You’ve seen this Arlington restaurant on the Food Channel. But have you seen the tacos?
Arlington is Taco Town this month, and we’re all better off for it.
A tourism contest for “Arlington’s Favorite Taco” is drawing business to the city’s very good small, independent restaurants.
It’s all building up to National Taco Day on Oct. 4.
But some of the best tacos come from restaurants that never serve them.
Let’s start with one of Arlington’s best-known: Prince Lebanese Grill, 502 W. Randol Mill Road.
Prince is known for its oft-repeated Food Network appearances with Guy Fieri, starting with one of the early episodes of “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives.”
The Kobty family is known for spicier Mediterranean food — spicy shawarma, spicy lamb, spicy hummus.
So naturally, they’re serving a spicy shawarma taco.
So far, it’s among leaders in the contest voting. But go try it before Sept. 30.
The taco starts with Prince’s popular shawarma — among the county’s best (along with King Tut in Fort Worth) — served on a bed of tabbouleh and rice.
It’s topped with garlic sauce and pickled turnip.
So, it brings together all the flavor of Prince’s classic spicy shawarma dinner inside a taco.
This is not really a stretch — tacos al pastor evolved from Lebanese immigrants in Mexico. But the addition of tabbouleh and turnip make it truly a Prince dish.
If you’ve never tried Prince, it’s generally known for the shawarma, lamb chops, chicken breast, fried cauliflower in curry tahini.
Prince also serves some of the region’s best baklava.
More than 1,200 votes have been cast for Arlington’s best and most creative taco.
For more details, see arlington.org.
Other entries include:
▪ Rib tips tacos with slaw and kosher pickle at Hershey’s Palace Pizza Wangs and Thangs, 513 E. Abram St.
▪ Ten-pepper brisket quesadillas with pepper jack at The Original Chop House Burger, 1700 W. Park Row Drive.
▪ Pulled pork-brisket Navajo fry bread tacos at MillsMade Barbecue, 1700 W. Park Row Drive.
▪ Cochinita pibil at Tic Taco, 715 W Park Row Drive.
▪ A banana pudding taco in a fried flour tortilla at Hayter’s Bar and Lounge, 213 E Front St.
▪ Blackened shrimp-sausage-and-Gouda-grits tacos at Ventana Grille, 7005 Golf Club Drive.
▪ Ethiopian smoked rib tip tacos at Smoke’N Ash BBQ, 7301 Matlock Rorad.
▪ Fajita chicken-and-black-bean flour tacos at The Cartel Taco Bar, 506 E. Division St.
▪ Crispy smoked meatloaf tacos at Damian’s Cajun Soul Café, 2001 S.E. Green Oaks Blvd.
▪ Cheesecake-ice cream-strawberry waffle tacos at Roadrun’r Exotic Cereal Bar, 1201 W. Arbrook Blvd.
▪ Chorizo tacos verdes at J. Gilligan’s Bar & Grill, 400 E. Abram St.
This story was originally published September 19, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
