There are new tacos to try at a shop opening near Dallas Love Field. Called La Taquería, it’s located at 8410 Harry Hines Blvd., in what was previously a nightclub called The Jungle, where it will open in late August.
La Taqueria is from Marco Borraz, a native of Chiapas, Mexico who worked his way up from dishwasher at Texas Roadhouse to bartender at the Joule to manager at El Bolero and Whiskey Cake. In 2017, he became part-owner of Taboo Lounge, a sports bar and lounge in the Design District, then became full owner after the pandemic.
In 2022, he opened The Jungle, an after-hours lounge with food that was open until 6 am. However, it’s across the street from Uplift Williams Preparatory, a public charter school and eventually school zone restrictions reared their head.
La Taquería gives him a chance to start over, with a counter-service restaurant serving authentic tacos, open from 10 am-10 pm.
It’s a huge place by taqueria standards, with 3,500 square feet that seats 250. He’s transformed the interior into a colorful, playful space with fun images of typical taquerias in Mexico and punny sayings on the walls, with plays on words in Spanish.
The restaurant still has a full bar, so the nightlife component of The Jungle seems likely to remain, just not as late.
Customer place their order at the bar and can follow their order’s progress on a big screen that shows the kitchen in the back where food is prepared, then brought to their tables.
The menu is simple but intentional.
“I asked myself what Dallas doesn’t have,” Borraz says. That includes the first trompo sirloin tacos to Dallas, which are popular right now in Mexico.
A menu highlight is La Cochinada, a sandwich named after a famous taco in Mexico that incorporates every meat available, served together; at La Taqueria, it will be served on bolillo bread, for $16.
Other tacos include carne asada, al pastor, and chorizo, priced at $2.50 to $3 each.
They’ll also serve $6 quesadillas de tinga and a vegetarian option with mushroom and poblano peppers. Corn tortillas will be made on site.
Authenticity is the theme.
“I want to gift our customers with a bit of color like the magical little towns in Mexico — and offer gourmet, elevated food at affordable prices,” Borraz says.