Taco News

New taqueria at Dallas' Fair Park stretches from pastor to cheesesteak

New taqueria at Dallas' Fair Park stretches from pastor to cheesesteak

Bo-Leo's Taco Shack
Mural by Astro Medina. Courtesy of Bo-Leo's

A taqueria across from Fair Park has changed hands, with a new concept called Bo-Leo's Taco Shack set to open on or about August 8.

Bo-Leo's is located at 4300 Parry Ave., a sweet spot at the corner of Peak Street that's been home to tacos and, before that, burgers. Until recently, it was a place called Luna's Cocina, and before that, Dos Hermanos.

But way back when, it was a burger stand called Mr. Charlie's Burger Factory, which made an appearance in director Wes Anderson's short film Bottle Rocket (which eventually became his 1996 full-length feature of the same name). So the location is famous.

Now it is Bo-Leo's, an Anglicized phonetic version of the word bolillo, the bread used in Mexican torta sandwiches.

Owners are Trent Nabors and Marc Hooper, who've both worked at a variety of casual restaurants around town. They'd been looking around for a location and were tipped off to the fact that the owners of Luna's were considering retiring.

They're hoping to accommodate the Luna's regulars while expanding enough to draw in new customers.

"We're going to keep some of the things they did but with kind of a Texican theme and some funky stuff," Nabors says.

They're still ironing out their menu, which includes street tacos with chorizo, chicken, pastor, and brisket, and, down the road, chicken-fried steak.

They're doing breakfast tacos, including huevos ranchos, potato and eggs, and chorizo with eggs; a Mexican omelet; and a combination breakfast plate.

Under the category of "Other Stuff," there's a Big Tex burrito, a "Pastor Philly" cheesesteak, a bowl, brisket chimichanga, and the "jubilee torta," named after the Jubilee Park neighborhood where the taqueria resides, with your choice of meat layered with lettuce, tomato, avocado, jalapeño, and spicy mayo.

Starters and sides include pozole, elotes, queso, and "loaded Mexican fries." Down the road, they'll also have frozen pops and horchata ice cream.

"We're not concerned about being taken crazy seriously, we just want to do some things that not a lot of other people are doing," Nabors says. "There's not a lot of places in the area, so we're not facing heavy competition. We're keeping the same type of cuisine it’s been for 15 years, we're not changing the base of what it is. We're just expanding to get people from the other side of 30 to drop by for some of our funky items that are a little different from most walk-up taco places, while keeping it simple and flavorful."

Their renovation includes a taco-themed mural on the most visible side of the building painted by artist Astro Medina, so you can't miss it when you drive by; and a small patio area.

"Now when you come down Parry, you see a big 10-foot wall with the words 'taco shack,'" Nabors says.

"We've been out here painting the building, installing equipment, giving it a facelift, and we're excited because some of the regulars are already coming by," he says.