Monday, May 14, 2012

Disappointing 26


Los Charros Tex Mex (no website, bad sign #4)
Allen, TX

I probably would have avoided this restaurant for a while longer if it weren’t for my massive blood sugar crash. While shopping at the outlets with my teenaged son, I suddenly felt my face go pale and palms get clammy. This usually means that I have about 10 minutes until I literally pass out. We ran out the door and went to the closest eatery. It looked closed--construction in the parking lot and only 1 car in the lot. Not a good sign. We entered and I immediately had deja-vu. At age 15, my first job was hostessing at Chi Chi’s Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. The kitchen always smelled dank—a combo of dirty dishwater and stale Mexican food. This is the same smell that wafted into my nose upon entering Los Charros. (2nd bad sign.) The 3rd bad sign was the lack of patrons. There was only 1 other couple in the restaurant and only 1 guy at the bar.

I ordered avocado enchiladas and my son ordered brisket tacos. On the plus side, the food was served in 5 minutes, which meant my blood sugar was restored to almost normal. On the downside, the food was served in 5 minutes, which meant it was all pre-made and microwaved. I inhaled it all within 2 minutes, so perhaps missed some of the subtle nuances… or not. My enchiladas were supposed to have a cilantro sauce, but instead it was a ranchero sauce, with flakes of tasteless, dried green herb. It tasted like tomato sauce—no discernable chile or cilantro flavor. My son’s brisket tacos were ok, but a bit greasy. The beans tasted like lard. The guac was creamy—nothing special, but edible.  Our server was attentive and efficient, but not enough to make me want to return, not even for the nostalgic deja-vu. 

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