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closeWednesday, Sep. 16, 2009
Come hungry for big plates, home-style food at Tequila Rain
By JUNE NAYLOR
Special to dfw.com
It’s easy to assume, driving past the place, that Tequila Rain is simply a bar. The bright-blue exterior and name tell you nothing of the flavor and spirited charm waiting inside this humble Hurst hole-in-the-wall.
But if you’re hunting for belly-filling food that’s nothing like watered-down Tex-Mex, you shouldn’t dismiss this newcomer. It’s a distinctive version of home-cooking that will suit hungry folks with a sense of adventure.
Although Tequila Rain steers clear of classic Tex-Mex designation — there’s no chile con queso, for instance — there are certain hints of la frontera, or the borderlands that define southernmost Texas and northern Mexico. One of the appetizers is called botana, a platter of tortilla chips piled with chorizo beans, cheeses, grilled onion and peppers, tomato, and chopped avocado and jalapeño slices ($10.85), an offering that I’ve rarely seen north of Reynosa.
Owners Maria Dejesus Salinas and her son, Eliazar Salinas, are recent transplants from Detroit. That’s fitting, because their burly dishes are well-suited to hard-working folks — and lots of them. You’re wise to bring a gaggle of pals or plenty of family members to enjoy meals here; even the plates noted as "chico," or small, turn out to be muy grande.
At a recent lunch visit, two of us howled in awe at the torta called La Cubana ($5.75), a massive sandwich on the beloved Mexican talera bread. Between planks of the golden, crusty roll were piled a tenderized, breaded steak, a split and grilled hot link, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, guacamole and jalapeño slices. Alongside, a small hill of hand-cut french fries shored up the plate.
Our dinner visit found three of us over-ordering again. The star on a plate of three enchiladas ($7.75) was the shredded chicken beneath a salsa verde and layer of melted cheeses.
From the grill, we picked the beef platter ($14.35), a massive skillet piled with tender strips of carne asada, hot links and the Mexican-style beef ribs, cut across the bone with wide meat strips connecting each. With some of the platter’s grilled onion and peppers, along with pico de gallo and a spoonful of chunky guacamole, the grilled meat was perfect when rolled inside a hot, supple corn tortilla.
The tacos were a bit baffling and somewhat disappointing. The tacos estilo de Matamoros ($8.05) were simply too plain, with just meat and tortilla.
The Salinases should get kudos for producing a big menu with a range of choices that include shrimp cocktail, menudo and fajita salad, along with a number of tortas, burritos and combination plates. If we had a complaint, it’s that the service — while relentlessly cheerful and friendly — was scattered and confused at times.
145 W. Pipeline Road
Hurst
817-282-6400
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Cuisine: Mexican
Signature dishes: Cuban sandwich; carne asada and ribs; chicken enchiladas
Entree cost: $4.75-$5.50 lunch; $6.95-$14.50 dinner
Essentials: Full bar; smoke-free; major credit cards; wheelchair-accessible.
Recommended for: Folks hungry for filling, home-style Mexican dishes
Good to know: Breakfast burritos served 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; soccer and soaps on TV; kids menu offered.
june@junenaylor.com
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