Bueno Ranking

Dallas-based Tex-Mex chain beats out majors to earn best-in-U.S. title

The rest of the country doesn't know what it's missing.

Feel sorry for those who don't have Taco Bueno in their lives. Market Force Information has named the Mexican fast-food chain, which is based in Farmers Branch, as the best in the nation.

More than 10,000 consumers were polled for the study, which also named the No. 1 pizza (Papa Murphy's), chicken (Chick-fil-A), and sandwich (McAlister's) chains.

This is the first year that Taco Bueno earned enough votes to even qualify for the list, and it edged out Chipotle and Qdoba to take the crown. The two Denver-based restaurants tied for first place in 2015, but Chipotle fell to second and Qdoba to fourth this year. Rubio's took third, and El Pollo Loco finished out the top five.

Although Taco Bueno was the favorite in the Mexican food category, it only ranked first in one area: value for the money, a category in which Del Taco was a close second, and Qdoba was last out of the brands studied. San Antonio-based Taco Cabana ranked lowest of the chains studied in friendliness, speed, and cleanliness.

With 175 locations in seven states, Taco Bueno is significantly smaller than much of the competition. For comparison, Chipotle has more than 1,500 locations.

The company began franchising in 2005, and it was acquired by TPG Growth last year. It's mainly found in Texas and Oklahoma, but the chain has been making a franchise push in states such as Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and Louisiana. Unlike rivals Chipotle and Taco Bell, Taco Bueno does not seem to be currently interested in international growth, focusing instead on expansion in the Southwest.

Items unique to the Taco Bueno menu include Muchacos, which are tacos made with soft pieces of pitas as the shells, and MexiDips and Chips, with house-made tortilla chips and signature guacamole. And let's not forget the super-sized meals, such as the Big Freak'n Taco (a "two-handed beast") and the Wholotta Platter, which packs in a taco, Muchaco, rice, refried beans, a side of queso, and a "chilida" — a chili- and queso-covered enchilada.

rankings tex-mex tacos

Canvas for community

New coffee shop nestles inside art store in Dallas' Oak Cliff

Canvas, caffeine, and community. Happening Café is officially open (and perfectly tucked away) inside Dallas Art Supply.

Photo courtesy of Happening Cafe.

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A hidden-gem coffee shop has opened inside a Dallas art store: Called Happening Cafe, it's nestled within Dallas Art Supply, at 623 Fort Worth Ave., in Oak Cliff.

The small coffee space is designed to enhance the retail experience inside the creative, women-owned shop, which operates out of a repurposed vintage gas station. Patrons can now browse professional-grade oil paints, watercolor blocks, and unique stationery with an espresso in hand.

Dallas Art Supply is the retail arm of Oil & Cotton, an art studio, workshop space, and creative hub founded in 2010 by Shannon Driscoll and Kayli House, located a few blocks down on Beatrice Street. The shop moved to its current spot on Fort Worth Avenue in late 2024 for street visibility.

The owners say they introduced Happening Cafe to help fuel the neighborhood's artistic spirit with the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee.

Dallas Art Supply features a unique selection of art tools for all skill levels.Photo courtesy of Happening Cafe

“We were inspired by the ‘60’s countercultural movement with stores playing with commerce as art,” House says. “Art supplies can be intimidating, coffee is not.”

The shop serves drinks make with a La Marzocco Linea Mini espresso machine and beans from local Full City Roasters. Their menu includes espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, teas and matchas, ranging from $2 to $6, and a few grab-and-go healthy snacks such as granola bars and beef jerky.

Guests can sip while they shop.Photo courtesy of Happening Cafe

“We are hoping it can evolve the coffee shop to a truck trailer, eventually plant roots somewhere,” Driscoll says.

The addition of Happening Cafe to the retail space at Dallas Art Supply follows a growing trend in Dallas with built-in cafés or bars in retail stores. Hey Konẽko opened Good Boy Cafe in 2023, bookstores Read Shop in Dallas and Daydream in Arlington both have coffee offerings for visitors, and Outpost Fine Goods added a bar where people can enjoy a drink while shopping.

“Retail alone can’t make it; every retail store has something going on,” Driscoll says.

The coffee shop fills a neighborhood need for caffeine while naturally inviting patrons to linger, browse, and connect inside the shop, which caters to everyone from novice hobbyists to professional studio artists.

The owners opened Happening Cafe quietly.

“It is a sleepy little thing and we like that,” House says.

Both Happening Cafe and Dallas Art Supply are open 10 am-6 pm Tuesday-Saturday.

coffee shop oak cliff coffee