Johns Backyard Grill

We have a weakness for mom & pop shops. This one as a bit of a surprise when we did a quick search in the area for dinner. D Mag says its great & they have the sticker on the door to prove it.
First impression is hey, a kitchen in a gas station. It was kinda creepy with some guy in a hoodie playing the video gambling machine, but he was easy to ignore. Rear entry was pretty neat & it would be interesting to come back in the spring when its warmer.
Season fries were quite tasty… in fact, I ate more than I should have from the other plates around the table.
I got the 3 taco platter with Chick, Brisket, and Pork taco’s. All came with corn tortillas, a bit of pico on top. All 3 were good, with the pork being the best. The surprise was the rice that came with the dish… very good. My wife got a chicken burger… very moist, but flavorless. My daughter got a chorizo taco and it was a hit with her.
Only disappointment was the salsa… while fresh, had no textures. Looked like someone put jalepano and sour cream in a blender and liquified it. The red sauce was similar with a red chilli.
Service was great and they even gave us a small dish of more rice when we asked for me without charging.

Local business with good food is always a hit for me. I have this place bookmarked for a very long time now and last night was the night to visit it finally. I had planned on trying all the different kinds of street tacos they offer. Unfortunately, last night they are out of lengua and pollo. Which means they may be really good and everybody wants a piece of it. I settled for what’s only available which is the steak, chorizo and pastor. All of which are satisfying and very tasty. I also ordered a side of fries which is surprisingly great. Yes, it is frozen then fried but whatever seasoning they put on those babies are very addicting. It was great! In fact it was awesome!
The taco counter can only accept cash but no worries, you take your receipt to the gas/​convenience store counter and they’d accept your card. You would have to get your drinks at the convenience store anyways so it’s very hassle free. I would definitely comeback to try the lengua and pollo.

This particular foray into John’s was not quite as successful usual. Of course, Miguel Angel behind the counter was great. But the tacos al pastor were very heavily seasoned with red chili powder, so much so they were a dark scarlet color and kind of drippy and disappointing Usually they’re much more simple — seared meat in soft corn tortillas with grilled onions and peppers and fresh cilantro on the side. It was 7 am though, early for tacos al pastor. Going back soon, of course, but I had to take off a star.

Don’t let the location fool you. The food is amazing.

Not bad! I was impressed! The food and people were really good!

Saw this place mentioned in the D Magazine article so I had to bookmark it. When we found ourselves nearby (ok, not «nearby» but made the hike anyway), we decided to check it out. Based on the Unilocal reviews. One thing made me pause; it was raining and I wasn’t sure they’d have indoor seating but turns out they do.
Now, I gotta say, you will want to come here for the food. Cute little backyard patio, too. Service with a big smile and fast food delivery. Actual plates and cutlery… never expected that. The burger was perfect: nice crust from the flattop, meat wasn’t overworked so it wasn’t dense. Bun and toppings were fresh and the french fries had a nice little seasoning on them. All for just over six bucks.
I’ll be back if I’m in the ‘hood and looking for a good burger.

WOW! How did I not know about this place? Burger patties a re ground on site, hand packed and seasoned perfectly. Expect a chunk or two crumble off. So juicy, perfectly greasy, take it to go and you will sacrifice some bun, but that’s a good thing. Going back tomorrow for tacos Al Pastor. Fries are of the frozen variety, but tangy spiced salt elevates them.

Excellent service and even better burgers. I enjoyed the Mexican burger today and I’ll be back to try the tacos. Highly recommended.

This place has great tacos. Really cool outside area to eat. The guys thAt work there are really friendly and helpful. It is best to go during the cooler weather months because there is limited seating inside.

Totally unexpected but Wow wow so yummy!!! Mexican hamburger so tasty. Definitely will be back!

I Love Johns Taco’s!!! If you want some authentic Mexican street tacos, johns is perfect! They have a large menu, full of traditional Mexican food & burgers. It’s in the back of a convenience store, but don’t let that fool you! Taco’s only $ 1.50 & I just ate 5 of them! Always a delight!

I was Leary at first just from looks alone but, you should never judge a book by its cover… We just had burgers but they were very good… Really fresh ingredients. I had the Mexican burger (I love avocado). At the end of the day… I will be back, want to try the tacos, Tortas, and breakfast burrito.

This is an awesome find for street tacos and is the closest thing to Chicago’s La Pasadita that I have found in DFW. 4 beef fajita tacos with cheese for $ 6.50 and the gas station has beer/​wine/​soda for drinks. The menu actually has a wide variety of items to choose from.

Awesome taco joint. Don’t let the gas station deter you. Go on in and enjoy some great food. Tacos were great and the staff was very friendly and helpful. We will be back.

Fantastic greasy goodness. Love the cheeseburger and tacos (fajita beef). A couple of friends and I go there at least once a week!

What a great little neighborhood restaurant. This place is located on the back side of a gas station. It’s literally a hole in the wall. They have a mix of American and mexican food. I ordered the mexican burger without a bun. I assumed they’d just pile everything on the plate minus the bun. Instead it was nicely put together in a lettuce wrap! The mexican burger came with cheese, guac, pico, and jalapeños. The burger was incredibly juicy and had a great flavor to it. The meal came with a side of fries that had a really good seasoning on them. The staff here was incredibly friendly. There isn’t a lot of room inside so on cold days you’re better off getting food to go. They’re pretty quick. We waited maybe five minutes for our two meals. Overall prices are pretty cheap. I will definitely return and recommend this place if you’re in the area!

This is my favorite taco spot — my all time favorite bistec tacos. They are very reasonable at $ 1.50 a piece. This is inside a gas station which threw me off at first, but this is not gas station quality food. Everything is fresh and delicious. I finally tried the chicken and pork and both are very good. Every one I have had has been flavorful. They are served with roasted jalapeño on the side and grilled onions and cilantro on corn tortillas. I love that they give you both red and green. The green is my favorite, but the red gives a good kick. i keep saying I will try other things on the menu as everything looks great, but I always go for the tacos. They fresh make everything so it takes a little longer then typical take out tacos, but its still pretty quick and service is always great. At lunch it can get crowded, but the back patio is nice when the weather is good.

This is an amazing place! I had forur tacos (two fajitas and to Pastore) on corn tortillas with onions and cilantro. YUMMY YUNNY YUMMY!!! For you Cali ex pats out there, they serve the tortillas mission style. I’ve not he that in Texas and sure have missed it.
Their tacos are so good that they rival my other favorite filling station taco stand. I won’t mention it’s name, but it’s on Riverfront Drive if you know what I mean. This is going to save me long drive for when I want to get my taco freak on. Lol.
Their patio seems so inviting. But on labor day today it was just too hot to enjoy. I will be back many many times and looking forward to enjoying the patio this fall too.
I should mention that they have an extensive menu. I will be back for the tortas as well.

Okay first off everyone who knows me knows I don’t eat at places attached to gas stations… Well I just found my exception. This place was awesome! I wanted some real Mexican style breakfast, and I got it! I ordered a chorizo and egg burrito my husband a bacon and egg burrito and we inhaled our food!
We didn’t venture out to the patio cause it was just to damn hot outside… they don’t have coffee so just grabbed a cup at the gas station (the owner was there super nice) and just sat inside. 2 guys were running the kitchen and both came out to check on us and make sure we didn’t need anything else.
We will be for sure going back again. Plus breakfast cost us $ 5.46 ! Now that’s what I’m talking about!

This place is awesome. Really good Tacos and burgers. When you sit on the back patio it’s hard to believe you are really in the back of a gas station.
Look forward to going back and trying more menu items.