12 July 2 - 8, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents The World Cup Bump No, It’s not coke (that we know of). BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS S ome of us were skeptical — even just days before the World Cup started — about whether the crowds would show up in North Texas for these games. Now, we’re asking ourselves, “Where did all these people come from?” Reports touted the 2026 FIFA World Cup would generate significant economic impact across the U.S. To which every bar and restaurant in Dallas said, “Bring it,” as infla- tion, gas and soaring beef prices push thin margins to the brink. And now, just 10 days after the games be- gan locally, some Dallas bars are reporting a much-needed bump in sales. A Kinder, Gentler Party We all saw the video of The Londoner’s Brit- ish invasion, where fans supposedly drank the bar dry. Despite that ruckus, restaurant and bar owners report that sales are up and business is good. “We are having a smooth climb in busi- ness,” says Cliff Edgar of the laid-back cocktail lounge Brick and Bones in Deep Ellum. “Every day feels like Saturday night. Nothing crazy, but if it was crazy, I think it would ruin the experience we are going for.” He’s not had masses of fans, but plenty have stopped in to watch the games (sound on) with a cocktail and spicy chicken to go with. Gabe Sanchez has the cocktail bar Black Swan in East Dallas. His cozy space is decidedly not a sports bar, but he’s lean- ing into his Japanese heritage and hosting pop-ups on Blue Samaria game days. On the June 14 game, local restaurateur Jimmy Niwa hosted a yakitori. When Ja- pan played Tunisia, there was a koyomi cocktail pop-up along with famed Japa- nese convenience-store food. “It’s been great, everyone has been in fun moods,” Sanchez says of the pop-ups. “Lo- cals are sharing their favorite places to go. It’s been amazing.” Black Swan is hosted another pop-up last Thursday when Japan played Sweden. Origins of a Croatian Parade The most impressive display of soccer fever yet might have been the sea of red that took over Main Street in downtown the day before Croatia’s game against England. It wasn’t just a gathering, but rather a parade, as one would experience in Europe and beyond. Alan Kearney owns several bars and intro- duced Irish spice bags to Dallas. He admits he was a little skeptical before the games. One of his pubs, Patrick Kennedy’s, is at The Westin in downtown Dallas, where many Croatians were apparently staying. “It was just a sea of checkered, and then it kept on building from there,” Kearney says. “And this I said, ‘Oh shit, we better get some security in here.’ And not because anyone was too rowdy, but just because there were so many people.” He had no idea what was coming. “It just kept on getting bigger and bigger. And next thing, it was announced that they wanted to have their march downtown, which some people said there were 7,000 people. I don’t know what the end result was,” he says. ‘It Was Just a Great Party’ Kearney coordinated with Downtown Dallas Inc. to ask, “Where’s this thing go- ing or where’s this thing going to end?” They talked to the police, who brought in the fire marshal. “They said, ‘You’ve got surecity all over the place. You’re good.’ And they just let it continue on. It was just beer, beer, beer. It was just a great party,” Kearney says. His other pubs in Victory Park and the Bishop Arts are also seeing a spike in busi- ness. ▼ TACOS DALLAS’ BEST TACOS AND TAQUERIAS FROM WALK-UP WINDOWS IN OAK CLIFF TO THE CITY’S BEST NEW MEXICO CITY-STYLE STREET SPOTS, HERE ARE OUR 13 FAVORITES. FOR NOW. BY AAREN PRODY W ith the World (Cup) in Dallas, we thought it’d be a great time to point everyone to some of the best our city has to offer when it comes to tacos. It’s one of the dishes we’re most proud of and, honestly, we have a lot to offer in terms of creativity, skill, and true Mexican flavors. And with this list you can go ele- vated (Revolover Taco Lounge in Deep El- lum) or simple (El Si Hay in Oak Cliff). Or you can even go luchador (Maskaras, Oak Cliff). This is a round-up of the best tacos we’ve enjoyed in Dallas recently. Did we miss one? Let us know, and we’ll gladly report back to update this list if we see fit. As to not start an actual fight, here are our favorites, in alphabetical order. Yes, we’re as soft as warm tortillas over here. Chilangos Tacos Multiple Locations Every taco lover in Dallas knows about this bright red taco stop in East Dallas. This is a Dallas-born taco chain that got started in 2019, and has since spread to a humble six locations across Dallas, plus one in Nashville and one in Las Vegas. Chilangos specializes in Mexico City-style tacos using eight differ- ent meat cuts, including a signature rib-eye to make both tacos and quesadillas. Monday through Friday they do breakfast tacos from 7 to 11 a.m., and the weekends feature birria. El Pueblo 525 E Jefferson Blvd., Oak Cliff This stretch of road in Oak Cliff is a gold mine for Mexican cuisine, and on a recent trip to the area, we stopped into the vibrant gem El Pueblo. This is an old-school style Mexican restaurant that still has the hand-painted “WE ARE HAVING A SMOOTH CLIMB IN BUSINESS ... NOTHING CRAZY.” - CLIFF EDGAR Mike Brooks Dallas bars are getting a taste of World Cup madness. | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish
