Brad N.
Yelp
Fellow reviewer Jason L. said "Best D.F. tacos around"; while I'll admit I've probably only been to 8 or 10 places in the Dallas area that serve what I consider to be authentic Mexican tacos, this is definitely the best of them. Having worked in Mexico City (the "D.F." that Jason was referring to) for almost a year, I came to know the local fare well. Our favorite place there was called "El Charco De Las Ranas"; they had their pastor spit right out front by the sidewalk (doubtless a health regulation no-no here), and they'd bring the little tray of 5 "condiments" before the meal (red and green sauces, cilantro, onion and lime). Such was the case here at El Tizoncito; that same little tray came out and I knew this place had promise.
Eyeing the pastor spit back in the kitchen, I knew that tacos al pastor had to be part of the meal. However, my eyes were also drawn to something else that took me back to Mexico: "chicharron de queso". A little strange to gringos, it's really only a big puddle of cheese poured onto the griddle until it starts to firm up, then rolled into a loose roll (see my photo). It's crispy like chips, but it's made of cheese. You just gotta try it. Rajas con queso (onions, cheese and mild peppers on flour tortillas) and guacamole impressed mightily; both had great flavor and texture, and the accompanying tortilla chips had that perfectly "toasty" taste that's missing in most such chips these days.
While we'd had a pretty big appetizer course, and those tacos al pastor were coming, I couldn't resist trying a torta as well. I chose the "house special", the torta de Tizoncito, with a little bit of everything on it (it seemed). But first, the tacos: Served on proper small, doubled corn tortillas (although not "hecho a mano", or handmade), I was initially slightly wary about the cut and appearance of the pastor meat. It was chopped a little too fine for my taste and didn't seem to have visual evidence of the spices including the characteristic paprika red. However, when I bit in after applying cilantro and onion, it was all there. Perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced meat with just the right amount of "tooth", this was a great taco. I sampled the red and green sauces on the other tacos, and both were delicious.
Next, the torta: It was delicious, and aside from the guacamole that suffered a little in my fridge overnight, the other half was delicious the next day as well. Fresh bread, packed with meaty goodness, it was a clear winner.
I should have mentioned my bebida at the start; one of my fellow diners chose the michelada, and I followed suit. Made with Pacifico beer, lime juice and Clamato, it was a very refreshing beverage for a hot day, and a great inrto to the meal.
Bottom line, this place is really, really good, with a gringo-friendly atmosphere yet dishes that are straight out of Mexico City. Fantastic stuff!
