Good Mexican Restaurants in Texas
 

My husband and I will be visiting Dallas, Austin and San Antonio in March. Can anyone give us the name(s) of a good authentic Mexican restaurant in any of those cities? Any information will certainly be appreciated. Thank You!!!!

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All of these cities have soooo many mexican restaurants that you could ask 25 people and get 25 different answers. I'll give you some that I like and hear that others like.<BR><BR>Dallas--Pappasita's, Mariano's, Mercado's, and the oldest around, El Fenix.<BR><BR>Austin--El Matt's<BR><BR>San Antonio--two that are both located several blocks west of down town in Market Square--Mi Tierra and Marguerita's. This is also a neat area to walk around and shop. If you want to eat on the riverwalk at the old standby that would be Casa Rio. It's the one you see in lots of pictures with all the big, colorful umbrellas over the tables.

Mi Cocina a must!!!

In Austin, they're all good! Ask the locals when you get town (everybody has their own favorites) and try several places. For San Antonio listen to Connie's advice (above)and for Dallas (it's actually in Ft. Worth) do not miss Joe T. Garcias. Enjoy!

Dallas: Gloria's (Salvadoran but some Mexican; La Calle Doce (has very good fish dishes as well as standard Tex-Mex & written up in New York Times); Tejano's (has huge delicious margaritas). Also, check guidelive.com as it is our newspaper's events and dining section.<BR><BR>San Antonio: Mi Tierra is an institution. Pico de Gallo is just past the overpass from the Mercado. Karam's is on Zarzamora (about 5 minutes from downtown)

I especially like Don Pablo's in the DFW area. El Fenix is one of the oldest chains here as is El Chico. The very best I have ever eaten was in Sulpher Springs Texas a restaurant called TA MOLLY"S, absolutely the very best chips and hot sauce you could ever hope to taste, as well as the other items they serve. Best Nachos, best enchilada's, best quesadias (hope that's spelled right), fajita's (steak or chicken), too good. Now I have to drive over an hour tomorrow to have lunch there.<BR><BR>All your Fault. Lol

WOW!<BR>I'm from Sulphur Springs and eat at TaMolly's every week. I knew it was a local favorite but didn't know others thought it measured up to Dallas restaurants. I'm luckier than I thought. <BR>By the way, they branched out to Greenville, Mt. Pleasant, Texarkana and Little Rock, Ark.

Jeez, that's like asking about Italian in NYC !<BR>Mi Concina is good but my all time favorite (living in Dallas area) is Ojeda's, I'm aware of three locations: Dallas, Plano and Garland. Family run.<BR>Have fun,<BR>p.

This is so funny-my husband and I were just talking about how many wonderful MX restaurants are in the Dallas area (we used to live there) --Definately Don Pablos-and Uncle also great. For the margaritas only (food not great)-head up 75 toward Plano and stop at a little hole in the wall called El Paso. They have a limit on the margs b/c they are so strong!-YUMMY!

Dallas: another vote for Ojeda's, absolutely the very best Tex-Mex.<BR><BR>Austin: Taco X-press for breakfast or lunch, someone here on Fodor's rec it and it was 'way cool. Just a hole-in-the-wall place but cheap, excellent food, and packed with locals.<BR><BR>In Texas, it's hard NOT to get good Tex-Mex.<BR><BR>Buen provecha,<BR>Sandy<BR><BR>

Jackie, OK, I'm a contrarian, but many of the suggestions so far have been for chains_ don pablos, el fenix, el chico _ and the ones i have tried were very mediocre. There are tons of good little places, and also some independents that I like much better. In Fort Worth//Dallas, Joe T. Garcia's is good for atmosphere and margaritas _ a huge beautiful garden restaurant _ but the food is better at Esperanzas, a smaller sister restaurant also owned by Joe T Garcia folks, also known as Joe t's bakery. Gloria's, as mentioned, is great for Salvadoran; there are three or four of them and I like the original in Oak Cliff best, but think there's one on Greenville that is probably closer to tourist areas. <BR><BR>In Austin, my favorites are Las Manitas downtown, El Sol y La Luna and Guero's Taco Bar on Congress, and Cisco's for breakfast. Most of these places are not very fancy and fairly cheap as well.

If you are up in the Lewisville area, there is a place called ANGELINA'S. It is right there on 1171 (main street)..and another further out on 1171 and Shiloh Road which I heard has better food. <BR><BR>Whatever you do, don't go to El Chico's for authentic food...YUK. Years ago I had a chicken tortilla and I swear it was canned chicken they used.

Thank you one and all!!!! This is tremendous information and I don't think my husband and I will now have a problem finding some GOOD Mexican food.<BR><BR>Thanks.....

Can't believe no one mentioned Uncle Julio's...the one on Lemmon (I'm not so keen on their Plano version) or Cantina Laredo on Beltline in Addison. Tex-Mex food...one of the things I miss most about living in Dallas!! We have a Don Pablos in Tampa, but after the "real deal" Tex-Mex, this substitute is a huge disappointment. It fits the bill only to give us a Tex-Mex fix between trips back to Big D.

I ate at Margarita's in San Antonio in December and wasn't that impressed with their cheese enchiladas. I got the idea it was a bit of a tourist trap.

Austin - <BR>El Soy de La Luna, Gueros, Las Manitas. (They all happen to be within a mile of each other!) North Austin - Fonda San Miguel <BR><BR>In San Antonio Mi Tierra is great too. <BR><BR>Sorry, but Matt's El Rancho(someone called it "El Matt's) in Austin is probably the worst Mexican food I've eaten - ever. We like to call it "Matts El Rauncho". <BR>

I second Uncle Julio's. Make sure you try a swirl margarita!

+<BR>DALLAS -<BR>I'm an avid Gloria's fan. In particular they have a wonderful sampler of their El Salvadorian fare. Used to know the number (no. 9 or 6 Gloria Super Special?), but they've revised their menu and assigned it a different number. Mmmmmmmmm, black beans, plaintains, a papusa, yucca, a chicken tamale (wrapped in banana leaf, not corn husks like Mexican tamales). Gloria's does have excellent Tex-Mex as well, but the super special ---- mmmmmmm! Gloria's has several locations around town. I usually go to the one on Lemmon Ave (corner of Lemmon/Douglas --- turn onto Douglas, immediate right down to parking garage under building). <BR><BR>Or the location up in N. Dallas is also good. It's address is on Beltline Rd (Addison, really). It faces the access road on east side of Dallas N. Parkway, just before you actually get to Beltline Rd (in one of those ubiquitous strip shopping areas that Dallas is famous for). Also, a Gloria's on Greenville Ave, which is an area frequented by the 20 & 30-something crowd (not me!).<BR><BR>Can ya tell I'm a Gloria's fan ???<BR>Other options not already mentioned"<BR> -- Mia's on Lemmon Ave<BR> -- Rosita's on Lovers Lane <BR> -- Rafa's on Lover's Lane (ooooo, Rafa's another of my faves)<BR>To get addresses and reviews, check out the Guide Live section of Dallas Morning News. Website = www.guidelive.com.<BR>

San Antonio is really the northern extension of Mexico, so there are scads of good places to eat Mexican. Casa Rio is among the worst - a real tourist trap, with bad food in a nice setting. Mi Tierra and sister place La Maragarita are also tourist traps, but the food is a little better. On the Riverwalk, the Orginal Mexican restaurant serves good Tex Mex. Karam's, mentioned above, is OK but far from fabulous. Locals know that La Fogata on Vance Jackson (not downtown but not far away) is great. La Paloma Blanca on Broadway is terrific, authentic Mexican and a nice environment (white tablecloth type place) while Picante Grill (also on Broadway) is less posh but with great food. If you seek greasy-spoon type Tex Mex that will leave you drooling for more, Blanco Cafe is the standard by which others are measured.

It appears that Jackie did not like these suggestions and reposted.

Fyi: Jackie posted her original question on 2/22 at 10:59 am and got no response so she started a new one at 3:24, this one. The someone picked up her old post and started posting to it thus making it look like she ignored these suggestions when in fact she did not. Now say you're sorry for being so harsh.

I don't think there is any harm in posting again. If you think about it, there are dozens of questions (or it seems so) about Hawaii every day. To me, it's more irritating that people don't do a search before they post. But I keep my comments to myself about that (okay, except now) since life's too short to bitch at innocent people.

I just came back from San Antonio on Sunday. We ate at La Margarita and Mi Tierra (same owner), and I think I liked Mi Tierra better. I liked Rosarios--the shrimp nachos are great, any shrimp dish, really--but it was a little too noisy. My cab driver also recommended Little Red Barn but we didn't have time. Better work off all that food by salsa dancing at Club Agave at the Sunset Station!!!

I'm surprized no one has mentioned the Alamo Cafe in San Antonio. They have delicious food and fresh made tortillas. mmmm. We used to have one in Dallas, but it closed :(. Anyway, the food is great there (I highly recommend their chile con queso), and I belive there are two locations in town. I have always been to the one on the outskirts of town. Go check it out.

YUK-The original mexican restaurant on the riverwalk is as disgusting as it comes-it's so bland and plain jane. Not to mention it's scarce when i've been on the riverwalk. Everone on the board has said how good they think Mi Tierra is and the lines prove it. Casa Rio is pretty good. El Matt's is good in Austin. I want to try Rosarios and Don Pedros (off the riverwalk) when we return in August. Paco-you have a definite different taste so i'd have to stick with doing opposite of what you've said in this forum.

Cantina Laredo is wonderful. Incredible margaritas made tableside and they prepare guacamole by your table, much like continental restaurants used to create the ceasar salad. A Cantina Laredo just opened in Fort Myers, Florida and I am ecstatic. Very well done. LMF

I am surprised no one mentioned Chuy's in Austin. You probably already know but Tex-Mex is quite different from &quot;authentic&quot; Mexican food. The real deal is actually pretty bland but the sauces are what give it the flavor. I have learned to make a few authentic dishes since my husband is Mexican. I actually like Tex-Mex better.

In Dallas (off of Loop 12) there is a fairly authentic place called Lupita's. I don't know what they offer besides tacos because that's all I have ever eaten there. The pork or barbacoa tacos with cilantro and onion are great with a twist of lime. If you go, hopefully you speak Spanish because they only spoke Spanish every time I have been there.

I lived in Dallas and now Austin and visit San Antonio often and I have tried almost all of the restaurants listed. For the most part I like all of them. Some visits were better than others -- just like anywhere. In the Dallas area I also like On the Border and Abuelo's - I think it is still there.

Just like anywhere you may not always like what you ordered or may not get great service, etc. Hope you have good experiences wherever you go. :-D