Thursday, October 27, 2011

Discovering the best Tex-Mex in Dallas.

It’s been a long time since my last restaurant review because Sam and I tend to eat at the same favorite spots over and over and there really hasn’t been anything exciting to write about … until NOW.

Yesterday we decided to try something new and took my mother-in-law to Mariano’s Hacienda for lunch, a highly-recommended Tex-Mex mecca in Dallas since 1971 with six locations all over town. We had such a great time I almost don’t know where to start.
The decor was adorable, the menu was impressive, and our waiter — Umberto — was a treasure with an infectious sense of fun. The food was seriously terrific, too. We loved the house special queso dip with our chips and salsa — TWO KINDS OF SALSA! — and Sam and mom ordered lunch-size portions of chicken flautas. I kept it simple with three beef tacos. Everything was so outrageously good that we can’t wait to go back and order the rest of their menu … especially the noisy fajitas that sizzled up the entire dining room. (I wish somebody would make perfume smell that good.)

Sam, who considers himself a Tex-Mex aficionado, was so damn impressed with the entire experience that he hunted down the manager when we finished eating to tell him we’re planning to move in and adopt Umberto. I’d even consider sending him to college. RATING: A.

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