Taco Joint Heads North

Taco Joint expands mini-empire to Richardson — full bar included

Taco Joint is bringing its breakfast tacos to a new 'hood.

Yelp

It'll soon be taco time for customers at the Alamo Drafthouse and other Richardson Heights residents when a third branch of Taco Joint opens in the quaint shopping center later this year.

The Dallas taqueria mini-chain takes over the space next to Party City that was previously used as a lounge for the annual Dallas VideoFest. The goal is to open by late summer.

"It's still in limbo as far as when, maybe three months?" says Chad Davenport, who works at the original branch on Peak Street in East Dallas. "There's still a lot of work to do."

Owners Jeffrey Kowitz and Corey McCauley launched Taco Joint in 2008 hoping to re-create the taco spots they'd had while living in Austin. Their debut pre-dated the ensuing onslaught of Fuzzy's, Torchy's, Rusty Taco and the like.

Taco Joint is especially treasured for breakfast tacos such as the migas, but it also offers daily specials such as fish tacos on Friday, and everyone loves the spicy jalapeño ranch dressing.

The second, more spacious branch opened at Mockingbird Lane and Abrams Road in 2012, where they were extended the hours to dinner and added beer and margaritas. "Opening for dinner was a no-brainer; we got a lot of requests to stay open for dinner at the current location, but it wasn't feasible," McCauley said at the time.

The space in Richardson will be even larger than the one in Lakewood, Davenport says. "It'll be a full bar with 14 taps, and we'll have a huge banquet room for catering."

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McKinney News

Acclaimed restaurant team to open Centro on the Square in McKinney

Photo courtesy of City of McKinney

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There's an exciting new restaurant coming to McKinney from a team with serious cred: Called Centro on the Square, it'll open in Historic Downtown McKinney at 112 E. Louisiana St., across from the McKinney Performing Arts Center.

Centro on the Square is a collaboration between restaurateurs Brian Dunne, owner of Mexican Bar Company in Plano; and George Stergios, owner of Knife Steakhouse Plano.

After six-plus years as neighbors in the restaurant district at The Shops at Willow Bend, the two decided to pool their considerable expertise and open a new concept together in McKinney.

Dunne logged many years in the hospitality industry, working in cities such as Washington DC, New York, and Chicago, before relocating to Allen and opening Mexican Bar Company in 2018.

Stergios is currently famous as the owner of Knife Steakhouse, and was previously head of food & beverage at the Highland Dallas hotel, where the original Knife opened. But he's also the son of Basil Stergios who, with his brother, owned the venerable seafood institution Vincent's Seafood, which closed in 2015 after a century. George has grown up in the Dallas dining scene.

With these combined credentials, Centro surely seems promising. Opening day is a ways off — they're looking at early spring — and details on the menu and concept are still in the works. But they're planning on an exceptional dining experience with an inviting menu, serious craft cocktail program, historical setting, and top-notch service.

The menu will feature standout starters and salads, fresh seafood, locally raised steaks, and house-made pasta prepared daily. They'll start out with dinner, then add lunch and brunch.

Centro is going into a renovated 100-year-old building, in a space that was previously home to acclaimed restaurant Harvest, which relocated in 2023. They'll do a space blending historic charm with modern touches.

Dunne and Stergios are both longtime locals: Stergios has lived in McKinney for more than six years, while Dunne has resided in nearby Allen for nearly a decade.

In a statement, they say they've always been drawn to the energy of Historic Downtown McKinney, and watching the steady foot traffic and vibrant activity on the Square during construction reinforced their decision to open a restaurant there.

"The Square is truly unique and has a pulse of its own," they say.

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