Taco News

Restaurant with authentic Mexico City-style tacos to open in N. Dallas

Birria tacos from Chilangos Tacos

Chilangos Tacos

A taqueria that specializes in Mexico City-style tacos is headed to North Dallas: Called Chilangos Tacos, it's a small Dallas-based chain founded in 2019, that will open a restaurant at a highly visible intersection near Galleria Dallas, in a former 7-Eleven store at 13608 Preston Rd.

According to a company spokesperson, the location is slated to open at the beginning of November.

Chilangos is from a polished team that includes SMU grad Jon Garay and highly-regarded chef Joel Mendoza. They first debuted the concept in 2019 with a location on Harry Hines by Dallas Love Field, featuring authentic tacos, quesadillas, and refreshing fruity margaritas. It earned them a spot on our Where to Eat list for July 2019.

They've since opened a location at Legacy Hall in Plano, plus locations in old east Dallas at 4012 Ross Ave., and in the AT&T Discovery District at 211 S. Akard St. (They also have a location Nashville, inside Assembly Food Hall, the Nashville spinoff of Legacy Hall, where they opened in July 2021.)

The menu features tacos and quesadillas with choice of protein from carne asada, pastor, pollo, barbacoa, or caramelized mushrooms. Tacos and quesadillas are prepared in the traditional Mexico City style with simple toppings of onions, cilantro, and choice of salsa.

Their signature is the La Costras Taco, like a grilled cheese version of a taco ("costra" means "crust") featuring fajita beef, bacon, and avocado on a toasted flour tortilla, in which Monterey Jack cheese is melted directly on the grill and filled with protein, then plopped into a tortilla, for crunchy, cheesy results.

Their salsas are fresh, with their guacamole salsa, made with mashed avocado, being a standout; and tortillas made in house with a slightly thick, pliable texture.

Sides include elotes (corn in a cup), or chips & salsa. There are also churros filled with Mexican cajeta and coated in cinnamon sugar. Beverages include horchata, Jarritos sodas, and their Chingonrita, their signature mango chamoy margarita.

Both Garay and Mendoza lived in Mexico City before moving to Dallas ("chilango" is slang for a resident of Mexico City). Mendoza worked in fine-dining establishments such as the Four Seasons in New York and Pujol in Mexico City, rated one of the 50 best restaurants in the world, before moving to Dallas to work at San Salvaje, Stephan Pyles' Latin restaurant in the Arts District.

They got their feet wet in 2018 with La Botana Taco Bar, a food truck based in Uptown, which helped them refine Chilangos recipes such as the birria taco, whose roots lie in a recipe from Mendoza's grandfather.

North Dallas is not their last frontier: They also have a location in the works for Garland, opening in early 2025.

tacos openings

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

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