This new little taqueria near Fort Worth serves every taco from banh mi to brisket
The best new taqueria in Texas might be in Bedford, where a chef brings a gourmet touch to tacos filled with everything from tandoori chicken to beef Wellington.
The Dream Tacos, 2807 Central Drive, lives up to its rave social-media reviews.
Chef Chetra Chau takes tacos global, serving everything from banh mi to bacon on soft, steamed flour tortillas with the feel of a bao bun.
The Dream Tacos menu offers fusion tacos with fresh, finely chopped vegetables and fresh-made sauces, a vast improvement over chains like Addison-based Velvet Taco.
The Dream Tacos’ only problem has been serving the crowds that come to the restaurant, next door to Chetra’s Kitchen Grill & Bistro, in the otherwise thoroughly boring Bedford Central Plaza across from Twisted Root Burger.
Chau is a long-ago partner in now-gone Main Street Cafe and MS Cafe in Arlington. Later, he was a hotel chef and private chef.
He intentionally opened Chetra’s during the pandemic to start slowly and ramp up, he said.
“I’d been wanting to open for a long time, but that was a good time to get a location and get started,” he said.
“I figured that if I could survive the pandemic, it would work.”
Chetra’s appetizer tacos — Wellington, a Philly, Vietnamese pork belly or bulgogi — were such hits that he decided to open The Dream Tacos next door with additional Asian and global flavors.
“I want to show people that there’s more to tacos than meets the eye,” he said.
He draws inspiration from Las Vegas restaurants, he said.
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“If you’re just looking for a good taqueria, I can do that too,” he said
The Dream Tacos’ chips are thin and light, the salsa is a good match and the nachos and quesadillas compare well to other restaurants’.
A smoked-brisket, Philly or tandoori chicken taco ($7.99) is plenty for lunch. Or try the beef chile relleno taco ($9.99), sushi taco ($9.99) or lobster-shrimp taco ($13.99).
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The bar menu includes habanero-mango margaritas, martinis, pina coladas and tiki drinks.
With experience in Arlington and Dallas, Chau chose Bedford for his restaurants because “it’s the heart at the center of Dallas-Fort Worth,” he said.
The Dream Tacos is open for lunch and dinner daily; 682-503-6373, thedreamtacos.com.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
