Everyday is taco Tuesday

Favorite Hyde Park taco truck rolls out opening date for new brick-and-mortar

Vaquero Taquero will debut its new brick-and-mortar in June.

Vaquero Taquero/Facebook

Following in the footsteps of Veracruz All Natural and Pueblo Viejo, another favorite Austin taco truck has made the leap to brick-and-mortar. On June 1, brothers Miguel and Daniel Cobos will park Vaquero Taquero — the winner of this year’s Tastemaker Award for Favorite Taco — at the former home of Go Go Gourmet at 104 E. 31st St.

The restaurant was originally set to open in November 2018, but the build-out took longer than expected. The Cobos brothers did all the work themselves, including building all the furniture, laying the colorful tiles, and creating a burnt finish on the plank walls, making the space a deeply personal project.

The food is heartfelt, too. The brothers were born to Mexican immigrants and raised in the Rio Grande Valley, and that heritage shows in every aspect of the operation, from the cooking methods to the ingredients.

“Our menu is an homage to the cultures of the border of Northern Mexico and South Texas,” Miguel tells CultureMap. “We are making breakfast tacos with tasty guisados (stewed meats), including Big Red in our weekend barbacoa, and making our own fruit marmalade for our raspas.”

The initial offerings will be familiar to fans of the truck, which remains open at regular hours. During the weekdays, it will be open for dinner with bistec, al pastor, pollo, and nopales tacos and quesadilla made with handmade tortillas.

A breakfast taco menu will be offered on weekends with fillings like chorizo and eggs; black beans with queso fresco; bacon, egg, and cheese; nopales and eggs; and machacado (shredded dry) beef and eggs. Miguel says the team is currently revamping the menu and teased that tacos de guisados and tacos al vapor — steamed tacos — may be soon on the way.

Upcoming menu additions include the aforementioned seasonal fruit raspas and weekend barbacoa. The brothers are also brewing up more tepache — a fermented pineapple drink that is currently available only in limited quantities.

The grand opening festivities run from noon to 5 pm with permanent lunch and dinner hours to be set soon. Daily dinner service is 5-10 pm.

tacos openings

Doctor's Orders

Taco Flats, Bésame teams unite in Cedar Park coffee and cocktail concept

Photo courtesy of La Dosis

La Dosis has made over a Cedar Park space.

There's almost nothing more Austin than an all-day coffee shop-cocktail bar hybrid, but the city doesn't have a monopoly on the trend. A new Cedar Park concept called La Dosis Coffee and Cocktails, by the proprietor behind Austin's La Holly and Taco Flats, is soft opening for newsletter subscribers January 31. It'll officially celebrate its grand opening on February 9.

The new daily hangout spot is located at 300 W. Whitestone Blvd., the former home of the rustic J&J BBQ & Burgers. It'll serve locally roasted Merit Coffee, cocktails, and Tex-Mex snacks like kolaches.

Bésame, the tiny Austin ice cream shop serving adventurous blends — like a current limited-edition blend of Biscoff and passion fruit ice creams swirled with shortbread-toasted coconut gravel and salted caramel — is also debuting its second location here.

La Dosis Cedar Park interior La Dosis will be serving customers from as early as 6 am to as late as 10 pm.La Dosis/Instagram

"Opening La Dosis feels like bringing a dream to life," said owner Simon Madera in a press release. "We've poured our hearts into refining this concept and remodeling a unique space where our community can gather, connect, and enjoy delicious food and drink. We're thrilled to finally open our doors and become part of this neighborhood's daily dose of coffee, pastries, whatever it is they need daily."

There are only a few photos of the renovated space available on social media, but the release credits Liz MacPhail Interiors for the "stunning transformation." The interior design has gone from a standard country barbecue joint to something blending "[W]estern kitsch, Texas nostalgia, and psychedelic elements" with materials ranging from steel to terracotta. The exterior is also getting a makeover by landscape architecture firm Word + Carr Design Group.

La Dosis Cedar Park interior The interior is unrecognizable from its recent past.La Dosis/Instagram

Two patios serving different purposes will be open year-round: one offers TVs for sports fans, and the other will stay a bit quieter for "communal gatherings." There will also be a bar and event space fashioned out of a shipping container that will host live music, karaoke, and private bookings.

Hours of operation at La Dosis are Mondays through Wednesdays from 6:30 am to 9 pm, Thursdays and Fridays from 6:30 am to 10 pm, Saturdays from 8 am to 10 pm, and Sundays from 8 am to 9 pm.