ottawa foodies

I'm in the mood for a major Tex-Mex feast and since my old standard Rosa's is gone I have no idea where the closest to that genre is in town. Any reviews or ideas?
Thanks.

Lone Star?

Just not the same, and like a big fajita factory. I think there was a place on Bank near Altavista, but I don't know if it's still open. Could have been a Lick's or something before.???

Lots of shawarma around in the Bank and Alta Vist area have not seen any Tex Mex maybe you are thinking of Annie and Clydes further north. Lick's is a rental car place now. And the Mexi's that was there is Asian now.

The Southern Cross Restaurant is further downtown on Bay, but I wasn't that impressed. That was over 10 years ago, though.

I really like Pancho Villa on Elgin. WAY better than the Lone Star, just harder to get to.

I know the place you're talking about Rob. The name had something to do with peppers. I don't think it is still around.

The tex-mex place at Bank and Alta Vista closed. It is now a Chinese restaurant. I hear that Annie and Clyde's going to go tex-mex.

Maybe GuadalaHarry's at Dow's Lake? I haven't been since it changed names from Mexicala Rosa's. I think they kept the same menu.

www.guadalaharrys.ca/

Never been disappointed in a meal from Lone Star. Usually frequent the original Baseline location and if you are planning to go on Fri/Sat, I highly recommend reservations or you could enjoy a nice beverage or two while you wait at the bar. Wait was over an hour last night w/out reservations. Careful you don't have too much of their tasty chips'n'salsa and ruin your appetite.

Lone Star started off small and has grown into a chain of restos but the food has always remained consistently great. Not too many restos can last >20+ yrs, truly a testament to good service and quality food.

I have yet to experience a better fajita in this city...to the point I don't bother trying anymore.

I'd second the recommendation for Pancho Villa on Elgin. I've always been happy with the food there. It's not as authentic as the new places in town, but it still serves up good stuff.

As far as the Lone Star goes, I think you're good if you stick to the fajitas. They do those well but I've never been happy if I venture off the safe choice and try something else.

Boxers you are kidding right? I will third Pancho Villa.

Pancho Villa is pretty delicious. Simple, and not terribly "authentic" in the "mex" category, but their enchiladas are one of my favourite guilty pleasure meals in Ottawa.

Lone star tortillas are pretty great. I've started getting a take-out order of the fresh flour tortillas to use when I make tacos at home. Again, not as authentic as corn tortillas, but oh, so delicious.

Plus one for Pancho Villa. Always friendly service and consistent good food. My go to place when I've got a hankering for Mexican

ahora i find way better than pancho villa. new mexican spot off beechwood too, mitla i think. i have never been.

I'm with Eastcoast - I think Ahora is great but it is closer to "Tex-Mex" in my estimation. Corazon de Maiz is more purely "Mexican". Both are excellent.

Without passing judgement on the culinary merits of Lone Star, one thing I do observe is that people generally really, really like it.

I like Lone Star. Never love it, but never leave unhappy.

Imnsho Ahora is Mex, not Tex-Mex. There is nothing Texy about it.

I know ymmv, but when they're 'on' i think Milagro does some mean Tex-Mex and killer Teqtinis.

No one mentioned Agave Grill .

Bacon I.V.'s under-cooked chicken aside, people seem to love this place.

Haven't been there in years so I won't comment.

How about others, more recent, experiences ?

I wasn't wowed, but it seems to be packed almost every time i go by, so someone is loving it.

The Tex Mex place that used to be on Bank near Alta Vista was Rick's Cantina which was pretty good.

I think your only option is to make it yourself, given the offerings in town. Love the Homesick Texan recipes. homesicktexan.blogspot.ca

Hands down Corazon de Maiz is my recommendation for anything approaching the real deal. The others mentioned fall into that category of "let's melt cheese on it and call it Tex-Mex or Mexican". Biggest tip-off to bad experiences at these places: commercially made salsa. Ay Carumba!

That said, I was REALLY excited to find decent corn tortillas in the front fridge case at the Herb n' Spice on Wellington over the holidays. I used them to replicate a recipe for roast duck tacos from the Truck Food cookbook that I got from Santa. Yum!

Corazon de Maiz is not tex-mex.

Also, there is always Mucho Burrito or Burrito Gringo (Bronson/Catherine) you can fall back on in a food emergency.

Tex-Mex never gets the respect it deserves. It is always compared to Mexican, and yes it pales in comparison to real Mexican food. Can't the two types of food be treated with the individual respect they each deserve ;)

Edit to add link:

firstwefeast.com

For the really adventurous KS On the Keys have quesadillas and fajits. LOL! Along with every other food under the sun can you say "let's melt cheese on it and call it Tex-Mex or Mexican". Bet the salsa is comercially made there.

Lone Star for fajitas and chips/salsa (skip pretty much everything else)

Pancho Villa for everything else (skip the fajitas proper - tortillas are standard packaged variety)

thanks everyone for the responses. I'm tired of the hubub of LoneStar, and it was Rick's Cantina I was thinking of. They didn't last long.