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1201 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 524-1201
El Real. Saturday night of their opening weekend. Party of 4. I'm going to be forgiving.....that's no easy feat, even for Houston's famed Bryan Caswell (ESPECIALLY for Caswell - fresh off his spotlight on Next Iron Chef - that's mucho pressure).
Not accepting reservations, I was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable 30 minutes wait. My crew ordered a round of weak Mexican martinis (tear), and munched on some fresh chips and salsa at the front full bar (complete with your favorite Mexican beers (Modelo and Pacifico).
El Real boasts a friendly, bustling atmosphere - think a modern day Ninfa's with enormous ceilings and old westerns playing on a large screen.
We were seated at the front outdoor patio on Westheimer which made for a great scene, especially once the former Chances strip gets redeveloped.
It's my understanding that the concept of El Real is a nod to old school tex mex....so don't go looking for unique menu items....you won't find them here (unless you count the flying grasshopper that landed on our table, but that's neither here nor there).
In my book, a cardinal rule to tex mex feasting is kicking off a meal with queso, and if you don't share that sentiment, well.....that just sounds like a personal problem....UNLESS....you are at El Real.
Not to knock Velveeta queso....but let's leave that recipe for house parties. Our bowl of electric yellow Velveeta + Ro-tel did not cut it. I take that back - it was served SO THICK, it CUT my chip in half...every dip. Within 5 minutes, our bowl had become the consistency of GACK! No Bueno!
Out came our order of beef nachos, piled with healthy cuts of well seasoned fajita meat, refried beans, tomatoes, guac, sour cream and shredded cheese. A nice rebound from the the queso, but nothing to melt over either.
The grand finale was the pound of fajitas (half chicken, half beef). We requested our meat to be served medium......which made for DELICIOUS, TENDER beef, but our chicken came out undercooked and as a result, untouched. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed the beef dressed with great guac salad, garlic butter, and sizzling onions wrapped in fresh tortillas. It has to be said that side of rice was sinfully overcooked and underflavored....needs a complete re-haul.
Despite our lack of silverware and plates (they were very late, but we made due), the staff was all smiles and helped make the overall meal enjoyable.
I know Caswell's team has the brains and talent to make El Real a success, but they won't be able to rely on its general charm, Montrose location and reasonable prices too long.
Bottom line: Come to El Real if you are looking for a casual, fun atmosphere with your buddies, but leave the fajitas and ritas for El Tiempo (at least for now).
Not accepting reservations, I was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable 30 minutes wait. My crew ordered a round of weak Mexican martinis (tear), and munched on some fresh chips and salsa at the front full bar (complete with your favorite Mexican beers (Modelo and Pacifico).
El Real boasts a friendly, bustling atmosphere - think a modern day Ninfa's with enormous ceilings and old westerns playing on a large screen.
We were seated at the front outdoor patio on Westheimer which made for a great scene, especially once the former Chances strip gets redeveloped.
It's my understanding that the concept of El Real is a nod to old school tex mex....so don't go looking for unique menu items....you won't find them here (unless you count the flying grasshopper that landed on our table, but that's neither here nor there).
In my book, a cardinal rule to tex mex feasting is kicking off a meal with queso, and if you don't share that sentiment, well.....that just sounds like a personal problem....UNLESS....you are at El Real.
Not to knock Velveeta queso....but let's leave that recipe for house parties. Our bowl of electric yellow Velveeta + Ro-tel did not cut it. I take that back - it was served SO THICK, it CUT my chip in half...every dip. Within 5 minutes, our bowl had become the consistency of GACK! No Bueno!
Out came our order of beef nachos, piled with healthy cuts of well seasoned fajita meat, refried beans, tomatoes, guac, sour cream and shredded cheese. A nice rebound from the the queso, but nothing to melt over either.
The grand finale was the pound of fajitas (half chicken, half beef). We requested our meat to be served medium......which made for DELICIOUS, TENDER beef, but our chicken came out undercooked and as a result, untouched. All four of us thoroughly enjoyed the beef dressed with great guac salad, garlic butter, and sizzling onions wrapped in fresh tortillas. It has to be said that side of rice was sinfully overcooked and underflavored....needs a complete re-haul.
Despite our lack of silverware and plates (they were very late, but we made due), the staff was all smiles and helped make the overall meal enjoyable.
I know Caswell's team has the brains and talent to make El Real a success, but they won't be able to rely on its general charm, Montrose location and reasonable prices too long.
Bottom line: Come to El Real if you are looking for a casual, fun atmosphere with your buddies, but leave the fajitas and ritas for El Tiempo (at least for now).
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