Mexico City-Style Tacos at a Dallas Chevron: Bachman Tacos and Grill

For Dallas residents, one benefit of having the Super Bowl in town, was learning from the national media about great things in our own backyard. In one recent Wall Street Journal article, lauded Dallas chef Kent Rathbun (Abacus and Iron Chef America) said his favorite tacos in town were at Bachman Tacos, located inside a Chevron station in a working-class area of town.

I first checked it out about a month ago, and have been back several times, taking coworkers and family members. Do  you think I like it? Yes; it reminds me of days gone by when I’ve eaten tacos and burritos from street vendors in Mexico.

The tacos at $1.29 each are not only a bargain, they’re so delicious. Served on toasted corn tortillas with fresh chopped onions and cilantro, and wedges of lime, they’re some of the best tacos I’ve had. I’ve tried four versions:

1. trompo (marinated pork, sliced, skewered and charbroiled)
2. combination chicken and trompo
3. carnitas (braised pork)
4. beef fajitas

The first three were outstanding, with trompo topping the list. The beef is not something I’d order again; it just didn’t taste good to me. I rarely eat meat, eggs or dairy that isn’t from a local farmer I’ve met personally, but there’s just something about these tacos that I make an exception. If you try them, I’d love to hear what you think. Buen provecho!

Tips for gas station tacos newbies:

• pre-pay for your tacos at the cash register in the gas station; just tell them how many tacos you want
• if you want a drink, get that first and pay for it when you pay for the tacos; they have small Mexican Cokes in glass bottles that are a fun sugar splurge
• take your receipt to the grill and tell them what kind of tacos you want
• there’s a platic bucket for tips, if you’re so inclined
• the tables are not cleaned regularly, so you may want to take your tacos to go
• don’t bother with rice and beans, they’re terrible
• the salsa is smokin’ hot