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Darah Hubbard
Fort Worth chef Angel Fuentes (middle) with biz partners Jim Austin (left) and Dusty Smith
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Darah Hubbard
Birria tacos with consomé
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Darah Hubbard
Huarache, a Mexican flatbread
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Darah Hubbard
Los Guapos’ street tacos
My fondest memory of watching Angel Fuentes cook is from about three years ago when I was dining with a friend at Guapo Tacos, his gas station taqueria just east of downtown.
One of his employees called in sick, and when your kitchen is usually comprised of two people, there went half your staff. Fuentes told me what was going on and added there might be a bit of a wait.
Waiting for my food, I sat there and marveled at how Fuentes bounced from the counter to the grill, making orders while taking orders, stirring pozole with one hand, answering the phone with another. He was the cashier, cook, busser, and dishwasher, all rolled into one.
A person with less passion, less drive, less patience might not have even opened that day. But tenacity has helped Fuentes weather a storm or two, and it’s also brought him to where he is today: the owner of a terrific new restaurant that celebrates his heritage and the food he knows and loves.
Called Los Guapos Mexican Street Food, it opened in September on West 7th Street. The space has housed several other restaurants, such as Emmy’s Smokehouse and 360 Smoke Shack. It’s next door to The Abbey Pub, whose co-owner, Dusty Smith, is one of Fuentes’ partners in the restaurant; Jim Austin, CEO of a biopharmaceutical engineering company called Conecraft, is also a partner.
It’s not a huge place, nor is it as small as a gas station restaurant. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating. “It’s the perfect size for what I want to do,” Fuentes says. “Spotlight some of the food I grew up on and give my friends a place to come and have a beer.”
The menu features many of the dishes for which Fuentes made a name for himself at Guapo Tacos and its predecessor, Mariachi’s Dine In, such as birria tacos, huge burritos packed with proteins and veggies, and torta sandwiches big enough to share.
He’s also introduced several new items, such as alambre and huaraches. Alambre is a traditional Mexican dish comprised of chopped meats and vegetables, held together with melted cheese, and served with tortillas.
Huaraches consist of oblong-shaped pieces of fried masa dough topped with smashed pinto beans, vegetables, and proteins.
A native of Monterrey, Mexico, Fuentes says he wanted to bring more flavors of his youth and home to his new restaurant. “I know there might be some people who aren’t familiar with these dishes,” he says. “But that’s the whole point of owning a restaurant, right? To introduce people to new flavors and food that they may not be aware of.”
Fuentes says he’ll resurrect another dish from his days at Guapo and Mariachi’s as a special: pozole. His mother and grandmother provided the inspiration for the traditional Mexican soup, which is made from hominy, chili peppers, and other ingredients.
His menu also includes another homage: The Embargo torta is named after the much-missed Embargo nightclub and restaurant, a downtown spot where Fuentes used to work.
“Man, I loved working there,” he says. “The vibe, the food — I learned so much there. I owe a lot to the people who worked there and gave me a chance.”
But most Fort Worth diners didn’t catch wind of Fuentes’ cooking until Mariachi’s Dine In opened in 2018. Located inside a funky gas station just east of downtown, Mariachi’s became known for chef-inspired takes on birria tacos, elote, quesadillas, and other up-a-notch renditions of Mexican cuisine.
Three years ago, when Mariachi’s owner Ashley Miller moved the restaurant to Fort Worth’s west side, Fuentes chose to stay behind and rebrand the space as his own concept called Guapo Tacos.
Guapo turned out to be a major success: In 2022, it was named best taco shop by Fort Worth Magazine readers, and a year later, Fuentes won the award for Rising Star Chef of the Year at the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.
When he and Miller went their separate ways, Fuentes admits, he wondered if he should move forward with a new endeavor or go back to his previous life and job as a computer programmer.
“It was a crossroads moment,” he says. “I did a lot of soul-searching and just decided I was going to keep going and see what happens next.”
Los Guapos Mexican Street Food, 2708 W. 7th St., instagram.com/losguaposfw
