By Brian Reinhart - Dallas Observer
During Hidden Gems Week, the Observer food and drink writers are celebrating an abundance of diverse, delicious restaurants and bars around Dallas, places that don’t often (or ever) get mentioned by big-name food media, trendsetters, bloggers or chefs. We’re taking you outside of the ordinary to help you discover something new.
Dallas is one of the hottest, most thriving Mexican food cities in the United States. Just about every neighborhood has a great taco restaurant, and south of the Trinity River, there are dozens. Some of them you know about. Trompo received national attention from Bon Appetit magazine; Tacos Mariachi was the Observer’s Best Taqueria of 2016; El Si Hay, a few blocks from Bishop Arts, has had a strong cult of fans for years and the ever-present line to prove it; the new Maskaras Mexican Grill got a lot of attention for its lucha libre-themed atmosphere.
But many of Oak Cliff’s taco joints don’t have such a following yet. Some of them aren’t listed on Yelp or Google Maps. We hate to betray some of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets, but it’s our job — and these are small businesses, so revealing a “secret” spot means helping the owners find new customers and pay the bills. That’s a good cause.
Here’s your guide to three taquerias and Mexican restaurants in Oak Cliff that you won’t find on Yelp, along with suggested orders and, in some cases, what to avoid.
