Chilangos Tacos — Restaurant in Dallas

4/5 Stars: Exceptional Tacos, Room for Improvement in Ambiance and Service. I recently dined at Chilangos Tacos, eager to sample their acclaimed taco offerings, and I was not disappointed by the food. My order included one barbacoa taco, one al pastor quesadilla, and three specialty ribeye tacos, all of which were nothing short of spectacular. The ribeye tacos, in particular, were a standout—each bite delivered a perfect harmony of bold flavors, premium quality, and authentic preparation. These tacos alone earned a flawless 10/10 for taste and execution, showcasing the kitchen’s dedication to culinary excellence. The barbacoa taco and al pastor quesadilla were equally delightful, bursting with traditional flavors that transported me straight to the heart of Mexico. However, while the food was a triumph, other aspects of the experience left room for improvement. The restaurant’s parking lot is notably small, making it challenging to navigate both upon arrival and departure. Inside, the atmosphere was uncomfortably warm, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. The front-of-house staff was polite but didn’t exude the warmth or enthusiasm that elevates a dining experience to memorable heights. When I placed my order, there was some confusion about where to pick up the food, as no clear instructions were provided. I eventually followed the crowd to the pickup area, which worked out but felt disorganized. Additionally, a minor oversight occurred when my ordered Coke was not included with my meal, requiring me to return to the counter to request it. While not a major issue, small details like handing over a drink at pickup could streamline the process and enhance efficiency. In summary, Chilangos Tacos serves some of the finest tacos I’ve ever tasted, with the ribeye tacos being an absolute must-try. For those seeking authentic, high-quality Mexican fare, this spot is well worth a visit—especially if you opt for takeout to sidestep the parking and ambiance challenges. With a few tweaks to service and facilities, this could easily become a top-tier dining destination. I’ll certainly be back for those ribeye tacos! Recommendation: Perfect for pickup orders; dine-in could benefit from improved organization...

UPDATE (from visit below): I got the pollo, carne asada, barbacoa, and suadero tacos (I don't eat pork like that, so they let me sub pastor for another pollo). They were pretty good. Nothing super special but I maybe would need to try them again to be sure. I wasn't up trying the suadero at the time because I've never tried that cut of beef and it kind of looked like pork so I thought maybe I got the wrong taco lol.

I think they put the wrong signs in front of the salsas at the counter because the red definitely seemed hotter than the green to me.

The place looks really cool, and the vibes seem great. I'd say just to not have the music so loud because you couldn't hear anything else going on. But it may have only been so loud because it was the grand opening.

Parking was horrible. There are not alot of spots in the restaurant's immediate lot. However, there's way more spots in the surrounding lots of the shopping center. The problem is the restaurant's lot is poorly designed so there's only one way in and out and the lot doesn't connect to the surrounding lots.

So if you drive into the entrance and there's a decent amount of people there, making the lot full, you'll have to maneuver to get back out and onto the street. From there, you could make a turn at the light to get into the other parking lots. I'll update more later but for now came to say that it's really foul to promote a special of $1.50 tacos all day all over social media but not put all of the stipulations. Standing 30+ min in a long line outside just to learn you have to buy a minimum of FIVE tacos and you can only get One each of a choice of only five of their regular proteins or Five of the same type. I'm only one person so I don't need five tacos. And though I want to mix some of the choices, I don't want to be forced into getting ones I don't want.

Really bad first impression. I don't like being lied to...

The food is good here, but the service at this location is bad. They should have a better routine in place for to-go orders, or maybe don’t offer them at all if it’s too much? After ordering, I sat and waited about 20 minutes until I realized the line was steady moving, but I was still waiting around. I then asked one of the women who works there if they usually put to-go orders on the shelf, because I’ve been waiting and didn’t hear my name. She looked at me with a blank face and says “uh they will call your name, but I can take your order,” which was weird for her to say because, why would I be waiting near the kitchen if I need to place an order? I told her I already ordered/paid and showed her my receipt. She said ok they will call you. I waited another 15 minutes. No one called my name. I started noticing many people who ordered after me, getting their food and sitting down to eat. This time I asked a man, he said, “what’s your name? I told him, he says “oh, your order is here, on the shelf.” I’m like wtf? I literally just asked her that! I walked to the shelf, they had all the receipts that were attached the to go orders, facing them in the kitchen. How are people supposed to know their order is ready if you don’t call their name AND they can’t see their receipt on the bag? Are people supposed to just touch and look through random bags on the shelf? My food was sitting there idk how long, but it was cold by the time I received it. I almost asked for a fresh order, but I was ready to go at that point. Very disappointing. The experience may be better when dining in, but I won’t be returning to this...