Stephen Young
Taco Joint Hits The Spot.
Taco Joint Food: 3.5 tacos out of 4
911 N. Peak Street.
East Dallas
Service 3.5 Tacos out of 4
Ambiance: 2 Tacos out of 4
If you've ever been to Taco Joint on a Saturday morning, you already know: The East Dallas eatery is a favorite among the young, hungry and hungover set.
Unfortunately, it's not open on Sundays or for dinner (on any day of the week, actually). But the food is great, the walk-up service is commendable and the place just makes you feel like you're stepping into Austin taco heaven — especially with their breakfast options.
The lunch menu's a little less favored, but there's an upside to eating it. Come lunchtime, Taco Joint tends to empty out a bit, upping the service quality even higher and speeding up the serving time sufficiently. The menu is more extensive than breakfast, too, including not only tacos, but burritos, enchiladas and several other items you'd expect to see at your local hole-in-a-wall taco shack.
The beef crispy taco platter, for instance, comes with three tacos, beans and rice — all for under $10 even after a drink is added in. The portions are perfect for a big guy like me, too, although I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to recommend it to any skinny SMU girls looking to lose some weight. Still, they were great: The beef was seasoned well, making up for the fact that the shells and toppings (lettuce, tomato and cheese) were somewhat average. The rice and beans had a little flavor, too — unlike, say, your average Taco Cabana. Pro tip: Top whatever you order here with their special jalapeno ranch blend, which you can score for yourself by the soda fountain next to the pick-up counter; it'll make everything you eat that much better. Probably fattier, too, but whatever. I'm OK with that.
And I'm definitely OK with heartily recommending that you sprinkle a quick lunch stop to Taco Joint within your already regular breakfast stops.
