Chido Taco Lounge Is a High-End Taco Joint

Blaine McGowan, a self-proclaimed foodie and relative newcomer to the restaurant business, opened Chido Taco Lounge in Frisco in 2021. While spending most of his career in software sales and medical recruiting, his real adventure into the culinary world started when he would go to restaurants and think about how he could either replicate what he ordered or make it even better. This led him to create a monthly Frisco Supper Club with friends. 

After many dinners, his friends encouraged him to leave corporate America and open Chido Taco Lounge. The restaurant is nestled in a busy shopping center at Lebanon Road and the Dallas North Tollway. We arrived around 12:30 p.m. to a packed house. The restaurant is not very large — probably 25 tables both inside and out. Calaveras are the primary decor here.

The menu has much of what you would expect from a fancy taco joint, plus some other twists like a birria ramen ($15), which we’ll have to go back and try once the temperatures are more conducive to a bowl of hot soup. There are also burritos, rice bowls, salad bowls and house specialties like a crunchy wrap ($15) and a chido burger ($18).
An appetizer portion of nachos is enough to feed a small army. A plate comes loaded with chips, queso, green onions, peppers and ranch crema with steak or chicken.

Along with traditional street tacos, you can try  unique options like jerk chicken, Korean pork and bang bang shrimp. The taco of the month for August was a BLT taco with slices of thick-cut bacon, lettuce and tomatoes dressed with a spicy mayo on a flour tortilla.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, happy hour lasts all day, so we started with homemade chips, a trio of salsas and guacamole (normally $18, but $10 during happy hour). Each of the salsas was flavorful and piquant. The guacamole, topped with cotija cheese, was addictive and had a good ratio of avocado to pico de gallo.

The tablitas appetizer ($22) is served with 12 bite-sized pieces of house-marinated grilled short ribs perfectly seasoned and fall-off-the-bone tender. A spicy chimichurri sauce would have been a nice side here, but regardless we would order this dish again and even consider ordering the tablitas entrée ($30), which is served with your traditional fajita setup of grilled veggies, rice, beans, tortillas and such.

Finally, we had the quesabirria tacos ($17). Two large tacos come filled with shredded beef, Jack cheese, cilantro and onions on a crispy corn tortilla with a cup of consommé for dipping. The beef was tender and the melted Jack had crispy edges.
For all the tequila connoisseurs, Chido has an extensive selection, with some bottles going for up to $1,000. A members-only VIP club ($200 yearly) gets you a three-ring binder for all tasting notes, 10% off meals and an invitation to a monthly off-the-menu, multi-course dinner with exclusive tequila pairings.

Chido's Saturday brunch (it's closed on Sundays) includes options like breakfast tacos, birriaquiles, breakfast crunchy wrap and churro French toast in addition to many items on the regular menu. For dessert, there's a tres leches bread pudding, caramel-filled churros and a churro sundae.

By the looks of things, McGowan absolutely made the right decision.

Chido Taco Lounge, 6959 Lebanon Road, Frisco. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. –10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight. Closed Sunday.