If it was just a small Deep Ellum shopfront hawking tacos, Revolver Taco Lounge would already rank highly on this list. The front room is no ordinary taqueria; chef-owner Regino Rojas and his crew mix their interpretations of the classics with entirely new inventions, like a filet mignon taco topped with foie gras or the Kermit in Bangkok, starring curried frog legs. Lobster, cabrito and even camel have shown up on Revolver’s tortillas, which are made from scratch and so fresh that you can smell the corn on your hands after eating.

Yes, this taco shop and its single communal table would already be a top-10 place to eat in Dallas — and then there’s the reservations-only backroom, Purepecha. For $130 per person (a price which has ticked upward recently and may rise again), plus tip and drinks, Rojas and his mother Juanita Rojas will cook a fine-dining tasting menu in a tiny show kitchen. Just a handful of tables are seated in the backroom each night — Rojas has occasionally cooked for just one guest — to experience food that ranges from traditional (rabbit soup with Juanita’s whole-rabbit stock) to modern (a dab of salsa verde on a curlicue of perfectly tender octopus). The mole tasting, which pairs Juanita’s superb traditional sauces with Regino’s perfectly cooked meats, reveals both chefs at their best.

Top pick: Revolver serves the best tacos al pastor in Dallas, on what might be the city’s best tortillas.

The downside: Menu items in the front room sell out fairly frequently, so have a backup choice in mind. The success of the Purepecha room, meanwhile, means that it now frequently has two seatings. Try to join the late seating if you want to avoid getting rushed out after dessert.

Fun fact: Revolver Taco Lounge got its name from Arturo Rojas, Regino’s father and Juanita’s husband, who occasionally washes the dishes when he’s not one of Texas’ most celebrated creators of elaborately designed and carved guns.