Taco News

New taqueria with killer trompo serves downtown Dallas at all hours

Tacos with trompo.

Photo courtesy of Twisted Trompo

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.

tacos downtown

Hugs all around

Nonprofit Hugs Café expands with $10M McKinney headquarters and eatery

Photo courtesy of Hugs Cafe

Hugs Cafe has debuted a new cafe in its new McKinney headquarters.

A culinary-centric charity that helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities build careers in hospitality has a snazzy new home in downtown McKinney: Hugs Café Inc. has opened a new $10 million headquarters, eatery, and training center at 221 Andrews St., McKinney.

The 13,500-square-foot facility brings together the organization's administrative offices and Hugs Training Academy under one roof, a release says, creating what it calls a centralized hub to expand workforce training and employment opportunities.

“This new space allows us to grow our programs and serve more individuals than ever before,” says Lauren Smith, CEO at Hugs Café Inc, in the release. “It represents a major step forward in our mission to create meaningful training and employment opportunities. We are deeply grateful for the community support and partnerships that have helped bring this vision to life and continue to make our work possible every day.”

The new HQ is called Home for Hugs.Photo courtesy of Hugs Cafe

Called the Home for Hugs, the building includes a commercial training kitchen, four classrooms, administrative offices, flexible workspaces, a rooftop deck, and an outdoor patio. The facility is designed to increase the organization's training capacity while supporting future expansion of its programs, leadership says.

Hugs Café Inc. is a McKinney-based nonprofit social enterprise that provides hospitality training and competitively paid employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its flagship venture is Hugs Café, which offers on-the-job experience in an inclusive restaurant environment.

Dining at Hugs Cafe
Founded in 2015 by Ruth Thompson, the organization has grown from a single McKinney café into a network that now includes two café locations (the other's at 2918 Live Oak St. in Dallas), along with two Hugs Training Academies, the new headquarters, and affiliate partners across the country.

The McKinney cafe is open to customers for dine-in and delivery at breakfast and lunch, 8 am-3 pm Monday-Saturday (closed Sunday), with catering available. The menu includes breakfast items such as biscuit sandwiches and breakfast burritos; salads, sandwiches, soups, and desserts.

Sweet treats from Hugs Cafe. Photo courtesy of Hugs Cafe

Sandwiches include grilled cheese, a Monte Cristo, a BLTA with avocado, and a "chickie hug" sandwich with cranberry pecan chicken salad and mixed greens.

Salads include a Greek salad, spinach salad, and a chef's salad with turkey and bacon. Desserts include cookies, carrot cake, and chocolate bourbon pecan pie.

Catering choices vary from sandwich boxed lunches to whole cakes and jumbo quantities of pimento cheese or chicken salad. White Rhino coffee in large quantities is offered, as well.

Building a lasting impact
Construction on the headquarters began in May 2025. Dallas developer KDC led the project, with Corgan serving as architect, Brasfield & Gorrie as general contractor, and Valliance Bank providing financing, according to the release.

“Bringing this vision to life alongside Hugs Café Inc. is a meaningful opportunity for KDC to support individuals seeking personalized training and a pathway into the workforce,” says Eric Hage, KDC president. “We’re grateful to the Hugs Café team and our fellow donors for allowing us to play a role in creating lasting impact for these individuals and their families.”

openings mckinney nonprofits