Trompo, the adored taqueria known for its street tacos and open-faced quesadillas, has reopened once again in Oak Cliff.
The restaurant officially opened last Monday in a suite in Jefferson Tower, which was earlier than expected, says owner Luis Olvera. It’s probably for the best, because fans have been waiting.
“About 8 out of 10 people who walk in, they’re like, ‘we’re so glad you’re back,’” Olvera says. “It’s one of the most embarrassing, humbling but also beautiful things to hear.”
Trompo has bounced around Dallas-Fort Worth and resurfaced several times. Not including what Olvera calls his “speakeasy” (he first sold tacos from his backyard), the first Trompo brick-and-mortar opened in West Dallas on Singleton Boulevard as a true hole-in-the-wall in 2016. It also happened to be the same year Bon Appetit named Trompo one of the 50 best new restaurants in America.
Olvera closed that location and moved to a spot on Tenth Street in Bishop Arts in 2019 but moved out last December. Trompo operated out of a West Dallas ghost kitchen for several months, and Olvera even opened an East Dallas spot that eventually closed as well.
Olvera says there were various reasons for the moves; The Dallas Observer reported that the Tenth Street location would be bulldozed (it’s still standing as of October), and the East Dallas location wasn’t the right time. But he’s ultimately happy about where he landed, because Jefferson Tower was his first choice all along.
“I signed my first lease in 2015 to be in this building today,” Olvera says. “But they were renovating so they couldn’t meet my timeline.”
Over the last six years, Olvera kept finding ways to keep Trompo open for fans who crave its Monterrey-style tacos and elote en vaso. He says loyal customers show up at every location he’s opened, hungry for more.
“There’s a lot of adventures that that that we’ve gone through,” he says. “I think there’s a reason why we haven’t shut down.”
Trompo | 337 Jefferson Blvd.
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