Google maps had failed us again. The missus and I were en route to see the season-opening bouts of the Dallas Derby Devils roller derby league in North Richland Hills when we realized we were lost, but not before coming across 5-week-old Oscar's Taco Shop (no relation to Cowtown's expansion-giddy Fuzzy's).
The freestanding food hut looked out of place across the street from a field and next to the NRH2O water park. The drive-through menu board didn't install much confidence, listing as it did crispy tacos and a jam of combo platters starting at $6.90. Perhaps it was indeed associated with the Starbucks of tacos, I considered.
All doubt and misgivings were washed away by the first bites of the hefty south-of-the-border sandwiches. Each taco was garnished with bright helpings of pico de gallo and creamy wedges of avocado. Not one of the four we ordered was disappointing. They were all worth the $2.35 price tag each.
The strings of roast pork that was the carnitas were juicy, assisted by the moisture from the toppings. The lengua was silky in texture and featherlight in flavor.
The adobada, small knots of vermilion pork, was salty with a gentle nudge to the palate eased by the avocado slowly melting under the meat's delightful influence. The carne asada was punchy but the least notable of the quartet.
The white corn tortillas, double-plied, were warm, moist, impervious to cracks and strong. Their subtle sweetness further increasing our enjoyment of the tacos we ate from the hood of our car in the parking lot of the NYTEX sports complex where the derby bouts were being held.
The knockdown, drag-out batter on four wheels (and a power outage) we were about to witness was a fine way to spend a Saturday night. However, it wasn't as good as the food from the taco stand. If I ever get lost again in the mid-cities, I hope it's near the NRH Oscar's Taco Shop or the second location in Grapevine. I'm eager to try some taquitos, perhaps a torta on glistening bolillo or a sauce-drowned plate of enchiladas.
Oscar's Taco Shop 8721 Blvd. 26 North Richland Hills 817-503-0480