East of Texas — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

The East of Texas Experience (Dine-In Edition). My sister wanted to take my dad to eat to try East of Texas, so I decided to tag along. I had never eaten here but heard the same person who manages The Porch Kitchen and Cantina, and Alma Mexicana also owns this place, so I wanted to try it out. Honestly, because I try to keep my reviews transparent from my perspective, I am not always sold on Tex-Mex-style restaurants. You must have a unique ambiance and flare to excite me about these eateries. So upon entering East of Texas, I was excited to see and hear someone perform. The performer could sing and play the guitar, and the crowd appeared to enjoy the entertainment.

Although it was warm out, the fans inside kept the place cool. I ordered their Brisket Flautas, crispy rolled-up tortillas stuffed with brisket and cheese, topped with shredded lettuce, queso, fresco, guacamole, pumpkin seeds, and salad. I opted to go without the guacamole and pumpkin seeds. I also ordered the street corn salad. When I asked the individual taking my order what was in it, they told me everything in "street corn," to which I said everyone makes it different. I also asked if chips and salsa came with my meal and was told yes. I also ordered the Houston House Margaretta with sugar on the rim. As their system for letting you know your food is ready, they take your cellphone number to text you.

While waiting for my food, I went to the restroom, which appeared clean on my visit. When I exited the bathroom, I waited for my drink and walked up to where the bartenders were making drinks, and my Margaretta was hanging out. I also noticed my drink had salt on the rim, not sugar. I took my Margaretta back, and they remade my drink. Honestly, the "sugar" still tasted like salt. However, the drink was delicious and had a nice kick. Due to the cup being plastic, the sugar/salt mix started to slide down the cup, so I poured my Margaretta into one of their complementary plastic cups.

When my food was ready, I received a text. However, I did not see any chips and salsa with my meal. I explained the individual who took my order told me chips and salsa came with my meal, and the individual stated they were unsure of that but would take care of me. While eating my food, I enjoyed the sights and sounds and loved the atmosphere. However, my food was just ok. My Flautas could have been more crispy, and I could have used some salsa to go with them. Also, the street corn was just.

So would I return? I am still determining if I will return. Possibly for a drink, hold the sugar/salt mix due to the messiness. I would also get some chips and salsa, but I would not order a full meal. Also, this place is dog friendly, which is excellent. I love dogs but do not want them walking past my table, scratching and shacking while I am eating. Nevertheless, the entertainment was good and brought a different wholesome vibe Winston Salem needs. Yet, the price does not align with what I ordered...

Tucked away in Winston-Salem, this place is quite modern and fresh amongst the neighborhood. The music is... loud, though. Makes it hard to sit and chat despite the fact that the inside is completely opened to outside, like an opened garage. The music volume in itself, despite the fact that this place looks great aesthetically and feels very roomy and beautiful, makes me rate the atmosphere only 2 stars. I understand that that's a very personal preference though, so I don't expect that to deter most people from going.

The price is... kind of intense. You're paying for the vibe of the place, to a degree. I saw a lot of reviews about the brisket on google, so I was excited to try that! We ended up getting "birria brisket" instead of their house slabs of brisket (what we got was shredded) because of the server's recommendation about the flavor and popularity of the birria, and it was... just kind of meh. Salty, for sure. I think the slices of brisket would've been much more satisfying.

The "dynamite bowl" presentation was certainly underwhelming, and the bowl is wayyy bigger than the food you get within the bowl, so that makes it even more underwhelming haha. It did get finished by the three of us, but I think it was just kind of average as a dish. For $18, I think we won't get it again.

The three salmon tacos had a better presentation, but it looked so tiny juxtaposed to the massive bowl the other dish was in that it too was underwhelming. The salmon was juicy, and the taco was a great combination of flavors. The avocado slice in each taco was delightful. But once again... for $18, it just is kind of disappointing to see what we got; it didn't even come with chips.

The wings were deliciously sauced! But! The meat was a little tough, and the wings were $2/piece, which is just yikes for what you get. Sadness abounds.

Overall? This is a fun spot with latin dancing on Wednesdays and a great "modern" vibe indoor and outdoors. Great interior/exterior design, and friendly staff. Yummy banana pudding and a decent spread of dishes. Come here as a bundle of college students or if you'd like to play some board games while enjoying yummy fried food, especially if you're alright with spending $15-30...

Tried this place for dinner with a friend and left with both indigestion and very mixed feelings about the experience. To start with the positive: the restaurant itself is a really great space. It's really well decorated, welcoming, and has a great vibe, and even though it's a place where you pick up your own food and handle your own drinks, any employees we interacted with were very friendly. The restaurant was clean and inviting, and everyone was welcoming. When it comes to the food, that's where I think there's room for improvement. I love Tex Mex, and grew up in Texas and on food like this... especially brisket. But the burnt ends I got were really underwhelming: they were incredibly dry and chewy, and the sauce on them was very heavy on a black pepper flavor that made it bitter. On top of that was a degree of heat that I didn't care for (and I like spicy food). I've had better burnt ends at a few other smoked meat-oriented restaurants in NC. The macaroni and cheese was mushy and lacking salt. The street corn salad had the potential to be delicious but was again dominated by heat despite having some good flavor. The slaw served with my meal was overly acidic - if done properly, it could have been a good, smartly done complement to the rest of my tray, but instead I think it might have pickled my insides a little with the amount of vinegar involved. I didn't care for either of the sauces that came with my plate. Honestly my favorite part of the meal was the guacamole. I feel like almost everything I ate was just so heavy handed. The food lacks balance, but isn't completely inedible. But for the price they're asking, there are several better options: Black Powder in Jamestown. Mac's Speed Shop. The Smoke Pit. With some fine-tuning of some recipes, this place could be...