Taco News

Upscale taqueria closes down location in Dallas' Preston Center

That's a wrap on these tacos.

Photo by Tom McGovern

An upscale taqueria known for great tacos and cocktails has closed its only location in Dallas. According to a release, Bartaco closed its Preston Center restaurant for good, with the shutter taking place after dinner service on Tuesday, March 10.

A location in Fort Worth remains open.

"We want to thank our hardworking team and our loyal Dallas guests for a great year," said general manager Javier Montemayor in a release. "Though we are closing our doors in Dallas, our Fort Worth location will continue to serve up our signature fresh food and specialty cocktails in a relaxed, coastal atmosphere."

Bartaco first introduced its upscale take on tacos and street food to DFW in June 2018 when it opened a location in Fort Worth's West Bend area. The Dallas location opened in December 2018.

Their menu includes tacos made with gourmet ingredients like ahi tuna and sesame rib eye, as well as veggie options such as cauliflower with romanesco sauce, nicely priced at $2.50 and $3.t0 a pop. Their margaritas are also good, made with fresh juices.

But the company has had some ups and downs, including changes in ownership. In 2018, their parent company Barteca, which also owns Barcelona Wine Bar, was acquired by our very own Del Frisco's Restaurant Group. Barely a year later, Connecticut-based L Catterton bought Del Frisco's, including the Barcelona Wine Bar and Bartaco chains. There are currently 21 Bartaco restaurants in 13 states.

Bartaco also opened in DFW with a very odd approach to marketing in which they rejected stories prior to their opening. Here's an email from their previous PR agency, Quinn PR:

"The brand works on a unique strategy around its openings to ensure that the guests can discover the neighborhood gem on their own and often do not allow for any coverage prior to the opening, but rather thereafter."

So you have a company unknown to the Dallas area that was turning down free PR before they opened. Smart!

Beyond their inner struggles, they opened in Preston Center, a notoriously tough neighborhood for restaurants. That space at 6130 Luther Ln. was previously occupied by Kent Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen, which lasted five years before Rathbun turned it into a catering kitchen.

Bartaco has offered its Dallas managers and team members continuing employment at other locations where available, and support throughout the transition.

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RIP Al

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat dies at 69 after ALS battle

Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, RIP

Beloved Dallas restaurateur Al Biernat, founder of the acclaimed local steakhouse Al Biernat's, passed away on November 13, following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease; he was 69.

Biernat was one of Dallas' all-time great hospitality figures, dating back to his days at The Palm steakhouse, for whom he worked in Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas.

Biernat founded his namesake restaurant in 1998 on Oak Lawn Avenue, where his standard of excellence and doting charm made it a destination for special occasions, Park Cities swells, and celebrities in town.

His sense of hospitality had little competition in Dallas. He was a charming and personable host who genuinely liked people, and it didn't matter whether you were Conan O'Brien, David Crosby, or one of the other high-profile diners that visited his restaurants — or else just a regular schlub: He had a knack for making everyone feel special and remembered.

Biernat was born on August 20, 1955 and grew up in Michigan, then lived in Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston, before moving to Dallas to work at The Palm in the West End, where his dynamic presence gave the restaurant an incomparable vitality; it closed in 2017.

He opened Al Biernat's at 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. in 1998, followed by a second location in North Dallas at 5251 Spring Valley Rd. in 2017.

He began to experience ALS symptoms in May 2023, was diagnosed in December, and revealed his condition in February 2024. The revelation was met with an outpouring of sympathy and well wishes from the hospitality industry — a sign of the high regard in which he was held.

The average life expectancy for people with ALS is two to five years after diagnosis. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing, or in the hands, arms, legs, or feet. He began to have difficulty communicating in September, and spent his last days in a hospice.

On September 18, he broached the topic of dying, before ending on a note of gratitude to friends and family.

"Having Bulbar ALS I am realistic about my future," he said. "Friends and family have asked me if I’m afraid of dying, and this is what I say to them. Because of the salvation of Jesus, I will be rejoicing in my spirit to see him in all of his glory. Since we are all flesh, soul, and spirit, only my flesh is being left behind. But don’t get me wrong, I have a blessed life in this world, with a loving wife, and a beautiful family and many wonderful and caring friends. I am grateful!"

Both Al Biernat's locations will continue to remain open under the management of Biernat's nephew Brad Fuller, as they have for nearly the past two years.

Biernat is survived by Fuller, as well as his wife Jeannie and three daughters: Angelica Saylor, Kaitlin Biernat Connell, and Jess Biernat, plus five grandsons and two granddaughters. . According to family members, details regarding a celebration of his life will be announced soon.

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