Taco News

Tacos and margaritas debut at new West Seventh Fort Worth taqueria

The restaurant will pay homage to the chef's hometown Monterrey.

Courtesy photo

UPDATE: Maestro Tacos will open Thursday, October 29, a restaurant spokeswoman confirms.

---

There's a new taqueria coming to town from a newcomer on the scene: Called Maestro Tacos, it'll open in the West Seventh District in November.

It's taking over the space at 3011 Bledsoe St., previously occupied by OMG Tacos, which closed in spring 2020 after three years. It'll be next door to Ampersand, the acclaimed coffee bar, which is also its sibling.

Maestro's will be a modern taqueria and margarita bar, with a fast-casual service style. The concept is led by Miguel Mendoza, an immigrant who, before he moved to the U.S., was a butcher in Monterrey, Mexico, and also owned a taco stand.

The goal of the taqueria is to summon the flavors of Mendoza's hometown. Everything will be made in-house, from handmade tortillas to fresh salsa.

The menu will highlight family recipes and local ingredients, with a lineup that includes:

Birria
Carnitas
Barbacoa
Pollo asado
Trompo, the slow-roasted, marinated pork al pastor served with pineapple

There'll be margaritas as well as a selection of mezcal and tequila; aqua frescas will be offered seasonally.

Mendoza will oversee the food operation, while the bar will be managed by the team behind Ampersand, says Toan Luong, who owns the coffee bar with a group of friends. They got to know Mendoza after he helped them build out Ampersand.

They say the atmosphere will be welcoming and vibrant, true to a Mexico City taqueria. Elements will include an open-air patio with comfortable seating and ambient lighting. The patio is new: It's being installed in front of the taqueria, and will bridge with the patio in front of Ampersand, creating one extended outdoor seating area where you can have coffee, a margarita, taco, whatever you like.

The tacos will be cheap, averaging around $1.50, Luong says. "We're in a bar area, and that's what people want when they leave the bar, to come and get a taco," he says. They'll be open until 3 am Thursdays through Saturdays.

"Fresh ingredients and fantastic service are what we’re built on," Mendoza says.

tacos openings

Doughnut News

Luscious doughnut shop Duck Donuts makes Fort Worth debut

Photo courtesy of Visit Addison

undefined

A decadent new doughnut shop is coming to Fort Worth: Duck Donuts, a North Carolina-based chain known for serving doughnuts made to order, will open a shop at 6387 Camp Bowie Blvd. #A within the Ridglea Plaza Shopping Center in Fort Worth.

According to a release, the shop will open on Saturday December 21 at 7 am.

Duck Donuts opened its first locations in 2007 in the beach resort towns of Duck and Kitty Hawk, North Carolina with the intention to create an oasis for vacationers. They're now headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and began franchising in 2013, with more than 150 locally owned and operated shops across 26 states and international locations. There was previously a DFW location in Addison on Belt Line Road that opened in 2020 but it did not survive the pandemic.

The Fort Worth shop is owned and operated by husband-and-wife Justin and Morgan Thomas.

“We are delighted to be opening in Fort Worth,” Justin says in a statement. “The community has been patiently waiting for us to open our doors, and now we cannot wait to sprinkle happiness to all with our warm, delicious and made-to-order doubhnuts.”

The 1,035-square-foot shop reflects the franchise’s reimagined design which gives a modern twist on their iconic beach theme and family-friendly atmosphere. Upon entering the store, customers are greeted by the aroma of warm, light vanilla cake doughnuts.

Customers can create their own combination by choosing from coatings, toppings, and drizzles, including traditional favorites such as chocolate icing with sprinkles and more adventurous creations such as maple icing with bacon.

Key to their appeal is the viewing area where children and adults alike can watch their doughnuts being made.

Many of their flavors have a beachy theme such as the Beach, a cake doughnut with vanilla icing dusted with cinnamon sugar; the Sunrise with lemon icing and raspberry drizzle; and the Beach Ball with vanilla icing, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle.

They rotate in seasonal offerings such as the current lineup of mint-flavored flavors including chocolate icing with mint buttercream. The doughnuts themselves are limited to vanilla and chocolate cake; the flavors come primarily from icing.

In addition to doughnuts, the Fort Worth location will serve coffee, doughnut breakfast sandwiches, doughnut sundaes — in which a doughnut is topped with ice cream and syrup — plus frozen beverages and milkshakes.

doughnuts openings