Taco Cravings

Jimboy's plants first Parmesan-dusted tacos in Texas

One ground beef taco in a Parmesan-dusted shell.

Photo courtesy of Jimboy's

Northern California chain Jimboy's Tacos, whose crisp, grilled tacos have an unexpected twist, will open its first Texas location in Plano by the end of September. The twist: The corn tortilla taco shell is dusted with Parmesan cheese.

Founder Jim "Jimboy" Knudson, who first opened Jimboy's as a trailer in Tahoe, California, in 1954, devised his signature taco by accident when grated Parmesan cheese fell on the taco shell and resulted in a unique taste. Jimboy's most popular taco is filled with seasoned ground beef, lettuce and American cheese. There are also tacos filled with shredded beef, chicken, carnitas, bean and fish.

According to spokeswoman Dina Guillen, the restaurant rose to fame after becoming a favorite destination for celebrities such as Rat Pack members Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford, as well as the stars of TV series Bonanza, which filmed nearby.

"It's not anything earth-shattering or new; it's just the idea that it was not a soft taco but a crispy grilled taco, and it used only fresh ingredients," she says. "The Parmesan cheese brings a new, different flavor that you might not see much of in Texas."

In addition to the crisp tacos, Jimboy's also does soft "street" tacos, burritos, nachos and churros. The chain currently has 33 branches in California and seven in Nevada.

This is the first outside of the West Coast. It will go into a space at 101 W. Spring Creek Pkwy., at U.S. 75, in what was formerly another short-lived taco spot. There are plans to open 8 to 11 branches in the Dallas area, with two already under contract in Irving and another in The Colony.

"The reason it came about that Jimboy's would come to Dallas is that the owners were in Texas for a franchise show and fell in love with the area," Guillen says. "It's a family-run business. Jim's daughter Karen is president and CEO, and she is just like her dad. They are adventurous, fearless risk-takers."

But Guillen says they also get a lot of requests to open from people who used to live in Sacramento and have moved to Texas. "Until you’ve tried our tacos, it's hard to explain how craveable they are," she says. "We've had customers tells us they will land in Sacramento and go straight to Jimboy's. It's distinct, different."

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Coffee News

New Dallas coffee shop opens with good coffee — and great hair

Common Good

Common Good coffee and good vibes

A new coffee shop with some serious styling has opened near downtown Dallas: Called Common Good, it's located at 1619 N. Hall St., right off Ross Avenue, in what was previously a retail outlet for Rakkasan Tea Company, who left the space in mid-2024.

Common Good is more than just a coffee shop – it's a coffee shop-hair salon from Christopher Bermudez, a stylist who previously owned Ellum Salon in Deep Ellum which he sold in 2022. Their motto: "Good coffee, good hair, good vibes."

Bermudez was born in Mexico City and moved to Dallas when he was one year old but remained close to his culture and often travels to Mexico City, where he found the inspiration behind this new concept.

"I was inspired by the multiuse spaces in my hometown of Mexico City: coffee shops that turn into a nightclub or tequila tasting rooms in the evening. Great vibe is what we are going for," he says.

The coffee shop is in the front, while the hair salon is in the back, divided by a large glass. The salon has eight stylists, including Bermudez.

The shop also features all-vinyl jam tables where guest DJs play music most weekends, creating a cool atmosphere. The décor resembles listening rooms that are popular in South Korea, with custom-made wooden walls and modern furniture.

Good vibes at Common Good Coffee and hair salonCommon Good

Heading the coffee operation is Jesse Nava, who recently worked at Xaman Coffee in Oak Cliff, and they're partnered with Lemma Coffee for beans and barista training. The shop offers a small but solid menu, with espresso and coffee classics, plus some specialty drinks including pistachio matcha, cardamon rose latte, espresso freddo, and a Mexican mocha.

“We want to stay consistent with a small menu — we want to get it right, then eventually add to it," Bermudez says.

They plan to add food, as well, working with a local bakery still to be decided for muffins, croissants, kolaches, cookies, and bagels.

They're open Tuesday-Saturday from 7 am-7 pm, with shorter hours Sunday and Monday, from 7 am-2 pm, since the salon portion is closed those days.

They've witnessed a big demand for coffee, since the center they're in had coffee history: The storefront on the corner at 1623 Hall St. was once Method Coffee, then Fiction Coffee, which closed at the end of 2023. (It's now home to Black Swan Saloon, the resuscitated bar from acclaimed mixologist Gabe Sanchez.)

They see themselves as a neighborhood coffee shop, where residents of the multiple apartment complexes around can become regulars. They are dog-friendly, serving pup cups.

"I always believed that if you have a good product people will come," Bermudez says.

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