Oscar's Mexican ~ Haltom City, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Jan 2012

Oscar's moved up north to Sanger, and then closed as well.

For our money, Oscar's is the best Mexican "interior" styled restaurant in NE Tarrant. Oh sure, they have tacos y enchiladas, but that's not what they excel at. Sample some of their specialty dishes, and I think you'll agree that Oscar's has some very unique recipes and flavors, which distinguishes them from other restaurants in the area. My favorite dish is the chicken breast smothered in a creamy ancho chile wash (Pollo Cozumel). Has a slight kick and is delicious. The rice and beans are well prepared and it also comes with a small salad. Mrs. RJG has a similar dish except she prefers the green poblano sauce. Chips and salsa are fairly standard, but they do have an excellent creamy jalapeno sauce if you ask for a spicier option.

Oscar's is a "destination" Mexican restaurant, with a full bar and beautiful surroundings. Give it a try if you want an alternative to the standard Tex-Mex.

Last visit: June 2013

1/8/12 (new entry); 6/30/13

Humperdinks Restaurant & Brewery ~ Texas chain ***CLOSED***

Mar 27, 2022 update: The last two locations closed in Jul 2019.

Last visit: Jun 2013 (Richardson)

First visit: 1991? (Addison)

--- Original review

I first ran into Humperdink's at their Addison location in the early 1990s. They're still in Addison, but they've since moved to the south side of Belt Line. It wasn't far from where I worked in those days, and it became somewhat of a "guys at work hangout". We'd have lunch, or draft players for fantasy football or baseball there - that kind of thing. At that time, Humperdink's called itself a sports bar, and they still very much have that look and feel. But during the time that we lived in Colorado, they made a key switch to calling themselves a brewery as well. Mr. RJG thinks that's a great move, as local breweries appeals to me greatly. Perhaps I got spoiled in Colorado, as brewpubs are far more active there than here in DFW (2013 note - and we're finally starting to catch up!).

Humperdink's is a local chain and they currently have 4 locations, 3 in Dallas county and one in Tarrant (Arlington). The one reviewed here is their NW Highway location. Humperdink's lies in a sea of Publicly Traded and Corporate restaurant chains, known locally as "restaurant row". The original "restaurnt row" was on Walnut Hill and I-35E (Stemmons Fwy), near the old Don Carter's West bowling alley. That area was hopping in the late 1970s and 1980s, but the area was restricted land wise (not to mention the ridiculous Prohibition era "dry laws" that still pervade in Texas. Everything north of Walnut Hill is still "dry" - in 2008! (and 2013!)), thus limiting growth, and most of the corporate tenants moved out to this newer location near where Loop 12 and Stemmons branch apart. Humperdink's is one of the few non-corporate chains in the area. If coming from the west / Las Colinas, you'll encounter quite the colorful drive, with all the strip clubs / bars / adult themed places / liquor stores that once resided on Harry Hines (US 77), but have now been banished to this non-descript section of town. The city of Dallas did this on purpose in the 1990s, since were no residential areas here, and the area could be self-contained.

On this occasion, former employee from down Austin way, Mr. KC, was in town training at Big Software Company You've Actually Heard Of, that Mr. RJG no longer works at. And what better way to reunite with old colleagues than over a few brews while watching the Stars get clobbered by the Red Wings.

While the brewpub/brewery concept is much welcomed, and the beer is definitely good (not great), their menu isn't... that is to say, it's way too big, and there's no specialty of the house. It's what we said in the Novrozky's post, it's never a good idea to try to appeal to everyone. So while their food is uniformly good, none of it is distinctive. They have good burgers, barbecue, chicken sandwiches. They have every appetizer that every chain has. I had their sliders this time, which isn't an everyday menu item. Certainly better than White Castle, for what it is, though I think I'd rather go to a White Castle (strange as that may sound). Mr. KC goes for the ribs typically, and gave a thumbs up. Since Mr. KC has taken a shine to Humperdinks, there's a good chance Mr. RJG will visit more than he normally would. And I'm good with that. And given the nearby competition, Humperdink's is about the only restaurant in the area that can claim DFW as its only home.

5/29/08 (new entry); 6/29/13

Tirelli's Deli ~ Keller, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Mar 2010

Tirelli's is looking more and more like a place you'd see in Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. The windows are covered with blaring specials of sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, etc... In Long Island, South Philly or any Chicago burb, many of these type of restaurants were originally fully operating delicatessen's and butcher shops. Some of them still are. So they would plaster on the window their specials of rump roast or dry salami for x$ a pound. Sometimes with white shoe polish. Somehow Tirelli's has managed to create that same feel here in a modern Texas suburb.

Once inside, the place transforms to the more familiar sites of flat screen TVs and a welcome dining area. You order at the counter - and you'll notice right away that there's a dizzying array of items to choose from. You may want to familiarize yourself with the menu before heading over. All I've had to date is their Philly Cheese and Hot Pastrami on Rye Panini (though it seems more like Texas toast?). Both have been good, but not exceptional. But I have no intention of stopping there. They may have great pizzas and Italian food. And I'm certain I'll enjoy one of their Italian heroes. So I'll keep after it. Oh - be sure to pick up a bag of Dirty's Chips if you take the chips and a drink option. These are some of the best potato chips I've ever had. You can read more about them here. I really enjoyed the Mesquite BBQ chips.

3/4/10 (new entry); 6/28/13

Mi Chula's ~ Southlake, Texas ***CLOSED***

Uncle Julio's decided to shut down Mi Chula's (it was a weird concept to be honest) and plan to reopen it as Herencia sometime in 2018.

Last visit: Dec 2013

First visit: Jun 2013

Mi Chula's opened right around the time I started this blog, but maybe surprising to you all, this ended up being our first visit here. The reason I'd held off was because of the fact that I knew it was related to Uncle Julio's, and figured it was just a "fast casual" variation of the same restaurant. Now we like Uncle Julio's, even though I haven't added it to this blog yet - primarily because it's been many a year since we last dined there. And, quite frankly, there are better options out there. And more or less, our presumption was correct: Mi Chula's is a quick service, order-at-the-counter, limited menu version of Uncle Julio's. In a nutshell, Mi Chula's is to Uncle Julio's what Pei Wei is to PF Changs. And, perhaps not surprisingly, they are located very close to one another - literally across the street. In reading articles from around 2008 or so, it's apparent from the beginning they were hoping to clone and franchise the concept for fast growth. But other than one opening in Plano, which has since shut down, Mi Chula's exists solely at this one location in Southlake.

We happened to be in the area, and decided to give it a try out of convenience. And... we loved it. Go figure. I'm a big fan of New Mexico styled red enchiladas, and so I tried one of those with chicken, and had a ground beef enchilada with chile con carne. Mrs. RJG went with one enchilada verde, and we both had the rice and borracho beans. Everything was excellent. I love their red chile sauce, and the seasoning of the chicken, which clearly happened before they were rolled into the tortilla. The verde is an excellent tomatillo sauce, not too bitter or sour as it sometimes can be. The Mexican rice was full, fluffy, and tasty. Perhaps the borracho beans were a bit of a disappointment, a bit too much lard for my liking. Mrs. RJG enjoyed it more than I.

Prior to our meal, of course, were the chips and salsa which are brought to your table after you order. The chips are the extra thin kind you get at the major chains like Chili's. It's OK, but I prefer a bit more thickness so they don't break in the salsa bowl (plus I prefer the real corn taste of homemade chips). Their basic red sauce is a roasted chile, and is really good. They do offer a hotter sauce if you ask, and out came this very fine green tomatillo. Definitely more fiery, and had a splendid taste.

I also went for a frozen margarita, which was really quite good - not too sweet as they sometimes can be.

Prices are about what you would pay at a full service restaurant (minus service costs of course), and the food does come out quick if that's what you're looking for.

We were very pleasantly surprised at the overall quality. We'll definitely be returning. I would say, however, it serves better as a lunch option than dinner.

6/28/13 (new entry); 12/9/13

Cafe Herrera ~ Dallas, Texas ***CLOSED***

First visit: Jun 2013

A few years ago, I wrote about the RJG's history with Herrera's, especially the Carrollton, Maple Avenue, and Oak Lawn locations. The Carrollton location closed, and it appears the venerable family of Tex-Mex restaurateurs pooled their money for a much nicer location in the trendy multi-use Mockingbird Station area (Central Expressway and Mockingbird). My original intention was to revisit the Oak Lawn location, but since Mrs. RJG and I needed to run over to Kuby's to buy a pile of their awesome sausages (especially Italian - both hot and mild) for the next few months, the new location was much more convenient. So let's give it a try shall we?

For those expecting a dingy cafe, with plastic tablecloths, black vinyl booths with stuffing coming out, and a worn out menu with a sleepy Mexican guy wanting his menudo, then you're in for a surprise. So what exactly does an old school institution do to draw in a more well-heeled clientele? For starters, you reverse your name from the breakfast sounding Herrera's Cafe to the tres hip modern sounding Cafe Herrera. Then you actually furnish the restaurant with all nicely done, hand carved dark wood pieces and interior. The menu's look and feel is now like those steakhouse places - and it weighs a ton. And you no longer mess with the gauche 99 cents ending on each entree. Then you add a full bar including frozen cocktails (the original Herrera's didn't even mess with margarita's for years and years). And finally you up the price by a few bucks so that you can pay the rent to feed the nouveau riche who actually have money to pay the extra cost. Kind of like taking drugs to make music to take drugs to (thank you Spacemen 3 for that concept).

Now we get to the key component: Does Herrera's ditch what made them famous, and try to impress with only Mexico City interior or fusion dishes? Or do they just put lipstick on the same old Tex-Mex slop (wonderful slop I might add) that they've been serving forever. The answer is both. And that's exactly the answer it needs to be. One arm reaching forward, while the other is reaching back to their loyal audience. We stuck to the Tex-Mex basics to validate, and I'm glad to say everything is up to the Herrera's standard. The chips and salsa experience was slightly different. The chips themselves were extra thick, and very tasty - better than the original. The salsa was different too - not quite as blazing as the original, but hot enough, and very good. I do miss the jar (or jug) of salsa on the table and the plastic bowl to pour it into, but we're upscale now remember? And yes, perhaps the biggest concern we had: Do the meals still come with a free bowl of "bean and bacon" soup? Yes, indeedy! And they didn't even bother to call them Ranchero Beans or Charro Beans. Nope - just Bean Soup. Right on. And it's still the gold standard for such an item. Mrs. RJG had the chile Relleno with ground beef and a side of rice. The ranchero sauce was excellent as was the relleno and beef. I went old school and had a cheese enchilada and two beef tacos. I've always like the ground beef tacos at Herrera's. Their thick and mushy ground beef has a great flavor. And the chili sauce on top of the cheese enchilada is as good as ever. I didn't imbibe this time, as we had a lot of errands to run. But I do hope to try the frozen margarita next time. And maybe even a fancy chicken dish. We'll evolve together.

Herrera's is yet another great American success story. From a small pueblo hut on Maple Avenue over 40 years ago, to a fancy restaurant in a new shopping district across the freeway from SMU. Heady stuff.

Given the new concept, I'll keep this a separate entity from the Herrera's Cafe entry.

Last visit: June 2013

Herrera's Cafe ~

They did finally close the south Dallas location only to reopen on Harry Hines. Herrera's continues to live on (11/29/24).

Latest visit: Jun 2013 (Dallas Mockingbird - closed)

First visit: 1989 (Maple Ave - closed)

Herrera's, who once had many restaurants around DFW - and we tried almost all of them - are now down to 2. One is their old south Dallas location, ironically the only one we never went to. The other is in Addison, which might be a reopening situation, not sure.

In the 1980s, me and my running pack would occasionally head down to Maple Avenue to devour some delicious Tex-Mex. That's where we would find our quartet of favorites, and they're all still operating to this day: Herrera's, Avila's, Rosita's, and Ojeda's. This was the era when Tex-Mex was a burgeoning phenomena, and long lines greeted visitors to all of these places. So much was the rage, that even National Geographic featured the original Herrera's when they inhabited a tiny pueblo hut.

So when the RJG relocated to Carrollton in 1991, I could not believe my luck that Herrera's was going to open their first location outside of Dallas, and their 4th overall, right near where I lived! Situated in a former Mexican restaurant that no one seems to remember, Herrera's became an overnight sensation in the area. Today, some 18 years later, it's a surviving institution in an era where restaurants barely last out more than 2 years. When visiting back to the "old neighborhood" on trips from Colorado, Herrera's was a regular stop. Ironically, now that we are back in DFW, we probably eat less at Herrera's then we did as visitors from another state. But the main reason for that is the Herrera's chain has always stayed east of I-35E / Stemmons Fwy.

Herrera's version of Tex-Mex is from a different time and mindset, and is definitely geared towards the "gringo", though over the years they've added more traditional fare. Which means it's kind of "heavy Mexican", so be prepared to waddle out. But the RJG remains steadfastly old school, and places like Herrera's will always have a special place in my heart (presuming it's not clogged afterwards).

To the routine we go:

Chips - always excellent. Real corn taste and crispy. You can eat them alone, without salsa, and be happy.

Hot sauce: Huge plus, and always has been. Of the quartet of restaurants mentioned above, Herrera's has always been the most reliable in delivering taste and a fiery quotient. I've noticed a tendency for the Carrollton store to wimp out more than the originals on/near Maple, but it still doesn't require the RJG standard "Do you have a hotter one?" I also like that they deliver the sauce in large containers, and they provide separate bowls. This keeps the conversations going, without the RJG constantly eyeing some poor passer-by and yelling frantically "CAN I GET MORE?"

Bean and bacon soup: The one and only. This is complimentary with your meal. A delicious soup made from whole beans and bacon. Many places call this "charro beans" and can be used as a substitute for refried beans. But none is better than Herrera's, and I prefer it as a free appetizer.

Entrees: Stick with the basics. Highly recommended is the soft cheese taco, basically a flour tortilla smothered in a delicious melted yellow cheese. Their ground beef is heavily spiced, and I love their tacos (even though they do use some filler, I like the mushy consistency). And they actually separate the taco from the rest of the platter - hooray!! We do not recommend anything to do with chicken. The RJG's Mom calls it "rooster"; the wife says it's "gross" and I have to agree. I don't know what Herrera's does with the white meat, but can't say I've ever seen it in one of their dishes. Mrs. RJG also recommends their chorizo and eggs.

Beans: Heavy and lardy. Get something else to substitute.

Rice: Decent, but tastes a little too much like "rice" if you know what I mean. Somewhat akin to how chicken can taste "chickeny". Get it? They could stand for some more seasoning.

I think in 1991, Herrera's had to be considered one of the best Tex-Mex restaurants around. In 2009, Herrera's is more in the middle of the pack, but still second quadrant. Does that mean Herrera's has gone downhill? Not at all. They haven't changed, but the competition has, and we're all the victors for that.

You can find the Carrollton location of Herrera's on Josey, not far south from Keller Springs Rd. (north of Belt Line). We've also been to the original on Maple (not technically the original as they moved across the street) and the one on Denton Dr., just off of Maple. They once had one in Addison on Restaurant Row (Belt Line), but couldn't compete with the stiff competition. And I think they also closed the one near Bachman Lake in the old Joy Inn Chinese restaurant spot. We've never been to their South Dallas location off of Illinois.

A nice mini-chain that is a Dallas institution. The RJG still recommends it!

2/3/09 (new entry - Carrollton); 6/22/13 (Dallas Mockingbird)

Kassandra's Mexican Kitchen ~ Keller, Texas

Latest visit: Jun 2013

First visit: Apr 2005

Roughly four years ago, the Mrs. RJG and I visited Kassandra's one Sunday for lunch, enjoyed it immensely, and.... inexplicably never went back. I cannot put my finger on any one reason why. It had been suggested from time to time. "How 'bout Kassandra's?" either of us would ask. "Maybe next time". Finally one recent evening I put my foot down, and said "We're going to Kassandra's". "OK". No explanation what our hesitation was, especially considering how good it is - as we found out again.

Kassandra's is a typical hole-in-the-wall you find in worn out suburban strip centers from the 1980s and before. The kind that breeds the non-denominational start-up churches and a handful of other small businesses. For any dedicated RJG follower, this is where you have to look to find the gems.

Once you walk in, it feels like an old diner somewhere in small town West Texas. It's a family restaurant, where the lighting is a bit too bright and the whole brood is there, screaming babies and all. Not the place for a romantic dinner, but that would be obvious from the parking lot. Kassandra's is best for lunch, but if you do have dinner in mind, it's BYOB - and that's always a good thing!

The ritual:

Chips - Oh, these are good. Taste like real corn. Crispy. You could eat these without salsa and be satisfied.

Salsa - The sauce they bring is a tomato, onion and cilantro mix. Something the RJG is very familiar with from our days living in Colorado where 80% of the restaurants serve this kind of salsa. We haven't seen much of it in Texas, so it's kind of a treat.

Hot salsa - We never settle for the table sauce unless it's very spicy. So we asked for the "hotter one". Oh... oh.... oh... this is ridiculously good. Spicy and very tasty. I've never tasted one quite like it, but somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind (between Gilligan's Island and The Love Boat) there was a recollection. And we come to find out it's a mix of Japanese hot peppers and jalapenos. That's it! There's an incredible dish at a restaurant in Manitou Springs, Colorado ("The Loop") called the "Burrito from Hell" that has a similar mix. We could just stop at the chips and salsa and be happy.

The enchiladas are offered with a number of sauces, so we tried three of them:

Green - this was recommended, but it's.... too green if that makes sense. It's a tomatillo and cilantro mix and it ended up tasting minty. Unique for sure, but not for us.

New Mexico - To us, New Mexico means a spicy green chili concoction. But they mean tomatoes, red peppers, cinnamon and chocolate. Again, very unique, but.. a... no this wasn't a hit either.

Chile sauce - Standard Tex-Mex, but Kassandra's does it (cue Wendy's) waaaay better.

We tried Cheese, Chicken and Beef.

The cheese enchilada was a bit boring and wasn't hot enough, so the cheese had already started to harden. It got stuck with the New Mexico sauce - so it was a total loss.

The ground beef had a unique seasoning and could be eaten alone and still be wonderful. Excellent.

The chicken was the real hit - charbroiled and seasoned BEFORE entering the tortilla. So even the green sauce couldn't overpower the contents. Not chicken-y at all. Super.

So you know what we're thinking for next time? That's right - chicken tacos! And ground beef tacos too...

Rice and beans - The Mexican rice was perfectly cooked and tasty. The beans were light and smooth, with a great taste. Both come up aces.

With all the references to New Mexico and Colorado, I have to think the family has some history from that area - or at least maybe West Texas, given the feel of the cafe itself.

A great find, and recommended to all of the RJG Nation!

Kassandra's can be found at the NW corner of Keller Parkway and Pate Orr Rd. behind the Taco Casa.

1/17/09 (new entry); 6/21/13

Las Pinatas ~ Fort Worth, Texas ***CLOSED***

First visit: Jun 2013

For the second week in a row, Mrs. RJG and I decided to head to the other side of US-377 and try a newly opened Mexican restaurant. And like last week's Elote, Las Pinatas (forgive the lack of the diacritic here - I'm just too lazy to copy one in) was certainly good, but nothing exceptional. We'll get into that here in a minute.

First let's talk about the history of Las Piñatas (OK, I found the right phonetic). This is the former Jalapeno's in Keller, which we wrote about a couple of years ago. Here's what I wrote in Urbanspoon: "The name change is a good idea, since I think it was causing confusion with the nearby taqueria of the same name (but different owners)." We liked Jalapeno's, though granted we only went a couple of times. Perhaps Las Piñatas is even better. Is it? No. About the same honestly.

The location sits in a very odd shopping strip center off of North Tarrant. It's built on top of a hill. To get to the restaurant from the parking lot, you can run up a couple of flights of stairs; take a long winding ramp; or practice your mountain climbing skills. In either case, it's a great way to build up a thirst for a frozen margarita or a beer. So after your pre-meal exercise, you open the door, and find a very weird looking restaurant. Honestly it looks like the break room of some 1970s office supply warehouse. There are a few tables scattered about. Beer signs and mirrors adorn the walls in haphazard fashion. There's what looks like a fast food counter area where the food actually does come out of the kitchen. There are the requisite piñatas hanging from the ceiling. And there are electrical wires hanging everywhere - AND you have a clear vision into their storage areas. It doesn't feel like a restaurant at all. I think they did a pretty good job with the bar area on the right side of the restaurant - but that's about it. Honestly it looks like a college guy's dormroom. All that's missing is the Playboy pinups. There's not an ounce of a feminine touch to the decor. So that's a big minus - definitely not a date place! The outside patio area is much more inviting, but who's going to sit out there in the summer?

OK - so now that we're sweaty and sitting in the breakroom, let's get a frozen margarita shall we? Oh it's not frozen yet. GRRRRR... as you all know, that is one of my big pet peeves. Especially in the summer! C'mon, turn the doggone thing on early would ya (big minus). As an aside, I just read my original review of Jalapeno's, and they had the exact same problem with this. Guess they don't read the RJG, huh? Anyway, the waitress did a remarkable save though and poured what was in the machine and concocted her own blender version. I usually despise blender margaritas, but this was pretty close to the machine - so that's a plus. The chips were crisp and tasty, and the standard red hot sauce had a very nice smoky chipotle taste (plus). I asked for a hotter salsa, and out came this really mean looking blended green sauce. It's fantastic! Must be a blend of jalapeno's and serrano's. And it was very hot. So a huge plus there.

Things are looking up here! Mrs. RJG went for the street tacos (al carbon, and al pastor). They were delicious with excellent homemade corn tortillas and wonderfully seasoned meat. And tender (PLUS). I went for puffed tacos, which is not something you see everywhere. I think Ojeda's is the origin of this great dish, and of course Esparza's copied it. In fact we just had a team dinner at Ojeda's (on Maple) this past week and their puffed tacos were incredible. At Jalapeno's they are... they are.... terrible (MINUS). The meat is way too juicy/greasy, so the shell just breaks down into a complete mess, leaving a mushy taco salad on the plate. I went with one spicy chicken and one ground beef. The spicy chicken is 1) not spicy and 2) not chicken. Well it might be, but it was probably rooster or some other bird that tastes like a bird. It was gross tasting. The ground beef had a nice flavor but was way too mushy. The rice and refried beans, on the other hand, were excellent. Especially the beans (PLUS).

The cost of the entrees are way too expensive for what you get (MINUS), but the drink prices are excellent (my margarita was $4 and Mrs. RJG's beer was $3) (PLUS).

So a real yin/yang experience we had at Las Piñatas. I gave it a "likes it" on Urbanspoon, but boy that's just barely. Like pass/fail in college, and the pass grade is a 60. We probably won't be going back.

6/16/13 (new entry)

Elote Mexican Kitchen ~ Fort Worth, Texas

First visit: Jun 2013

Elote Mexican Kitchen is the newest restaurant from the same owners who run the very popular Oliva Italian restaurant across the street. As soon as I heard they had "high end" tacos and "10 draft beers", we had to make a special trip.

Just to clear thing up right from the start - they do not have 10 draft beers, more like 7. And only one is a local craft brew (Rahr, which is the oldest microbrewery from the area, and their taps are easily quaffed elsewhere). That's fine, I'm always happy to get an adult slurpee instead, which is exactly what I did.

Elote's is a QSR, or in laymen's terms, you order at the counter. We each went with a taco combo, that allows for two tacos, rice and beans. I had the shredded chicken on a flour tortilla, and a seasoned ground beef taco in a crispy shell. Mrs. RJG settled on a shredded chicken as well as a vegetable taco, each in a corn tortilla. We each had the cilantro lime rice, and I ordered refried, while she went with the black beans. And we each ended up with refried beans. I will say this: Everything was good. Nothing was very good, much less great. I suppose the beans are a bit heavy for my tastes, but certainly not terrible. But they do commit one unpardonable sin as far as the RJG is concerned: They don't have their own salsas for the tacos!! Instead they have bottles of the red and green El Yucateco sauces. Hey, I love El Yucateco. But I can buy that at the grocery store. They do have a salsa you can get with the chips, and it's downright awful. A very chunky tomato sauce with little flavor. No thanks.

So... the margarita was good, a little sweet, and could use more tequila, but still good. The shredded chicken was the best thing we each ate, and was seasoned very nicely. So this was above average. The cilantro lime rice was pretty good, better than Habanero's that we spoke of recently, but it seems it would have been better served in a burrito (ala Chipotles). The beans were too thick. My ground beef taco was OK, but couldn't hold a candle to places that specialize in that like Taco Casa or Taco Mayo. The tortillas were well made, especially the corn according to Mrs. RJG. I do think the tacos are priced too high at $2.50 each. These are at best $2 tacos. The restaurant itself is very nice. Modern, with clean lines, cool colors, and plenty of flat screen TV's. Service was squeaky clean and nice.

So where does that leave us? We liked it. Will we go back? Probably not. What for? There are just too many places better than Elote in the same food category. In reading some of the reviews, I see some folks enjoy it because they have nothing else like it in the neighborhood. Fair enough. If I lived there, I probably would hang out there more too. But it's not worth the drive for us. And neither is Oliva to be frank. They're just too straight down the middle for us.

6/18/13 (new entry)