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El Real's tortilla chips are some of the city's best. Table salsa in front; arbol salsa in back. Photo by Alison Cook
What with many breathless preview stories and months of anticipatory buzz, the expectations surrounding El Real Tex-Mex were sky-high when it opened a month ago in the former Tower theater. There was no way prominent chef Bryan Caswell, his partner Bill Floyd and their collaborator, cookbook author and former restaurant critic Robb Walsh, could have satisfied everyone.
And they haven’t, of course. The vast restaurant is drawing big crowds and sharply divided opinions on the usual social media sites. After two visits (one when El Real was a week old; another two weeks later) my feelings are more of the mixed variety. There are some really good dishes, some curious bloopers and a good deal of promise for the future.
El Real's vast dining room as seen from the mezzanine section. Photo by Alison Cook
I don’t think you’ll find better tortilla chips in the city than these thin triangles, freshly fried and zapped with just enough salt. They were so terrific that on my first visit, my companion and I asked Walsh (who is very much present and working the floor) whether they were fried in lard. Nope, he told us.Coconut oil.
That surprised me, because the menu prose makes much of vintage Tex-Mex foodways and the house-rendered lard and its health benefits. But whatever works. And coconut oil does, whether your grampa used it or not.
Puffy taco with picadillo at El Real. Photo by Alison Cook
I get the sense that the balance between Walsh's brand of Tex-Mex authenticity and Caswell and Floyd's business and operations savvy is still working itself out. The menu has changed over the first month and is changing still. More seafood dishes are appearing, and a taco salad has cropped up--for the little ladies, I guess. The prices are about Ninfa's-level, which is to say not cheap, although there's a slate of appealing lunch specials that are relative bargains.
I wanted to be bowled over by the table salsa, a cooked version served warm, with an undercurrent of toasty red chile. Instead I was mildly satisfied. It took an off-the-menu salsa of pureed carrot and electric chile arbol (you'll have to ask, and you should) to light my fire.
Guacamole was in good working order on both my visits, but my first bowl of chile con queso was so fiercely salty I couldn't manage more than four or five bites. (The second time out, it was salty but within the realm of reason.)
Green chicken enchiladas at El Real. Photo by Alison Cook
Actually salt has been my main problem here: I couldn't eat much of the vaunted cheese enchiladas with chile con carne on that first visit, either, and I spent the afternoon following that first lunch consuming epic quantities of water. Things had calmed down by my second meal, but the style here is to salt with great and perhaps too enthusiastic conviction, a tendency that bears watching.
What I've loved at El Real were the green chicken enchiladas with a tart, resonant green chile sauce, and the truly dreamy refried beans, which bloom with the porky goodness of lard. The beef fajitas are very fine, too, wrapped in superb, layery flour tortillas that are not too lardy for their own good, a common flaw in Houston. I wasn't taken with the lemony garlic butter bath served with the fajitas--it changes the flavor profile to something almost decadent and...er...French, in my opinion--but the skirt steak was high quality and nicely cooked. I expect they'll give Ninfa's a run for the money.
Stacked Enchiladas Borunda with pork, El Real Tex-Mex. Photo by Alison Cook
Less thrilling were picadillo-filled puffy tacos that seemed too greasy on two different visits. These barely crisped, half-soft masa pillows are tricky to do, so perhaps the kitchen still hasn't got its puffy taco rhythms yet. I'm not so sure they have their rice-sauteeing down, either, a necessity if you're going to get that slight, pilaf-style chewiness so desirable in your Spanish rice.
I'm not sure what befell the Enchiladas Borunda that sounded so appealing on that first visit, either. These stacked enchiladas were strewn with wonderful chunks of tender pork, but their guajillo chile gravy tasted first and foremost of tomato. Somehow I doubt that was the intention, but such are the wobbles of a very young kitchen.
And oh, dear, those sweet margaritas, both the frozen and rocks versions. So not right. They cried out for a tart edge of lime. And on one evening, a frozen margarita actually threw off a chemical taste at first sip. All I could imagine was that the glass mug hadn't been adequately rinsed.
El Real is a huge place, the theater made over with bright paint and industrial details. I found the deep well of the main dining room somewhat daunting, but the mezzanine tables have a nice view and a comfortable scale. Yes, those are the old Colonial-style chairs from Felix up there, with brand new seats. Some people find them uncomfortable, but I rather enjoy the way they make me sit up straight. And I love the nearby wood-and-glass vitrines rescued from Felix and filled with Tex-Mex restaurant memorabilia. I could stare at those old menus and photographs all day.
And I could, if I wanted. Because El Real, for the present, has fantastically convenient hours. They are open all day every day, continuously, and on weekends until the wee hours. In my wilder days, I'm pretty sure I would have found myself at 2 a.m. out on the front terrace beneath the resurrected theater marquee, calling for more salsa arbol and another basket of chips.
(El Real Tex-Mex, 1201 Westheimer, 713-524-1201. Monday--Thursday 11 a.m.--11 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m.--3 a.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.--3 a.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.--11 p.m.)
Yes, I think this mirrors my experience pretty closely. It's a place that seems to have a lot of potential to become a Houston icon, but they just need to keep polishing the edges. Some of my experiences were flipped. I found the guacamole boring on a very early visit, the queso fantastic on every visit, and the stacked enchiladas very good, so I suspect it's consistency issues that lead people to such differing opinions. I know for a fact that the salsa has tasted very different on different visits.
Walsh told me they've recently changed the way they cook the rice and it's now done in smaller batches rather than one big vat. It seems to have improved greatly, but it still isn't quite holding a candle to places with rice that I love to eat, like Spanish Village.
Great piece, so good to read a food writer who knows how to write about food and what they are talking about. Also, love that you are taking your own photos and being credited, the days are long gone of photographers traveling with us, right? Muti-tasking is putting it lightly.
"They are open all day every day, continuously, and on weekends until the wee hours."
Ummm...all day every day would imply that they were open 24/7....
I took it to mean that they open for lunch and remain open until they close. Some places close between lunch and dinner.
Sounds like all day and night to me!
Please, don't salt the chips!
My experience was a total buzz kill because the frozen margaritas resemble those served at the rodeo. The might even taste worse...
Everything else was fine, but I wouldn't go back for dinner unless they change the margaritas. There are way too many other Tex-Mex joints with decent drinks.
I agree Allyson, the puffy tacos were too greasy! I'm surprised you lucked out with the chips, I among others I have spoken to found them intensely over salted. Any word on the service? We were there late on a Thursday night and were ignored while several servers stood idle. I hope they can work out the kinks!!!
I've been here three times, so far, and plan on heading there this week also. I haven't had anything off-putting yet, but I'd like to see the nachos served old-school style, rather than just eight prepared chips. I will say that along with the beans, the enchiladas are fantastic, IMO, and the tamale is the best I've ever had. I highly encourage folks try the combo with these items. The rest of the menu will figure itself out, but this meal is great right now.
Once was enough for me. Too salty. Chips and taco shells were chewy because they hadn't been fried properly. Reminded me of TV dinner food.
I was disappointed by my visit two weeks ago for lunch. It was not terrible is how I have put it to people. I had cheese enchiladas. I did not finish them much less close my eyes as I savored each mouthful. The rice was truly the most tasteless thing I had ever encountered (including distilled water) and the refried beans were runny and slightly sour. The chips were good and the salsa, while not memorable, was something that almost everyone would enjoy munching on while chatting.
I hope they work the kinks out quickly because I love Tex-Mex (I am a native Houstonian over 50) and the location is great but I will certainly wait awhile before giving it another go.
A relief. Refreshing and nostalgic twist on tex-mex. Was growing tired of the others around the city. Have a new favorite. Especially after midnight.
Was a little inconsistent on my two trips, but still good on both occasions. Give it some time. Caswell is too good to let the rough edges go unnoticed for long.
I will have to disagree with the chips being the best in town...It is true that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery since if El Real is using coconut oil for their chips they copied Pappasitos since they have been doing that for years now.
In my non-professional opinion...
I think Pappasitos have the best chips and fajitas.
The best red salsa and margaritas go to TQLA
The best chicken soft tacos go to Lupes...
The best beef quesadilla goes to Cyclone Anaya's...
I agree with Pappasitos and Cyclones. Hands down winners!
Is there a bar with a tv?
Still can't believe they went this route. Houston is Tex-Mex'ed out; really good Mexican food is everywhere. Went with their heart and got carried away.
I'm glad I wasn't the only one that felt a hit or miss quality here. We went about 2 weeks ago and the food was just "ok". It definitely merits a second visit, but we'll wait a little longer for the kitchen to even out. It has a lot of potential.
My 2 experiences were similar to yours except I thought the arbol salsa was bland, the chili gravy was non-eventful and not hot(cook temp). The chip were excellent all the needed was a good salsa to go with them.
I saw a man choking at the bar asking for help and the bar staff all but disappeared, a fellow guest was able to help him clear his air passage before I could get to him.
I would give the place a D- at best.
Ah haaa!!! you can't taunt me any longer, i am immune to Tex-Mex. Tis
too bad computers don't come with a smell button, where the flavors would come wafting through a smell-speaker whenever you clicked the smell button.
has anyone noticed the bbq pulled pork in the puffy taco's tastes identical to the pulled pork served at little bigs? if its not the same, its ridiculously close...which is pretty weak considering this place claims to be going back to traditional tex-mex dishes...
I ate at El Real for the second time tonight. Neither time have I experienced the extreme saltiness. But I agree with you about the margaritas -- the frozen regular is not good. The skinny 'rita is much better, but I'm not sure it's worth the $7+ price tag. And when I went early on a Friday evening, I was disappointed that there wasn't a happy hour drink menu. The frozen margarita was no better than the $2-5 ones I can get at happy hour at a half a dozen restaurants within a 5 mile radius.
After reading Robb Walsh's writings on Tex mex for years I was very excited for El Real. After eating at el real I completely question all articles ever written by Robb. Just because important/semi successful people get together to start a restaraunt does not mean they will do well. I have a problem with 'professionals' opening a place even though they have not worked the bugs out. There are so many great places to get great Tex Mex and awesome margaritas for much less... Los Tios and Molinas. I think I would rather do Casa Ole than El Real
Me and my wife ate here on Saturday night. They sat us in the bar area without really asking us a preference. It was a late dinner before going to a night club, about 9:30PM. The drinks were flowing for the others already there and it was extremely loud. They can't really ask their patrons to keep it quiet in the bar, so I don't blame the restaurant for that, but some sound insulation might be nice... And asking us where we'd like to sit might be nice too.
I'm a fan of Robb Walsh so I had high expectations of the food. I actually found the chips and salsa to be the most outstanding element of the dinner. I really love this style of salsa. For the main course I got one pork and one beef puffy taco. The pork meat was pretty good, and the beef was pretty average. But the shells were extremely hard for a puffy taco. The toppings were what you would expect. The rice wes all slightly above average for a tex-mex place. My wife got the tacos al carbon and I tried her refried beans. They are pretty classic tex-mex, completely battered until in a smooth consistency. I'm not sure that's a touch I really want to get back to, it had no texture at all, but the flavor was fine.
By the way I really was hoping to see the end of the baseball game when I went in since they sat me in the bar area. I figured since I never saw Bryan Caswell without that Astros hat one I would get my wish, but instead it was NHL... I think it was the boston and montreal, but I don't care. It was on both of the TVs I saw and nobody was watching it so it seems like a bad move. I know the astros have sucked lately but come on man.
So on a scale of 1-10? I really want to go but now I'm scared...I'm worried if I give it too much time it might go under before I even have a chance to sample! Your thoughts Alison?
I certainly don't think it's going under. I don't really have a firm enough sense of the restaurant yet to settle on a 1-10 scale number. I wouldn't be scared, though...it's just Mexican food, after all. Go at lunch, order one of the under-ten-bucks specials, see what you think.
GO TO PAPPASITIOS MUCH BETTER
What about Cadillac Papa T? BTW, been to El Real once for lunch and twice for dinner. Everything has been pretty good, and I have noticed the changes in the menu each time I have been, and even a change in the style of queso served. I have not tried a margarita. Not blown away, but I'd definitely go back.
Fertitta doesn't own Pappasitos, you boob.
So glad that the greats are on here. Fertitta, Pappas, Caswell. Houston has the liveliest Restaurant scene in the nation.
If the chips remain the most talked about item for much longer, maybe they should consider an hourly pinata bash to spice things up. I'd go for that.
Judging by this review I won't be visiting this place. Salt is used way too much. If I want Salt I will add it myself.
"salsa arbol" sounds ridiculous. the color of the green sauce on your enchiladas looks like the tomatillos werent cooked, which would likely not result in the tartness that normally results from cooking. the carrot and chile de arbol salsa hardly sounds tex-mex, let alone mex, so how is this really a tex-mex offering? if those are beans gooing over onto the green enchiladas, they look wattery. not everybody likes lard, even in tex-mex food. remember, it is not native to mex food, not until the spaniards arrived. besides, there are religious reasons for not liking lard and more restaurants ought to disclose it or not use it. el real might get it just about right.
Having been to an estimated 100 mexican resturants in the Houston area....I will give it a try soon....Now, can someone tell me why the Orginal Ninfa's changed their Chips...they WERE the best in town...and they CHANGED them!!!...Why?
New owners. Chips, salsas and Ninfarita's were changed. I won't be returning.
I gave El Real a try a couple of weeks ago during happy hour. My first impression was that there were way too many employees just walking and hanging around. That didn't bother me, but I just thought it was a bit odd. We decided to sit at the bar and have a drink before ordering any food. The first disappointment was that when I asked for a happy hour menu the response was "We have no happy hour". The second, and perhaps most serious, disappointment was that the bartender had the personality of a wet mop. I mean, I passed a couple of telephone poles on my way to the restaurant that were more interesting and engaging than this young lady. Bless her heart, but bartending is clearly not for her and she should fire her career counselor. I understand that the restaurant is outfitted with vintage decor and furniture to produce a specific look. However, one of the stools next to us at the bar was seriously about to fall apart. I brought this to the attention of our lethargic bartender, but I might as well have communicated with the cash register, as she did nothing. I had to warn unsuspecting customers of the stool. I had the skinny margarita and it was not bad, but it wasn't great either. The chips were a definitely on the salty side and I found myself trying to remove some of the salt before eating them. Needless to say, we decided to finish our drinks and walk over to the Vietnamese restaurant next door.
So you didn't actually try the food.. You didn't like the bartender and left. Nice "review".
Thank you for your "review" of my "review". But, I never said I was reviewing the food (aside from the salty chips). I only reviewed what I experienced - and I think I'm entitled to do that. Based on that experience, I decided not to gamble with my dinner. And, based on a lot of what I’ve read here and elsewhere, it was probably a good idea.
I will definitely go, but will probably give them another couple of weeks to get some kinks out.
I waited over a month before going there with a party of 4. Unexpectedly quick seating but I suspect we got lucky given how busy the place is. Good chips, salsa was a little bland. Tasted reminiscent of Pappasitos with the roasted tomatoes, but definitely a notch up. They should have something with some heat in it for those of us that enjoy scorching our taste buds.
The margs were a little sweet in that I think more lime would have helped the balance, but had a good flavor with quality ingredients. The queso was outstanding. All 4 people were satisfied with their dishes, and the bellwether (for me) of a Tex-Mex joint, the cheese enchiladas, were definitely passable. I'll go more adventurous next time. Service was excellent. As somebody else posted, there seem to be some inconsistencies that should get ironed out over time, but all in all I felt they were heading in the right direction after a reported rocky start.
llrekjjw,
I agree with you - Cheese Enchiladas is the benchmark dish for me at practically all Tex-Mex restaurants I go to - (unless I am with someone who has been before me and suggests that I not order them - and then I wonder what I'm doing there)
Having said that, could you elaborate on your experience at El Real? I'm always looking for a good ol' CEP w/good gravy (and onions of course)...
bkf
Alison,
Great job! Great pics!
I was there with a group of seven for a birthday gathering a couple of weeks ago. My boyfriend and I were the only ones with complaints. Of course his mother like my mother make great Mexican food so we tend to be a little picky. Actually I think I complained more than he did. I am not a fan of refried beans thus I requested the charro beans. I wish I had changed them out for the black beans instead. The beans had no salt. Talk about tasteless. I did like the chips and salsa. We ordered the chili con queso and liked that too.
I'd say that the best chips in town are at Maria Selma (they're thick and don't crumble with dip or flop in nachos), but other than that - certainly a fan of El Real. Only been twice, once right after they opened and once last week, and it seems to have improved. Took my grandmother, who'd been eating at Felix's for 70 years, and she was thrilled. No, it's not Hugo's gourmet Mexican. No, it's not "authentic" Mexican. It's old-school Tex-Mex. The enchilada-tamale combo is excellent. They even offer a fried egg on top, like I used to have when I lived in El Paso. I noticed as you did that the salt content seems to have gone down (to just how I like it, but perhaps more than other people do) since they first opened; perhaps on request they could add less salt to an individual's order.
I don't tend to go out to eat at 10pm, so I haven't noticed rowdy bar crowds, but it's been packed-but-not-noisy at 7pm. The ambiance is nice - love the John Wayne movies on the wall. And I personally don't like the restaurants that seat you in squishy couches so that you're sitting well below the level of the table - I found the chairs great.
For what it's worth: I didn't have one, but the other two people at my table LOVED the house margaritas... which ended up so strong that I had to drive home! So perhaps they're hit or miss - they're mixed on the spot, not out of a big vat like in other places, so perhaps that's what has other people disappointed.
The "health benefits" of lard? Now I think I've heard it all! Lard has no health benefits. It plugs up your arteries and leads to that triple bypass in your fifties. I know it's commonplace to talk health while eating deep-fried everything, but I avoid anyplace that uses lard in their beans and chips, or that fries them in shortening (trans-fat) for that matter.
Oh for Pete's sake! Lard is no worse than any other saturated fat and actually has a better balance of saturated/mono/poly than butter. And the article says they use coconut oil, not shortening, so why are you mentioning it here? Hell, it would probably be healthier if they DID use lard to fry their chips, since coconut oil has much more saturated fat in it.
Lizard, stick to your day job.
You're wrong. Real lard is the kind of fat we evolved to eat.
http://www.kpcministries.org/2010/09/benefits-of-lard.html
http://www.health-report.co.uk/saturated_fats_health_benefits.htm
http://thefarmergeek.blogspot.com/2009/01/lard-better-fat.html
http://wholefoodusa.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/lard-is-a-healthier-substit...
I wonder if the liberal use of salt is a Caswell trademark. It nearly ruined an otherwise very nice dinner at Stella Sola a few weeks ago.
Ho hum. We've all got our favorite little Tex Mex joint with a better Margarita five or ten minutes from the house. El Real does a few things well, but is it really worth the trip?
My trip to El Real was a complete disappointment. I have always judged Tex-Mex by ordering cheese enchiladas. If you can't make a decent enchilada, do something else! I think a lot of the problems stem from chefs being more concerned about the 'artistic' side instead of putting out decent food. The puffy taco was a joke. I think a taco from Jack in the Box is better.
As someone who ate regularly at Felix's since 1955 (I cut my teeth on frijoles and queso there, I am still looking for someone who can make a taco light Felix's. I had my own plate there and they knew it. Guacamole for appetizer, then 3 cheese enchiladas, one crispy taco and a chile con queso tostado. This is not rocket science people. Quit trying to out fancy everyone and just put good, decent food on the table.
My wife and I love Tex-Mex but have given up trying to find a good place to eat. If everything is compared to Gringo's or Casa Ole, Tex-Mex is in real trouble!
Me, the wife, and my tex-mex experienced two year old went and came home so disappointed. I have been waiting with anticipation for this place to open that I guess I should have expected to be disappointed.
Having lived in San Antonio for quite some time I was eager to try the puffy tacos which I crave. I was quite disappointed to be served this hard flat shell (which I asked my waiter to insure it was a puffy not a crispy) which was oil soaked and had no flavor.
All of the food was bland and had very little spice or taste...I would have welcomed the salt...that may have created some flavor.
Another disappointment was my son's food. We asked for a small taco and rice and beans..our waiter said that they didn’t have a children’s menu printed but would accommodate us. They accommodated us alright at over $14.00 for kids plate.
Rob...Bryan....Bill....please fix this and fix it fast....or I'm afraid you'll be like all the other Tex-Mex history in Houston.
white people mexican food
Salty dishes don’t bother anything, but salty food is bad.
I'll stick to El Tiempo or Hugo's. At least they both have excellent margaritas.
WOW Matt! That is cold blooded to say that their food taste like a Frozen TV Dinner.
It's an honest description from my visit. It just surprised me that the food was so bad. Cheese enchiladas, tacos, rice and beans are the staples for me. The meat used in both the tacos and enchiladas was just not edible due to the excessive salt. Chewy tortilla chips and taco shells were another negative. Rice was flavorless. It makes me wonder whether any of the owners have actually cooked Mexican food before and if they eat their own cooking regularly.
Before even touching the taco, I could tell the shell was not fried properly. Anyone who fries them regularly would know.
This was probably the worst Mexican food I've eaten. Even changes in the kitchen won't help El Real.
Didn't expect Alison to say the Emperor Has No Clothes (which is the truth about this overhyped, overrated place), but was pleasantly surprised that at least she acknowledged he has no pants. Been twice -- once with high expectations, once to see if first impressions were wrong. Sadly, no. "Disappointing," mentioned often here, is the best description. Robb Walsh's Tex Mex book is brilliant. Caswell is a Texas treasure. This place is disappointing in every way. Food is just average, at times not good. Everything we had was loaded with salt, and the enchilada sauce tasted like a paste of Gebhardt chili powder. Cheese enchiladas would be my request for a final meal, so hooked am I. These didn't even rank in the top 20 of my favorites. My dining companion on the first visit had fairly decent rice with his flauta plate; my enchilada plate had similar rice strangely full of chopped, raw tomato. I don't eat uncooked tomato and didn't touch the rice. The waiter inquired if something was wrong when he saw I was eating everything else. "That's the way we serve it," he said, not offering to replace it. Flautas, rice, beans, fajitas, enchiladas verdes are all much better a couple blocks away at La Mexicana. The puffy tacos are soggy and dreadful. Decor is nothing like what I anticipated from all the hype. The "tribute to Tex Mex" is token, at best, the constantly looped movies just a distraction. The seating is unimaginative. You feel like you're in a cavernous, loud dining hall. Service was just average. Margaritas were more what I'd expect served in plastic cups at a Taco Cabana. No one has mentioned the parking disaster yet. Waiting 12 minutes AFTER the valet has left for your car, after waiting 15 minutes to hand over the ticket was out of line. Poor valet; he said, "you can't imagine where we have to park." Apparently it's a couple miles away, from the wait. And then the charming owner circulating through the dining rooms? Both occasions, Caswell was indeed omnipresent. We clocked his rounds on our second visit, and he was circulating for 40 minutes. That was enough time to greet each table, as the place was not yet full. Instead he darted around speaking with people he already knew, which is what we observed on our first visit, too. We found it amusing as we're not much for small talk, especially about a restaurant experience we're not particularly digging. It did seem to hurt/annoy more than a couple tables we saw, who were clearly trying to catch his attention and weren't even given the courtesy of a nod or hello.
My wife, Ellen, and I went the week between Alison Cook's visits. Ellen grew up in South Texas and Tex-Mex is to her what a meat, 3 veggies, a roll and tea is for me - what is usually wanted.
We were both underwhelmed. Steve, our waiter was great - just the right mix of spunky and off to the side waiting. The room was a joy to watch. The food was a 4, maybe 5, out of 10. I had the Enchiladas Borunda, and like Alison Cook, I found the flavor was just not right. Neither of us eat refried beans as we are around 60, so we had the borracho beans (soup). Tasteless.
We left Steve a good tip and simply decided not to return - at least for a while to see if the kitchen improves a lot.
Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto for mamcita's comments. I'll go further. Many posters (and the reviewer) seem to think this place can just be tweaked. Walsh and Caswell have envisioned this and honed the concept and have done their tweaking after a soft rollout. Maybe things like soggy puffy tacos can be fixed, but the "real" Tex Mex food just isn't that good. (What does it say when the reviewer is citing the chips and one of the salsas as the high point of the dining experience?) The space isn't particularly hospitable (it's just big and not at all designed well), nor are the servers or parking. And the celebrity chef bit was downright offensive. We observed the same behavior by Bryan Caswell, who would spend 10 mins at some tables and then ignore friendly diners who were trying to greet him. The buzz on this restaurant was so positive on blogs and message boards that I was afraid to mention our experience, but once I did, I realized how many people felt the same way. Cook may think El Real is "promising," but I give it no more than a year.
What a total disappointment. Everyone keeps raving about the chips...I got no chips! Raving about salsa..NO SALSA !!.Went early afternoon..only 3-4 diners..10-15 staff. Ordered Soup and Tea and kept the menu to order more. My server brought tea and soup..No chips/salsa...spent next 30-40 minutes talking to host/manager/staff and then came to ask if I wanted my check..I asked for more tea and told him I didn't know why he quit waiting on me..he said that I was not in his section..he was doing a favor taking my order. The manager came over and just stared at me and asked if the waiter had said that..no sincerity..just get the grumbler outta the building. Just glad wasn't embarrased in front of guests..really had looked forward to being in the place where I saw Fiddler/Whorehouse/Peter Allen..Will not waste any more time..just hope others will avoid this TRAP. Too many great places in Houston that offer equal quality/service..Seems more and more those in service industry seem to be there for each other's entertainment..and the customer must always be WRONG!
I am not a taquito person but I had a nice taquito... will add although the food was flavor-less, the chicken taquitos were packed with white meat and well rolled! I found it to be exciting in the architectural, historical sense. The manager and waiter must have read these reviews because they were attentive.
I am a native Houstonian and lived in The Montrose since college. This maybe be Houston's new TOURIST restaurant! Cafe Adobe's new competition! I think my east coast buddies will love it! And maybe my geri-active friends....it was too late for margaritas but I thought it is a great spot to throw some back. Any new restaurant has growing pains. It has great potential....
I think Alison cut this place a bit too much slack because of the ownership... I'm disappointed.
Love Reef. Love Little Big's. Love Stella Sola. Hate El Real. I wanted to love this place, living within walking distance, proud that it sat in a restored theatre, and loving TexMex as much as any born-and-bred Houstonian. Alas--it's just not good. The beans, sure, are good, but why would I go to a restaurant for beans when the rice immediately cancel them out with tastelessness and poor texture. The enchiladas? They're okay, but nothing I can't get anywhere else. The fact is, when people heard the brain trust was getting together, they expected something special. El Real is not special--it's not even good. It's meh on it's good days. And those margaritas would disappoint me at a frat party, much less from a restaurant brought to me by multiple Beard nominees. Bobby's right down the street, gents--invite him over and beg for his advice.
Amen to the Bobby Heugel idea, Anonymousketeer. That thought definitely crossed my mind.
I actually really enjoyed the margaritas because they tasted so much of lime. I didn't care for the queso and honestly, $4 for guacomole in that small small bowl is a rip off. However I did thoroughly enjoy the fajitas I got and the beans were to die for. Keep your head up Alison, try it again in a month or two when they get their feet under them.
The consensus in in - this place is seriously lacking. How did such top shelf people come up with such a disappointment? Answer: They tried to make authentic Tex-Mex food - and they succeeded. They recreated the crap we used to eat in the 1930s through early 1970s.
Since that time, good chefs have learned so much more about salt levels, fat, and ways to increase the flavor while decreasing salt and lard levels. Why in the world are the chefs trying to recreate a era of salty, fat laden food when we can do much better now?
I will continue to watch the reviews of this restaurant with high interest. With the fantastic talent aboard, I think it will eventually morph into something good, if not great. But I will not return until they stop trying to recreate the dining milieu of 50 years ago.
Though born & raised in TX with grandparents from Mexico, I have no particular affinity for Tex-Mex food. I just like good food. And I LOVE the Enchiladas Borundas at El Real. I've ordered them 3 out of the 4 times that I've been to El Real. Sometimes I get them with the egg on top, it just depends on how hungry I am. They have real homemade flavor, like the base for my chili when I make it from scratch with blended ancho, guajillo and pasilla chilis. The pork is tender, the tortillas taste fresh, there isn't too much cheese... and the refried beans have such incredible flavor. This is the only place where I don't ignore the rice and beans. The enchiladas verdes are also very good, with a pleasant garlic kick. For lighter fare - the posole soup is great... my mom had it once and still talks about it weeks later. And the churros - delicious and fragrant with vanilla and cinammon. Good Katz's coffee and decent margaritas. I'm glad to have a place like this in my neighborhood.
Been to El Real 3 times now and I have had nothing but fantastic experiences. Puffy Tacos and Cheese Enchiladas are delicious, the skinny ritas yummy. Keep up the good work guys. Looking forward to coming back soon!
I've eaten at El Real several times now, and have never been disappointed. The food is tasty and filling, and the service is good. Why some people feel the need to analyze their dining experience to the Nth degree is beyond me. It's not that serious, folks!
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