Fort Worth always loved these tacos. Now they’re back at a new Southside restaurant

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there was a little local startup taco shop named Fuzzy’s.

Then, there were more smash hit restaurants — Pedro’s Trailer Park, Buffalo Cantina, Yucatan — all the work of late chef Paul Willis.

Now, some of his original recipes and staffers are back.

With a few 2024 updates, they have revived a well-worn Southside patio restaurant and reopened it as Tres Amigos Tacos & Tequila, 909 W. Magnolia Ave.

Tres Amigos started with the original tempura fish or smoked brisket tacos that launched Willis’ success 20 years ago, before Fuzzy’s was sold to out-of-state companies and changed beyond recognition. It now belongs to IHoP.

Next, Tres Amigos added updated enchiladas, grilled salmon, chorizo meatloaf and garlic rib-eye dinner plates.

Owner Sandy Rankin worked in several of Willis’ restaurants. She has recreated his salsas, sauces and also his margaritas.

Commenters on social media immediately noted the sky-high helpings of loaded nachos with beef, chicken or carnitas, plus queso, guacamole, jalapenos and garlic aioli.

The 12 tacos include a surf-and-turf steak and shrimp taco with chimichurri, a softshell crab taco with lobster queso, a mango-habanero tempura shrimp taco and several tacos with generous helpings of fresh-chopped vegetables.

On a visit this week, the tacos recaptured some of the old snap and flavor. The tortillas were fresh and delicious. The steak-and-shrimp taco was surprising, and the mango-habanero shrimp taco tasted like something that could have been on the Day One menu when local owners started Fuzzy’s.

One novelty: the garlic-buttered rib-eye, made the same way Willis’ friend Keith Kidwill made them at his long-gone, much-lamented M & M Steak House near the Stockyards.

Tres Amigos’ tables and chairs also came from the M & M.

Breakfast starts at 7 o’clock daily, featuring tacos or bowls and chilaquiles with the same spicy sauces.

The original Fuzzy’s/Pedro’s/Yucatan table pepper sauce is back in a slightly lighter rendition. There’s also a four-pepper sauce that Willis originated at Buffalo Cantina.

Tres Amigos serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily; 682-224-2554 , tresamigostacosandtequila.com .