Leading up to our annual Best of Dallas® issue, we're counting down the 50 most interesting restaurants in Dallas. These spots bring something unique or compelling to the city's dining scene, feeding both your appetite and soul. Find more interesting places on our all-new Best Of app for iTunes or Android.
It's all in the crispness. A tripas taco with soggy meat served in soft, warm corn tortilla can be a little hard to get down. Take those same braised intestines and griddle them until they're as crisp as a tortilla chip, though, and you'll be challenged to order fewer than two.
It's not just offal that benefits from extended contact from a hot and well-greased grill. The suadero, pastor and other meats should all be ordered extra crispy, which also means extra addictive. Visit La Banqueta once and your next seven lunches will be planned.
This is not a bad problem to have. La Banqueta is owned by Alberto Neri, and while the Mexico City native taquero doesn't do much of the cooking these days, his employees won't let you know the difference. They rinse and boil tongues and heads, griddle meats, and plate up tacos before handing you squeeze bottles of spicy salsas in green and red. The flavors are simple and honest, but they're also intense.
A single, tiny hunk of Suadero isn't beef -- it's beef distilled. And heaped into a tortilla in excess, it's bovine bliss that makes the price tag seem criminal. Use the green sauce if you're looking for heat and a little acidity. Use the red one if subtle smokiness is your thing. Get all Feliz Navidad on your tacos and use them both if you want -- it's your meal. And who knew you could have such a good one for $1.35.
Note: The Bryan Street store is temporarily closed.
No. 50: Joyce and Gigi's No. 49: East Hampton Sandwich Co. No. 48: 20 Feet Seafood Joint No. 47: Taj Chaat House No. 46: Mot Hai Ba No. 45: La Nueva Fresh and Hot No. 44: Pera Turkish Kitchen No. 43: Tom's Burgers and Grill No. 42: Mughlai No. 41: Russian Banya No. 40: Off-Site Kitchen No. 39: Bachman Lake Taqueria No. 38: Carbone's No. 37: Babe's No. 36: Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo No. 35: Zaguan No. 34: Royal Sichuan No. 33: Spoon No. 32: Bambu No. 31: Pecan Lodge No. 30: FT33 No. 29: Keller's Drive-In No. 28: La Pasadita No. 27: Ten Bells Tavern No. 26: El Ranchito No. 25: Cafe Urbano No. 24: Nova No. 23: Jeng Chi No. 22: Omi No. 21: Tei-An No. 20: Jonathon's Oak Cliff No. 19: Yutaka and Sharaku No. 18: Local No. 17: Ibex No. 16: Pakpao No. 15: Chennai Cafe No. 14: Smoke No. 13: Nonna No. 12: Kuby's No. 11: Sushi Sake
