all sorts of peppers into the mix, but makes sure that you can actually taste it, and leaves you wanting more without your eyes watering. The potato and chorizo is comfort food at its finest - layered with refried beans and queso fresco, this proves that potatoes can burst with flavor, and be a legitimate filling for a taco. Read our full review of Boca 31 here.
BIG KNIFE TACOS
Big Knife Tacos is a new(er) entry into the Denton food truck scene, but they have quickly ascended to become one of our favorites. Heck, there were dozens of trucks in Downtown Denton during the last food truck festival we had and we still found ourselves wondering, "Where is Big Knife right now?" Big Knife serves legit, street style tacos in corn tortillas. Personally, we dig the al pastor, but whatever you get, make sure to grab a side of elotes with it.
TAQUERIA GUANAJUATO
On on East McKinney, your taco options are voluminous. In fact, you could probably stop in to any of the shops just past the train tracks and you won't be disappointed. Guanajuato's has been one of our favorites for a long time. Since we originally wrote our East McKinney Taco Corridor piece five or so years ago, many of the restaurants on this little row have changed names or closed down. Guanajuato's, however, has stood the test of time.
SABROCITA
While, we wrote about La Sabrocita's nachos at length in our list of the 15 Best Dishes in Denton last spring, their tacos are no slouch. That said, our favorite aspect of La Sabrocita is the fact that it is super cheap and open very late on the weekend. Go grab some lengua tacos with a side of those aforementioned nachos.
LA ESTRELLA
La Estrella breakfast tacos are a wonderful stepping stone into the world of non-gringo tacos. Believe it or not, but there is a world beyond Rusty’s and Fuzzy’s breakfast tacos. This taco-shop-in-a-gas-station makes breakfast tacos to order right in front of you. We are kinda partial to the bacon egg and cheese. Grab a few plastic cones of salsa. Yes, plastic cones of salsa. Rip into that salsa container with your teeth and pour the oozing red (or green) deliciousness over your tortilla-encased ingredients. Don’t take the time to breathe in the aroma. Eat it while it’s hot enough to burn your tongue. You’ve got more tacos to eat.
EL RUDO
UPDATE: El Rudo's is sadly no more. This is the second food truck on our list, but aren't food trucks just the best place to grab a taco from? We think so. The El Rudo truck seems to be the most mysterious food truck in Denton. We don't always see them out and about, but when we do we stop by even if we aren't even hungry yet (NOTE: We are normally hungry). We've tried the carne asade multiple times and loved it. Not feeling like a taco (who are you?), they've got delicious burgers, too. Follow their Twitter here.
Read all that and still not feeling like you've ingested enough taco media, check out the list below of WDDI taco content.
THE EAST MCKINNEY TACO CORRIDOR (EMTC)