One Shot: PhD — Pour House Dallas

“One Shot” is an occasional series reviewing non-taquerías’ tacos.

Did you hear the one about the sports bar that opened without a liquor license? If you’re into the Dallas bar and restaurant scene, you probably have. When PhD — Pour House Dallas, the local outpost of 17-year-old Pour House in Fort Worth, welcomed its first customers, the watering hole had a BYOB policy, although it did serve food.

I visited PhD last week on the day it was finally permitted to serve booze for a pint of Peticolas and a plate of fish tacos, the establishment’s best-selling menu item.

The beer was amazing. The tacos were messy.

Most striking about the Baja-style selection was the chipotle mayo. The condiment was squirted not only on the filling but across all three tacos and the tortillas. This enthusiastic application made enjoying the tacos—which I did—a sticky affair and in such abundance it risked overpowering the other elements.

The flaky fish, tilapia, showed patches of searing from its sautee and came topped with crunchy cabbage and lettuce, a thick dusting of Jack cheese as well as dose of pico de gallo. Like I said, I enjoyed them, but I found the tortillas to be remarkable. The discs of white corn, made by La Mexicana Tortilla Factory in Duncanville, were almost translucent but sturdy. The slight chew and sweetness countered the chipotle mayo’s piquancy.

I could’ve done without the accompanying salad with my choice of dressing (I went with the astringent lime-cilantro). The greens were a helping of acceptable compared to the commendable entrée.

Allow me to end with a word of caution: Peticolas Brewing Company Velvet Hammer does not in anyway pair well with fish tacos.  Regardless, it’s still the best beer in Dallas.