Bilia Eatery — Restaurant in Castle Hills

WOW 🔥

I can’t believe we found this place, it was absolutely amazing. The high ratings and number of reviews influenced our decision to try it out, and it lived up to the reputation 100%

The first thing we noticed when we walked in was the decorations and ambience. We really liked the decorations and style and had a very comfortable feel to it.

We ordered the weekly special which was a Cubano and had some extra flair to it (I forgot what it was called unfortunately) and my wife got the jalapeño Barbacoa melt. The meat was obviously cooked slow and was extremely tender. The balance and mixture of meat, cheese, pickle, and mustard was out of the world. Same with the melt, the flavors and textures were a culinary experience, every bite was delicious. They were served with a side of thin sliced and fried seasoned plantains that were the perfect accompaniment. I had a coffee americano with my meal and my wife had a blueberry hibiscus tea. We finished it off with two of his desert empanadas. I like empanadas but I’ve never had any as good as these were. They were how I want an empanada to taste every time I eat one. Soft, sweet in the middle, full of the stuffing, so good 🤤

I’ve eaten at a lot of places, from fine dining to fast food, and I can tell you this is a hidden gem. The place is owned and run by Brian and his wife, super nice guy that moved here from Miami. If you want to find a place where you can enjoy a true culinary experience by someone who is obviously a master at his craft, come here. You watch movies and shows about people like this, who are true chefs and can take your palate on a journey, but are starting by getting their little Cuban sandwich shop on the corner.

Did I mention they create their own proprietary salsa and sell it there?

You should absolutely try this place. I can’t wait to go back and try the other things on his menu and I can’t think of many times I’ve actually thought that, being so amazed that I want to go back and try different things.

10/10 - great job Bilia Eatery, I’m so glad...

We stopped in on a wet and raining day, not knowing what to expect - such a delicious experience! First of all.. inviting aesthetic, gorgeous decor from the pillows to the prints to the lights and patterned dishes and adorable collection of coffee mugs... it was all perfectly curated. Now the star of the show.. the FOOD! Their Breakfast Arepa was one of the best things I've ever had.. in my life! The Barbacoa Melt was simple, but the added jalapeño and cream cheese definitely upped the ante. The Argentino had such a wealth of flavors with the chimichurri and garlic aioli.. it was both surprising and delicious. The De la queso Arepa was my least favorite thing we ordered there, but it was still good. The Drip Coffee was nice and much needed since there was no heat inside, and it felt like we were dining outdoors.. in Antarctica 🥶. The cashier (possibly owner?) added sugar-free syrup to my drip for me at no charge.. he was lovely. We took soup of the day, Sancocho, to go because we just had to try one more thing, lol. The broth was mild and nicely flavored, but some of the meat (chicken and beef) and veggies (plantains, potatoes, yucca, and pumpkin) were in too large of chucks so they were still slightly firm, and in my opinion weren't capturing the flavors from the broth so they tasted quite plain. The ladies sitting by us before we left were enjoying it, so it might be worth a try, but we'll be skipping on our...

Update: I want to make it clear that I loved Bilia at their old location, so I finally got around to trying out their new location and....it was just not the same.

The coffee I loved just didn't taste right. They had brought me a hot coffee when I asked for ice, no big deal, but then when I asked for ice, they scooped some out of a black bucket that was acting as an ice chest. So I didnt drink it.

They no longer have the bahn mi so I ordered an arepa and the barbacoa sandwich. The barbacoa was so oversalted I couldn't eat it and the plantain chips were burnt, and the arepa was under and not fully cooked. I was really disappointed because while their space is new, fresh, and beautiful, the food quality did not transfer over.

Maybe they just need to get their groove back, but I won't be visiting for a while...

I love seeing minority businesses thrive and provide good food to the community!

We stopped here for lunch today and it was amazing! The staff and owners are wonderful and the place has that classic South American vibe.

We ordered the breakfast and Vegan arepas, and jalapeño barbacoa melt and it was delicious! We also ordered coffee and it was very smooth and good as well. The inside is a little small, but there's inside and outside seating. They also had plenty of people ordering to-go. We'll definitely be back to try more items on their...