Los Torres Taquería

I’m beginning to re-think my list of Dallas’ top taco joints, thanks to Los Torres Taquería , a family-owned spot that opened in June. The restaurant specializes in the cuisine of Sinaloa state in northwest Mexico, serving barbacoa roja de chivo (goat barbacoa seasoned with chiles), birria de chivo (a cauldron of chest-warming goat meat in an orangy-red broth) and chivo tatemado (the roasted equivalent of birria cooked in a large clay pot). They’re available as platters, by the pound as well as in tacos in handmade tortillas, if requested. Request them.

The birria can be a little dry in a taco, but when its gamey, chile-stained threads are nestled in blistered, misshapen fresh corn tortillas, forgiveness is immediate. The tatemado has a more pronounced gamey flavor. It does martial arts training on your cheeks. It’s stellar. The same goes for the wet, congealed cabeza and the carne adobada, soft, marinated pork nuggets. Like its sister preparations, the barbacoa here is fantastic and punctuated with earthy notes but with little of the wild characteristics of the other goat options.

If there’s anything to find fault in at Los Torres, it’s the overly chewy carne asada. Good by itself. Unfortunate when consumed after the plethora of goat.

To one side of the restaurant is the condiment offering an assembly of toppings and condiments. I’m partial to the creamy verde. The throat-ravaging red is another winner. Ignore the free wifi. It’s a distraction, as are the music videos playing on the television above the front door. Consider Los Torres’ hot dog, a bacon-wrapped frankfurter topped with avocado, onions, tomato and a dose of ketchup and mustard treasured as much in Sinaloa as it is in Sonora, the border state to the north. (Locally, Bowery pays homage to the regional snack with the Mexican.)

Attempt a run to Mi Tierrita for its trompoburger after your time at Los Torres. That is, if you can stomach more exquisite Dallas taquería fare.