Photography by Kathy Tran
Taquero might go unnoticed to drivers speeding through the Greenville and Ross intersection, but once inside, the restaurant demands attention.
Executive chef Fino Rodríguez transformed the old Pints & Quarts burger joint, which was originally a tire shop, into a vibrant, welcoming space.
“That’s how the houses are in Mexico,” Rodríguez says.
The front door, which connects the main dining rooms to the outdoor patio, opens to the glass room. Rodríguez added three glass walls to close in part of the burger restaurant’s patio, creating more indoor dining space yet allowing sunshine to flood in.
Further inside, light brown tones coating the walls are juxtaposed with bright blue tile below the high-top counter and lush greenery spread throughout the room.
One piece of artwork catches the eye: a framed portrait of María Félix on the set of the film Juana Gallo. Félix, a Mexican actor and style icon, was also known as “La Doña” or “Maria Bonita.” Rodríguez says the actor, who died in 2002, used to travel with a chef so she could always eat Mexican food.
It’s a cuisine Rodríguez grew up around. His father had taquerías in Mexico, but that’s not how he learned the basics of cooking.
“I learned how to cook when I was 7 from watching my grandma,” he says. “And my grandma’s the one that would tell me, ‘Put a little bit of this here. Put a little bit of that there. This yes, this no.’”
Before he opened his own restaurant, he worked at Mesero. He had just about every job possible while he was there — washing dishes, busing and waiting tables, helping as a line cook — and eventually became executive chef.
But he always wanted to have his own place. The first Taquero, which opened in West Dallas in 2017, primarily offered outdoor seating. The cost of rent was relatively low at the time, and the location lasted until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged.
Photography by Kathy Tran
Rodríguez and business partner Victor Rico, who goes by “Lalo,” were attracted to the current restaurant location because it’s a high-traffic area. But they had to complete major renovation work, replacing everything from the floor to the roof.
Now, the restaurant, which opened in September 2020, accommodates about 80 guests outside and in the indoor dining areas.
Despite its name, Taquero isn’t a taquería, though there is a taco section on the menu. The taco rico, one of the most popular, comes with grilled steak, red onion, cilantro, guacamole, red rice and pinto beans. Another favorite is the taco Fino, filled with pork pastor, red onion, pineapple and micro cilantro.
One of the top-selling menu items at the current and past Taquero locations is the ceviche Fino, made with red snapper, Roma tomato, red onion, cilantro, serrano chiles, homemade mayonnaise and avocado slices. The appetizer also happens to be the chef’s favorite.
Mole negro is another popular order. It takes three days to prepare the dish, which has a sauce made with the chilhuacle negro chile.
Many of the menu items are named after places in Mexico. There’s the Oaxaca appetizer, which is chips with a cheesy dipping sauce made with mozzarella, cheddar, queso asadero, brisket and spinach. The Mazatlán taco has grilled red snapper, Mexican coleslaw, jalapeño ranch and queso asadero, a mild Mexican cheese.
Rodríguez prides his restaurant on its authentic flavors and homemade ingredients, including salsas and dressings.
“What we do here is original,” he says.
Complementing the food is a full bar and a signature drink menu. The Mr. Rodríguez margarita comes with silver tequila, fresh avocado, lime and organic agave. El Famoso is Taquero’s version of a swirl, made with the Mr. Fino margarita and house sangria. Another notable mention is the La Mezcalita, made with Espina Negra mezcal, orange, lemon and agave honey.
Rodríguez says some first-time Taquero diners are amazed by the taste of the food and wonder how they’ve never been there before.
“We are like something really secret,” Rodríguez says. “Here, it’s like a hidden pearl in all of Dallas.”
Taquero, 5434 Ross Ave.
