Dallas 05.14.2008

Our Lady Of The Taco

Tex-Mex worshipers, rejoice

A new Tex-Mex restaurant opens in Dallas more often than Angelina Jolie adopts a baby. So, unless it’s really good, it’s not exactly a breaking-news kind of event. Yet here we stand again, chimichanga in one hand, quill pen in the other, reviewing the second standout Tex-Mex restaurant in so many weeks. Life is muy buena indeed.

For more than 25 years, Dallasites have lined up to eat at Mia’s on Lemmon Avenue. Now founder Ana “Mama Mia” Enriquez’s niece, Gina Lara, has opened up her own eatery in the old Alfredo Trattoria space just up the street, proving that this family knows the restaurant biz.

And if our three visits in just six days are any indication, the food is undeniably Tex-Mexcellent and proof that Gina can dish it up just like her Tia. But at Casa Blanca, we encourage you to branch out from the tried-and-true and discover some signature dishes that will leave you with cravings that keep you awake, haunting you with every growl of your stomach.

Your meal starts off with a complimentary cup of Conchita Soup. Think tortilla soup with pasta shells instead of corn chips. It’s pleasantly salty, spicy and soul-warming. But save room for the main event.

Gina’s Favorite, the official one anyway (she told us about seven dishes that she said were all her favorites), is a juicy, breaded chicken breast covered in lemon butter and sautéed green onions. Delicioso.

The Jalapeño Pork Chops are thick and wonderfully smoky with plenty of kick from the spicy marinade, then topped with a fresh flowered jalapeño—seeds and all—if you dare.

Brisket tacos are on nearly every menu in town, as they are here, but for a different twist, check out the large crispy gorditas filled with brisket, or ground beef or chicken. They melt in your mouth.

Rocks margaritas are made with a heavy pour and addictively flavorful, perfect for enjoying on the brand-new patio (already luring the gays like flames to a moth) with a bowl of chips and two spicy salsas (red or green) to keep you ordering more booze. We told you, this Gina’s a smart one.

Here’s looking at you, kid.

Casa Blanca Tex-Mex
5404 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas
(214) 522-2226