Benito's ~ Fort Worth, Texas

First visit: Sep 2015

Benito's is a legendary Mexican restaurant in Fort Worth, having come around before such establishments were commonplace. We'd never actually been, until very recently. I see places such as this as a good barometer to see where the RJG fits in the local dining culture. Because of its institution status, much ink has been spilled over the years on the pluses - and minuses - of the food and ambiance. Some say it's the ultimate late night dive to cure a hangover (or conversely to tie one on), while others say they have the best breakfast around. One aspect you will constantly read about Benito's is that it's not Tex-Mex, but rather more authentic south of the border fare. Mrs. RJG, born and raised in Sonora, agrees that it certainly feels like a place from the homeland. The food, on the hand, isn't quite as convincing, but it's definitely not Tex-Mex, this she agrees with. This foreshadows our entire experience I'm afraid. They can't all be good right? I don't always publish mediocre or negative reviews, as we don't wish to hurt struggling establishments. But our review won't put a dent in this steel juggernaut, I can assure you of that. Nor do we want to. But I think it's good for you, our readers, to see where we stand on such places of notoriety. On occasion anyway.

The first area of much dispute you will read about Benito's is the topic of chips and salsa. Apparently they resisted serving them at all for many years, and now they do so - but at a price. This doesn't sit well with current diners who are used to them being complimentary, and excellent at that. When they sit you down, they bring pico de gallo to the table - for no apparent reason. Then they ask if you want chips. Regulars know the routine of course, but it's an odd regimen for outsiders. When we first saw the salsa, we thought it would be great. But it barely had any flavor at all. And I fear to say, the entire dining experience could only be described as bland. Not terrible by any means - certainly good enough - but bland never left my mind as we continued through the meal. The pico for its part is good, with a nice spicy kick. So I spent more time dipping the chips (also ordinary - likely from a local distributor) in that bowl rather than the salsa. I ordered a trio of chicken items, and Mrs. RJG went with Huevos Mexicana. My meal came with a complimentary soup, which in reality was a consomme with strips of raw tortilla. And again, no flavor. Then this big plate of goo came out, and here were the results: The Mexican rice was good, nothing special though. The refried beans were excellent, with a nice smoky taste. It was the best part of the meal. You don't want the refried beans to be the best part of the meal. The chicken taco is a waste of time - nothing more than boiled chicken inside of a raw flour tortilla. The chicken enchilada had the same boring chicken smothered with an odd sour cream green and heavy cheese sauce. By the looks of it, I thought it would be flavorful at least. No such luck. The chicken flauta, on the other hand, was much better. Crispy and with a better cut of white meat chicken. My only gripe is they smothered it in sour cream, which I don't personally enjoy (and it wasn't mentioned on the menu as such, which is annoying). So I had to rub that off. Mrs. RJG had the exact same reaction regarding the rice and beans. The eggs were well done per her request, but still a bit oily (in her words). Not bad she said. The corn tortillas were from the bag as well.

Drink: They are known for their frozen margaritas, and it's easy to see why. We ended up with large ones (though had intended on ordering regular). Oh well, had to take one for the team right? Out came this globe of lime green goodness, overflowing the rim. No matter what my reservations on Benito's is, one cannot deny they give you all they can for your money (chips aside). At first I thought the margarita to be too sweet, but ultimately grew to love it. Of course, it helped that they tilted the tequila bottle in the right direction. The margarita on the rocks was met with a similar response from the spousal unit.

Location: In a wonderful standalone building off of the lovely street of restaurants known as Magnolia (Benito's is between Fairmount and 7th Steet - north side). Technically in the Near Southside neighborhood, and across the street from the Fairmount neighborhood. The restaurant itself is brightly decorated with the local flavor of real Mexico. It reminded me of the restaurants on Maple in Dallas when I first started getting into Mexican food in the 1980s.

Notes: Benito's first opened in 1981, and has been gathering local awards ever since.

9/27/15 (new entry)

Gloria's Latin Cuisine ~ Texas chain : Colleyville

May 13, 2022 update: Gloria's is one of the few chains that have actually expanded in the last seven years. They currently have 17 in the DFW area, 3 in Houston, 2 in Austin, and 1 in San Antonio.

Latest visit: Sep 2015 (Colleyville)

First visit: 2003 (Addison)

You may recall recently that the RJG's official boss was in town from New Jersey and we went to Trulucks in Uptown. Well that same week my former boss, and now good friend, from Phoenix was also in downtown Dallas (I sense a conference here). He's been in these pages before, but I'll rename him Danny Huston since he's a spitting image of the actor. And my friend and peer The Garland Troublemaker (who is also in a few of these posts) was on hand as well. We decided to meet at the Gloria's in Dallas (on Lemmon near Oak Lawn). I had intended on writing about that experience, when I recalled that we have a Gloria's here in Northeast Tarrant as well. The RJG's Official Mom was wanting to take me out someplace nice for my belated birthday dinner, so I suggested Gloria's. We haven't been to this location since 2006, and quite frankly, I just forgot about it. So off the 3 of us went for a recent dinner....

Gloria's is in reality a Salvadoran restaurant, but serves up Tex-Mex as well, for those who would prefer something a bit more familiar. Veterans of the Maple Avenue/Little Mexico (Dallas) area of the 70s and 80s will recall when Mexican food was still somewhat "cutting edge" for most Americans. There was one restaurant in that area called El Gallo de Oro that pioneered the food of El Salvador. This is the environment Gloria's started with back in 1986 (in Oak Cliff). Today, you would think Gloria's was a corporate creation, rather than one with a humble beginning. I bring this up, because it explains the menu and its backdrop. So while you can get that "same old enchilada", I highly recommend trying something a bit more upscale. I've taken a shine to the Pollo Asado Salvatex, which hedges the bet a little bit I guess. The charbroiled chicken breast is very tender, and wonderfully seasoned and charbroiled. The enchilada (chicken again) allows an opportunity to try their two sauces - the Ranchero and the Tomatillo. Can you tell we just got back from Santa Fe? I think I ordered it Christmas to a confused look... In any case, the Ranchero is a more thick saucy red than the usual thin-and-chunky and is delicious. And the Tomatillo has a tangy rather than tart flavor and is better than most I've had. The rice is very good as are their refried black beans. The Official Mom followed my lead and had the same thing and she lapped up every bite. Mrs. RJG had the salmon which was divine. She claimed it was the best salmon she's ever had. A nice big thick slab of grilled salmon (Salmon Costeno) and it comes with veggies and Gallo Beans - which is a mix of black beans and rice. Going backwards (here I go again) the chips are homemade and flavorful. Each comes with two dipping sauces. One is a traditional tomato and cilantro based red sauce, that has more kick than usual. And they also bring out a black bean dip, which is very similar to the beans that came with our meal. Overall, an excellent dinner for all of us!

Drink: Now this is a frozen margarita! So smooth with plenty of tequila and a great flavor. Were I not driving, I would have had two. Mrs. RJG had a margarita on the rocks, and she was very happy with hers too. The Official Mom had a Shiner Bock, since she can't drink margarita's anymore. They also have wine and a full bar.

Location: Gloria's is in the rather large shopping center on Hwy 26 that houses a movie theater and a Market Street grocery. The restaurant is cool, hip, and elegant. This is a good place for business and special occasions.

Notes: As mentioned in the Food section, Gloria's traces their roots to Oak Cliff in the 1980s. Currently they operate 15 restaurants, primarily in the DFW area, with two in Austin and one in Houston. Our first experience with Gloria's goes back to 2003 and the Addison location, nearby to where the RJG used to office.

10/27/06; 9/22/15 (new entry)

Billadelphia's Authentic Philly Foods ~ North Richland Hills, Texas ***CLOSED***

Last visit: Sep 2015 (North Richland Hills)

First visit: sometime in 2006 (Bedford)

All locations were closed as of 2016.

Here's a place I probably should go to more often than I do. it's just a little far off for a quick lunch, but certainly close enough for a weekend visit. Lately I've been allocating Friday's for places like this. Let's see how long that lasts.

What it says on the sign above, "Authentic Philly Foods". Billadelphia's is all about the food of Philadelphia, including their signature cheesesteaks. My first visit to Billadelphia's was in 2006 (while still in Bedford), and my interchange with owner Bill went something along the lines of: "I'll have a wiz wit", and he immediately struck up a conversation along the lines of "You from Philly?". Nope, but been there a few times for business I said. He then went on to explain that he imports almost everything from Philadelphia including the Amoroso rolls, Taskykakes, Herr's Chips, and anything else that he could to make it feel like "Philadelphia in Texas". Now Tastykakes is no longer a big deal, as they are sold in local grocery stores (after the original implosion of Hostess). But at the time, Billadelphia's was the only place to obtain the yummy Twinkie-like treat. While the menu looks like something you will see many a time walking the streets of Philly, I never seem to get past the cheesesteak. And perhaps there's little reason to, as the meat is wonderfully grilled, and the rolls have the perfect chewy texture. These days I prefer their provolone offering to cheese-wiz, but honestly authentic is not always best.

I meant to look while there, but I believe Billadelphia's still serves birch beer, yet another Pennsylvania favorite. If you haven't had it, it's a bit like root beer (though as you will read in the link provided, thems fightin' words). You can read more about birch beer here.

The current location, and the most stable by far, is the little shack found on Davis (east side of the road). It's south of Mid Cities and north of 820. This used to be a Kountry Burger. Easiest thing to do is park, walk up, and order at the front. And then patiently sit on one of the benches while they prepare your food. But they do have a drive-through window as well.

Billadelphia's started in Bedford in a bright yellow and red shack, most likely an old hot dog stand, but it was a serious pain to get to (especially considering the construction zone of 183/121). At one point, Billadelphia's operated a restaurant outside the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, and filled it with Eagles gear and memorabilia (now that takes guts), as well as a gas station location off of Mid Cities in NRH. Predictably the Arlington location closed and they finally settled here on Davis. 

9/20/08 (new entry)

The Pantry ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

First visit: Sep 2015

We've driven many times past The Pantry as we go up and down Cerrillos, and it is a rare time of the day when there isn't a line around the building. The Pantry is one of the big names for breakfast and lunch in Santa Fe (they also serve dinner until 8:30). It's time for the RJG to venture in. We took a chance on a mid-week brunch hour of 10:30 and got seated immediately. Woohoo! Planning wins again.

Food: Traditional American and New Mexican breakfast is the primary draw at The Pantry. They also have a full menu of burgers, sandwiches, Mexican entrees, and comfort foods. There was no question at all what the RJG was going to have: A smothered breakfast burrito with Christmas chile. And it comes with "pantry fries" (potatoes in the vernacular). Out comes this wonderful and large skillet, with a steaming fat burrito and incredible looking cheese and chile staring me in the face. I always start with the green chile side first (rarely do I mix the two). First bite into the fluffy egg burrito ...oh... mmmm... wow.... next bite... oh....mmmm...wow. Yes, the lines out the door do indeed signify there is "a somethin' a happenin' here" For as great as the green chile was, I even enjoyed the red more. Certainly in the same league as La Choza on that front. I also devoured the potatoes as they helped me ensure not a drop of chile was left on the plate. Mrs. RJG beelined in on the Chile Relleno Omelette. I heard similar sounds of happiness on her side of the table. By the time I looked up her plate was as clean as mine. Yes, the RJG household is actually made up of two vultures in human clothes... Doubt I need to state the obvious about coming back here again, etc....

Drink: No alcohol. Diner styled drinks, with coffee well in the lead position.

Location: On Cerrillos northeast of St. Michaels. And they actually have a parking lot! Wow, what a concept. The restaurant is very much an old school diner, with stool seating and a dining room. Places like this (the atmosphere, not the food) were dime a dozen 40 years ago, but rare to find anymore. As indicated above, The Pantry is "known" and as such, coming here for Sunday brunch will have the same result as waiting to buy tickets to a Madonna concert. Plan wisely or prepare to starve for a bit.

Notes: This is worth pasting in from their website: "The Pantry was founded in 1948 by George Myers, he set the standard of quality and excellence that has been associated with the Pantry for over sixty years now. With such storied roots in Santa Fe, it is impossible to say how many business deals, political decisions, and relationships have been started in the dining rooms at the Pantry. Since its inception there have been seven different owner operators or stewards of the Pantry, who have nurtured it and brought it to where it is today, including its current owner the Singley Family who plans to continue the Pantry tradition for many years to come." Love the reference to politics, business, and relationships. These type of eating establishments are the centerpiece to a society.

9/10/15 (new entry)

Cowgirl BBQ ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

First visit: Sep 2015

Here's another new restaurant for the RJG. And our first experience was a thumbs up!

Though BBQ is in the name, barbeque is only one portion of their rather large menu. They also have steaks, burgers, seafood, and yes, New Mexican cuisine. We went here to add a bit of diversity to our diet, and so I settled on the Pulled Pork BBQ sandwich. Apparently the smothered in Salsa Diablo was featured on the "Heat Seekers" show. They brought mine on the side, and it's definitely a sizzling red chile blend. But nothing overwhelming. In fact we thought it was quite tasty, and I dipped my wonderfully cooked fries into it throughout the meal. Couldn't really tell you if the Pulled Pork was any good on its own, because it was completely drenched in the chipotle barbeque sauce - just as advertised. The brioche bun is perfect for handling the moist sandwich, and managed to stay firm. Overall, an excellent barbeque sandwich. Mrs. RJG, despite the premise of why we were there, ended up ordering the chile relleno with the Christmas chile. She reports that the cheese was fantastic (asadero she suspects), and both the red and green had splendid flavors and a nice kick. Our first meal here was clearly a success!

Drink: We were there before 6, and took advantage of the excellent Happy Hour specials, and each ordered two margaritas. They were small, but flavorful, with a nice punch (not overly - to be expected though). They also have 24 taps, with a nice selection of craft beers, though surprisingly a bit light in the New Mexico department. Which was the primary reason I indulged in margaritas instead.

Location: Very close to Fire & Hops that we just reported on. On Guadalupe, except south of Alameda this time. And once again, parking is a challenge. We found street parking with meters. Since we were there before 6, the cost was only about 50 cents. So bring a little change with you if you go early, otherwise it's free after 6. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious with a large courtyard for those who like to dine outdoors. The interior is decorated with Cowgirl memorabilia (vintage posters, signed autographs, that sort of thing). It's really quite cool. Oh, and they have live music (country/roots/folk/bluegrass, etc...) every night usually starting at 8/8:30.

Notes: You may be surprised to find out that the Cowgirl BBQ heritage comes from New York City ("get a rope"). It was a purposeful concept restaurant, but working closely with the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Hereford, Texas. They opened the flagship restaurant in 1989 (or 1988 depending on which website you wish to believe) in the West Village and it's still active.  It was approximately 5 years later that one of the partners decided to open up in the "real west", and they've been in Santa Fe ever since.

9/9/15 (new entry)

Truluck's ~ national chain : Dallas, Texas

Latest visit: Aug 2015 (Dallas, TX)

First visit: Aug 2005 (Dallas, TX)

Truluck's maintains 12 locations including the 2 reviewed below. Otherwise they are in disparate areas around the county, but none around Colorado.

The RJG recently had his official boss in town from New Jersey and he wanted to meet for dinner. Since he was staying in downtown Dallas sans a car, I recommended we meet just north of there at Truluck's, which has in recent years become my go-to place for business meetings when they (yea, they) are staying downtown without wheels. It's only a $5 Uber ride according to The Boss. And the RJG has a place to park (valet though), so that's always a plus.

And speaking of which, I was completely disoriented when I arrived. This isn't where the restaurant used to be is it? And the answer is no - there's a new structure they built at the other end of the parking lot, and the old building along McKinney has since been torn down. I thought I was having a Mr. Robot moment there (yea, that's right, the RJG is hip, mannn).

High end steak and seafood. I recommended we both start with the Lobster Bisque, one of Truluck's signature items, and it once again was delicious (rich and creamy). For an entree, I decided to slum it this evening and ordered the cheapest item on the menu: The "Hot 'n' Crunchy Idaho Trout" ($27) with rice pilaf and a mango chili sauce. It was a nicely breaded trout and the rice was very good. All the same, I begin to regret not ordering the Chilean Sea Bass, which has become my favorite at Truluck's over the years. Not sure what I as expecting - perhaps something with a bit of fire and spice - but that's not what this dish about. It is good, though maybe a bit dull in the end. OK, well I tried it anyway (folks, get the Sea Bass). The Boss wanted steak (mmm... he-man want steak) and he told me that he prefers a ribeye to a filet. So he went for the 16 oz All Natural Rib Eye ($48) which he subsequently devoured with much glee. And the potatoes were gone before I noticed as well. Boss man happy. Better be in my next performance evaluation too....

Drink: For a swanky restaurant in the center of Dallas, I would expect Trulucks to offer high quality local craft beers. No such luck. Shiner Bock is their idea of a local beer. No thanks. Of course, the markups are in wine, and they are more than happy to oblige. We both settled on single classes of Cabernet, and they are pretty chintzy for $10. When it comes to drinks, Truluck's is running a shakedown operation. Maybe next time, I'll get water.

Location: Truluck's sits on the NW corner of McKinney and Maple. I find it easier to head east (southeast) on Maple and enter that way. As mentioned above, the new building is now in the back of the lot, and thus even more easy to get from the Maple side. The new structure is, as you might imagine, somewhat opulent especially compared to the diner-like neon lit building of the past. There's a full bar area, and two stories of seating. It is definitely befitting of the term "high end dining".

Notes: In addition to the two DFW locations (note link below), Truluck's operates two restaurants in Austin, one in Houston, 4 in Florida, and one in the San Diego area. Oh, one other need I need to mention. I used Open Table to make a reservation, which of course meant I left my phone number. The manager actually called me the next day to see if our meal was satisfactory. I thought that was a nice touch!

Rating: 4.0. The food here is delicious, and the ambiance is top notch. The drinks are a rip, but if corporate is buying, perhaps I won't notice?

--- Southlake review

Typically Mrs. RJG and I travel on our anniversary, but this year we decided to stay home. As such we went for a "splurge" meal to celebrate. This blog is named the Regular Joe's Guide for a reason, and that's because we both really, truly (to repeat: really truly) prefer regular restaurants to the fancy ones. So it is mainly in my business life that I will end up at these restaurants. Again, I would prefer more down-home places myself, but I'm clearly in the minority with my peers on that front. In any case, it is no surprise that my first two visits to Truluck's were for business. The first goes back to my former job in 2005 at the McKinney Avenue location - and about 3 years ago, a vendor came into town and we dined at the Southlake store. Obviously I enjoyed it enough to suggest to Mrs. RJG that this would be an excellent place to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

And Truluck's did not let me down. Though it is, without a doubt, a pocket drainer.

Mrs. RJG and I both know that ordering a bottle of wine is the real culprit at these places. The markups on wine are ridiculous. However, neither of us felt like a beer, and we usually enjoy wine with our meal - so we went "dumb" and ordered a very nice bottle of Chardonnay from Oregon (for $60 - online price $30). Certainly it was an excellent wine, and is worth all $30 (wheez). They provide homemade bread (a darker cranberry bread, and a more traditional Italian white, with sweet made butter), both of which were delicious. As an appetizer, the hot n' crunchy shrimp proved to be a good choice. A tempura styled fried shrimp with hot chile flakes in the mix.  4 huge shrimp came out, and had to be considered a highlight of the meal. For dinner, Mrs. RJG started with a garden salad - which is the classic "backyard" mix of greens and a sweet honey vinaigrette. And I had the Lobster Bisque, which was stunningly good. So rich and creamy. For entrees, we each went with the Chilean sea bass. Hers was the Miso glaze with crab fried rice, and mine was pan seared with rice pilaf. Along with swordfish, Chilean sea bass has to be at the top for flavorful thick white fishes. Both of our dishes were expertly prepared, and delicious. Since the waiter figured out we were on our anniversary, something we weren't going to advertise, he gave us a free chocolate cake with a hot cherry jubilee. It was super rich - very good - but ultimately too sweet for us to finish. But it was extremely nice of the gentleman, and the restaurant, to do that for us. Mrs. RJG finished the evening with an Irish Creme. I usually don't comment on the service, one way or the other, but our server this night was exceptionally professional. Superb.

Overall, a sublime meal. Worth $240 (after tip)? Probably not, because I'm just not sure anything at that price is. Some of the best meals I've ever had came in under $20 after tip (for one). But if someone else is paying, or you are on an elaborate (i.e. Sales) expense account - then Truluck's is a must. I consider it better than most places in this category.

4/6/05; 4/20/10; 4/7/13 (new entry); 9/4/15