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| el Tour de Taco group photo by Chris Curnutt/Facebook |
There are some days that are ideal for a bike ride, never mind a phenomenal group ride. Yesterday was one of those days. It was then that Bike Friendly Deep Ellum’s Paul Adams led the el Tour de Taco, a relaxed bike tour of Dallas through Deep Ellum Fair Park, the Arts District, Downtown, the Cedars and back to Deep Ellum. Cyclist of all stripe and experience levels joined in. There was even a four-person recumbent party bike.
We stopped at Mike Crum’s Overground Project skate park for a group photo before digging into half-price tacos at LaGrange.
I had time for two from the chalkboard behind the bar, not from the menu, which had few descriptions. What I didn’t know was both tacos, the squid vicious and the cilantro lime chicken, came topped with lettuce that could’ve spent more time in the salad spinner and drowned whatever excitement was possible from fillings wrapped in cold double-ply corn tortillas.
The only time I tasted the squid was when I picked out a marble-size piece of the rubbery fried stuff, so crushed was it under the weight of lettuce and cream. At least I could taste the chicken, as dry as the streets of Deep Ellum are pockmarked.
Furiously I removed as much lettuce as possible, in an effort to get some flavor from the textural jungle gym. But it was too late. LaGrange suffers from the idea that specialty tacos include a pile of ingredients. Jazz it up!
That being said, LaGrange has a long list of tacos—most of which come with lettuce—that leave me curious to return. The mushroom Poblano with roasted Poblano chili, grilled portobellos, sautéed spinach, queso fresco and tomatillo salsa, is particularly interesting. As are the straight-up breakfast offerings.
It’s just a shame the tacos I did consume didn’t live up to the awesomeness of the ride.
2704 Elm St.
214-741-2008
The Taco Trail 
Man, wish I would have known about this before I saw you checking in on FB!La Grange is definitely not my fav "gourmet" taco place. I've heard a lot of hype about their folded delicacies, and while I'm sure there's got to be something on the menu that's worth the word, I personally have never had it. Let me know if you find something worth returning for — I'd love to have a reason to go back after a bender at Reno's.
I had the La Grange suqid taco Saturday night on our Dive bar Tour and it was delish. Large chunks of crispy squid.
Kristin, no matter where, we gotta break tortillas soon. Steven, you got a good batch then. I'm just calling like I see them. That's what any review does, right? As an aside,you also have better stamina and fortitude than I. You survived the Dive Bar Tour.