Month: August 2023

Bandito’s Tex Mex – Dallas, TX

When I am in Texas having good Tex Mex is a must have. There are so many places to choose from, it can be a hard decision to make. It is best to leave it up to the locals to make a recommendation. That is how I ended up at Bandito’s Tex Mex.

The restaurant is small inside, so it fills up fast. Once you are able to get seated, they will bring you chips and salsa right away. This way you have something to enjoy while you are looking over the menu.

The salsa was amazing. It was freshly made, and the flavor of the onions and cilantro helped highlight the sweetness of the tomatoes.

I would also recommend ordering some homemade queso. The creamy cheese was great with the crispy tortilla chips.

I ordered a Sangria as well. I got red, that tends to be my favorite. It was sweet but also slightly tart based on the type of wine they used. It was refreshing. I went down easy, so I had to make sure that I drank it slowly.

The menu had many great dishes to choose from.  I ordered the 12 Gauge Flautas. I love flautas and I usually can only find them in Texas. These flautas were shredded chicken wrapped in a corn tortilla and then fried. They were extremely crispy. They were served with a side of queso, sour cream, and guacamole. The flautas were amazing when dipped in the queso. They stayed crispy, and the savory flavor of the chicken was complemented by the richness of the cheese. These were classified as an appetizer, but they were plenty for my meal.

The Red River Chicken Enchiladas were also ordered. This dish came with two chicken enchiladas covered in a sour cream sauce and topped with melted pepperjack cheese. This dish was a lot plus it came with rice and beans. The chicken was shredded and savory. It was the same chicken that they used in the flautas. It just remained juicy in the enchilada.

Another dish ordered was the Low Rider Burrito. This burrito was fully customizable. This one was made with spicy beef and topped with a chili con queso. And of course, rice and beans were on the side. This was a big burrito. The beef was not too spicy. The chili con queso had a nice salty taste that went well with the beef.

These were some excellent Tex Mex dishes at Bandito’s. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting great Tex Mex food.

Check out their menu at www.banditostexmex.com

Enjoy!

T

Down One Bourbon Bar – Louisville, KY

While visiting Louisville, Kentucky, you will notice that it is all about bourbon and horses. Part of the Bourbon Trail starts in downtown Louisville. After having a few tastings, you need to make sure to eat something.

We picked Down One Bourbon Bar to grab some lunch.

The restaurant has a fun vibe. There are humorous signs all around that were entertaining.

I started off with a Kentucky Iced Tea. This was the quintessential Kentucky drink. They used Evan Willaims Bourbon, Rittenhouse Rye, Carpano Antica formula vermouth, peach schnapps, peach puree, Goslings ginger beer, and lime. There was a lot going on with this cocktail. It had a slight kick from the bourbon but was sweet because of the peach puree and schnapps. It was not a cocktail you could drink really fast.

The Masa Fried Cheese Curds were ordered. The cheese was breaded and fried up to be crispy. They served them with shaved jalapenos. This added a little spice when eaten with the cheese curd. They made a homemade ranch dipping sauce. This had a great tangy taste. The cheese curds were creamy with a nice salty taste. They were small pieces so it was easy to pop them in your mouth.

The Smothered Nachos were good for sharing because they were so big. It was easy to get full on eating these. The nacho chips were topped with pork carnitas, queso, cilantro crème, and pico de gallo.

I saw two sides on the menu that I ordered to complete my lunch. The Cilantro Lime Rice, was simple, just steamed white rice that was blended with fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro. The lime gave it a little bite and the cilantro added a little spice. It was light and refreshing for a side dish.

I also ordered the Street Corn. They took the corn off the cob and charred it. That gave the corn a slight smokey taste. Then they mixed it with mayonnaise, chili lime seasoning, cilantro, and cotija cheese. There was a sharpness to the flavor. Between the mayonnaise and the chili lime seasoning, the corn was very tangy. The cotija cheese added texture. It was a lot less messy eating the corn out of a bowl than on the cob.

This was a great spot to hit in between bourbon tastings. Check them out at www.downonebourbonbar.com

Enjoy!

T

El Rigoberto’s Taco Shop – Los Alamos, NM

There is a very authentic Mexican restaurant in Los Alamos, New Mexico that I visited on two separate occasions when I was in town. El Rigoberto’s offers all the classic Mexican dishes along with a little New Mexico flare.

Once you order at the counter, you can find a seat in the restaurant. They will bring the food to you. Now in the center of the restaurant there is a salsa bar. You can help yourself to a variety of red and green salsas – all with different levels of heat. There is also an amazing homemade pico de gallo.

They also had a giant bowl of pickled peppers and carrots. These also had some heat. It was a nice snack to have while we waited for our dishes.

One of the dishes ordered was the Cheese Quesadillas. This was a large quesadilla. It was filled with a generous amount of shredded chicken and melted cheese. Adding a little of the pico de gallo to it helped step up the flavor. The fresh tortilla were cooked up until they were crispy of the outside. This nice crunch complemented to soft texture from the chicken, cheese filling.

Another dish that was ordered was the Beef Burritos. Two large burritos came on the plate along with rice and refired beans. It was a lot of food. They used shredded beef. The beef was tender and seasoned perfectly. It was a savory, salty taste.

They had a couple of taco options on the menu. The Fish Tacos were chosen. Two of them came with the meal. The fish was lightly fried. They were on soft tortilla shells and covered in an amazing sauce. It was like a cream sauce that accented the fish well.

The Chiles Rellenos was a perfect New Mexico dish. These rellenos were large, but not spicy. They were stuffed with cheese that melted when cooked. It oozed with each cut of the pepper. These were also served with rice and beans, as well as fresh guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. These added elements were perfect to help balance out all the cheese.

On the second visit, we tried two more dishes. The Bean Tostada & Beef Taco combo plate seemed like a lot of food but it was just the right amount. The taco was the shredded beef and it was still full of flavor like the last visit. The crunchy taco shell was made from a fresh tortilla.

The tostada was easier to eat than I was expecting. The crunchy tortilla was covered with creamy refried beans, cheese, and topped with shredded lettuce. I was able to just pick it up with my hands and take a bite. The rice and beans on the side were a good addition to put on top of the tostada.

The last thing ordered was the Beef Burrito & Cheese Enchilada. They used the seasoned shredded beef in the burrito. The cheese enchilada was oozing with cheese. The red and green sauce was added on top of each to give it the extra spice. Using both red and green sauce is called Christmas.

All of the food was amazing. It was all homemade and extremely authentic.  If you are visiting Los Alamos you should check them out. They don’t have a website but you can check them out of Facebook.

Enjoy!

T