Mexican food

Brother’s Cafe 3:16, Paso Robles, CA., 3/15/26

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front – 1487 Creston Rd, Paso Robles, CA 93446

Brother’s Cafe 3:16 was a good sized place with indoor and outdoor dining, 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch.  Located in a shopping center, there’s plenty of of free parking.  Bright and clean there were seats at the counter facing the window to the kitchen as well as two sizes of bare wood tables. Red artificial blooms were striking decorations.  Service was efficient, friendly and helpful.  Portions were generous and the food was good.  There was a large percentage of Mexican favorites but also plenty of standard breakfast foods.  I would easily go again and suggest it as a dining option when in Paso Robles. Continue reading →

La Vecindad, San Diego, 4/11/25

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exterior – 3827 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

La Vecindad specializes in tacos from Mexico City in a large, very casual space.  After attempting to patronize several other spots that had been recommended, where we couldn’t find parking, we ended up here for lunch.  This was an open air space with a long counter with stools leading to the order area.  Picnic tables were in the front as well as on the sidewalk.  The salsa bar (for fixings) was next to a cooler with soft drinks and bottled beer but they also had beer on tap or a full bar.  Music was playing in the background and the staff were friendly and welcoming.  The good sized menu is supplemented on weekends by a “Secret Menu”.  We probably erred by ordering from it but it seemed like a good idea at the time however I’m betting you should stay with tacos if you come here.  Our lunch was edible but nothing special.  The draft beer was cold and satisfying to drink while we waited. Continue reading →

Los Vaqueros Cafe & Grill, Kyle, TX, 12/28/24

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building – 804 W Center St, Kyle, TX 78640
Los Vaqueros Cafe and Grill serves Tex-Mex food in an old house with a large patio for additional seating.  They serve breakfast all day but the large menu offers tons of options.  The servers were friendly but spoke limited English.  A pair of longtime Kyle residents opened the place in 2017 in the space formerly occupied by El Pueblito.  It was modeled after a bar and grill that one of the couples owns in Sequin, TX.  Los Vaqueros means “the cowboys” and these 2 couples certainly had courage with only one of them having background in restaurant ownership.  They make much in-house and also sell some long-cooked items to go.  They are open every day with reasonable prices and acceptable Tex-Mex.  We enjoyed a breakfast there with family and you will too.

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Tipico’s Mexican Food, Dallas, 8/5/24

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building –3118 W Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75220

Tipico’s Mexican Food was in a former Pizza Hut building with a large very busy parking lot outside.  Booth seating lined the perimeter and various sizes of tables are in the middle.  Windows with shades were above the booth seats.  They are open daily from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm and offer no-frills Mexican fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  They did have beer on the menu but I saw no bar for other drinks.  You seat yourself and when you’re through, note your table number and your check is at the register by the door.  It’s very near to Love Field airport but it also seemed frequented by many of the workers in the neighborhood.  Fast service, good prices and giant portions are part of the draw but the food has more soul than fast food flavor.   There are daily specials which are very reasonable but many Tex-Mex favorites are on the menu.  (If you can read the tiny print on the menu).   It was not a particularly convenient place to where I live but I’m glad I went and wouldn’t be against going again if I’m in the area. Continue reading →

Los Pinos, Livingston, MT, 10/25/23

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exterior – 102 Rogers Ln, Livingston, MT 59047

Los Pinos is operated by Cristian Ramirez and his nephew Brian.   It’s pretty non-descript and right next to a casino in an old Travel Lodge building, so you might easily pass it by.  Inside it’s a medium-sized place with booths, large tables, a long bar, music in the background and windows to the outside that remind you of where you are but inside it’s nice. You also wouldn’t expect to find good Mexican food in Montana but you can find it here.  They don’t show it online but they also offer a lunch menu with a lot of the dinner options at a cheaper price.  Service was friendly and efficient, as validated by the number of regulars who stopped in for quick and filling lunch.  It was a tasty lunch but not as spicy as I’m used to but a good lunch of well-made Mexican food. Continue reading →

Amano, Caldwell, ID., 10/20/23

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building – 702 Main St, Caldwell, ID 83605

Amano is owned by Chef Salvador Alamilla who was inspired to cook from watching his mother.  He started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to Executive Chef quickly and also spent time as house manager for several restaurants in Boise. In 2019 he opened Amano in downtown Caldwell, a 30 minute drive from Boise.  Since then he has been nominated twice for a James Beard Award.  It shows in the popularity of the large place.  The room was divided into sections set with small tables and various seating options.  The very high “plaster” ceiling was actually made of wood to look like plaster and music was in the background.  There was dining on the second floor also and a full bar with seats downstairs.  Our server stated that the bar squeezed their own juices so we did try one cocktail.   Service was friendly but not particularly efficient.  Overall the food was acceptable but not as inspiring as I’d hoped it would be. Continue reading →

The Shed, Santa Fe, 9/14/23

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exterior sign – 113 1/2 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

The Shed is an institution in Santa Fe.  Its sister restaurant La Choza (opened in 1983) is frequented more by locals whereas The Shed is on the main Square and has been there since 1953.  There are nine rooms within and a patio on the outside.  They are known for their blue corn options and red chile as well as margaritas.  Very popular, they do take reservations for dinner and otherwise be prepared to wait.  The bare wood tables are in rooms filled with paintings, not for sale, and plants. The bar has a large selection of tequila and mescal as well as some wines.  Chips are not included in your meal but can be ordered separately.  If you get to Santa Fe you must eat here, it’s a great starting point for your journey through New Mexican food. Continue reading →

Tomasita’s, Santa Fe, 9/13/23

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exterior – 500 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Tomasita’s serves New Mexican food in Santa Fe as well as Albuquerque.   Named for Tomasita Leyba, the original cook at the place and whose recipes are still served 40 years later.  It started as a small café on Hickox Street in 1974 when Georgia Maryol took over the dying restaurant. Together they built a customer base that outgrew the space and in 1979 it moved to the 100-year old red brick building in the Santa Fe Railyard.  Georgia’s son now owns the restaurant and opened a branch in Albuquerque in 2017.  The railyard location was a large place with rooms scattered around set with bare wooden tables and chairs and a patio.  Music was in the background, there was a large adjacent parking lot, art decorated the walls and statues were on the patio.  Chips and salsa are not included in the meal.  The service was super friendly and efficient but the food was mixed. Continue reading →

Comal 864, Greenville, SC., 3/9/23

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exterior – 1112 Woodside Ave, Greenville, SC 29611

Comal 864 is the creation of Brownsville, Texas native Dayna Lee Márquez, who wanted to bring South Texas food to this region.  It started in July 2019 as a pop-up operation and in Nov. 2022  opened a storefront operation that also offers catering.  Chef Márquez was nominated in 2023 for a James Beard Best Chef Southeast Award.  The little house has parking on either side and picnic tables out front.  Inside a long counter with stools runs in front of the kitchen and order area and the rest is filled with tables and chairs.  You order at the counter and they’ll bring it to your table. Chef Márquez was in the kitchen and you could see her preparing plates along with her helpers.  For 2:00 in the afternoon, it was surprisingly busy but they are open all day.  The counter person was helpful in choosing what to order and the portions are very generous.  While the dishes may be novel to this area I found them very lacking in spice, but I admit I am surrounded by and love spicy Tex-Mex.   If I were closer I’d try the place again because the ‘bones’ of it were great but for me, the end result missed the mark. Continue reading →

Don Chabe Steak, Dallas, 12/9/22

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building – 3933 Main St., Dallas, TX  75226

Don Chabe opened in August of 2022 in the location that formerly had Mac’s Bar-B-Que.   It’s primarily a Mexican steakhouse but they also have breakfast items and salads.  Fronted by Oscar Rodriguez, the owners also have street taco and sandwich spots and thus some of that is also available.  There are plenty of tables and a dedicated parking lot and the bones of the place still scream Mac’s but they’ve painted the ceiling with fun designs and installed bright tiles around the baseboard.  The lights are bright and music is in the background as well as a large TV screen on one wall that was muted when we were there.  They were not crowded but our server said they have not put out much advertising as they are still working out the menu.  English was not the first language of our server but we were able to get by.  They do now have beer($4) and take credit cards. Continue reading →

Casita Tex-Mex, Dallas, 9/8 & 14/22

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exterior – 5807 Blackwell St., Dallas, TX

Casita Tex-Mex has been in business for 40 years but in Dec. 2020 they closed for a year and a half after a fire.  The kitchen fire caused owners Norma and Alfonso Valles, who bought the place in 2007, to completely rebuild the interior, and this was on top of dealing with shutdowns due to the Covid pandemic.  The building was also a restaurant even further back, in the 1960s as Casita Dominguez, and thus has a lot of long-time and loyal customers.  They were back in force when it re-opened on August 30.  The interior is clean, bright, and new but the food is tried and true.  There are a number of square tile-topped tables that can be positioned to suit party size and several high-top tables in the bar area, which also has seats facing the bar.  A patio with tables runs along the front of the place and by the time we left, it was pretty much full.  Service was friendly but challenged by the crowd.   TVs are on the walls but the sound was muted.  It was well worth a visit and I went back a week later to try another plate. Continue reading →

E Bar Tex Mex (update), Dallas, 5/27/21

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building

Our last visit to E Bar Tex Mex was in 2018 and I wanted to update it as I was not wowed by the food on that visit but speculated that you had to find the items that spoke to you.  They continue to get crowds and now I know why cause I’ve found my item – Jorge’s Tacos.  The place is physically about the same except they’ve added a non-enclosed tent next to the enclosed one and their name is on a nearby parking lot to provide additional parking. Service is good, helpful and friendly. Continue reading →

Herrera’s Café, Dallas,1/25/19

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entrance
entrance

Note:  Restaurant now closed

Herrera’s Café has been around since 1971 and been in many locations.  There are now a number of similarly named places but this is the original that started on Maple St.  I have eaten there for years but don’t get to this “new” location as often as it’s not real convenient.  They were a staple for a long time because they had a really spicy salsa with warm really corny chips.  They still have that and some of the original family are around too.  At this location there is a fairly good sized parking lot but it naturally leads you to a door that is not the entrance, so go around the building to where it faces Sylvan and you’ll find the proper entrance as well as a large area for outdoor dining.  Inside a wall of press about the place greets you and the desk that takes names as well as check you out when you’re through.  To the right are the bathrooms and kitchen and to the left is a large dining room.  If you go straight ahead you’ll be in another dining room with the bar and a doorway to another smaller dining area.  At lunch it was bustling with people but we didn’t have to wait long for a table to become free.  Service is friendly and efficient. Continue reading →