13 November 14 - 20, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents 8 Best Chilaquiles in Dallas From 4 a.m. gas-station dishes to upscale dining, Dallas satisfies your chilaquiles cravings. BY DESIREE GUTIERREZ T here are two staples in a Mexi- can home: salsa and tortillas. These two vital household in- gredients make the favorite comfort meal chilaquiles, salsa- soaked tortilla chips. Chilaquiles date back to the late 1800s. For over a century, this traditional dish has nourished families with its crunchy, saucy texture; fortunately, it can be found on menus across Dallas. However, they aren’t all the same. Chilaquiles are versatile, and Dallas chefs have made the dish their own by adding dif- ferent salsas, garnishes and proteins. Here’s our list of the best chilaquiles in Dallas. José 4931 W. Lovers Lane We’ve yet to taste a dish that José’s award- winning executive chef, Anastacia Quiño- nes-Pittman, didn’t execute with the craftsmanship of a goddess. In 2019, the Ob- server praised José’s brunch and continues to do so. José offers a loaded plate of crispy tortilla strips, onions, queso fresco, sunny- side-up eggs, shredded chicken, refried black beans and tomatillo salsa on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The $18 plate is a jam-packed plate of protein and flavor. Paired with José’s simultaneously laid-back and upscale ambiance, it’s the ideal way to kick off a relaxing weekend. Tacos La Gloria 2303 Mountain Lake Road The key to finding the best chilaquiles is looking toward family. Taco La Gloria, oper- ated by Maria Gloria Serrato and her family, is an underdog success story of resilience and hearty plates made with love. For the chilaquiles, freshly fried corn tortillas are tossed in a frying pan with red or green sauce before being poured directly into a to- go container. A drizzle of refried beans is added along with other essentials. Be sure to request the shredded carne. A simpler chila- quiles plate served with rice, beans and a side salad is $10. There’s also a gooey chila- quile burrito teased on Instagram. Taqueria Vazquez 2410 S. Hampton Road Taqueria Vazquez, inside a gas station on Hampton Road, has a sign that reads “24/7 tacos,” but that’s subject to change. You can order inside or at a window outside the building, Sunday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m., and until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The no-frills spot serves up lightly crisped cut-up tortillas swimming in a tangy salsa verde. Red salsa is available as well. The huge portion is topped with crema, crumbled queso fresco and two well-fried eggs. Don’t be afraid of the salsa: it’s not spicy. Use the excess sauce to top the Mexi- can rice and refried beans that accompany the $11.99 chilaquiles plate. La Casita Coffee 5801 E. Northwest Highway La Casita Bakery expanded into Half Price Books’ flagship location earlier this year un- der the name La Casita Coffee. Book lovers were ecstatic to get their fix of James Beard semifinalist chef Marisca Trejo’s sugary cruffins and buttery layered croissants. A month ago, the menu expanded, and La Ca- sita Coffee is now serving breakfast, lunch and cocktails from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Thankfully, chilaquiles made the menu. La Casita Coffee coats tortilla chips in a smoky salsa rojo, and the sharable $14 plate is gar- nished with black beans, cotija cheese, two sunny-side-up eggs, avocado and sour cream. Mojo pork can be added for $4. The tortilla chips come out of the kitchen freshly fried and soaked. The tortillas are equally delicious crispy or softened. El Encanto Café 3054 Webb Chapel Extension El Encanto Café is homestyle cooking. The charming cafe is located inside a reimagined home on Webb Chapel Extension, just north of Love Field. It’s a cozy oasis with authentic Mexican dishes. There’s usually a wait, but it’s well worth it. The chilaquiles ($13) are a crowd favorite. This meal is intended for slow mornings and savoring. Start your breakfast by indulging in a concha and café de olla. Then, dive into a picturesque plate of chilaquiles. Drizzled crema, a blanket of crumbled queso fresco and eggs made your way lie on top of red or green salsa-tossed tortilla crisps. A cilantro garnish and flower crowns the plate. Add chicken ($4) to am- plify texture. Xamán Café 334 W. Jefferson Blvd. Xamán Café is an Oak Cliff institution that prides itself on an authentic cultural experi- ence. The basic chilaquiles plate ($14) is made with tortilla chips mixed with pico, crema and sunny-side-up eggs. Birria, chicken, carne and chorizo can be added for a $2 upcharge; chicken breast is $4. The chi- laquiles Mexican sandwich ($18) transforms the long-established meal: saucy tortilla chips are paired with chicharron-breaded milanesa, which is sandwiched inside of cia- batta bread. There’s also an option to get your chilaquiles as a mollete, which is a Mexican open-faced sandwich, for $15. Como en Casa 3950 S. Carrier Parkway, Ste. 126, Grand Prairie Como en Casa means “as if at home” in Spanish. That’s exactly what this family-run restaurant is. Owner Sara Luna welcomes diners into her restaurant with comforting plates of home-style cooking. Here, chila- quiles get their own menu. The Casa Chila- quil menu starts with a basic $14 chilaquile plate with four salsa options: red, green, spicy casa salsa and mole. We highly suggest the mole. Corn tortillas are tossed in your sauce of choice and topped with queso fresco, cilantro, crema and red onion. Beef, chicken, chorizo or carnitas can be added for $2. Signature chilaquiles ($18) are tossed in a poblano sauce and topped with chicken. This plate is served with two eggs, beans and a bolillo roll. The Casa Chilaquil menu also has a burrito chilaquil ($18) and torta de chi- laquil ($20). Café Ciro Pop-up Britany Güereca established Café Ciro in 2022. The maximalist pop-up cafe is named in honor of her grandfather and grand- mother. Here the Duranguense-style chila- quiles are made by José Güereca, Britany’s father. Fried tortillas are placed in a Chinese takeout box vertically. Green salsa, chicken and queso fresco are ladled over the tortillas. A second layer tops that. No eggs here, but they won’t be missed. José finishes off the to-go chilaquiles with beans and a heap of cheese. Ask for spicy chilaquiles: José will add a peanut and chile de árbol salsa on top. Keep an eye on Cafe Ciro’s Instagram to see where to get your coffee and chilaquiles fix. ▼ FIRS LOOK IT’S ALL GOOD YUMMY SICHUAN IS WORTH THE DRIVE TO FLOWER MOUND. BY MIGUEL M. VARGAS C omfortable elegance. Casual formal- ity. Familiar and foreign. It’s difficult to situate Yummy Sichuan. On the surface, it’s like any other Chinese restau- rant that sits at the corner of busy intersec- tions in the North Texas suburbs. The menu has plenty of popular Chinese dishes, like orange chicken, fried rice and lo mein with a variety of meat options. It mainly serves the diverse population of the surrounding com- munities, which, in this case, are the neigh- borhoods of Flower Mound, Lewisville and Highland Village. A huge rush of takeout or- ders around lunch and dinner time outpaces the dine-in orders. This is a familiar story for neighborhood Chinese eateries. Most Chinese restaurants scattered throughout the broader North Texas area provide little reason for diners to go out of the way to visit them. However, let’s | CITY OF ATE | ▼ Dish Desiree Gutierrez Left to right, clockwise: El Encanto’s chilaquiles; La Casita Coffee’s chilaquiles; Como en Casa’s chilaquiles. >> p14 Desiree Gutierrez Desiree Gutierrez
