Gabriela & Sofia's Tex-Mex — Restaurant in Dallas

……. READ THIS REVIEW …… Very reasonable prices!!! That makes up for a few shortcomings - and the staff is awesome… even by my standards. While my review is always direct, I like this place. Great energy. But undecided as to coming back. Hummm.

Chips = 6/10 On the thicker side as restaurant chips go, but I did ok with them. (I would not buy them in a store.)

Salsa = 8/10 Well made, tasty and a gentle warming on the back end. Nice flavor but did not “wow me”.

Black Bean Dip = 3/10 Shocker… it’s puréed as expected but was cold?!? I asked if was supposed to be cold. Evidently it was an error - and they immediately brought me a hot replacement - double portion!! AWESOME! That’s the absolutely perfect way to fix a mistake - and a new 1st for me. (They earned many respect points from me on that move!) Well hummm, it’s extremely bland. Nothing but bean flavor. Needs salt and some seasoning to make it wake up. But it’s free so I can’t complain… just sad. I had higher hopes when I saw it… and I’ve had much better.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita = 6/10 First impressions.. a bit on the small side. The flavor is enjoyable, but it’s not handmade syrup. Very silky, creamy and light texture. I prefer a more dense texture (more icy). It’s fresh and not melted… but the texture is as if you were drinking the last 1/4 of your margarita. Undecided on this point.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada = Moist chicken which is the #1 thing I grade on. Yes, it’s moist! However, not a strong seasoning profile, more in the hard to find flavors side. I like the sour cream sauce. Not over powering and has the correct texture. 7/10

Beef Enchilada with Chili Con Carne Sauce = 3/10 Ok, but a again definitely on the bland side. The sauce is just that - only a sauce… no meat included. Not all memorable.

Table Side Handmade Guacamole 8.5/10 Be sure to tell them you want it made “at the table”, otherwise they make it in back. Very good. Extremely creamy with small chunks of avocado (I don’t like big chunks - too much). I skipped the jalapeños, and it’s definitely a repeat item for me. Beautiful flavor and enjoyable.

Service = 10/10 Excellent in every way. 2-3 other waiters always check on me as they pass by. Obviously, the customer comes first here!!! Very attentive and fast service at 7:30pm.

Environment = 7/10 Welcoming as you enter and hosted is quick to acknowledge you. Very nice original art on the wall - not stereotypical, enjoyable to look at. (Good move!) Lots of open space allowing you to have privacy but it’s still has good energy with all the customer buzz.

Over All: 3/5 Although this review is a bit direct (that’s my style) I was happy I came by. The people here are so good hearted and you can tell they will move mountains to ensure you are happy!! That was a highlight for me.

As for the food, maybe I ordered the wrong stuff… but everything was about 30% seasoned to what I expect Tex-Mex to be. Unfortunately, bland in general. Hard to get much flavor, too gentle and mild. But please note - I do not like “heat or overpowering seasoning to the point you can’t identify what you are eating!” I do require more than a minimal seasoning approach. That’s because I’m an old and native...

Very disappointed by this visit. This used to be my all time favorite restaurant, but despite ordering the same meal on the same exact menu, the main entree that arrived on my plate having the same basic ingredients, it was something totally different than I ever had gotten before and the sides were not even composed of the ingredients that made up the previous sides at all with the refried beans replaced by a "bean soup " that was more like hard rogue black beans floating in water and the Spanish rice had been replaced with a cabbage carrot shred in vinegar that I assumed was supposed to be a salad similar to the salad served with shrimp tacos at Fuzzy Tacos and were nowhere near the same and was the most awful thing ever to be put on a plate. The main entree I ordered was supposed to be shrimp enchiladas with a sour cream sauce substituted for the ranchero sauce but was so super thick I wasn't sure by looking at it what went wrong with the cooking process but when I tasted it I identified it as a white cheese flavor that definitely had no remote resemblance to the sour cream sauce I had asked for. It took an extraordinary long amount of time before the other people received their meals and they had to immediately send them back because their steaks were still raw and my meal had still not been brought out at all. When they finally brought the steaks back cooked and my shrimp enchiladas with them I just knew they had to have completely overcooked the shrimp since it was obvious that the sauce topping them was overcooked but I found that the shrimp itself was extremely undercooked and I still cannot understand how you undercook the shrimp inside and overcook the sauce on the outside of the same enchilada at the same time especially when it takes longer for shrimp enchiladas to arrive in the same time as it took to ruin two steak dishes, and then remake them completely cooking them correctly the second time when it is supposed to take a fraction of the time to cook shrimp as it takes to cook steaks to done with no pink in the middle whatsoever. So needless to say I no longer consider this to even appear on my favorites list much less an all time favorite and I will not be returning to this restaurant again since it now represents the most disappointing meal experience of my entire 45 year life. This is not the experience I wanted, nor review I wanted to have to write and so disappointed me and my excited to be enticed taste buds that I was so greatly saddened I felt like it physically wounded me. I am now resolved that in the future my best resolve will be for me to save myself the trouble I endured to go out and have a good authentic Mexican food dish by putting my efforts into going to the grocery store for ingredients and preparing the dish myself at home which I know is going to exceed every Mexican restaurant in the metroplex available in taste, texture and timeliness as well as authenticity and I am far from Mexican which I consider to be for lack of a better expression to be quite a damn shame. Therefore, if I were the chef here I would not only see the experience as an embarrassment but downright shameful for me to offer to a...

Mexican food is a bit like BBQ, lots of styles and subtleties. Always hate to recommend any restaurant to someone who I don't know what they actually like, despite what they say. You know, the "I'm not picky" type who lambasts the food temperature or something.

I bring up BBQ because I like long low smoked, others don't really like that, although they say they do, and are fine with the steamed BBQ. You also have to factor in price. But when stuff is expensive it should be good, but of course this isn't always the case.

OK if you got through all of that, this place is solid. Food is fresh, made with fresh ingredients on site, and is prepared, as many restaurants claim, "like your grandmother did." Since not every grandmother could cook, not a great choice, but this place could say that when you assume all grandmothers are good cooks.

This is reasonably priced for the quality, service also good, checks off all the boxes for a good experience, as well as going out to get something you don't have time or desire to cook. It should be better than you casually make it. This place is that and better, I had the Chef's plate, the brisket taco, brisket enchilada, and Pork Tamale. Several different items and all require some skill. Brisket isn't easy, and I'm picky. While not smoked it was made to enhance the other flavors in the taco. Tamale was old school, the hard to make kind as opposed to the marginally acceptable ones in the nicer grocery store ones in their refrigerated section. Tamales require some labor to make, and they put in the time to make them or they know someone who does that and they have those brought in.

Gave it the full 5-stars, rarely do this because it is reasonably priced, show some innovation, fresh ingredients, place was clean with plenty of options.

So while you might get better of a certain item where that is a specialty of theirs, I found this to be very consistent. Think even a large party of people will find something they would enjoy, and this can be difficult. Complimentary chips and dips very good also.

Bottom line, if you are in the area, great place, in a strip center where you can park right next to the door. They make great food and don't charge an arm and a leg for it, and am sure you have paid a lot more for worse. Solid place, worth a visit, and will return when in the area, or just close...