Taco Joint | Good to Go Taco
A “Chef-Driven Taqueria” may sound like an oxymoron, but it’s
a legitimate description of Good 2 Go Taco. Co-owners Jeana
Johnson and Colleen O’Hare worked at some major restaurants in Dallas, including the Green Room and Stephan Pyles, before deciding that tacos could be a hot trend and that by elevating the genre they could make it their own.
Incorporating the ingredients they’d used at white-tablecloth restaurants, they devised an inventive, rotating collection of tacos and daily specials, all made from scratch. One day it might be grilled hanger steak with Asian slaw; the next, braised goat with caramelized onion, red pepper, couscous, spinach, and feta cheese. They take care of the vegetarians with creations such as the Little Donkey with meat or veggies, rice, beans, avocado salsa, and cilantro in a burrito shell. The Hotlanta became a quick favorite, with waffle-battered chicken, diced sweet potato, cotija cheese, and a drizzle of honey butter.
Johnson and O’Hare started slowly, sustainably, occupying a stand inside the Green Spot convenience store to make sure they were good to go. Were they ever. Diners from around Lake Highlands lined up quickly, grateful for gourmet fare in a neighborhood sorely lacking. Before long, they were spotted by the Food Network and appeared on an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Properly persuaded, they expanded to their own space on Peavy Road, settling into a rather rundown strip center and giving their storefront a makeover that included such personal touches as the clock from the train station in Johnson’s hometown.
You could end it there, but there’s more to this twosome than punching out at the end of the day (which at Good 2 Go is 3 pm; it’s breakfast and lunch only). Being residents of the neighborhood themselves, they have a strong commitment to the area and to boot-strapping other indie businesses, too. They’ve partnered with Goodfriend Beer Garden and Burger House next door, providing their terrific lineup of gourmet burgers. And they’ve carved out a corner of Good 2 Go for Cultivar Coffee and Tea Co., which serves some of the best java in town.
