Taco News
New taqueria with killer trompo serves downtown Dallas at all hours
A highly regarded taqueria that could formerly be found only at gas stations now has its own spot, right in the middle of downtown Dallas.
Twisted Trompo is a family-owned taco shop that started in 2008 with a single location inside the Chevron at Bachman Lake. Called "Bachman Lake Tacos," it specialized in Mexican street-style tacos, along with tortas and other favorites.
The taqueria began to gain notice in 2013, after acclaimed chef Kent Rathburn dubbed them his favorite taco shop. The restaurant was subsequently featured on The Cooking Channel, and over the years, the tiny hole-in-the-wall taco shop became noticed and grew in popularity.
Facing a growing demand for their tacos, owners and brothers Shahzad and Shahyan Premjee added shops to other gas stations around the Metroplex, each with the same great food, but operating under local names.
The downtown Twisted Trompo opened on September 18 at 1211 Commerce St., in a space that's been empty for a few years. Spokesperson Erika Buesing says they're optimistic about the location.
"It seemed to be a great fit, with the way that Commerce Street is growing, between the addition of new hotels and the renovation by AT&T at Commerce and Akard," she says.
Their big thing is trompo — a big vertical rotisserie from which meat is shaved — which they have in three formats: traditional pork trompo, plus beef, plus chicken. Everything is made from scratch, starting with a 24-hour marinating process. The meats are then slow-roasted and hand-carved to order.
But they also do tortas, quesadillas, burritos, and salads. "All our recipes are from Mexico City," Buesing says.
A selection of very affordably priced cocktails — $6 each, such a deal — includes many margaritas, including a cucumber chili version with St. Germain, and an assortment of frozen options such as peach, strawberry, and mango. The signature Twister margarita is surrounded by a Dos Equis lager.
There is beer, tequila, and mezcal on tap; red and white sangrias; a Mexican mojito; and a "vampiro" with tequila and Jarritos grapefruit soda.
They're also doing some pretty customer-friendly hours: Monday-Thursday from 6 am-10 pm, Friday 6 am to midnight, Saturday 11 am to midnight, and Sunday from 11 am-10 pm. This should please the residents of downtown Dallas who are ever yearning for hours beyond the workday world, including weekends and late night.
"We're working on guaranteeing we're there for the different day parts to make sure we're there for the community," Buesing says.
