Best Tex Mex food

MrMustang1965 · Post by **MrMustang1965** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:28 pm

Ate at Mariano's tonight. Awesome chicken fajitas and 'the birthplace of the frozen margarita'! The frozen margarita machine is now at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Check out the caricatures of past and current Texas personalities in the dining room.

If you go to Rafa's, sit in the bar to avoid all of the Parkies and their rug rats and curtain climbers in the main dining room. Rafa's has SMU flags on display in the main entrance & bar.

While Mi Cocina is an SMU supporter, I think their food quality has gone downhill in the past couple of years.

Sadly, El Fenix was recently sold by the Martinez family but Alfred Martinez will remain at the downtown location as its 'ambassador of goodwill'.

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex · Post by **Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:46 am

Vitale wrote:
A) Didn't know they were open that late.
B) Overpriced? Compared to what? Taco Bell?
C) Overrated? Not a chance! It's the best in town - especially the queso. Some don't like it because it's continental Mexican - the real thing. There's stuff on the menu you can't find a lot of places around town, and part of the menu isn't even in English. Authentic greatness.

A)Yes, that's the charm of the place. It's where half of Greenville and half of the Knox-Henderson crowd go on the weekend. You'll usually have a long wait.
B)I might have jumped a little bit on this simply because I'd eaten there the other day and was less than satisfied with my meal. Comparatively speaking, they aren't so bad.
C)I still stand by this because I think that their food has been more miss than hit lately. As someone who has eaten there for years, they've let me down as of late and I'm usually getting something that isn't always common item. Lengua Tacos, anybody?

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex · Post by **Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:14 am

MrMustang1965 wrote:Sadly, El Fenix was recently sold by the Martinez family but Alfred Martinez will remain at the downtown location as its 'ambassador of goodwill'.

I was saddened to hear this news. My family lived in Little Mexico at the same time as the Martinez family in the early 1900s. The restaurant is literally the last bastion of Little Mexico. However, I can understand why they did it. I just hope it doesn't end up like another restaurant that came from Little Mexico and ended up getting franchised to no end and the quality of the product suffered. That would be El Chico,BTW.

BleedingRed+Blue · Post by **BleedingRed+Blue** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:35 am

Vitale - your avatar couldn't be more perfect for someone with a nickname as awful as ESPN's loudest mouth.

smu diamond m · Post by **smu diamond m** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:27 am

I thought the tacos de lengua were good!

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex · Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:47 pm

smu diamond m wrote:I thought the tacos de lengua were good!

They are good, which is why I eated them. When I go, I don't find a lot of people ordering them. I guess that because of the body part from which the meat originates. But yeah, they are good. I was disappointed with the nachos the last time I got food from there. The meat was just not good at all.

jtstang · Post by **jtstang** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:14 pm

LA_Mustang wrote:
jtstang wrote:Also, for tacos, you can't beat Fuel City.

The tacos at Fuel City are great......voted "Best Taco in Texas" by Texas Monthly last year. They have tacos and tacos only - Picadillo, Beef Fajita, Chicken Fajita, Barbacoa, and Pastor. All are very good. They are open 24 hours but as with the area, it gets very shady after dark.

I'm a lunch crowd guy. Also, their breakfast tacos are great as well. Chorizo con heuvos is great hangover fare.

abezontar · Post by **abezontar** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:18 pm

Anybody remember El Arroyo's on Greenville? I used to love that place.

friarwolf · Post by **friarwolf** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:13 pm

Yep, I remember it. I believe it was owned by an old Longhorn football player, Doug English.................

Bergermeister · Post by **Bergermeister** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:41 pm

friarwolf wrote: I believe it was owned by an old Longhorn football player, Doug English.................

Sure it wasn't on Cedar Springs? :wink:

couch 'em · Post by **couch 'em** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:04 pm

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex wrote:
MrMustang1965 wrote:Sadly, El Fenix was recently sold by the Martinez family but Alfred Martinez will remain at the downtown location as its 'ambassador of goodwill'.

I was saddened to hear this news. My family lived in Little Mexico at the same time as the Martinez family in the early 1900s. The restaurant is literally the last bastion of Little Mexico. However, I can understand why they did it. I just hope it doesn't end up like another restaurant that came from Little Mexico and ended up getting franchised to no end and the quality of the product suffered. That would be El Chico,BTW.

If El Fenix turns into El Chico I will destory everyone and everything related to El Fenix. It isn't the nicest or the best mexican food around, but it is a staple of Dallas and has a unique taste that I'd hate to see go.

BTW I read that several members of the family will still be running the chain, not just one, so hopefully things will stay good.

redpony · Post by **redpony** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:18 pm

El Chico used to be good when the Cuellar's owned the chain but then they sold out to Campbell-Taggart who was then bought by AB. AB had to sell the chain and Gilbert Cuellar (a friend of mine) bought it back. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. I believe he sold his interest later. Sad- the demise of a good group of restaurants. I hope the other good Tex-Mex restaurants don't suffer the same fate. BTW- wasn't the Dominguez family avid longhorn fans?? Ojeda's and Mariano's are my favorites.

GO PONIES!!

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex · Post by **Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:52 pm

redpony wrote:El Chico used to be good when the Cuellar's owned the chain but then they sold out to Campbell-Taggart who was then bought by AB. AB had to sell the chain and Gilbert Cuellar (a friend of mine) bought it back. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. I believe he sold his interest later. Sad- the demise of a good group of restaurants. I hope the other good Tex-Mex restaurants don't suffer the same fate. BTW- wasn't the Dominguez family avid longhorn fans?? Ojeda's and Mariano's are my favorites.

GO PONIES!!

Casa Dominguez is another family owned group that, sadly, had it's run come to an end. There was a story in the DMN about the owner of the chain now living in like Wills Point and basically working for food to eat. Sad.

The Cuellar's now run Cantina Laredo. I've eaten at the Abrams Location(which was once an El Chico) and it seemed pretty good. Been a while though.

abezontar · Post by **abezontar** » Wed Jun 11, 2008 9:39 pm

Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex wrote:
redpony wrote:El Chico used to be good when the Cuellar's owned the chain but then they sold out to Campbell-Taggart who was then bought by AB. AB had to sell the chain and Gilbert Cuellar (a friend of mine) bought it back. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. I believe he sold his interest later. Sad- the demise of a good group of restaurants. I hope the other good Tex-Mex restaurants don't suffer the same fate. BTW- wasn't the Dominguez family avid longhorn fans?? Ojeda's and Mariano's are my favorites.

GO PONIES!!

Casa Dominguez is another family owned group that, sadly, had it's run come to an end. There was a story in the DMN about the owner of the chain now living in like Wills Point and basically working for food to eat. Sad.

The Cuellar's now run Cantina Laredo. I've eaten at the Abrams Location(which was once an El Chico) and it seemed pretty good. Been a while though.

The one on lover's is pretty good. As anyone ever eaten at Mia's on Lemmon?

jtstang · Post by **jtstang** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:15 am

Mia's is good Tex-Mex fare. Plus it spawned just about every other restaurant in DFW.