There are many amazing Tex-Mex and Mexican food restaurants to choose from in the Dallas area especially in the Oak Lawn Gayborhood. While there are some fast food choices such as Taco Cabana when you need a breakfast burrito after drinking at 3am we are mainly here to show you the best to sit-down-and munch on chips, queso and maybe enjoy a few margaritas. While we tried to put these in some kind of order they are all amazing and all on the list are a must try!
Mia’s Tex Mex – New Location
Mia’s has been a favorite for years but since they have moved to the new location with the bigger patio we are in love! Incredible and addictive salsa and super friendly service. Located next door to Chipotle on Lemmon Avenue in Uptown.
The molcajete salsa is amazing and spicy level 7, perfect! We hear lots of good things about their brisket tacos. You can find this small family-owned joint at 4322 Lemmon Ave.
Avila’s
A small former-home and Beauty shop located off Maple Avenue, It’s been a Dallas favorite for over 30 years. Just about every publication in Texas has bestowed Avila’s with Tex Mex honors, and for good reason. The food is a blend of authentic Mexican cuisine and Tex Mex, and home to some of the best mole, pozole and brisket tacos in town.
Avila’s also gained national attention on the Food Network, with an exciting visit by Guy Fieri. The salsa is spicy and margaritas are refreshingly cold!
Mattito’s
This is one of our favorite tomato-y salsas. The best time to go is during the happy hour when you can get free queso and pico. They are located in the Centrum building right in the core of Oaklawn. Parking is really the only con to this location because you have to input your phone number and sometimes it doesn’t seem to work and you get charged for parking. Taco Tuesday’s are Tequila Tuesdays with cheap drinks and Mattito’s brunch buffet includes 2 mimosas, margaritas, draft beers, or bloody marys. Additional rounds are only $2 each!
Uncle Julio’s
Mexican food chain serving mesquite-grilled fare & margarita-sangria swirls in a hacienda-style space. You just can’t beat Uncle Julio’s signature thick queso. They also have a unique salsa that you do not find at many Tex-Mex establishments. Uncle Julio’s is a chain restaurant but their Lemmon Avenue location is their best we’ve had.
You can find anything from seafood fajitas, shrimp al pastor, red snapper, or ahi tuna served with homemade corn tortillas. Uncle Julio’s is located off Lemmon Avenue and Douglas.
Order Online: DoorDash has an offer to save $25 at Uncle Julio’s.
Ojeda’s
Our favorite thing about this restaurant is the big jar of salsa you can pour o keep it flowing without having to bother the watier every minute for refills. They have tons of parking and just around the corner from the gay strip.
Manny’s Uptown
The tacos deserve mad respect. The chicken in the Cowboy Tacos is perfectly seasoned. They offer a tasty and spicy salsa. Unfortunately, this location was closed and never reopened after the pandemic.
Campuzano’s
Located at 2618 Oak Lawn Ave is Campuzano Mexican Food, a refurbished wooden house you’ll visit for the “scenery”, fajita lunches, carne asada dinners and fabulous margaritas. Campuzanos attracts lots of gays and is a lively and fun environment that is open late!
El Rey
Located a few blocks away from the Kroger on Maple is El Rey a small restaurant where you order before your seated then they bring you out three bottles of hot sauce to squeeze onto your entrees. We especially liked the spicy chicken street tacos but did not care about the signage where you must rate their restaurant 5 stars to get 10% off. We would rather have salsa and chips before our meal at on one of the above restaurants instead of a squeeze bottle of sauce. If we wanted a taco stand we would just walk over to one.
More Queso Por Favor!
We also recommend Mi Cocina for their good salsa and Mambo Taxis. These are swirls that you will be doing the mambo to the taxi or Uber once you leave. Mi Cocina and Uncle Julios featured our favorite swirls in Dallas. We are hesitant to eat at Mi Cocina lately because we have read that their owners donate to Trump’s Anti-LGBTQ campaign. You can find MiCo and their smaller Taco Diner restaurant in the Uptown area. Meso Maya Comida Y Copas and Taqueria La Ventana located on the gay strip are two other 4.5 star Mexican food restaurants to try out.
Expand your taste buds!
If Latin Cuisine is your thing then we totally recommend Gloria’s Latin Cuisine for Salvadorian-inspired appetizers, entrées, and desserts. While this is not Tex-Mex it is another great place to dine n Uptown on Lemmon Avenue in Dallas, Texas.
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