Tex Mex is making a big, splashy return to Preston Royal. Escondido Tex-Mex Patio will open with the largest patio in all of Preston Hollow on Monday, November 14. The menu will have 12 types of margaritas and Tex Mex staples you’d expect: nachos, tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas. The tortillas will be both corn and flour, and delivered and made fresh daily by local tortilleria La Norteña.
The restaurant promises “always warm” tortilla chips, alongside guacamole, queso with brisket, or a trio of the two plus a cilantro ranch dip. There’s also a Tex-Mex pizza on the menu, pictured below, made with ground beef, flour tortillas, a three cheese blend, ranchero sauce, and lime crema. No need to stoop to Taco Bell and its inconsistently offered Mexican Pizza again — the whole dish gets an upgrade here.
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The ancho butter fajitas are front and center on the menu, with chicken, steak, shrimp, a chicken and steak combo, and portobello mushrooms. Made with the same ancho chilis that make Texas chili so flavorful.
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In addition to the margarita selection, its cocktail menu has ranch water, a paloma, a mezcal mule, a Hibiscus Vodka Spritz, and a Carajillo Martini (a take on the espresso martini). Escondido Tex-Mex Patio will have a happy hour on Sunday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m., when house margs, draft beer, and select wines are $6.
With seating inside for 75 and a patio big enough to hold another 75, getting a reservation shouldn’t be too difficult. The space was previously occupied by Ruggeri’s Italiano Pescatore, which Jon Alexis (the man behind TJ’s Seafood) also owned, until it was closed due to damage after the 2019 tornado.
Service starts with dinner, with brunch and lunch coming soon.
The restaurant was designed by Duncan & Miller, which also designed Tulum, Muchacho, and Dahlia, according to Paper City. The firm are known for their clean, modern style and that’s on full display here, along with touches of Mexican art, plants, and design.
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