Good News for all of you ex-Californians looking for good Mexican food in the DFW metroplex!

[Caroline1]

Knock on wood that it holds true when anyone else goes there, but for all of us California ex-pats who have been bemoaning the sorry state (in OUR opinions) of Mexican food in the DFW area, today I had Tino's Too (Avenue K, Plano location) cheese chile rellenos for lunch and I am now one very happy ex-Californian camper! In fact, I had two! I am delighted to report they were made with Anaheim/Ortega/Hatch chiles instead of poblanos, which means the heat was uniform in both chiles. They use a lovely very Mexican (non-Tex/Mex) blend of spices in their relleno batter, ANNNDDD... They do NOT top the rellenos with chile con carne, as I have been served in so many other local eateries. They were topped with a delicious made-from-scratch tomato sauce that I have always called a "Mexican salsa Espagnol." I can't say the refried beans or rice were anything to write home about, but the chile rellenos were a joy to my tongue and a balm for my soul! The cheese enchilada was good "for Dallas," but the first bite of the rellenos was like shifting my taste buds into hyper-drive. Nothing else could compare. Except maybe their really fresh and not tongue numbing (to me) salsa, which was quite a refreshing and lovely surprise. I HATE it when I'm served chips and salsa and it numbs my mouth so I cant taste the meal!

Here's an AllMenu's version of their current menu, except the prices are now just a tad more, like forty cents or so.
http://www.allmenus.com/tx/plano/4259...

Here's hoping their food is consistent, because today was my first experience with them and I would hate to have anyone disappointed! I'll cross my fingers. They do have another location, but I can't vouch for it. Same name, different location or cook doesn't always work. So here's hoping this works for you!

[CocoaNut]

This is not a direct recommendation for Baja Grill as 1) I've never eaten there nor 2) have I eaten Cali-Mex food. But Baja Grill's sister restaurant/taco stand, El Taco H, claims for itself: "this is as close as it gets to true SoCal Mex food for the DF-Dub". That said, Baja Grill may be worth a try if you're in the vicinity of Grapevine, Southlake, Keller.

http://www.bajamexgrill.com/

[Barbara76137]

I really appreciate you posting the link to the restaurant and menu, but from just reading the menu is sure doesn't sound like the S. CA/Baja food I'm used to. Queso and variations were never on the menus of places I ate in CA, and brisket wasn't on the menu either. I didn't see carnitas or al pastor, a campenchana (sp) as an appetizer, just stuff that is pretty common in CA.

I think the thing that really gets me about Tex-Mex is that everything has the same, boring seasoning. The rice, the beans, the meat.........there is no variation between the different components of a meal.

[CharlieKilo]

More "Good News for all of you ex-Californians looking for good Mexican food in the DFW metroplex!"...

I20 runs both ways.

[Caroline1]

Okay. I am dredging up this ancient thread to clarify a point. There is a HUGE difference between the two Tino's Too restaurants. The one in the mall is not one I recommend but I again had chiles rellenos at the Avenue K location with a friend yesterday, and once again, the rellenos were excellent! Difference in cooks. Just wanted you all to know.

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Tino's Too
2205 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074

[Chile Pepper]

Stop teasing me Caroline.. now I'm going to go and that chef will have the day off and I'll have been Tex-Mexed again! The last time it happened it was Aparacios, which was incredibly appallingly bad. Didn't try the relleno though.

[Caroline1]

Just go for the cheese rellenos. We ordered the two rellenos and one enchilada plate that comes with rice and beans. Trust me. Rellenos only! Really nice salsa fresca with the chips. Nice re-fried beans. And the cheese rellenos are served with the old fashioned traditional (everywhere except DFW!) red sauce, aka sauce espanol (not the traditional French Sauce Espagnol, but the Mexican variety), instead of chile con carne that so many places in the metroplex pile onto everything. I hope you enjoy them!

[CocoaNut]

I would've taken the opportunity to ask for the manager and pass along your glowing compliment ..... with your addendum about inconsistency. The manager might not know that problems exist.

[Caroline1]

As of yesterday, the manager at Avenue K knows about my opinion of the food at the mall. PROMISE! '-)

[DarnellErwinFletcher]

Californians like really bad Mexican food?

Tinos is a step above Alpo. IMHO.

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Tino's Restaurant
320 E Coke Rd, Winnsboro, TX 75494

[Caroline1]

My point is the inconsistency. I ate at Tino's Too two weeks ago and the chile rellenos were perfection! Possibly the best I've ever had. I went back yesterday looking forward to more and they were absolutely terrible! Weeping liquid, greasy, the batter coating soggy and sliding off the chiles with no outside help, stuffed with bright orange cheddar that was ropy, and they just flat looked disgusting and tasted worse than they looked! THAT is a major difference between what I had two weeks ago and what I had yesterday. Obviously, it is a difference in cooks. I'm not going back. I'm incredibly disappointed. Doesn't have anything at all to do with CalMex or TexMex or MexMex. Has to do with restaurant consistency. And consistency is why customers come back. They've lost this customer!

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Tino's Too
2205 K Ave, Plano, TX 75074

[DarnellErwinFletcher]

I would suggest the one good visit was an outlier.... I used to eat at Tinos as a kid and some people swear by it, would suggest those people had likely never eaten at another restaurant before.

[irodguy]

Amen Darnell! Can't imagine....+

[twinwillow]

Sorry about your recent disappointment with Tino Too's, "Cal-Mex" in Dallas. You'll just have to give in and enjoy all the wonderful, delicious and abundant "Tex-Mex" and, "Mex-Mex" foods available in the Dallas area.
We've all been eating this food for years and, it's better than ever!
Go to the website, http://www.dallasfood.org and find numerous excellent Latino restaurants you'll be delighted with.

And, fully explore all the topics on Chowhound Dallas-Ft. Worth that relate to Mexican restaurants in the Dallas area. God knows, there are hundreds of them.
PS. Some of the best are in Oak Cliff.

[Caroline1]

I appreciate your good intentions, but this is like telling a homesick college student not to be homesick, just find another mother! Ain't gonna happen. '-)

[Caroline1]

Well, knocking on wood was useless. Went back to Tino Too in the mall for lunch today. Couldn't wait to have more of the great chile rellenos! What was I served? A LARGE plate of disappointment! Baaaaad stuff!

I think the secret to great restaurant food is when it's served to you, get the name of the chef/cook who made it, what his or her work schedule is, then ONLY go back when that person is cooking. This ruined my whole day.

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Tino's Restaurant
320 E Coke Rd, Winnsboro, TX 75494