Fort Worth’s newest taco joint opened about a month ago in Crockett Hall (formerly known as the Food Hall at Crockett Row). Taco Paseo boasts a large taco-centric menu that includes appetizers, margaritas, and two types of tacos: traditional and special.
The space, which occupies one corner of the food hall, was filled with disco hits on a recent visit. The brick walls are nondescript, and six four-seat tables sit on the ornate black-and-white tile flooring. The restaurant served up my hibiscus margarita quickly. Arriving with a rock salt-lined rim and fresh lime wedge, the frozen mixed drink was bright pink and not overly sweet, and it had a pleasant floral profile with hints of pomegranate.
Taco Paseo
3000 Crockett St, Ste 132, FW. 817-778-8783. 10am-8pm Sun, 8:30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-9pm Sat. All major credit cards accepted.
Next out were two appetizers. The Latin street corn was freshly sliced and clung together in long roasted slivers. The elote was dressed in clumps of Cotija cheese that added a perfect tinge of salt to liven everything up. A generous drizzle of a spicy chipotle sauce nicely amped up the heat. The chile toreados (three roasted jalapenos) were an exercise in simplicity. The grilled peppers, lightly oiled, were flavorful without being off-puttingly spicy.
Taco Paseo offers a wide range of traditional and fusion tacos. The barbacoa taco matched the quality of fare offered at Juanito’s Taqueria or any other famed local joint. The buttery meat was fragrant and only lightly oily. The toasted corn tortillas, freshly chopped onions, and cilantro enhanced the succulent and generously filled morsels. Delicious as they were, the diminutively sized items were far from filling.
The two fusion tacos earned high marks for creativity. While most tacos served at the restaurant come with corn tortillas, the octopus taco was wrapped in a single flour tortilla, presumably to not detract from the mild-flavored mollusk. Within the large wrap, the contents of the taco were delicious but underwhelming. The octopus had a firm but easy-to-chew texture and nicely charred skin. The single sliver of avocado and slices of pickled red onions almost filled out the taco but fell short.
The Peking Duck was a home run. The generous mound of bird came to life in the company of a drizzle of sweet and salty hoisin sauce. Slices of jícama added a crispy texture, while bits of cilantro — the herb that binds so many culinary traditions together — tied the Chinese cuisine-inspired taco to the ample Latin dishes offered.
The service that evening was polite and prompt. Taco Paseo is a welcome addition to an already diverse spread of local taquerias. Saying Fort Worth has reached its taqueria limits is like telling a musician he or she has exhausted the sonic possibilities of the 12-bar blues. Some things in life can’t be overdone, although they can be done poorly. Taco Paseo’s vast menu and quality tacos offer many reasons to visit. And revisit.
Taco Paseo
Hibiscus margarita $8.50
Barbacoa taco $4.75
Latin street corn $4.50
Chile toreados $4.75
Grilled octopus $5.75
Peking Duck $5.25
