If you were to visit my corner of the world and brought with you a hankering for Mexican food, I could hook you up, pardner. Texas ain't the only place to find the good stuff (there's always Mexico), but we've got plenty of choices. I'd even entertain a visit to a chain restaurant, where it may not be "authentic" Mexican food but would probably leave you mostly satisfied. Like most other ethnic cuisines, there are many varieties of meals influenced by tastes south of our border. It's not all about heat, refried beans and copius amounts of cheese.
Make it over to Fort Worth and I'd probably take you to our royal gem of Joe T. Garcia's (there's one in Dallas, but our Cowtown version is the original). Is it authentic? I don't know, but there's a cool, relaxing courtyard, powerful margaritas and fresh-tasting authentic-looking food. And you can drink the water. There's a place not too far from my house called Oscar's (owned by a guy named Oscar who lives in my neighborhood), and it's OK. A few miles down the road there's Miguelito's, which is super-yummy and super-crowded if you wait past 6 p.m. for dinner. For those in the know, there are gas station/tacquerias that offer suprisingly delicious (if not scary) stuff.
Chainwise, in three directions we are bracketed by Chili's (which has Tex-Mex, but doesn't even approach actual Mexican cuisine), there's an On The Border (not so bad), Abuelo's ("Not authentic, but we have garlic mashed potatoes!"), El Chico ("Under new management – again") and a Don Pablo's ("You'll love our flamboyant mariachis!"). For the truly wimpy, there's also Rosa's, Taco Bueno, Taco Bell, Taco Casa ("Bring on da heat!") and Taco Cabana (suprisingly good for quickie slop). In fact, I'd challenge you not to trip over a taco stand every few yards.
Time and time again, friends and acquaintances who have left Texas (people who now think you can get salsa out of a jar) lament the lack of good Mexican-inspired food choices in their new locales. I'm also sure they miss the schizoid weather, cat-sized hail, plentiful theme parks ("Welcome to Allergyland!"), ability to find any retail outlet in the world repesented here, the easy-to-understand regional dialect, Western apparel, the parking lots we also call highways and the alternatingly beautiful and pigeon-butt-ugly scenery.
We have friends and family who keep us here (and jobs) ... or maybe it is the Mexican food after all. I could really go for a burrito right about now.
Yeah, I still haven't managed to find good Tex-Mex food here in New York. When I lived in Houston's, I loved Pappasito's. The best. There was also Chuy's - which is of course the place where one of the Bush daughters got caught trying to use a fake i.d.
Luna de Noche... for a step above Taco Bell (and a Ferd Family fave) there is Tia's.
Our favorite Mexican fix lately has been "Tres Jose's" (on White Settlement Rd. near the little league field and The River area). Fresh, fresh, fresh, homemade, and never greasy.
In a pinch, we will go to El Fenix or Pulido's, too. Way too franchise-y, but palatable. Pulido's used to have the very best homemade Tex-Mex, but since Mama and Papa have gone to the Big Enchilada in the Sky, things have gone downhill.
Thank you for reminding me why I live here! I was just beginning my annual "Beginning of Summer" complaints about why it is that I live in TX, but now I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Once it hits 105, all bets are off, though.
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