Avila's ~ Dallas, Texas

Latest visit: Jul 2016

First visit: 1989

Avila's has become all the rage since Guy Fiori featured the little place on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - a favorite show of the RJG as well. This lead to a lot of business for Avila's, and thus they made some changes to the restaurant itself. The good: They opened the fence next door which allows for much more, and easier, parking. They also now have some outdoor patio seating (nothing more than a couple of park benches, but it's still cool). On the down side, they changed the dark red painting to a lighter blue shade. It doesn't feel as intimate as before. And, as with any place that gains notoriety, the neighborhood feel of the place has deteriorated somewhat. There's more of a wannabee yuppie thing going on. "Slumming on Maple with the Wilson's" just ain't for the RJG. I felt the food quality held serve (and on this night the salsa with the chips was really kickin'!), but Mrs. RJG said it was greasier than prior. I sensed our dinner companions, once again Mr. and Mrs. RP as we haven't seen them in about a year, were also slightly disappointed. I think as the DDD effect wears off, things will return to normal. And it will be easier to park in any event....

Avila's is a long time RJG favorite. I first discovered the restaurant while taking a training course close by at the InfoMart. This was in 1989 (three years after opening), when most of the restaurants in the area catered to the Tex-Mex crowd. And most of the classic restaurants remain: Rosita's, the original Ojeda's, and the original Herrera's (different location though). Today the area is much more hardcore Mexican, and many of the newer restaurants appeal more to the taste of the old country. 

On this occasion, Mrs. RJG and I joined some dear and longtime friends Mr. and Mrs. RP. They had surprisingly never been and we decided to make an evening of it. Mrs. RJG has named this her favorite Mexican restaurant in Dallas, and it's a mandatory stop prior to going to any Dallas Mavericks basketball game. Given the distance from where we reside in NE Tarrant, it's always a treat for us to dine here.

Avila's is the perfect setting - situated in an old house, where you can park in back or on the old front lawn. The restaurant is painted dark, and has mood spotlights. Sometimes there's an old man who soothes the sole with some fine acoustic guitar in the Mexican/Spanish style. The opposite of the loud obnoxious Mariachi bands. One could see the temptation for the owner to pipe in techno/electronica, as it has that super cool European / New York City feel. Thankfully he doesn't and the guitar player couldn't be better.

One thing that hasn't changed: The food. It's classic Tex-Mex, but prepared extremely well. Variations of tacos, enchiladas, etc... plus some feature dishes. The hot sauce doesn't pull punches, and you all know by now that Mr. RJG likes that! There are only a few places in the US where Mr. RJG can say the Mexican food is truly better than Avila's. Mr. RP said the mole was the best he's had. And Mr. RP is one of the few people I know who's traveled more than myself.

For you folks, like us, who live in NE Tarrant - make it a destination some evening. It's never overly crowded, but never empty either. Oh, one more thing, after many years of holding out on the margarita trend, they finally applied for a hard liquor license, and will be serving them shortly! This is the only Mexican restaurant where Mr. RJG gets wine. Given the setting, it seems more appropriate than beer for some reason.

5/23/08 (new entry);10/17/10; 7/24/16

Mexican Inn Cafe ~ Keller, Texas

There are currently 10 Fort Worth area locations with two of those "temporarily closed" including Keller.

Latest visit: Jul 2016 (Keller)

First visit: Nov 2011 (Bedford)

Jan 2014 update: The good news is that Mexican Inn is back in Northeast Tarrant! They built a new structure only a few hundred feet from their old one that had to be demolished due to the construction. The 121/183 road expansion continues, so it's still a bit of a challenge to get here, so I recommend for local travelers anyway, to take back roads to Bedford Rd. It's nice to see that this Mexican Inn is continuing with the full menu, and as such, I replicated the meal that I had below, since it's been well over two years since I last had it. The trademark greasy fritos styled chips, house salsa, frozen margarita, and chicken/shrimp dish were excellent, as last time. The rice was very disappointing this time, and was slightly mushy in texture. The beans lacked the sharp bacon flavor, and seemed a bit murky. Mrs. RJG tried the chile relleno and it was a big miss. As such, her rating is Sell, but I'm maintaining the Buy, as the basics here are good. We'll see on our next visit if this was an anomaly or the new normal. 

Jan 2012 update: (Ft. Worth - Lancaster Avenue location): OK, moving this one forward as we have some updates to share. First, I regret to inform you all that the Bedford location is now closed. It appears it may have been a victim of eminent domain, with concern to all the construction in the area. Or it may just have lost its customer base - folks who didn't want to deal with the 121/183 mess.

So we decided to try the next closest location which technically is on Lancaster Avenue just east of Beach. Though honestly, the one on Henderson or Camp Bowie is probably just as quick to drive to. None of these are around the corner, that's for sure.

And what did we learn, that most of you already know? The 4 Ft. Worth locations and one Lake Worth site have much smaller menus than the Bedford one did! If we want Chicken and Shrimp Ole, we're going to have to haul much further south to Burleson or Mansfield. We were told that the old Bedford location may open in the Precinct Line / 183 area in Hurst near the NE mall (probably close to the new In-N-Out Burger I would presume). All speculation at this point.

Anyway, the small menu is not a huge deal, as the chips (fried fritos), salsa, and margaritas are the same. So I tried the arroz con pollo, which is chicken and Mexican rice covered with a chili cheese sauce and a few slices of jalapenos thrown on top. Mrs. RJG and I still enjoyed our respective meal immensely. Mexican Inn is just flat out a good old fashioned Tex Mex place. And this location was very nice and clean on our visit.

---Original review

It's been 6 years since our last visit to the Mexican Inn Cafe, a place that originally didn't make an impression one way or the other. And thus it continued to fall further down the stack in the database, and eventually was forgotten. But the RJG is trying to revisit places that were promising at one time and we just haven't bothered to go back. Such is the case with the Mexican Inn.

And in this case the promise was fulfilled. My original notes said something like "great chips, excellent margaritas, so-so tacos and enchiladas." And you know what? I'd still say something like that. BUT... there's more to the story this time. The RJG is no different than most of you I presume - it's all about finding the right dish. My greatest hesitation about writing off a restaurant is that I may have just missed the meal they do get right. And on this visit, already knowing that their Tex-Mex offerings are decent, but not great, I went for the Chicken and Shrimp Olé. Olé indeed! Now this is worth driving many miles for. The shrimp was buttery and delicious, while the tender white chicken breast is covered in a sublime chipotle barbecue sauce. The rice soaked up the shrimp butter, and was perfectly cooked. And the charro beans had a strong bacon flavor. Really.... wow, it was absolutely great. The kind of dish I could see craving. I have no idea if its consistent time in and time out, but I'm certain to find out. The Mrs. went for a more traditional Tex-Mex of a ranchero covered beef enchilada (she ordered chicken and got beef - eh, it happens - we didn't make a fuss) and a beef taco. The ranchero sauce had a nice kick, and she really enjoyed the dried ground beef. For me, the only drawback is the ground beef itself, which seems to be a bit bland to be honest. Which probably explains my original notes from 2005. And speaking of those notes: The frozen margarita (and the Mrs. had one on the rocks) was still excellent. And perhaps best of all - the chips themselves, which are entirely unique. They're fried corn strips that look like fritos basically - and taste delicious on their own even without sauce. I'll be honest here, the chips are seriously greasy. Crispy, but oily. I know plenty of folks that wouldn't eat these. But not the RJG! We don't run 4 miles a day for fun you know. Rather it's so we can enjoy food like this. And live to tell the tale. Oh, and finally the hot sauce is very good - a pureed tomato blend with a medium kick. Only downside is they don't have a "hotter one" for the RJG - oh, pobrecito :-(

Mexican Inn is a storied Ft. Worth legend that traces its roots to 1936. Like many places from the Depression era, the restaurant was founded by a colorful character, who also ran a gambling den upstairs - ensuring profits one way or the other. The original location was torn down only a few years ago. We've only been to the NE Tarrant representative in Bedford, but I suspect they're all well run. The closer you get to the heart of Ft. Worth, the more authentic it will get. The vibe that is. The Bedford location is Disneyland styled Old Mexico. I mean, what else could it be right?

Olé!

11/16/11 (new entry); 1/18/14; 7/10/16

Baja Cantina ~ DFW chain : North Richland Hills, Texas

So it looks like Baja Cantina finally put together something that looks like a corporate structure. They renamed Funky Baja's in Keller as well, and we still have that entry up on its own. Currently there are 4 locations, all in NE Tarrant or SW Denton: Keller, NRH, Watauga, and Roanoke

Latest visit: Jul 2016 (North Richland Hills)

First visit: 2004

Baja Cantina is the latest entry for the loosely knit local Baja chain that is slowly proliferating throughout NE Tarrant County. We recently updated the Funky Baja's entry, and if you search further into the blog, you'll find entries for Peace Burger and Dive Bar in Grapevine, as well as Baja Mex Grill in Watauga, both of which need updating. We've also been to Baja's Bar and Grill in Southlake, but that was many years ago, and we never reported back on it. Let's see how the new place stacks up.

If you've been to any of the Baja's elsewhere, then you'll find Baja Cantina is right in line with the others. We've always enjoyed their version of Tex Mex, and we were quite pleased with our first foray here. The chips were good, light and crisp, but not quite as corn tasting as I recall from the other establishments. The default red sauce they bring out is excellent, with a nice kick, filled with garlic, pureed tomatoes, and chilies. We asked for a hotter one (of course we did), and out came this mean looking red, which is their habanero sauce. It didn't look or taste much like a habanero to us, but it was excellent all the same, and made a nice complement to the table sauce. It's a $1 extra, but worth it. Mrs. RJG ordered the Machaca, a favorite breakfast staple of her Sonoran homeland. She loved the papitas (potatoes), eggs, beans, and finely ground meat which is the namesake portion of the dish. Think dried pencil shavings of ground beef, and you have an idea of the texture. I tried the cheese enchiladas with fajita chicken on top (I forget the name of the dish). It was with 2 enchiladas, one topped with a wonderful tomatillo, which wasn't as sour as most in the area, so that was a definite plus. The other was smothered in a creamy queso.  What was so nice about it, is the dish was served sizzling hot, so that by the time I was lapping up the final bites, the cheese still was pliable, and hadn't congealed, which is a common problem with this dish. The fajita chicken was appropriately grilled and flavorful, though a couple of the strips (but not all) were a tad tough, and probably the only demerit for the entire experience. The rice was excellent, with finely ground carrots. And the beans were a cut above as well, with a smoky flavor. And again the hot temperature assists with the quality of these dishes. We're excited to come back and try other entrees.

Drink: Yes! Now this is one of the best frozen margaritas I've had in a long, long time. Smooth, with a whopping tequila kick, and fantastic flavor. Not too sweet, sour, or watery. Just perfect. Mrs had it on the rocks, and claimed a similar high quality. When we got the bill, we realized perhaps why. $10 a pop. That's pretty steep, but you get what you pay for I guess. If they keep the quality up, I'll gladly pay it, but if they don't, they're asking for complaints. Of course they have a full bar as well, and a nice selection of Mexican beers. I didn't think to ask about craft beer, but this isn't really a place that needs it honestly.

Location: On  the west side of Precinct Line, just south of Davis, near the Super Walmart complex. This was originally a Beef O'Brady's, that we frequented a couple of times many years ago, but wasn't very distinct to be honest. When they left town, there was an interregnum period where a place existed called "Sports Bar". Or something dumb. I couldn't find a reason to go with a name like that. Baja Cantina I think is the perfect fit for the area, and should do well in this location, with only Mi Pueblo to provide local competition. They're pretty distinct from each other, so I think they both will thrive. The interior decoration took Beef o' Brady's and "Baja-ized" it. It's more open, and made to feel like an oasis on the beach. There's the hanging light bulbs, stuffed fish, and nets everywhere. And a bar area. There's also the now familiar Mexican wrestling theme as well. Weird culture that one is... Anyway, very welcoming place.

7/4/16 (new entry)

Los Jimadores Tex-Mex Tequila Factory ~ North Richland Hills, Texas

Los Jimadores now has 3 locations: Fort Worth, North Richland Hills, and Bedford

First visit: Jul 2016 (North Richland Hills)

We've driven by Los Jimadores a number of times, curious what had taken over the old Antonio's spot, that at one time we enjoyed immensely. When my wife first pronounced it to me, I thought she said something along the lines of "Humidor".  I thought it was some sort of vape place! Or an extension of the cigar bar next door at the very least. Well, apparently not. So finally the day arrived for us to try it. Let's venture in and see what we find...

Can I start with a pet peeve? You know we don't talk about service at the RJG much, because we realize that workers in this industry tend to be transient, and on "any given day" you might get great service or terrible. But what drives us nuts are these waiters who don't write the order down. What is the problem? Are they lazy? Are they trying to be some sort of 5 star restaurant waiter? Are they working on their memory skills? Write it down for crying out loud! Inevitably, as the waiter purposely heads to the kitchen with the full order in their heads, another table will flag them down for a refill on a drink, or something similar. And out of their cabeza goes the change details of our order. The point is to make the customer happy, not to impress us with your cognizant learning ability! OK, I feel better now. The food. Ah yes, chips come out. Decent, but ordinary. Two salsas are brought forth, both hot temperature (plus), One is a red, tangy and slightly spicy. Very good. The other is a black bean dip, similar to Lupe's, that is also very good. With our order, we asked if they had a spicier option? "You mean the green?" he asks. Uhhh... I guess so, if that's the hot one? But bonehead didn't write it down and we had to remind him as our meal was being served. A little late there bubba. Can I just state we were there for lunch and there were only 3 other tables with patrons, so it wasn't like some crazy busy Friday night. Sigh. Food, RJG. Food. I had the grilled chicken with chipotle sauce. It came out on a regular plate, and was warm. This is a dish that needs to be sizzling hot, preferably in an iron tray. The chicken was a little too perfect, as if it came from a Tyson's bag, and warmed over, not grilled. The sauce was a bit dull. Rice and beans were good (only warm though). Mrs. RJG tried the Poblano Enchiladas. They came out with a lime green sauce, as if it were an avocado type sauce. She wasn't too pleased. Her rice and beans were warm too. Needs to be hot fellas. It was good, but it wasn't near the quality of Antonio's in our opinion.

Drink: Had a frozen marg. You can tell they turned the machine on too late, as it was just barely frozen. Had we got there at open, we would have been out of luck. The flavor was excellent, though, so I was happy with the drink. Mrs. had it on the rocks, and she said it was the highlight of the meal. Not a good sign. Los Jimadores has a full bar if so desired.

Location: To find Los Jimadores, I'll copy in exactly what I wrote for Antonio's: On Bedford-Euless Rd. along a "nightmare's row" of boring chain eateries (with a couple of exceptions) that dot I-820 near Davis and Hwy 26. As the crow flies, it's right across the "street" from Northeast Mall in Hurst. That street is the Interstate. To note as an addendum, many of those chain restaurants have closed down, with only Red Lobster and Olive Garden still doing a land office business. The location itself is condemned I'm afraid. Our biggest gripe about Antonio's was the constant smell of smoke. It comes from the cigar bar next door. I think Los Jimadores did a better job than Antonio's in masking the scent, but not enough for either of us. It smells of stale smoke, like an old bowling alley.

Notes: This is Los Jimadores second location, the first being in Bedford. The Bedford location was a former restaurant with "tequila factory" in the name (can't recall it off the top), that we went to once years ago and were not impressed. In any case, Los Jimadores adopted the name for that location, but not the NRH one.

Rating: 3.0. OK, perhaps even a bit generous here. I'm seeing a lot of folks are high on this restaurant, and we even received a positive tip on the blog. Perhaps it was a bad day? It happens. Certainly the food was good, but not exceptional in the slightest, and we saw no hint of it. We'll give it a couple of years, and if the reviews keep piling in at a high level, we'll try it again. Fair?

7/2/16 (new entry)