Taco News
Dallas gas station famous for tacos opens new location with in-house beer bar
A Dallas gas station famous for its tacos is opening a new location that comes with tacos and a whole lot more: Fuel City, which has earned national attention for being one of the first gas stations to have an in-house taqueria, will open a location in Wylie, at 1800 N. SH-78.
This is the eighth location for what has become growing chain, but it will be the first Fuel City to feature an in-house beer bar, with 20 beers on tap, along with the option to get beer to go in growler or crowler formats.
According to company CEO Joseph Bickman, the facility will open at the end of December.
Fuel City was founded in 1995 by entrepreneur (and Bickman's father-in-law) John Benda, who opened the original location off I-35 near downtown Dallas.
Located just up the street from the Grassy Knoll, the station became its own tourist landmark thanks to its fun Texana milieu that included live animals on the premises including longhorn cattle.
Fuel City also arrived at the very beginning of a taco craze, one they helped escalate, by hosting a taqueria on-site that earned raves and inspired other operators to follow their lead.
With subsequent openings, they’ve add elements that are custom to each location, Bickman says.
“For example, in our Haltom City location, we introduced daiquiris,” he says. “We try to iterate each location so it’s different from the next.”
For Wylie, they’re going all out including a refreshed decor that’s a little less Western, a little more modern farmhouse.
“We’ve also added a pizza purveyor, and this is first time we have a growler bar that allows customers to take any of our beers on tap to go,” he says.
The Wylie location also exhibits their biggest commitment to on-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a drive-thru.
“Between indoor and outdoor, we have 60-70 seats,” Bickman says. “So you could come and get a pizza, tacos, and a cold beer.”