Taco Party

No city’s food truck scene is complete without taco trucks, and if they’re good, even better. Thankfully, Dallas’ taco trucks are exactly that and Taco Party, the latest rig to roll out, continues the trend. But it’s different.

Instead of the aggressive flavors common in north of the border tacos from our area’s other food trucks, Taco Party, owned and operated by cousins Rafael Rico and Eduardo Ramirez, offers the nuanced, dialed-down flavors of Mexico. There are exceptions, of course, namely the brisket with ancho sauce and the fish with a standard chipotle crema accompaniment.

The confit pork in green sauce (similar to a guisado verde) is an impressive mound of cubed meat laced with a tomatillo salsa that could’ve been a touch tighter. Tucked into the springy pork were pulpy strands of fat that completed a terrific taco with teasing heat in non-greasy yellow corn tortillas.

While there were no abysmal failures during this, my second visit to Taco Party, the pastor, marinated, grilled then topped with pineapple, was a one-note wonder with a sauce that could’ve been drained off—but I’d request it again. Chatting with one of the owners, I learned part of the problem: Regulations prevent the attachment of a trompo (the traditional cooking implement for pastor), even to the outside of the truck. However, a trompo is used during private catering gigs.

Sweet as candy caramelized onions are pressed by buttery knots of beef and large, crispy fries in the steak frites taco. If smaller, thinner French-fried potatoes replaced the ones currently included in the texturally complex nosh and a sauce (perhaps garlic butter!) were added, Taco Party’s steak frites would rival, if not exceed, its counterpart to the north.

The stunner at Taco Party, though, was the order of twin potato tacos, surprisingly light folds of fried tortillas concealing a warm, starchy filling topped with cream, a slaw and a dousing of salsa verde. They were a messy endeavor that left my wife and I excited about our next visit to Taco Party. A good hootenanny is like that.

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