When I walked into the new version of Bad Dog Taqueria in Emory Village, now renamed Dankbäar Taco. I was immediately struck by the restaurant’s surprising cafe-like atmosphere complete with plush couches and white, industrial brick walls.
Dankbäar Taco’s extensive menu reinforced this feeling of surprise. While it listed all of the basic taco ingredients such as ground beef, chicken and fish as well as TexMex classics like salsa, guacamole and queso, there were also dishes such as mac and cheese, kimchi rice and latkes with wild salmon.
When our server greeted my party, she quickly informed us that, although it was merely 6:30 p.m., the kitchen was only stocked with fish and chicken and was out of guacamole. My table reluctantly settled for the Mexican hot chocolate ($4), chips and salsa ($3.95), a fish taco ($2.75), a chicken taco ($2.75) and a Dank Burger ($8.50).
We listened to the faint pop music playing and chatted until the hot chocolate, prepared with steamed milk, house-made chocolate syrup and cinnamon, arrived in an oversized mug. Initially excited by the generous portion, I took my first sip, only to taste lukewarm milk that was very faintly flavored with a pinch of cinnamon and hardly any chocolate.
Annoyed, I continued to sip my drink half-heartedly until our waiter delivered the chips and salsa after a surprisingly long wait. The appetizer included two different salsas: a shockingly tangy pineapple salsa and a more typical, smoky tomato salsa, both of which packed a surprising amount of heat. After acclimating to the salsas’ spiciness, I began to enjoy Dankbäar’s innovative dips and happily munched on them until the rest of our food arrived.
After a much shorter second wait, our entrees arrived. Though each taco was perfectly cooked, both dishes were slightly over seasoned. They were smothered in so much sauce that they actually dripped poblano and kimchi mayo.
My companion’s burger was unexpectedly delicious. A superb mixture of meat, cheese and kimchi mayo sat atop of a perfectly buttery brioche bun. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the helping of fries that accompanied the burger, which were anything but “dank.” They were small, hardly seasoned and quite dry.
To make sure I didn’t just taste a bad batch, my table ordered an additional serving of the restaurant’s house fries. This generous helping of fries were perfectly plump, well salted and had just the right amount of grease. But to my aggravation, I was charged an additional $1 for the ketchup I requested to accompany the delicious fries.
While Dankbäar Taco is not the place to go if you’re looking for traditional tacos, the restaurant offers very reasonably priced food, hot chocolate aside. I recommend Dankbäar Taco for the good service, exciting options and lovely ambience.
