Monday, July 28, 2008

FOOD CZAR REVIEW #29: MATTITOS TEX-MEX RESTAURANT

Main Street in Frisco just continues to be a happening place. If you build it, they will come (as Field of Dreams would have it). Lochranns Irish Pub next door continues to make money hand over fist, so why not build a second location of an established Tex-Mex eatery in the same building? Mattitos has been operating in Dallas for years, first in Oak Lawn, then moving to the present location on Routh in 1992, serving quality Tex-Mex in a festive atmosphere, with no dishes over $23. The concept must be working like gangbusters for the Northern Suburbanites; when I first tried to review this place about a month ago, I was told there would be an hour-long wait. Since a Texan cannot have too many Tex-Mex choices, I bundled my lovely wife the Rock Star into our motorized conveyance and, taking care to leave a little earlier this time, made the drive up the tollway again one recent Friday.

ATMOSPHERE

This time the promised wait was only twenty minutes, so we settled into the convival bar with the now-ubiquitous lighted coaster (Note to self: Must buy stock in whatever company manufactures these things, as they are obviously making a killing.) Lots of brick, tile, and faux-distressed wood with adjacent outdoor patio (which will undoubtedly get lots more use as summer turns to fall). Prowling waiters attended to drink needs quickly, and soon enough we were led into one of the smaller dining areas, each separated by a net curtain. A large party was setting up in an adjacent dining area, and in another, a rehearsal dinner was getting under way. No questions here that Downtown Frisco is definitely the place to be these days.

FOOD

Chips were thin and crispy, and the accompanying salsa was thin but packed plenty of heat. Said heat was put to good use to give extra zest to the queso, which had a nice thick consistency, but was a touch on the bland side for my taste. Much better with a dash of salsa. My bride selected a chicken and cheese enchilada plate. The cheese enchilada with chili gravy proved all a Tex-Mex fan could ask for, with great flavor, but as is often the case in such classic-style joints, the chicken enchilada was good but uninspiring. My advice: Stick with the beef, cheese, and pork options and you can't go wrong, and the Oscar platter I ordered proved the point with an excellent pork tamal (tamale), very good crispy beef taco, and again, the excellent cheese enchilada. Rice and beans were well seasoned, and my wife really enjoyed her souplike borracho beans, which for her is saying a lot, because she usually doesn't like any beans that are not green. We paired our feasts, as usual, with Mexican beers and boxed up plenty of leftovers for the journey home.

SERVICE AND WEBSITE

Service was well-paced and nicely unobtrusive; when you don't notice it, it's a good thing. Website is www.mattitos.com, which has thankfully been updated to include the new location. A continuing source of frustration for me as a reviewer is to have to search the internet for info on a place that is obviously open and going great guns. So many people are internet-savvy these days, I don't understand why it's too often still treated as an afterthought.

OVERALL

Mark one more successful Tex-Mex joint in the books, and obviously the Mattitos family have another hit on their hands. Come see what's happening soon, and as always:

LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!

2 comments:

Margie said...

I like the one in Dallas quite a bit. But, I think it's a little overpriced. Good though.

Food Czar said...

Margie, I agree. It is a bit overpriced. My wife and I had this discussion while we were dining. The price was on par with dinner at an upscale Corporate Mex place, such as Mi Cocina or Cantina Laredo. However, Mannys Tex Mex, just down the street in Frisco, charges a couple of bucks less for the same meal.