With a name like Burritos Locos, I didn’t have high hopes for the Grapevine restaurant. Mentally ill donkeys, after all, seem better suited for a margarita-soaked refuge for co-ed buffoonery with a foundation of chile con carne than a restaurant offering solid tacos of suadero, trompo and hidago con cebolla. The latter being liver and onions.
I was pleasantly surprised by Taqueria Burritos Locos, not just because of the quality of the tacos but because finally I was able to enjoy liver and onions, mildly mineral in taste. The birria, however, was dominated by a metallic flavor.
The suadero offered chopped bits of crunchy and soft beef, while our selection of trompo was sliced thinly, bright and pungent. Burritos Locos’ chorizo, which, according to our waitress, is made in-house, is a fantastic choice. Spicy, it draws the insides of your mouth together as quickly as an infatuated couple reunited after spending only one night apart.
By the time I got to the lengua, the meat was cool to the touch. The lomo (rib eye), held in place by a frigid avocado wedge, was a rubbery disaster. Eating it first wouldn’t have made a difference. The carnitas showed no signs of being fried and could’ve used a roll in a saltcellar.
Still, the suadero, trompo and hidago con cebolla make Burritos Locos worth a stop while in Grapevine, especially if you’re in need of a nosh after an event at the Gaylord Texan or nearby Irving Convention Center. I can’t think of much better after a day of geeking out at Dallas Comic Con or beer geekery at Bluebonnet Brew-Off.
Taqueria Los Burritos Locos 416 W. Northwest Highway, Grapevine 817-416-7230
The Taco Trail 
I saw your article in the DMN (1/20/13) about “puffy tacos”. Interesting. The first and best such tacos that I ever ate was in Austin during my first year at UT (1953). The restaurant was “El Matamoros” between fifth and sixth streets (I think) on the what is now the west side service road to I-35. (There was no interstate then and no bridge across the river – it was called the Interregional Hwy.). The tacos were puffy and crispy, very light, almost the consistency of a potato chip. When filled with the appropriate “fixins”, they were wonderful. I’ve never eaten anything like them since. Of course, El Mat (as it was affectionately known by students) is no longer there. Have you ever heard of this place or do you know anything about the type of tacos of which I speak? Mack of Irving
What does “awaiting moderation” mean? What am I supposed to do?
Thanks for reading the article and reaching out via my blog. In the story, I do mention Austin and similar/possibly identical tacos. “[E]vidence suggests the puffy taco — corn masa dough that is fried and molded with spatulas — was born in Austin. There, it was called the crispy taco. Like many Tex-Mex staples, everyone’s grandmother also invented it.” Whether puffy, puffed, crispy, a fried-to-order tortilla shell is a glorious thing.
This was the worst place I have ever eaten at. We ordered nachos and they served them with some type of white cheese. No other restaurant has ever served nachos with white cheese and when questioned, all they said was that is the only cheese we have. I ordered a tamal and it was the nastiest thing ever. First of all there was no meat, it was just masa. It went back, never done that before, but I simply refused to eat such a mess. I could go on and on, bottom line is this restaurant sucks.