16 November 21 - 27, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents who don’t know the real thing. So, which is it? Short answer: It’s both. Tipico’s, close enough for a stroll to the water’s edge of Bachman Lake, is a bustling hole-in-the-wall where the culinary worlds of familiar Tex-Mex and authentic Mexican collide on the same menu. Regardless of what you label it, the food is awesome here. Tipico’s runs its operation with factory line-level efficiency, cranking out dish after dish (after dish) from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. And Tipico’s stays busy, even during non-peak hours. Come during peak hours – and a wait to be seated is all but as- sured. The service interactions are short and sweet, and orders roll out of the kitchen at hypersonic speed; you’ll barely have enough time to squeeze the lime into your Modelo before a waitress pulls up to fill your table- top with some of the best Mexican food in town. Some familiar options include your usual enchilada and flauta plates served with rice and refried beans. Quesadillas, tostadas, na- chos and fajitas are also on the menu. If you’re looking for fare that exists outside the realm of your run-of-the-mill Tex-Mex spot – there are bowls of menudo, beef tongue ta- cos, nopalitos con guisado de puerco (prickly pear cactus with pork in red or green chile sauce), deep fried tripe, Mole de Pollo (chicken in mole sauce), guisado de res (beef and potato stew) and bistec ranchero (beef strips sautéed in onions, tomatoes and jalapeños). You’ll begin with the requisite compli- mentary chips and salsa. The house torti- lla chips are absurdly fresh (as are the top-shelf tortillas made in-house), and the two salsas are stellar. We started with plates of crispy flautas ($8.25) and cheesy beef enchiladas. Both come with fluffy Spanish rice, refried beans, guac and sour cream. The beef enchiladas are a daily special (every Monday for $7.95). Daily specials, such as Tuesday chicken fajitas and Wednesday guisado de res (beef and potato stew) are featured during the work week and are priced at $7.95 (an absolute steal). The menudo here came highly recom- mended, so we ordered a piping-hot bowl for $8.25 (for a large bowl). This tradi- tional Mexican soup will put hair on your chest — it’s overflowing with beef tripe and packed with red chiles and white hominy. I’ve had menudo only twice be- fore my visit to Tipico’s, and this was the best bowl of menudo (by far) of the three. Add the lime and onions that come on the side and a dash or five of Tabasco, then immerse yourself in what is considered one of the great hangover dishes of all time. A slice of flan ($3.25) pie for dessert (the only dessert on the menu) was a fitting end to our visit to Tipico’s. We were told via email we were sleeping on Tipico’s. Turns out we were. You shouldn’t make the same mistake. If you’re into Tex-Mex and/or authentic Mexican fare (and aren’t we all?), Tipico’s is a must. Tipico’s, 3118 W. Northwest Highway. Daily, 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. ▼ OPENING NEW MONK A DALLAS STAPLE EXPANDS. BY LAUREN DREWES DANIELS D ublin, Ireland, native Fergal McK- inney puts a lot of thought into crafting his concepts. His most fa- mous work, The Old Monk, which serves as a gateway to the buzzy Henderson Ave- nue, has a seemingly old brick arch with trumpet vines marking the entrance. In- side, vintage pendant lights from a monas- tery hang over the bar, and antique European beer signs bedeck the dining room and patio. Dark wood, a European heavy beer list and stained glass round out the ambiance. Down the road, his other two bars, Spider Murphys and The Skellig, each have their own unique charm. Now, more than 25 years after opening The Old Monk on Henderson, McKinney has a second location at 810 West Davis Av- enue, on the fringes of the Bishop Arts Dis- trict and just down from Davis Street Espresso. Earlier this week, we were in the neighborhood and saw a small chalkboard out front announcing the new spot is open — and the patio was hoppin’ — so we popped in. The bar carries much of the same vibes as the original. Thankfully, the stellar happy hour menu made the cross-town trip: house cocktails are just $7 on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m.In addition to a large sidewalk-side pa- tio, there’s a covered patio in the back, with plenty of seating and the requisite large dark bar inside. The food and drink menu has stayed exactly the same, and, per The Dallas Morning News, McKinney repurposed things from a previous pub he owned, the great and wonderful Idle Rich Pub, for this new venue. We’ll be back to try some food soon, espe- cially the fish and chips, but on this night we just stopped in for a drink. The Old Monk, 810 W. Davis St. Tuesday - Friday 3 p.m. - midnight; Saturday and Sun- day 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. Jordan Maddox Happy hour runs weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and house cocktails are $7. City of Ate from p15 Nick Reynolds The flauta plate at Tipico’s
