Here in Fort Worth, people pride themselves in their knowledge of Mexican cuisine. Because of this and a shared love for food, you can’t go one mile in this city without spotting a good Mexican restaurant. Some original to Fort Worth and some not, most of these restaurants all have one thing in common: classic and delicious street tacos. 

Salsa Limón

With five locations around the city and a popular mobile food truck, Salsa Limón proves to be a very popular place to get tacos in Fort Worth. Known for their unique and flavorful tacos, Salsa Limón offers a variety of different combinations: breakfast tacos, chicken tacos, brisket tacos, etc. All of which have a special name on their menu. For example, the most well known favorite is called “El Capitan.” This taco includes melted Oaxaca-Jack cheese, pickled cabbage, onion, cilantro, and any choice of filling, wrapped in a flour tortilla. Each taco cost about $2.75, not including extra toppings or substitutions. So, if you were to order three tacos, it would be estimated to be around $10. 

I ordered the “El Capitan” with chicken as the filling and added avocado slices. The tacos were as good as others had said they were; however, they did need something a little extra to add onto them, so I squeezed some lime juice on top which did exactly that. The soft yet slightly crispy tortilla and texture of the cabbage and cilantro was delicious. After trying the tacos at Salsa Limón, I can concur that they are completely satisfying. For their prices, you are paying for some quality food.

As for the atmosphere, for some reason every time I go to Salsa Limón, especially the ones off University or White Settlement, they are almost always empty. The other three locations are off of Magnolia Street, in Sundance Square, and in La Gran Plaza around Fort Worth. For a place that has great tacos, it’s interesting that there are never more people inside. For the one off of University, I think one thing that might draw more people into the restaurant is adding more of a homey appeal to it. I do love the unique and eccentric decorations inside, but with its bright, luminescent lights, the restaurant almost gives off a hospital-like feel. I think that adding a touch of color to the walls or adding some booths or comfier furniture could help this. At the location off of White Settlement, I think the reason less people go there is because of the limited seating, and it being 90% outside. This likely causes most people to not favor going unless the weather is perfect.

https://salsalimon.com/home/

Rusty (R) Taco

Located on Camp Bowie, Rusty Taco or “R Taco” is apparently a big spot for TCU students to go. When I walked in, it seemed like the whole place was solely filled with them. I guess it’s now a popular place to quickly grab some tacos and maybe a margarita too. What should also be taken into account is that many of the TCU students most likely migrated to this location after the other Rusty Taco went out of business on Bluebonnet Circle, closer to TCU itself. 

At the restaurant, I didn’t have to wait in line that long, and I ended up ordering brisket tacos with queso fresco, diced onion, and cilantro. I also ordered a bowl of queso and chips. Again, the prices were similar to Salsa Limón, coming out at about $2.75-$3.00 per taco. The chips and queso were also only $3.00. While waiting for my tacos to come out, I snacked on the queso, which was surprisingly really good. It was just the right amount of savory and spicy, however, it didn’t have much texture like other quesos I’ve tried. The chips were not stale and were nice and salty and crispy, just how I like them to be. After my tacos came out, it didn’t take me long to determine that that queso was going to be the best part about eating at Rusty Taco. I was honestly disappointed. I don’t know if I just ordered the wrong thing or not, but my brisket tacos were very dry and didn’t offer much flavor at all. Even squeezing out some lime juice and pouring a little bit of the queso on top of them didn’t solve this issue. 

Secondly, the location was not very convenient. The parking lot in that area off of Camp Bowie is always extremely full and hard to get in and out of. However, every time I‘ve been inside the actual restaurant, there has not been much of a wait. There are always a few people in there and the atmosphere is definitely more lively than that of Salsa Limón’s. R Taco is okay, but there are much better taco places in Fort Worth that offer superior food for the same prices and have an equally good environment.  

https://rustytaco.com

Torchy’s

By far my favorite taco place in Fort Worth, Torchy’s is a classic. With two locations in town, it is probably the most popular spot to get tacos. With a lively outside display, you always know if you’ve passed a Torchy’s Tacos while driving. At the location off of Hulen, it has a big parking lot, which is especially easy to maneuver in and out of. However, at the Rosedale location, it can prove to be particularly challenging. The atmosphere at Torchy’s is almost always very active. I’ve only been a selective few times and not had to wait in line to order. The restaurant is usually packed with people either sitting in booths or at the bar.

Their taco prices range from $2.30 to $7.75, making it the most expensive out of all of the restaurants I have tried. However, you are paying for quality tacos. Having been multiple times, I’ve tried many different things off of their menu. One of the best tacos to order at Torchy’s is their breakfast tacos, which they offer 24 hours a day. The breakfast tacos can include bacon, egg, cheese, potato, chorizo, and basically anything else you would like to add. Coming with a small side of salsa, they are very filling. On the other hand, their Crossroads tacos are also excellent. However, the best thing about Torchy’s tacos is their chips and queso. Topped with little slices of avocado and salsa, the queso at Torchy’s is the perfect balance of spicy and mild. The toppings add extra flavor and texture to the queso as well when it is mixed in.

https://torchystacos.com