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Posts tagged ‘Mexican food in OK’

Food Friday: Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant

Always looking for something new, Big K discovered Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant while looking at the internet one night. It has been on North MacArthur for over 5 years but it was a first for us.

Located in a small strip mall just south of NW 50th on the east side of MacArthur, the welcoming Hispanic girl painted next to the door lets you know there is authentic Mexican inside. It was quiet for a Friday night and we were seated quickly with chips, salsa, and queso brought out immediately. After looking over the menu, I decided on beef enchiladas while Big K ordered chicken Milanesa. We had a nice time enjoying the chips and trying their salsas, there were two different kinds, one a bit spicier than the other. The chips were fresh and warm, light and crisp. Both dinners were served on huge plates, mine had three enchiladas with beans and rice while Big K’s had the chicken with beans, rice, and potatoes. I loved every bite. The enchiladas were stuffed with fajita meat, seasoned perfectly, and covered in cheese sauce with cotija cheese on top. The beans and rice were also quite good. Big K’s chicken Milanesa was interesting, chicken, lightly breaded and fried. It was like a Mexican version of schnitzel. I had a bite and really enjoyed it. The potatoes that came with the meal were also good, sliced thin and fried with just a bit of seasoning. Next trip I’m going to get this for my dinner as well.

Since we were there on a Friday night, there was live music. The singer they brought in was incredible, he had such a lovely voice. The service was outstanding and the decor is beautiful. Overall I’m giving Bianca’s Mexican Restaurant 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4802 N. MacArthur Ave., Warr Acres.

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Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Dulce Vida Tacos & Tequilla

New Mexican restaurant opened on the Highway to Hell, I mean NW Expressway a few months ago. I needed to let the new wear off before I visited, but finally stopped in to try them a few weeks ago.

The brightly decorated building sits on the north side of NW Expressway between Meridian and MacArthur. The inside is more colorful than the outside of the building, with flower chairs and bright paintings. We were seated quickly and had a chance to survey the menu. We knew we had to try their queso fundido. It came out quickly with chips and salsa. I loved every bite, the cheese was perfect, melty with lots of peppers and chorizo. I also loved the chips, light and crisp. Our entrees also came out quickly. I ordered cheese steak burritos. This was interesting, just as it says, a cheese steak inside a burrito instead of bread. I really liked it, the beans and rice were also good. Big K ordered the burrito chipotle. This is a huge burrito stuffed with chicken, rice, beans, and corn with a chipotle salsa on top. He loved every bite. I tried it and loved the chipotle salsa on top.

They are well known for their specialty alcoholic drinks but I’m not much of a drinker. So I didn’t try any this time, maybe the next visit. This location has done well enough that a second location is about to be opened on Memorial west of May. It is already getting attention with the bright pink paint that has been added. Overall we had a great visit and looking forward to trying more of their menu. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 4825 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Taco Empire

If you’ve been reading my food Fridays, you know that I love Mexican food. A new taco restaurant opened in NW Oklahoma City and I had to check it out.

We went on a quiet Friday night, there were quite a few people there but it wasn’t crowded. We shared a platter of steak nachos to start. Piled high with chips, steak, veggies, topped with queso. These were awesome, the chips were fried flour tortillas. The steak had a great flavor and was tender. These queso had a tang that I really enjoyed, brought out so many of the other ingredients. What I found funny is that when I ordered these, the girl asked if I liked spicy. Yes was my answer, she then explained that there were jalapenos on the nachos. The fresh sliced jalapenos weren’t that hot, they actually had a great fresh taste as well. Next up were our tacos. I got a fried shrimp taco and a quesabroso with steak. First of all they come in blue corn tortillas, different, added a bit of color to the plate. The shrimp was perfectly fried, covered in a spicy aioli that was delightful. The quesabroso taco was a blue corn tortilla with cheese fried onto it, then filled with steak and beans, topped with a guacamole. I don’t normally like guacamole but it was great mixed with this meat and beans on this taco. I also loved the tiny baked potato, it was covered in spices and easily eaten by hand. Big K had a fish taco and barbacoa taco. He loved both, said they were both quite flavorful.

Apparently Taco Empire had been a food truck before having a brick & mortar location. The restaurant is in a small strip mall at the SW intersection of NW 122nd and Rockwell. This is getting to be a good place to go if you’re a foodie. Several other restaurants have also opened in this area. A trip to Taco Empire needs to be on your list to try if you haven’t already. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 7000 NW 122nd St, Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: La Herradura

There have been so many good Mexican restaurants popping up around the OKC metro and another opened in NW Oklahoma City over the summer. So on cold Friday night we decided to check them out.

Tucked away in the corner of a strip mall north of Putnam City North High School, La Herradura hasn’t even been open for a year but is gathering a good reputation. We were seated quickly with the warm chips, salsa, and warm white queso were brought out. The chips were thicker than I like but it was ok. It worked with their salsa and queso. The salsa was good, not too hot, but that white queso was incredible. I loved every bite, it had a sharpness that I haven’t experienced with queso before. I loved it so much, I went through 2 cups of it. I can judge a Mexican restaurant by how good their chimichangas are, so I went with those for this first visit. Big K had the burrito dinner. We didn’t have to wait long for our dinner to come out. I loved their beans and rice. The chimichanga was on point, fried perfectly with a good amount of ground beef inside covered with sour cream sauce. Big K’s burrito was huge, filled with shredded chicken and covered in sour cream sauce as well. 

Overall I’m excited to go back ,that white queso alone is worth a trip. I will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 12100 N Rockwell Ave., Suite 12, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Tacos Don Nacho

Forever I’ve been driving past Tacos Don Nacho on South Council, this is my usual route from my home in northwest Oklahoma City to my in-laws in south Oklahoma City. The parking lot is always full and I had been told my several people over the years that it was good. Finally Big K talked me into going and now I’m mad at myself for not stopping before.

Even at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon, the place was packed but we were still able to find a table. Heads up, you do need to know a bit of Spanish to read the menu, but I’m pretty sure you can always ask. You order at the front counter, then find a seat. The complimentary chips and salsa were brought out quickly. the chips were those thin, light tortilla chips that I love and the salsa had a bit of kick to it. I ordered the Especial 3 Tacos with asada meat. This came out pretty quick as well, the 3 tacos are served in soft flour tortillas with salsa. These were amazing, I loved the taste of the meat, seasoned just right. The beans and rice were also really good, beans weren’t too runny and the rice had a hint of lime. Big K had a burrito plate with chicken. This burrito was huge, covered in red sauce and guacamole, with the beans and rice on the sides. He loved every bite.

We were so stuffed when we left, the food was so good and filling. It will definitely be on our list of favorite places now. Wish I would have stopped years ago. Now I understand why the parking lot is always packed. Definitely 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 3721 S Council Rd, Oklahoma City.

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Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: The Fried Taco

If you haven’t been to the Edmond Icehouse Project, you are missing out on some good food. Not only is Woodward Pizza located in this complex but so is The Fried Taco. This small taco restaurant started as a food truck in 2019 and expanded into The collective not long after. In 2022, they opened their second location in the metro area in the newly developed Icehouse Project just north of Edmond Road (or 2nd Street) and west of the railroad tracks.

The menu is small and straightforward, you have different fried tacos plus a limited selection of quesadillas and empanadas. We started our visit with the white queso with chorizo. This isn’t just chips and queso, the chips are fried flour tortillas and the queso is a creamy blend of cheeses with onion, tomato, and chorizo mixed in. I love these chips, they have a different texture than corn chips and in this case the thicker chip is good. This last visit I tried their chicken bacon ranch taco and a ground beef and cheese empanada. The flour tortilla has been fried and shaped to hold ingredients just like a taco. The chicken mixed with ranch and bacon gave the taco a great taste that you just don’t always get from regular tacos. The crunchy tortilla also lends to the different flavor. I’ve had the brisket and the pork tacos in the past and they are good as well. I really think that fried flour tortilla just makes these tacos good. This last trip was the first time I had ever tried an empanada. It’s like a fried pie with savory ingredients such as beef or pork. I got a beef empanada, I love the flaky crust on the outside. The beef and cheese mixture inside was also good, very flavorful. To wash it all down I got a homemade coconut lavender lemonade. This is so refreshing, the coconut and lavender give the lemonade a smooth taste.

Overall I love the food and the atmosphere at The Fried Taco, you can eat inside in a purple room or take your food outside to sit on the patio. There is a play place for kids and plenty of games around for everyone. I have not been to their location in the Collective yet but would like to visit soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 119 W 2nd St. Suite 150, Edmond; 308 NW 10th (The Collective Food Hall), Oklahoma City.

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Edmond Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: The Mont

As a little girl growing up in Norman, we would pass the newly opened restaurant called The Mont all the time.  I could see the glow of lights coming through the stained glass windows and wanted to go inside.  My mother would tell me, decent people don’t go there, so my hopes of visiting were dashed.  Later as a student at OU in the early 1990’s, I still wanted to go but it seemed like a party place.  Even though it had that reputation, I also knew members of the Norman police department gathered there every Saturday to drink.  I really then just forgot about it until recently with my own daughter a student at OU.  Finally, back in December we stopped, it was so good I wish I had gone earlier.

The architecture of the building is what gets your attention first, a low Spanish style building with lots of stained-glass windows.  A patio out front gives diners a chance to enjoy the nice weather, or you can enter through a medieval looking wooden door to the main dining room.  Their menu ranges from burgers and sandwiches to Tex-Mex.  We ordered a couple of things to start with, the fried cheese and fried mushrooms. They were both good. I got the Mont burger with bacon and cheese. Not a bad burger, had a great taste with lots of fresh veggies. Mae got a French dip with a side of mac and cheese (of course). She loved the sandwich but the baked mac and cheese really won her over. A melty cheese top with creamy cheese inside, I had a bite and it was really good. Big K had the green Chile burrito that comes with beans, rice and chips. He really loved the burrito, lots of queso over it. He said the beans and rice were good. I had a couple of the chips, they were light and crispy. Now it was the afternoon, so I didn’t try the famous Sooner Swirl but I will.

The Mont has been a staple in Norman since it opened on Halloween of 1976. The building is much older, of course. The first business I found mentioned is the Monterrey Restaurant. This operated from 1943- 1969. A German restaurant called Volkstube occupied the building for a short time then Hacienda Hernandez took over in 1972. This restaurant survived for a couple of years before turning into Joe’s Bar & Grill which only lasted a year. After all these years the Mont is the place to see and be seen. I’ve heard all the drunk stories from friends who had a few too many while enjoying the atmosphere. I’m sure it does still get crazy on game days but it was quiet while we were there. I would like to go again now that the weather is nice, just to enjoy the good food outdoors. So if you are in Norman, give this legendary restaurant a try. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 1300 Classen Blvd., Norman.

Category:

Food, Norman, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food, University of Oklahoma

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Food Friday: Taqueria Hernandez

While walking around the town square in Altus, I kept being hit with the unmistakable smell of fajitas cooking. The smell drew me into a small little building on the corner of US Highway 62 and Hudson Street. This little place is a true hidden gem in Altus.

I like to judge a Mexican restaurant on their chimichangas, these were different than I have had anywhere else. I got 3 small chimichangas (instead of the normal big one), with the usual side of beans and rice. There was actually something refreshing with these chimichangas, they weren’t drenched in sauce, they were just plain which allowed me to experience more of the meat and fried tortilla flavors. The ground beef inside was spiced nicely with just a bit of cheese and the tortillas didn’t have that greasy taste that sometimes is a downside of chimichangas. The rise was really good, had a buttery Hispanic taste that was also something that was refreshing. The refried beans were more of a soup type than what I’m used to as well. I’m still torn on them but I know there are people who like them to be runny. The chips and salsa were also good, the chips were fresh and light, the salsa had a good kick to it.

So if you find yourself in Altus, take a walk around their historic town square and stop in at Taqueria Hernandez. The staff was friendly and the decor was beautiful, with hand painted walls. The outside of the building has a look that reminds me of the old 1950’s diners. I’ll give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 101 N. Hudson St., Altus.

Category:

Altus Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Birrieria Diaz

If you are looking for some really good Mexican food in Bethany, head to downtown Bethany across from SNU and check out Brirrieria Diaz. I have heard of it for quite some time and a few months ago was our first visit. We’ve been back several times because it is so good.

It’s located on the east corner of the downtown area, just a small restaurant. You can park on NW 39th or drive around back to the larger parking lot. Once inside, we are always seated quickly. Fresh corn tortilla chips along with really good queso and salsa are brought to the table. The salsa is fresh and not to spicy, the queso is creamy with a touch of sharp flavor. I have gotten the beef enchilada dinner a couple of times and it has been great. Always cooked to perfection, the ground beef has a nice flavor. But my new favorite is the tacos diaz, 3 flour tortillas filled with steak, ham, bacon, onions, peppers, and mozzarella cheese. These are wonderful, the different flavors just compliment each other. The meat is grilled and is tender, the veggies are also grilled and liven up the taco. It’s served with rice and beans. The rice is good but I really like their beans, I have tasted bits of bacon in them which I love.

I highly recommend trying them out, they have a breakfast menu that I need to try soon. I give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 6700 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany.

Category:

Bethany Oklahoma, Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma food

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Food Friday: Taqueria El Camino

I love new restaurants, but I love them more when they’re close to home so I was excited to hear about the opening of Taqueria El Camino a few weeks ago. They originally opened in the Edmond Railyard back in October 2019 and business was so good they now have their own location on North MacArthur in Oklahoma City.

Being an introvert, I was apprehensive about going in, I could see they were really busy with the Friday night crowd but Big K wasn’t going to let that deter us. He went in and found out they had tables open, so in I went. They mostly specialize in tacos but have a few other items as well. We started with just basic chips and queso. These were awesome. The chips were fried flour tortillas with seasoning on them and the queso had a tang to it, I would have these everyday if I could. I went with the coconut shrimp taco and brisket barbacoa taco with the sides of waffle fries and cilantro lime rice. The tacos were good sized, the coconut shrimp taco had a nice pile of slaw on top, gave it a beachy type feel. The brisket barbacoa taco also had the slaw with some cotija cheese on top, the brisket was cooked perfectly, melted in my mouth. The cilantro rice was really good, had a light flavor to it. And the waffle fries were perfect, not those sad ones you get from Chick-fil-A. These were fried crip with seasoning over them that gave them a great flavor. I also had a lavender berry margarita, this was a real treat, sweet with a touch of lavender flavor. Big K had the chorizo guac taco and a quesa carnitas taco with the sides of zesty slaw and elote. He loved both tacos, they had crispy cheese fried onto the tortillas. He thought the slaw had a flavor that was different, and he fell in love with the elote (elote is grilled street corn, I tried a bite and it was good).

The only real downside is that it did take a bit to get our entrees. Like I said at the beginning, they were really busy. They just opened at this location in December and getting a lot of attention. I will be going back to try more of their menu offerings and will give them 5 strips of bacon.

Address: 9120 N. MacArthur Blvd., Oklahoma City.

Category:

Food, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma food

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