| Mario & Alberto Tex-Mex and Mexico-style S.W. Corner of Preston at 635/LBJ, Dallas 972-980-7296 |
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| Dallas Restaurant Review: Mario and Alberto restaurant has both a Tex-Mex and Mexico-city style personality -- that is, in addition to the enchiladas and tacos, they serve great steaks and seafood, with a small salad and a couple slices of fried potatoes on the side. SETTING - Like its parent -- the former Chiquita on Oak Lawn -- the restaurant is an explosion of pastel colors inside. The mirrors, large paper flowers, and chandeliers give it an upscale feel. With the passage of time, what used to seem gaudy now seems comfortable. FOOD - One side of the menu is Tex-Mex. The other side is Mexico City. The Tex-Mex is pretty good, but the steaks and seafood are the stars of the show. They also have a lot of "specials" on a separate menu, but not many are as good as their regular items. Mario & Alberto's Filete de la Casa is a knockout -- a moderate-sized steak, done to order, and plugged with bits of garlic. I also love the Filete Pimienta -- steak generously sprinkled with coarse-ground black pepper -- enough to make it hot. Speaking of "hot", the hot sauce and chips are above-average, too. AMBIANCE - Colorful, elegantly casual. You see more blue jeans now than a few years ago, and more families. Downside? - The margaritas are smallish, but good. Have an extra one - they're not expensive. BOTTOM LINE - It seems that Mario & Alberto has been somewhat obscured by the hundreds of newer restaurants in Dallas. It no longer has the lines out the door, but it still attracts a steady stream of devoted customers. They offer a Mexican steak that's so good, you'll remember it -- and I don't think they've raised their prices much since 1985. This is a restaurant to rediscover. |
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| Dallas Restaurant Reviews |
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