Who
Mariachi’s Dine-In
secret sauce
Where
301 S Sylvania Ave, FW, 682-760-9606
Vibe Ramshackle chic, with brightly painted-on luchador masks and booths; set in the corner of a convenience store.
All the Tacos Mariachi’s Dine-In on the East Side is worth finding –– and then gorging. BY IAN CONNALLY
Eating good tacos, frequently and in large quantities, is, of course, one of the central tenets of living happily. Taquerias, priestly in
their purveyance of these corn-cradled bursts of joy, rightly hold a place of reverence in the lives of the taco devotee –– for many of us, the question of precisely where we should go for exactly which taco, and when, is one that is as entwined with our identities as, say, our relationship with the divine. Or with bourbon. These are matters of doctrine. Of dogma. Of truth. And, because such truth is subjectively personal, you and I almost certainly disagree. It has been, however, my belief that, beyond this landscape of subjectivity, there are a couple of truths that remain uncontroversial. First: There are always better fillings available than chorizo. Mostly, it’s cut too fine, drowning in a slick of yellow-red oil, and overseasoned. Because of this, I have established chorizo as a fallback position, an accent to the eggs on that fourth breakfast taco, the one I’ll eat only if my state requires grease for medicinal purposes. Second: Nobody will-
Entree Prices // $1.70-$3.25 When // 11am-7pm Sun, Tue & Wed, 11am-11pm Thu-Sat.
Our critic ate his way through the taco menu at Mariachi’s Dine-In.
Photo by Crystal Wise
well. Asada, carnitas, and barbacoa ingly orders the chicken. Chicken Don’t-Miss Dishes were as they should be, each a fine is on a taqueria’s menu because, Mariachi Taco with soft-fried egg, example. Pastor, with its interplay of contrary to our collective better chicken taco, and pastor taco. pineapple and cinnamon, stood out judgment, we keep bringing among our initial volley. And then, our children with us, and their unanticipated, came the chicken. underdeveloped understanding Cubes of dark meat, coated in chile and cumin and of goodness causes them to reject the unfamiliar. On bursting with hickory smoke, elevated this taco above tacos, no child is enlightened. So it was not without strongly voiced doubts that the other offerings we sampled. It was rich, complex. Engulfed as I was in the shock of this revelation, I was I acquiesced when my guests insisted that we sample stunned speechless by my first bite of chorizo. Houseevery taco available at Mariachi’s Dine-In. Ashley made and coarsely chopped, this was fiery-red, sweet, Miller and Chef Angel Feuntes’ new taqueria, housed unassumingly inside a convenience store on the corner and balanced. It was worldview-shattering, philosophy-challenging stuff. opposite Martin House Brewing Company on the We had set out to eat the whole taco menu, so East Side, boasts a larger than usual range of options it made sense to order our chorizo in the namesake for filling your taco, torta, burrito, or bowl, including nine different meats, among them chorizo and chicken. Mariachi Taco –– a flour tortilla piled high with lettuce, tomato, queso fresco, and avocado. We added a We ordered all of them. We briefly discussed methods soft-fried egg to each because, well, they were available. for ensuring some order to the coming feast before And here it was, my reason to dream of this luchadorwe were confronted by piles of animal parts enrobed mask-adorned corner of Dave’s Food & Deli. Runny in sweet yellow-corn tortillas, freshly charred and still yolk, creamy and rich, coated the vegetables and meat, steaming. Abandoning all plans of order, we flung an ur-hollandaise playing foil to the bright spice of the ourselves at the platter chorizo. Finishing the last bites, I realized that my taco without restraint. Chef Angel Fuentes brings doctrine –– my view of the landscape of this town, as Joy ensued. Then years of experience in well, perhaps, and my relationship with the divine –– confusion. Here were upscale eateries to Mariachi’s have changed for good. all the standards, done kitchen. Photo by Crystal Wise.
December 2018
zestfw.com ZEST FORT WORTH 25
