Cool & Hot Tacos Brings the Fire and Ice

Delicious, trashy stand could be heaven, except that it let Alice in.

A A A Comments (1) By Alice Laussade Thursday, Jun 30 2011

You've been to gas-station taquerías. You've been to snow-cone stands. But have you ever been to a gas station taquería/snow-coneria? If not, lemme tell what I know about heaven.

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Cool & Hot Tacos

930 E. 8th St.
Dallas, TX 75203

Category: Restaurant >

Region: Oak Cliff & South Dallas

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Cool & Hot Tacos is just off of Interstate 35 at Eighth Street. You've driven past it a million times on your way to the Dallas Zoo and noticed its ridiculously bright paint job. You've probably even noticed that it still has a bunch of Christmas decorations up on its rooftop. When I say this is a gas-station taquería, I don't mean it's a gas station with a taquería in it, but that it's very obviously an ex-gas station that has been converted into a taquería. And it's done legitimately trashy-style, not hipster trashy-style like Rusty Taco. Every actually sun-faded (not Photoshop filter sun-faded) sign is hand-painted, every posted menu has Sharpie price changes made to it or items that are scratched off. Its honest trashiness is comforting. This place had me when I saw a motel and a tire shop across the street and a dead bird in the parking lot.

For $5.99, you can get six tacos and a large drink. Their tacos are Fuel-City small, but easily twice as delicious. I particularly enjoyed the pastor and the picadillo tacos (choose handmade flour or corn tortilla). The pastor was spicy, tender and the best al pastor I've had in Dallas yet. And daughter-of-a-bitch that picadillo taco was unmatched. If the picadillo taco from Cool & Hot was in a punching fight with the picadillo taco from Fuel City, the Fuel City taco would be knocked out, bleeding taco blood and crying taco tears instantly.

Picadillo too hot for you? Great! Get you a snow cone, you tiny, tiny baby! If you're lame (and you are if that picadillo's too hot for you) choose strawberry or grape. If you're a badass, pick Spiderman, Spongebob or even Pimp Juice. (FYI, if you ask them which flavors are in the Pimp Juice, they are legally obligated to bitch slap you.)

They're open 24 hours most days; they take credit cards; they have plenty of covered seating; and if you weren't already on your way there after I said the words "tacos and snow cones," you're a complete douche nozzle.

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