Here’s the new Fuzzy’s fish taco. And it’s not like any other Fuzzy’s fish taco in 15 years

After 15 years, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop now serves a mango-habanero mahi-mahi taco.

I’ll only ask: What took so long?

Now a national franchise chain with 164 locations spread from Vegas to Toledo, Ohio, Fuzzy’s still has the flavor of the original flagship on West Berry Street.

A decade ago, Fuzzy’s turned Baja-style tacos into a Texas sensation, serving grilled or tempura fish tacos with garlic sauce and — instead of the cotija cheese used in Mexico — feta.

It wasn’t the way chefs serve tacos in Tijuana, or even San Diego.

But feta was more readily available than cotija in Texas then, and the crumbled cheese helped cool the cayenne “butt burnin’ hot sauce.” (Now, there’s also an even hotter habanero version.)

Fuzzy’s isn’t the only taco sensation around anymore, not since Torchy’s Tacos came to the market. These days, Fuzzy’s sells as many shrimp tempura tacos or huevos rancheros platters as it does fish tacos.

But if anything is going to put the fire back into Fuzzy’s, it might be this mango-habanero mahi-mahi taco.

For one thing, it’s the first Fuzzy’s fish taco with an identifiable species, not just “fish.”

For another, the mahi-mahi was seasoned and grilled right — Fuzzy’s doesn’t call it blackened, but it tastes that way — and topped with a mango-tomato-onion-cilantro pico along with the citrus-habanero sauce.

Fuzzy’s still serves the familiar menu of enchilada dinners, nachos, quesadillas and all-day Mexican breakfast platters that made it a day-and-night stop for TCU students.

On a visit to a very chain-ified Fuzzy’s in a suburban strip shopping plaza near Alliance Town Center, the crowd had more families than drowsy college students.

But the fish tacos and a chilaquiles verdes breakfast platter upheld the Fuzzy’s tradition.

Fuzzy’s also is serving summer drink specials: a frozen margarita with “tropical syrup” and a vodka-ginger beer with lemon.

The best Fuzzy’s locations might be the rambling, creaky old flagship restaurant, open from 7 a.m. daily till late night at 2917 W. Berry St., 817-924-7943, or the Race Street Village location, open from 9:15 a.m. daily through dinner at 2719 Race Street, 817-831-8226; fuzzystacoshop.com.

(There are 57 Fuzzy’s locations in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area alone.)

On Pipeline Road, watch for the Bird

A new fried chicken stand in Euless is getting a lot of attention.

Bird Restaurant serves chicken pieces, tenders or wings with an above-average crisp, peppery crust. Side dishes include elote (“street-style) corn, and jalapeno mac-and-cheese.

Bird is a small, family chicken take-out stand, so don’t expect a Babes.

Look for it at lunch and dinner Wednesdays through Saturdays, also lunch Sundays at 4311 W. Pipeline Road, Euless, 817-786-8596, facebook.com/eatthebirdtx.

Salvadoran on the menu at Cafe Acapulco

An old, familiar southwest Arlington favorite has a new menu.

Cafe Acapulco, a 1980s throwback in the Green Oaks Village shopping center, has added Salvadoran dishes much like Gloria’s.

The new menu features Tex-Mex but also offers a grilled flank steak with plantains and yuca, pupusas and a “family sampler” with a pupsa, yuca, plantain and a banana-leaf-wrapped tamal.

Cafe Acapulco also has Tex-Mex platters, steaks and seafood.

It’s open for lunch and dinner daily at 4001 Green Oaks Blvd.; 817-483-4171, facebook.com/thecafeacapulco.

This story was originally published July 29, 2018 at 11:02 PM.