Burrito Jimmy

I know the moniker "Burrito Jimmy" from sports radio station 1310 the Ticket, a radio station I shall add, that gave me  thousands of hours of entertainment as I drove my way around DFW for twenty years. Stand back Burrito is a phrase I will not soon forget.

Come to find out a couple years ago, again from listening to the Ticket, that there is a restaurant chain of the same name, and just a few weeks ago, through a Ticket radio ad, that they were in DFW.

Burrito Jimmy's is like Chipotle or Freebirds. A big tortilla wrapped around your choice of meats and fillings. Nothing new as far as that goes.There is an important difference though, at least for me.

I've had a problem with the big burrito concept from the start and isn't the taste or freshness or price. It's the same problem I had with Boston Chicken (back when it was pretty good and not Boston Market) and it's the same problem I have at restaurants that let your plate sit under the warmer bulbs while the waiter is in the back catching a smoke.

My problem is the dislike of food served lukewarm when it should be hot (or cold). So when the big burrito is prepared with meats kept barely warm by warming bays, and when my big burrito is sitting there waiting for its toppings while Mr. Numnuts in front of me decides whether he wants verde sauce or pico de gallo, the big burrito goes from warm to lukewarm to room temperature by the time I bite into it. So I don't care what quality meats you have or how fresh your tomatoes are if said burrito isn't hot it isn't good. In my humble opinion.

Burrito Jimmy's has a solution. After they prep the hot items they put the whole thing in a steamer and get it good and hot and then after you get your choice of vegetables and sauces they pour hot cheese sauce on it and it is good. Real good. Problem solved.

A big burrito was just under $7, add a drink and the total was under $9, and I was full-full. I liked it, I'll be back. Stand back Burrito.

Suggestion: turn volume down before clicking start arrow.

http://www.burritojimmy.com/locations.php

New. Chuy's on 7th Street.

I'm not one to turn down a free meal, so when I received an invitation to the Chuy's Monday night pre-open I replied in the affirmative.

Before going, I scanned through the Chuy's website and learned that each restaurant prepares the chili sauces fresh, and that they use peppers from Texas and New Mexico, including the now famous, Hatch chili peppers. 

Okay, now I'm ready.

Monday night: I ordered the Southwest enchilida dinner. That's a chicken enchilida with a spicy-hot, green sauce, and served with a fried egg on top. It was Deeeelicious. Marian had the chicken enchilada with a less spicy, green tomatillo sauce. I tasted the sauce from her dish. Again, very good. Both plates come with beans and rice.

The chips were light, the way I like them, and served hot and lightly salted. We ordered guacamole for an appetizer (hey, it was free) and I am happy to say that it, too, was good. It needed a little salt, and maybe some more chopped onions, cilantro, and peppers, but the avocado was fresh.

Chuy's salsa is pico-de-gallo-like and was my least favorite item. I prefer the more spicy-hot, but sweet, tomato-based salsa (think old, old El Chico's). That being said, Mexican salsa, like Italian spaghetti sauce, is very much a regional and family thing. As long as it's fresh I am happy. And it was.

Prices were in the $8 - $14 range, fairly priced. The portions: huge. If those are the normal portions, no one will walk away hungry from a $9 enchilada dinner. I did not have any of their hand made tortillas. My mistake.

The building layout, its design, and atmosphere are all fitting a new, mid-size chain of restaurants. It's a colorful, funky blend of the Southwest, Mexico, and Texas. I liked it.

Monday night's mood was festive, the restaurant was very busy, and everything seemed to be working well. I predict that this 7th Street location with its mid-range prices and Chuy's style of Mexican food will stay busy for a long time.

The biggest compliment I can give the Chuy's on 7th is this: I will be returning for that southwest enchilada dinner plate. It was very good.

http://www.chuys.com/
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Chuy's, the company, has been around a long time. They started in Austin in the early 80's, found success, and move outward from there. They now have about 25 restaurants, mostly in Texas, but also a few in the southwest USA. I think this restaurant is a nice addition to 7th Street.
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FAQ: What do you post if you don't like a "special invitation" dinner, considering it is free? 
I won't post anything at first, I return for a paid meal and then post my opinion, good or bad. For more information see: Policies



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Fuzzy's Taco's. Can't say I'm on board . . .

You have to be careful when you pick on a city-wide favorite restaurant. So, I'll be gentle, but . ..

I visited Fuzzy's/TCU today for the first time in probably 5 years. They have expanded since my last visit and I like the additional space, and I like the atmospherics.

But the shredded beef tacos aren't anything to get that excited about. $5.50 for two tacos with beans and rice is okay, but a few chips and non-Mexican salsa for $2.00? Add a small drink and the bill was $10.25. I could deal with the price if the meal was great, but it wasn't. And the worst part for me was that the flour tortillas, though fresh, were cool to the touch.

We were getting a late lunch, about 1:30 pm, and the place was full, so I tip my hat to their business savvy, but like I say, I just don't get the food.

Somebody help me out here . . .

http://www.fuzzystacoshop.com/

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Taco Cabana. Renovation. I went by to investigate.

Last week the Fort Worth Taco Cabanas had a kind of grand re-opening. Restaurants had been renovated and the menu updated -- so I decided to try it out. Here's a summary of my visit.

The renovation. Great job. Loved the two-toned wood tables and chairs, brushed steel on counter spaces, and lighting. One HDTV. Very comfortable, clean, and easy on the eye.

The menu. "Out" are those really bad pictures of Tex Mex platters. "In" is simplified ordering. It's got kind of a Chipotle look to it instead of old Burger King.

All that is good.

The food itself. I ordered the two fajita lunch for $6.50. The tortillas are made on-site and delicious, the fajita beef was tasty and good but something is lost when it is not sizzling from a pan. I had assumed beans and rice would be served with the fajitas but chips accompanied them instead. That was disappointing. Then again, I could have actually read the menu. The salsa and condiments island is good, clean, and well stocked. I have always liked their salsa island. Fresh cilantro helps.

A little serving of rice or a small bowl of charro beans would have made the meal much better and not added much to their cost. Two moderately portioned fajitas with a handful of chips for $6.50 is not a bad deal but probably not enough to make it my lunch spot of choice.

One other change to the Taco Cabana method is the roving server. Ordering is done at the counter but a server brings the meal to the table and asks if more drinks and chips are needed. I liked it except the girl, even given her friendliness, came back four or five times during a twenty minute meal. I know one man's helpfulness is another man's annoying helpfulness, but this seemed overdone to me. Yes, we did leave a small tip.

Free offer: Taco Cabana is offering free chicken fajita tacos on Tuesday, August 3, from 4-9 pm., and half-priced nachos and $1.50 margaritas during happy hour. (one free taco per customer, in-restaurant only)

There are about a half-dozen Taco Cabanas in the Fort Worth area. I visited the one on I-35 around Seminary. Here’s a link:  http://www.tacocabana.com/locator/
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Update two weeks later:
Editor's note: I went back a second time and asked for the dinner which included rice and beans, same price, and it was excellent. Great value. I will go back.

Groupon and Habenero's Mexican

Marian and I made our virgin voyage into Groupon coupons tonight.  She paid $12.50 for a $25 dining coupon to be used at Habenero's Fresh Mexican Cantina. The coupon purchase and use was seamless. We printed the coupon and presented it to the waitress when were seated. It worked perfectly.

That is the end of this evening's good report.

What can I say good about Habenero's Fresh Mexican Cantina? First, it's more in the sports-bar-meets-Mexican-food category. Big space, lots of TV's and large bar area. I liked that part.

As far as the food, I ordered the taco dinner and the taco's shredded beef was plentiful in portion and very tasty. But the flour tortilla tasted like it had been just pulled from the package in the fridge. It was tasteless and cold. Beans and rice come with the dinners and they weren't bad, but neither the rice or the beans were served hot. Lukewarm black beans are just not very tasty.

The guacamole. I have always assumed that guacamole was made from avocados. I guess I was wrong. I'm not sure what we were served, it was green and it had a little tang to it. But it was god-awful. The serve-yourself chips were very greasy and the hot sauce tasted more like shrimp-cocktail sauce. The occasional green and red tortilla chip mixed in with the other chips only confirms to me that the emphasis is on style not substance. Why ruin a good tortilla chip with food coloring?

I have an idea for the Habenero's people, and I'm being serious about this: if you're going to use Groupon as a promo service to get people to try your restaurants, serve the fresh food your website advertises.

Marian and I like to try new places and enjoyed the evening in spite of not caring for the food. Maybe they just had a bad night. The 50% off Groupon helped.

Habenero's: http://www.habanerosfreshmex.com/

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Patrizio's (almost), La Familia and a Stroll along 7th Street.

I have been wanting to go to Patrizio's. My son had spoken highly of their Dallas location and had brought home some pasta from a visit to their restaurant on 7th. It was very tasty and had the texture of fresh, not dried pasta. I was intrigued. But he warned me, "they just opened, and the service was bad, worse than bad." I heard the same from one other person. Good food, bad service. I still wanted to try it.

Saturday night we did, or almost did. We knew it would be crowded and it was. 30 - 60 minute wait. We signed up, walked around a bit, and at thirty minutes checked in to see how much longer, "at least another 30 minutes," said the hostess. I had been watching the outdoor diners and there were way too many tables without food, so I bailed. We walked up to La Familia. Good food, great service, very friendly people.

I'll return to Patrizio's. I'm not bashing them for what I have heard about the service, or the wait, it's new and it was Saturday night. Your opinion and comments would be appreciated here.

7th Street is hopping, though. W7th has got it going on. Fred's was doing well. As was Baileys, Pachuigo, Sweet Sammies, and everybody but Brownstone. They looked kind of slow. But it's hard to tell with them because all the seating is inside.

What is most interesting to me is all the development behind the W7th buildings. Fred's has got to be loving all the new attention. But also a place called the Backyard at Capital Bar, Poag Mahone's, and a few other bars were doing well.

7th Street is growing in all directions, with more to come. We did walk up to La Familia from Patrizio's, and I hope the city can somehow make 7th more pedestrian and bicycle friendly from the river to University. As Kevin Buchanan at FortWorthology suggests, take out a car lane each way, add a bike lane and a wide sidewalk. Make crossing the street easy, which it is not, right now.

How much development can the Fort Worth take?  No one knows, of course, but I love the kind of funky, warehouse conversions behind 7th, and I especially hope they do well.

Yucatan Taco. No lo entiendo.

Am I right in thinking that the Yucatan Peninsula is in Mexico?

Maybe the Yucatan Taco folks could take a little visit someday, because that is the poorest excuse for Mexican food I have had in a long time.

And it is expensive as well.

I ordered the ground sirloin taco. Three bucks. The only drier beef I had that week was at Dutch's hamburgers. The Yucatan taco meat was ground, and maybe it was sirloin, but it was as tasteless as cardboard. And the mound of lettuce in the middle of the taco, I guess that's to make it look pretty? And the sauce? Was that queso or yellow mayonaisse?

I also ordered guacamole with chips. I don't expect handmade quac but when you are charging $5 for a small dollop I expect better than the tube variety. It was god-awful. Seriously.

My wife had the nachos. It looked kind of cool -- if you like a mountain of chips and shredded lettuce, but it too was ladled with what appeared to be queso. About half way through the mound we gave up looking for anything worth eating.

Now, if Yucatan is just a bar that serves food as a side item. No problemo. Very cool place to drink a beer and hang out. But I think it is a restaurant and it is just bad food. And 3 bucks for a bad taco is just bad ridiculous.

Sorry. Not going back. For the food, anyway.

Dutch's Hamburgers -- Stttrrrike two.

I went to Dutch's Hamburgers today. I had heard that my first impression of their hamburger was wrong, that Dutch's had a hamburger that could be ranked with the best: Tommy's, Kinkaid's, Freds.

Well sorry folks, but I'll stick with the first impression and here's way: a good hamburger is juicy and tasty. Dutch's is neither.

On this my second visit to Dutch's, I received what is supposed to be a premium hamburger ($6.00 with no cheese) and it was pre-cooked, dry and almost tasteless. Hey Dutch, they've got this new seasoning out, it's called salt.

I mean this sincerely -- I would rather eat a hamburger at McDonald's, Wendys, or Whataburger. I think they taste better.

Regular readers know that I rarely criticize restaurants, but I am criticizing Dutch's because they are charging a premium price and delivering poor quality and all they need to do to improve is to deliver a freshly cooked burger. Stop pre-cooking!

And by the way, screw the "great onion rings" talk. I go to a place like Dutch's for the hamburger, the side dishes are secondary.

My hamburger was bone dry. Period. End of debate. I'm not going back.

The Yucatan Taco Stand.

Guest post by Elizabeth

The Yucatan Taco Stand is on Magnolia where the BJ Keefers used to be. What a transformation! It reminds me of a Mexican restaurant version of Pei Wei, in that you walk in, order, and your food is brought to you.

The atmosphere is dark but pleasant. There's a nice mix of tables, booths and patio seating.

The food is reasonably priced and I really enjoy the fajitas. I think they use a lot of lime and citrus flavoring in the dishes which I happen to enjoy. They have a full bar and at night and live music. I guess I'm getting old because if I get to go out without children and have adult conversation, I don't really like to compete with the music. I'm sure the music is more of a weekend thing and it fits as there was a good showing of the TCU crowd when I visited. I love sitting outside on the patio.

Visually, the food is plated in attractive and interesting ways. The fajitas are served on a long narrow platter with all the sides displayed nicely.

My only complaint is that it is dark and somewhat hard to see your food. I definitely want to try it at lunch soon.

Each time I've been the place was packed. This is going to become one of my favorite cheap date night dinner places.

Yucatan has a lot of bang for the buck.

Their website has the full menu and a few pics of the restaurant:

http://www.yucatantacostand1.com/default.htm

Guest Post by Elizabeth. See Elizabeth's artistry at: http://littlelizzie.typepad.com/

Benito's: a Very Good Breakfast

We went for an early lunch at Benito's last Sunday. After we were seated, I noticed that the table next to us was being served breakfast -- and it looked good.

So the four of us ordered breakfast. And it was good.

I had Huevos con Chorizo (delicious), my son Andrew had the Chila Quiles, which he said was the best he has had. Beans and rice are served with the dishes. Here's the kicker: about $6 each dish, for a meal that is enough to last you all day.

We have always enjoyed Benito's for good, local Mexican food but the breakfast was a surprise.

When I go to Benito's for lunch or dinner I always get the pork tacos. We also like a side of fresh, warm, corn tortillas. Benito's is a locally owned family restaurant and best of all, the management, servers, and staff seem to appreciate you being there.

Benito's: 1450 W. Magnolia Ave. (at Fairmount Ave.) Ft. Worth, TX 76104

Two Nights at Two Restaurants. How'd we do?

The tried and true worked again. Ruffino's and Mi Cocina's.

For many years our family has gone out for dinner on Christmas eve. It started when the children were young, because, we thought, getting them out of the house, fed and maybe a little tired would help later getting them to bed and to sleep. And also for the simple reason that everyone had been busy preparing for the holidays, especially mom. It's also a nice lead up to midnight mass nowadays and gets everyone in a calm, more Christmas-like frame of mind (the Cabernet doesn't hurt either).

For the last 10 years we have gone to the Macaroni Grill on University because it was open and no one else was. This year we arrived around 7:30 and found a waiting list of 45 minutes. My daughter loves Ruffino's so we changed plans and drove south and east about a mile to Forest Park. The food was great, as usual. The restaurant was busy but well staffed. Our table and its setting were perfect. Four of us ordered the Roasted Chicken Tagliatelle, a breast of chicken with pasta in a creamy mushroom sauce -- and served very hot. Ruffino's is a good restaurant in a dining atmosphere and everything is done well . . . except the rolls, which taste like a store bought variety. They lack flavor, texture and temperature -- bad idea at an Italian restaurant. Total tab after tip, about $165, including a beer or two, one glass of wine and no dessert. A much better choice than Macaroni Grill and well worth the extra expense.

Second restaurant -- 5 days later, at Mi Cocina's downtown. 6 adults, 1 child. Friday night, 15 minute wait. Great food, great service. Good price. Mi Cocina's is a good restaurant, too. Not great, but good. They know who they are and what their patrons want: hot tasty Mexican food, fresh corn chips, good salsa. The server was perfect and the other staff make it a great evening eating out. A little less expensive at $130 with tip, including a few bottles of beer and a Mojito ... (one guess who had that).

I love trying new restaurants but during the Christmas holidays, I stay with what I know everyone will enjoy.

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The picture is Trastevere in Rome (across the Tiber), a great place for restaurants in Italy.

Taquiero San Antonio

On the western side of Camp Bowie Boulevard is an old Taco Bell or some-such that has been converted into a pretty good Mexican restaurant.

We had lunch there yesterday, and if it weren't for the fact that I live on the exact opposite side of town I would go again. Order-at-the-counter and limited seating, but good tacos, with beans and rice at a very reasonable price. If you're looking for made-at-your-table guacamole or unlimited chips, salsa and pico de gallo, go elsewhere. Taquiero San Antonio reminds me of the restaurant you pull into when traveling in mainland Mexico -- good, homemade, inexpensive food and friendly service.

Just as we were leaving I noticed what most people were ordering to go: piping hot, home made tamales. They looked very good.

The menu is as expected: tacos, enchiladas, quesidillas, tamales, with your choice of 5 or 6 meats. They all looked fresh. The tortillas weren't the best I have had at like restaurants but good enough. Chips and salsa are extra and probably not worth it, the salsa is the chili-sauce and not great for dipping tortilla chips. Again, stick to what they do well.

Try them next time you are on the west side of Fort Worth. I will go back for the tamales, especially.

Taqueria San Antonio
7905 W. Camp Bowie Blvd.
Fort Worth
817-560-8000

The image is unrelated except that it is Christmas season; it is The Adoration of the Shepherds, by Caravaggio. You can see a larger and clearer image at http://www.artbible.info/art/large/433.html

There's a New Kid in Town

Cantina Laredo. "Cantina Laredo is to Mexican what P.F. Chang's is to Chinese." That's what the Ft Myers News-Press said, and I think fairly. The new, downtown Fort Worth, Cantina Laredo is in the old BankOne Building, now The Towers condominiums. The interior design is upscale with mid-tone woods, black iron and copper facades. It works. The tables are solid wood and very handsome. The bar is the first thing you see upon entering, the dining tables are to its side and back which keeps it from the big hall feeling of many restaurants. I like that, too. We visited the restaurant on a Tuesday night around 6:30 and it was about one third full in the restaurant but a full bar business. I had been to the Cantina Laredo in Grapevine for a Christmas Party a few years ago but I don't remember it being as well designed as this nor as formal; it's not for summer-casual walk-in crowd.
The food is very good Mexican with large portions. Scratch that. Very large portions. My son had the beef fajitas and said they were better than Mi Cocina's. I tasted them and agree. The meat is tender, cooked perfectly and very tasty. My wife and I had the Manzanillo, which is two chicken enchiladas and a taco al carbon with rice and beans. It's a lot of food. By the time the en- trees arrived I told the waiter to box-to-go one of the Manzanillo plates. We did have the guacamole appetizer.We all requested the baracho beans and they were not as good as they should be. I love whole beans cooked with a little beer and bacon but these seemed fresh from the can. No texture, no beer taste and no bacon or ham. They also offer refried and black beans. The chips are excellent, the salsa is the warm variety like Blue Mesa, spicy but not too hot. The guacamole is fresh and made at the table, again similar to Blue Mesa. The tortillas were warm and very good. Our tab for 3 with drinks (no alcohol) was $60 including the tip, but we ordered the less expensive items on the menu. Chicken mole's and fish dishes are approaching $20 each. Will I go back? Yes. Are the fajitas as good as Pappasitto's? They just might be. Cantina Laredo is a welcome addition to other downtown restaurants like Mi Cocina's and P.F. Changs. It is a franchise and one of about 30 in the country.
Of the 5 good chain-Mexican style restaurants in Fort Worth I would rate the Cantina a close second behind Mi Cocina's. Followed by Pappasittos, Glorias, and Uncle Julios.
http://www.cantinalaredo.com