Santiago’s Taco Loco Express

Perfect breakfast tacos. Not greasy, good size for one per hungry girl on the go!

My company recently moved to Exposition Park, and on the move in day, as a thank-​you our Boss treated us to breakfast tacos from Taco Loco! We were excited to try local restaurants in the area and this was our #1 on that list. They were quick, friendly, and super yummy. We loved exploring the cool roof top deck and chatting with the locals as we waited for our order. I’ve already been back for more, and Im sure to be a returning customer.

Its called Tracy’s Taco Loco Express now, new owner since last year… I think I’ve eaten here once before a couple years ago, but this morning was eye opening. The tacos were absolutely delicious, I plan on conquering the specialty tacos menu, there were some amazingly sloppy yummy hot taco goodness oozing out of that menu. Anytime I’m in this side of town in the morning I know where I can count on for the goodness.

For cheap and down the street with a pretty kick ass patio, this place is fine. Always nice to support the locals. Had the El Santiago and it had flavor. could have used more salt but that is me.

Mmmm-​mmm! That is some taco goodness right there.
As I work in Deep Ellum and find myself needed to escape the office for a jaunt, I often find myself at Taco Loco. It’s a quaint, glorified taco stand that features a few street side table or a second story patio should you want to sit and stay awhile. Or if you’re just grabbing some food to take with you, the service is about as fast as a drive-​thru.
Considering the menu is almost entirely supported by tacos (or taco-​like burritos that are called tacos), their options are expansive. I would be surprised if there wasn’t menu item to cater to anyone’s tastes or preferences.
The breakfast tacos/​burritos are both delicious and ENORMOUS, and you don’t have to settle with any egg and cheese based affair if you don’t want to. Just one of those babies is all it takes to fill almost anyone up. (and thankfully they’re served all day).
I’m a fan of their Frito Taco, which is like a Frito Pie on crack and wrapped in a giant, warm, handmade tortilla. And their rice and beans are good enough to eat on their own. I’m a big fan of the Taco Plate, which is super cheap and filling — three normal crunchy tacos and a side of rice and beans — for less than a combo meal at a fast food place. They even have an expansive selection of beverages to quench your thirst while you’re at it.
The only complaints that I could voice about Taco Loco are as follows: As far as the generic beef crunchy tacos go, the meat is a little plain and lacks seasoning. Also, I would expect the servings (like rice and beans) to be a teensy bit bigger. But that’s really splitting hairs, when it comes down to it.
Bottom line: Taco Loco is great for breakfast or lunch, whether you want to sit and eat or grab a meal to take with you. As far as quick lunches go, I frequent this place more than any other establishment in the Deep Ellum area.

I was hoping to have an amazing experience like many of the Unilocalers. It was just ok for the husband and I. I had the breakfast taco with egg, sausage, onions, avocado and I tried a catfish taco on corn tortillas. Both were just pretty so-​so. I make a better breakfast taco at home… and the catfish was a mushy mess. The flavor was fine but the overall texture was just rather unpleasant. I thought the menu said it was fried… didn’t appear to be. Quite expensive for what you get. The lady at the window could have been a million times more pleasant. Eh, we won’t be back.

Excellent! Quick and very reasonable!

It’s really mediocre. Pretty shocking how high this place is ranked in a city with so many great taco options.
The tacos I’ve had are EXTREMELY bland. The hot sauce they provide is entirely devoid of heat. The tacos do not hold up well at all, probably because they use thick flour tortillas. Because they’re so poorly «built», the tacos are really difficult to eat.
For what it is, it’s quite expensive as well.
Not recommended.

If I were to rate just the breakfast tacos (which is all I’ve tried thus far)… I would give this place 5 FULL STARS.
The tortillas are handmade and deliciously thick and light… eggs are made to perfection and there’s just the right amount of cheese. I usually add avocado slices and sausage. The sausage is real link sausage with great flavor, not ground hamburger meat. Crazy delish.
But I must knock a star off for customer service. Biker Blondie that takes the orders… never talks or smiles. In fact, I think she has a permanent scowl on her face that can become almost frightening. Ask for extra salsa at your own risk.
I will continue to be a faithful patron as long as the yummy breakfast tacos are there… i’ll just send someone else to the window to deal with Badass Blondie.

Wanted to grab a quick bite to eat while I was at the Deep Ellum Art Festival without using my tickets. (Those are for beer you muffers.)
Chanced on this place at the very end of the Festival and decided to give it a try.
Had the Fried Catfish Taco. Fish, avacado, jalapeño, corn tortilla, and some tartar sauce. It was pretty good. But a bit pricey at $ 4.60 after tax.
The wait was a little longer than I expected, but I cross my fingers that I can blame that on freshness. Would definitely eat here a again. Love the funky outdoor layout.

In Austin we would eat breakfast tacos on the weekends. It was perfect for a hangover. We were spoiled with options. I hadn’t given up on finding similiar taco goodness in Dallas, and luckily, I finally found it. A relic of deep ellums glory days, I skipped by this place for a few years. They’re only open during the day now, and the cute girl confessed to often opening at 6:15 instead of the advertised 6am. The seating is above this little taco stand with a shady patio overlooking a treed street in quit deep ellum.
I had a catfish taco w avocado on soft corn and a bean potato and egg on homemade flour tortillas, that also happen to be vegan. The delicious beans are also vegan.
A five star taco stand experience. Yummy food on a really cool patio makes for a great lunch.

Love Taco Loco Express, I eat here practically every morning, and I get the «G» 3 egg taco with cheese and I have them add Jalapenos.
I’ve tried a few other menu items which are all good.
I cannot say its health food, but if you get them to cut the yolks, well your on to something.

Oh Santiago’s Taco Loco
It’s only if you gotta go go
The brisket taco knows how to please me
Get the chorizo and egg extra cheesy
It wants to give the Taco Joint the finger
To Tacos Y Mas, its a dead ringer
Try it in the morning or when you’re blotto
But stay away from the Gato Taco

Again with the breakfast taco post. I know I know. Seriously, I never ate these damn things until I met my husband.. .
We go to Taco Loco and if the weather is tolerable, sit on their roof top patio (not nice accomodations, but works just fine — just remember to ask for extra napkins) and have our tacos. If not, we swing by there and bring home a couple.
And yet again, not being too adventourous around 8 or 9am (which is when we get there) we order two bacon, egg, potato and cheese tacos. «With extra hot sauce please». These tacos are monstourus. My husband eats ¾ of one and my son and I split one.
Let’s start with the tortilla. The easiest way to ruin any taco or Mexican food in general is to have crappy tortillas. These are the real deal Holyfield. They are at least 12″ in diameter and thick. Almost like if a normal tortilla and injera (Ethiopian bread) had a baby. It is so good to mop up that extra hot sauce you ordered on the side. (You didn’t forget did you? Because it is goood, homemade, and hot).
The egg (real), bacon (thick and small pieces — not strips and lots of it) and potatoes are all gloriously mixed together to create about a pounds worth of food. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and you are looking at something that I can do curls with and get a workout.
They wrap it all nicely in foil and off you go.
You can call in, but then you would miss out on the homeless people and colorful conversation you can overhear them having with themselves while you wait about 5 minutes for your tacos. Ah Deep Ellum.. .
I highly reccomend this place for a hang over breakfast or a let’s gorge ourselves morning. But only on Saturdays, they are closed on Sundays.

I may die. Can you die from eating too much? Well, I did and I might. I had the lunch special Number 1: El Corazon de Santiago. Huge buttered flour tortilla stuffed with – get ready for this – shrimp, catfish, bacon, cheese, jalapeño peppers, Spanish seasonings, fried onions, tomato cubes, sour cream, avocados and there may have been a rogue fried potato in there somewhere. It was big, the tortilla was up to the job and did not come apart. It was good. Every bite had a different flavor. The only thing I wasn’t crazy about was that the catfish was a little fishy (it’s me – I just don’t prefer catfish unless it’s deep fried and bathed in tartar sauce). The plate came with rice, beans and a cup of hot sauce which was obviously home made.
Taco Loco Express is a small building on Main next to Leather Masters – ew. It has two sliding glass windows, one of which held the speakers so those of us waiting for food could be entertained. There is one table and two chairs, but no one eats it there, they get it to go.
The lunch special Number 1 takes 10 minutes to prepare and the Number 2 takes 20 minutes. You can call ahead. They also have tacos that sound amazing and tamales in various flavors. They deliver free for orders over $ 20. But since my lunch WITH peach tea came in under 10, I’ll probably be feeding the meters in front of Leather Masters again – double ew.
Side note: Santiago Pena has an art gallery right across the street. It appears he is a well known sculptor in the medium of metal. AND, he’s planning on opening a larger Santiago’s Taco Loco across the street from Monica’s. I cannot wait.