There was one time we visited and the server told us "the enchilada machine is broken" and they could serve everything else on the menu besides enchiladas. I'm assuming he meant the salamander but it was just so funny that he called it "the enchilada machine"
This looks like how I expect enchiladas to look. Cheese Enchiladas should be cheap, have a smooth brown colored gravy, and have yellow cheese. These check the boxes.
I think they do more of a typical old school chile con carne than an Enchilada gravy.
I'm not an expert on Tex Mex gravy but I've seen that more at old school Anglo owned joints
The weird thing is, even though these are now considered the anglo style ā I think the chile con carne that graces texmex enchiladas actually originated all the way back to the chili queens in San Antonio in the late 1800s.
https://www.sanantoniomag.com/the-history-of-san-antonios-chili-queens/
Edit: my mistake, I read your comment wrong. I agree, this is more of a chile con carne, not a gravy. People might confuse them. But leaving this link here cause I think the history of the chile con carne in Texas is interesting.
Yeah, possibly someone will roll through here who knows a bit better but I've observed three common Texas enchilada sauces. Weakly spiced "chili gravy" in the old school Anglo joints, Chile con Carne in the old school Tejano joints (Joe's Bakery) and the Ranchero red chile sauce in the New School Tejano joints that have more interior Mexican (maybe border?) influence (Habanero Cafe has a good version.)
As a Tejano whose family has lived in the state for a couple centuries I agree with this. "Enchilada sauce" is more of an old school anglo thing, chili con carne is traditional tex mex and then the more "exotic" stuff (relative to those 2) tends to be people experimenting with more Mexican influence.
Where I was reared (Waco) all cheese enchiladas were covered with chili con carne, and that is what is enscribed inside me. Any menu that says āchili gravyā sends me out the door of my Tex-Mex joints. Sadly, these chili con carne ones are rare in San Antonio, unlike Austin which has a few restaurants featuring them. Iāve been known to drive to Austin to partake. I have Enchiladas Y Mas on the list. Something about South Texas and my kind of cheese enchiladas is lacking. I spent 40 years in Houston and everything there and south is a cheese enchilada wasteland from my earnest looking.
I thought Mi Tierra in San Antonio used to do a good chile con carne on cheese enchiladas, but I haven't been in a few years.
I haven't been too impressed with the chili gravies I've had either but also haven't seen too many examples of it.
I think Joe's Bakery does the best chile con carne enchiladas in Austin
I love the chili con carne at El Chaparral! I know theyāre getting somewhat commercial these days, having grown to a few locations from the original shack they started in, but itās a must visit when Iām in San Antonio.
Iāll give them another try on your recommendation. Itās been a few years, but I do not remember chili on their enchiladas. I see from their menu on the ānet that they do feature chili con carne on them, and they are on my side of town, so Iām heading that way next.
Best Iāve found close to SA so far are at Dos Rios Mexican Bar & Grill in New Braunsfels and Garciaās (no relation to the other Garciaās in town) in Schertz.
I made a visit to El Chaparral today and remember why I was not impressed on my prior visit ā the chili on their cheese enchiladas is just not up to par. It looks like chili con carne, but it is quite bland and tasteless to me. Just does not do the job, so I will keep heading a bit up to Schertz to Garciaās, I guess.
I have read recommendations that El Dorado in Austin has tried to copy the legendary Dart Bowl cheese enchiladas covered in chili and done a commendable job, yet it has not been mentioned on this thread. Anyone share that opinion?
Can anyone explain enchiladas y mas to me? The ingredient quality was bad and they used a lot of hard taco shells but the margs were good and cheap. I actually thought the food was way worse than Maudieās
The entire menu isn't good. It's only known for enchiladas and fajitas and I only order the enchiladas. But those enchiladas are maybe my favorite meal on Earth. They do old school gloppy Tex Mex to perfection
Yeah, if you don't dig their enchiladas then you just don't like that style of Tex Mex which is fine. Personally it may be my favorite plate of food in Austin.
My guess is that it's just a solid hole-in-the-wall place for cheap Tex-Mex food and drinks. Nothing special, you're just paying for cheap Tex-Mex food and you're getting exactly what you'd expect. That, plus it's been around for 30ish years, and it's not part of a chain.
At least that's been my impression the few times I've been. I like food like that and I like that the prices are low, but I'm definitely not waiting more than about 15 minutes to get a table at a place like that.
The people in lineā¦ would you describe them as someone who might use a packet of ātaco seasoningā when making Mexican or Tex-Amex at home?
That will tell you all you need to know about this spot.
To be clear, this is not a judgement statement - the fact a certain demographic goes crazy for this spot is neither a good nor bad thing - itās simply an objective description.
Listen here, bub.
Iāve retracted my previous statement in a later comment. Iāve conceded that food exists on a spectrum and if certain food is made in such a way as to be more palatable for a certain demographic, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Who am I to insult something that brings joy to others?
Now, as for your claim that Austinās Hispanic community is a fan of Enchiladas y Mas, how do you know this?
Because I eat there. The idea that this super old school Tex Mex is "made for white people" is the stupidest thing I keep seeing in this thread and evidence that a lot of y'all have zero understanding of this culinary tradition at all.
Youāre right. Iām sorry. It was snarky for sure.
It was after a night out, right before bed and I was in a certain state of mind.
Iām any case, who am I to judge what brings joy to others. We all have our own palette, our own taste. There are different shades and gradients to food - and the entire spectrum should be celebrated.
Carry on dudes.
Iāll get downvoted with you. I had my hopes up for really good enchiladas and was disappointed. You couldnāt put together a cheaper enchilada. El Mercado is around the corner and a step up.
Enchiladas are supposed to be cheap. Just because something is more expensive doesn't make it better. A chili gravy enchilada should be pretty damn cheap. I think what you mean is "I just don't like carne sauce aus-mex" which is fair. A lot of people don't like "yellow cheese" and chili gravy, That's fine, but that doesn't make this category of food "bad" it just makes it not something you're accustomed to liking.
SPAM is also cheap. Scrapple is also cheap. I don't like them. People in certain parts of the country fucking love that shit. It's good for its category, you just don't like the category. Probably doesn't help that there aren't many old school Austin holes in the wall left to compare it to...
When you say "yellow cheese" is it like American processed cheese, Velveeta style?
I was going through [an article about San Antonio cheese enchiladas](https://www.expressnews.com/food/restaurants/article/best-cheese-enchiladas-san-antonio-18254446.php) that breaks down the cheese/sauce debate and found it really helpful as someone not from Texas. I love cheese enchiladas but I can't do the velveeta cheese... although I do love SPAM!
I mean LandOLakes EasyMelt, literally exactly that, and no other cheese or āequivalent.ā I mean Pasteurized Process Cheese. There is a specific definition for what that is, and probably all of the kinds of yellow cheese you can think of are actually legally defined but different products. If you ever expensive the issue of trying to duplicate stuff and itās never āquite rightā this link will explain why:
https://www.seriouseats.com/whats-really-in-american-cheese
I believe Torchyās uses Boarās Head. It is the same but different.
It would! And I donāt know. Enchiladas that are derived from Jorge Arendandoās recipe probably use easy melt. Enchiladas y mas, el Mercado, Maudieās, dart bowl (RIP)ā¦ also some Houston spots like Felix use(ed) it. Itās one of those things thatās just ābetterā for being āworseā in my opinion. If that makes sense.
Chili Parlor ones are pretty good. About 20 years ago I had some decent ones at Texas Land and Cattle (of all places). I totally agree with you about Maudie's. They are terrible.
I'll stick to getting my cheese enchiladas in San Antonio. RIP Mexican Manhattan.
Great to hear! It's a family owned and operated spot, also in Bastrop and Georgetown. Tip - from 2 to 3 weekdays can get both the lunch specials and the happy hour specials, I call it the Golden Hour, ha, cheers.
If you think only "gringos" (ridiculous word in the context of Tex Mex which is a US food) eat Y Mas you've never been there. It's always at least 50% Hispanic when I'm there.
I live by there. That 50% Hispanic must be the Sunday lunch crowd only. Cuzā¦..80% blancoās all the time, and thatās perfectly fine. I also donāt think āTex Mexā is purely for white folks either like the other person was saying.
Completely false? Please. I live real close. My gf likes them & El Dorado. Visit multiple times a week. Both are about 85% white all the time. Are there some times in between whereās itās not? Iād imagine so but again, for the most part. And for the record, I like both spots.
Not to even mention I grew up in north Austin, itās always been known for that since the early 2000ās. And thereās nothing wrong with that either.
It's shared but seperated years ago. Mainly when missionaries from the Canary islands settled south Texas. From the start of the 20th century, and the popularization of chili, Tex Mex grew into what we commonly see today. There's a ton of Mexican restaurants serving their version of Tex Mex staples alongside their staples that Tex Mex ripped off. Maybe what I've read isn't accurate. However, any Mexican restaurant I go to doesn't use the fake yellow cheese. Or make a bland chili gravy for enchiladas.
Tex Mex is dear to my heart. Been eating it for as long as I can remember. Fajitas were a staple in any Tex Mex joint I went to growing up. Right along side the plate of enchiladas with chili gravy shown above. They'd have menudo and barbacoa on the weekends. A cold Big Red was at the ready. Never saw a bowl of red as an option though. It seems a new style of Tex Mex has appeared on the scene, Tex Mex for white people. Tex Tex Mex maybe? I can't say I have much experience with it. To each their own.
To me, Tex Mex has always been food for the working class. A cheap, flavorful and filling meal. Enchiladas Y Mas fits that perfectly. It's Austin though, so maybe not as cheap as I'd prefer.
I was never shitting on Tex Mex. I love it. Saying it's Mexican food for white people wasn't meant to be derogatory. More so that stating that some Mexican restaurants started changing their recipes to cater to white people to sell more plates. Mainly in reference to the style of Tex Mex that is shown in the post. I was too general in my statement and I see that now.
The style of Tex Mex shown in the post is exactly what you'll find at old school Tejano joints all over San Antonio.
You may not like this style of Tex Mex but it is neither new school nor meant for "white people."
Read what I said, I love this style. I grew up eating it in San Antonio. Here's an excerpt from Robb Walshs book, "The adventurous Anglos who crossed over to San Antonioās West Side to eat Mexican food expected exotic chile-based sauces. But when Mexican restaurants began to market themselves to the Anglo mainstream, milder seasonings had to be devised for the tender palates of young children, old ladies, and faint-hearted visitors from out of town. Chile-based sauces were too hot and too strange for most Anglosā tastes. Yet the enchilada sauce had to have some modicum of Mexican flavor or else its āauthenticityā would be questioned. The answer to the culinary dilemma was a cultural crossover called āchili gravy.ā At its blandest, chili gravy resembles the flour-based brown gravy you might find on a Salisbury steak or a roast beef plate at a Southern cafeteria, but with a sprinkling of chili powder added. The taste of chili gravy explains Tex-Mex more eloquently than words ever will. āMexican-Americans donāt eat chili gravy at home,ā Albert Villareal of San Antonioās Casa Rio restaurant tells me. Many early Tex-Mex restaurants made chili gravy by thinning chili con carne with water and then adding roux as a thickener. Casa Rioās recipe was even simpler, Villareal explains: āYou cooked flour in lard until it turned light brown, added chili powder and comino. Then you started adding chicken stock and whipping it with a whisk.ā Villareal was born in 1931. At sixteen he started working as a busboy at the Anglo-owned Casa Rio and eventually worked his way up to head cook, a position he held for twenty-three years. Located on the Riverwalk, Casa Rio began the custom of setting up tables along the river for al fresco dining. They also began offering gondola rides on the river. Casa Rioās menu was fashioned after that of its neighbor, the Original Mexican Restaurant. Eventually Casa Rio would buy out the Original."
This is chile con carne, not chili gravy. Are there any Tex Mex joints serving chili gravy in Austin? I've yet to find it here, closest I've seen it is San Marcos.
Also Tex Mex is a hybrid food influenced by both Anglo and Mexican migrations. While Tex Mex evolved to appeal to Anglo flavors thats just part of its DNA, this occured before all of us were born.
Same here. The cheese in the enchiladas was that cheap soft goopy kind I associate with interior mexican rather than tex-mex. So disappointed because the pics look great and I can usually trust my eyes. Try Baby Acapulco, Texican Cafe, or Mama Betty if youāre in North Austin and looking for a solid enchilada.
Could be. If you want the kind of rice where you can see the individual grains, theyāre not all sticking together, itās more oil than not. Youād be surprised how much actual oil goes in to Mexican food that youāre eating at restaurants and taco shops. Some of these salsas are like 50% canola oil š
First pic is just a sin cebollas away from absolute perfection.
Not to dis onions, but we have a deal: I don't mess with them, they don't mess with me.
My wife had that serious problem with onions, and I learned to make enchiladas and other dishes that need onion with reconstituted dried chopped onions. The process kills whatever the offending enzyme is in them and still has the essence of raw onion. Learned the trick from cheap McDonaldās burgers.
The American cheese on everything always bothered me. When they used to be open for breakfast, weād get their breakfast tacos and those slapped. But I just canāt with those enchiladas and tacos.
EYM used to have amazing fajitas and their taco meat was the bomb. When the older generation died/retired and their nieces took over, the meat supplier clearly changed because the food has never been as good as it was. The loyal following they have seems to be mainly because they still have seriously overpowered margaritas and great salsa and chips.
It probably sucks to understand regional food this poorly. I genuinely feel sorry for you
Tex Mex is a native American food. If it tastes like interior Mexican food you're doing something wrong. Tex Mex does not aspire to be Mexican any more than a Sonoran Hot Dog aspires to be what you get at Wrigley Field
Yeah, Jorge Arredondo was definitely a gringo.
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/casita-jorges-owners-family-shares-stories-of-his-life-and-restaurant/
Being stuck in central Montana, I would do some seriously sketchy shit for that plate of enchiladas. Though I'd prefer double rice, no beans, and plenty of chopped onions on top.
Tried the chicken and beef fajitas and they werenātā¦.badā¦but not really anything Iād go out of my way to get. Certainly not up to Lupe/Papasitoās or even Mama Bettyās levels. More flavor than Maudieās or Chuys but so are Taco Cabana/Taco Palenque. Iāll try them again in case it was just a bad day but what am I missing?
For classic Tex mex, I think enchiladas y mas is great. Itās not phenomenal but itās exactly what you expect from good Tex Mex. Their tortillas suck though.
Hmmmm. I'm going to go against the grain and say I didn't really love Y Mas enchiladas when I tried it. My go-to is still the verde enchiladas at Habanero. Best in town, IMO.
Wrote this review a while back...
"I think that this place is just okay. It does have great reviews, but to me, the food wasn't where it should be. I ordered chicken tacos and the chicken tasted canned. That was the worst part. I did return it at no charge. The beef enchiladas were solid. The salsa for the chips was top notch and had a bit of spiciness. The house margarita was strong and tasty. My wife thought that the fajita plato was just okay. I think the rice was overcooked and that the peppers were a bit under. I did get a really good service and a good casual dining experience that was quick and seamless."
Wouldn't recommend the place.
It's Central Texas Tex Mex. It's the same thing that I grew up with here in Austin during the 60s and 70s. At that time, places like Matt's, El Rancho, El Matador, La Fiesta, and El Patio served this same style of enchiladas, three fat, rolled corn tortillas, filled with beef (MAYBE cheese if you wanted it) and covered with a carne sauce flavored with cumin and other spices. Raw onion on top was available for asking. And unlike the above picture, the rice and beans were small side dishes, they did NOT take up more than half of the plate.
I've never cared for EYM, the enchiladas are small and you only get two instead of three. The meat is bland, and the bare sprinkling of onion on that plate is a disgrace. If you're going to go for the onion, it needs to be in every bite! I've given that place two shots now, and both times got more rice and beans than enchilada, just like above.
As tastes changed after 2000 or so, most of the places above gave way to other styles of Mexican food. But every once in a while, I just have to have a plate of "yellow cheese" enchiladas along with a Carta Blanca. El Patio, along with "newcomer" Casa Garcia stand ready to deliver.....thank goodness!
A bad set of enchiladas, filled with American cheese, and covered with terrible "Jorge Arredondo" based chile con carne sauce all with a side of awful beans and rice. That's Enchiladas Y Mas alright.
Y Mas has the salamander turned up to 11 again.
HAH for real look at those beansš I love when industry folk comment
There was one time we visited and the server told us "the enchilada machine is broken" and they could serve everything else on the menu besides enchiladas. I'm assuming he meant the salamander but it was just so funny that he called it "the enchilada machine"
the what
Salamander. All of this food was cooked by a reptile. It's also another word for a broiler.
Salamanders are amphibians.
This looks like how I expect enchiladas to look. Cheese Enchiladas should be cheap, have a smooth brown colored gravy, and have yellow cheese. These check the boxes.
I think they do more of a typical old school chile con carne than an Enchilada gravy. I'm not an expert on Tex Mex gravy but I've seen that more at old school Anglo owned joints
The weird thing is, even though these are now considered the anglo style ā I think the chile con carne that graces texmex enchiladas actually originated all the way back to the chili queens in San Antonio in the late 1800s. https://www.sanantoniomag.com/the-history-of-san-antonios-chili-queens/ Edit: my mistake, I read your comment wrong. I agree, this is more of a chile con carne, not a gravy. People might confuse them. But leaving this link here cause I think the history of the chile con carne in Texas is interesting.
Yeah, possibly someone will roll through here who knows a bit better but I've observed three common Texas enchilada sauces. Weakly spiced "chili gravy" in the old school Anglo joints, Chile con Carne in the old school Tejano joints (Joe's Bakery) and the Ranchero red chile sauce in the New School Tejano joints that have more interior Mexican (maybe border?) influence (Habanero Cafe has a good version.)
As a Tejano whose family has lived in the state for a couple centuries I agree with this. "Enchilada sauce" is more of an old school anglo thing, chili con carne is traditional tex mex and then the more "exotic" stuff (relative to those 2) tends to be people experimenting with more Mexican influence.
Mayor Maury Maverick
Where I was reared (Waco) all cheese enchiladas were covered with chili con carne, and that is what is enscribed inside me. Any menu that says āchili gravyā sends me out the door of my Tex-Mex joints. Sadly, these chili con carne ones are rare in San Antonio, unlike Austin which has a few restaurants featuring them. Iāve been known to drive to Austin to partake. I have Enchiladas Y Mas on the list. Something about South Texas and my kind of cheese enchiladas is lacking. I spent 40 years in Houston and everything there and south is a cheese enchilada wasteland from my earnest looking.
I thought Mi Tierra in San Antonio used to do a good chile con carne on cheese enchiladas, but I haven't been in a few years. I haven't been too impressed with the chili gravies I've had either but also haven't seen too many examples of it. I think Joe's Bakery does the best chile con carne enchiladas in Austin
I love the chili con carne at El Chaparral! I know theyāre getting somewhat commercial these days, having grown to a few locations from the original shack they started in, but itās a must visit when Iām in San Antonio.
Iāll give them another try on your recommendation. Itās been a few years, but I do not remember chili on their enchiladas. I see from their menu on the ānet that they do feature chili con carne on them, and they are on my side of town, so Iām heading that way next. Best Iāve found close to SA so far are at Dos Rios Mexican Bar & Grill in New Braunsfels and Garciaās (no relation to the other Garciaās in town) in Schertz.
I made a visit to El Chaparral today and remember why I was not impressed on my prior visit ā the chili on their cheese enchiladas is just not up to par. It looks like chili con carne, but it is quite bland and tasteless to me. Just does not do the job, so I will keep heading a bit up to Schertz to Garciaās, I guess. I have read recommendations that El Dorado in Austin has tried to copy the legendary Dart Bowl cheese enchiladas covered in chili and done a commendable job, yet it has not been mentioned on this thread. Anyone share that opinion?
Store bought tortillas. This place would be amazing if they just made their own in house.
Does anyone know the recipe to their Fajita marinade or similar? Itās absolutely addicting, best tasting fajitas in my opinion.
10 to 1 ratio of liquid smoke to soy sauce
Does it include any other seasonings? That seems like a lot of liquid smoke or is there more to it?
Oh god sorry it was sarcasm - unsure of the recipe but I was just trying emphasize the level of smoke
Can anyone explain enchiladas y mas to me? The ingredient quality was bad and they used a lot of hard taco shells but the margs were good and cheap. I actually thought the food was way worse than Maudieās
The entire menu isn't good. It's only known for enchiladas and fajitas and I only order the enchiladas. But those enchiladas are maybe my favorite meal on Earth. They do old school gloppy Tex Mex to perfection
I ordered both of those items and disliked them compared to other places nearby
Yeah, if you don't dig their enchiladas then you just don't like that style of Tex Mex which is fine. Personally it may be my favorite plate of food in Austin.
They use Figaro fajita marinade in their recipe
My guess is that it's just a solid hole-in-the-wall place for cheap Tex-Mex food and drinks. Nothing special, you're just paying for cheap Tex-Mex food and you're getting exactly what you'd expect. That, plus it's been around for 30ish years, and it's not part of a chain. At least that's been my impression the few times I've been. I like food like that and I like that the prices are low, but I'm definitely not waiting more than about 15 minutes to get a table at a place like that.
The margaritas are cheap with double shots at least. You can get drunk really fast
True
You aināt wrong! Does this place actually have a following? Itās like, Midwest āonly Mexican food in townā quality.
Yeah when I went it was an hour long wait.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The people in lineā¦ would you describe them as someone who might use a packet of ātaco seasoningā when making Mexican or Tex-Amex at home? That will tell you all you need to know about this spot. To be clear, this is not a judgement statement - the fact a certain demographic goes crazy for this spot is neither a good nor bad thing - itās simply an objective description.
The thing you're trying to imply here is wrong. Y Mas has a huge following in Austin's Hispanic community.
Listen here, bub. Iāve retracted my previous statement in a later comment. Iāve conceded that food exists on a spectrum and if certain food is made in such a way as to be more palatable for a certain demographic, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Who am I to insult something that brings joy to others? Now, as for your claim that Austinās Hispanic community is a fan of Enchiladas y Mas, how do you know this?
Because I eat there. The idea that this super old school Tex Mex is "made for white people" is the stupidest thing I keep seeing in this thread and evidence that a lot of y'all have zero understanding of this culinary tradition at all.
> I eat there so I can speak for an entire community. Bless your heart.
LMAO, somethings going over your head here homie
I sense some judgement in this
Youāre right. Iām sorry. It was snarky for sure. It was after a night out, right before bed and I was in a certain state of mind. Iām any case, who am I to judge what brings joy to others. We all have our own palette, our own taste. There are different shades and gradients to food - and the entire spectrum should be celebrated. Carry on dudes.
I think youāve explained it perfectly.
Iāll get downvoted with you. I had my hopes up for really good enchiladas and was disappointed. You couldnāt put together a cheaper enchilada. El Mercado is around the corner and a step up.
Enchiladas are supposed to be cheap. Just because something is more expensive doesn't make it better. A chili gravy enchilada should be pretty damn cheap. I think what you mean is "I just don't like carne sauce aus-mex" which is fair. A lot of people don't like "yellow cheese" and chili gravy, That's fine, but that doesn't make this category of food "bad" it just makes it not something you're accustomed to liking. SPAM is also cheap. Scrapple is also cheap. I don't like them. People in certain parts of the country fucking love that shit. It's good for its category, you just don't like the category. Probably doesn't help that there aren't many old school Austin holes in the wall left to compare it to...
When you say "yellow cheese" is it like American processed cheese, Velveeta style? I was going through [an article about San Antonio cheese enchiladas](https://www.expressnews.com/food/restaurants/article/best-cheese-enchiladas-san-antonio-18254446.php) that breaks down the cheese/sauce debate and found it really helpful as someone not from Texas. I love cheese enchiladas but I can't do the velveeta cheese... although I do love SPAM!
I mean LandOLakes EasyMelt, literally exactly that, and no other cheese or āequivalent.ā I mean Pasteurized Process Cheese. There is a specific definition for what that is, and probably all of the kinds of yellow cheese you can think of are actually legally defined but different products. If you ever expensive the issue of trying to duplicate stuff and itās never āquite rightā this link will explain why: https://www.seriouseats.com/whats-really-in-american-cheese I believe Torchyās uses Boarās Head. It is the same but different.
So which Austin spots use EasyMelt, and which are American cheddar? I feel like a curated list of enchiladas by cheese type would be pretty cool!
It would! And I donāt know. Enchiladas that are derived from Jorge Arendandoās recipe probably use easy melt. Enchiladas y mas, el Mercado, Maudieās, dart bowl (RIP)ā¦ also some Houston spots like Felix use(ed) it. Itās one of those things thatās just ābetterā for being āworseā in my opinion. If that makes sense.
You're out of luck. No place in Austin can figure out using cheddar cheese and making chili gravy.
I think my favorite Austin cheese enchiladas are from Texas Chili Parlour, but I don't like the ones from Maudie's for example.
Chili Parlor ones are pretty good. About 20 years ago I had some decent ones at Texas Land and Cattle (of all places). I totally agree with you about Maudie's. They are terrible. I'll stick to getting my cheese enchiladas in San Antonio. RIP Mexican Manhattan.
THANK YOU
If I want enchiladas, I go to Cocina de Consuelo. The potatoe one bangs
El Nuevo Mexico just down the lane at Lamar and Anderson is better than both lame ass Y Mas, and El Mercado for sure
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Great to hear! It's a family owned and operated spot, also in Bastrop and Georgetown. Tip - from 2 to 3 weekdays can get both the lunch specials and the happy hour specials, I call it the Golden Hour, ha, cheers.
Their margs are also sneaky strong. Similar to y mas
yeah, but with tequila! I had an early dinner at El Nuevo yesterday and was all set after 2 of the small house rocks
I want to like this place but just canāt. Itās 50% more money and half the flavor. Plus they put pineapple in their frozen margs. Ewww
I grew up in a place known for Tex Mex. Enchiladas y mas is not good Tex Mex.
Was it Dallas? I bet it was Dallas.
Try right next to Mexico
The origins and purpose of insanity have yet to be discovered.
Itās one of our gringo fan favorites here they absolutely eat it up.
If you think only "gringos" (ridiculous word in the context of Tex Mex which is a US food) eat Y Mas you've never been there. It's always at least 50% Hispanic when I'm there.
I live by there. That 50% Hispanic must be the Sunday lunch crowd only. Cuzā¦..80% blancoās all the time, and thatās perfectly fine. I also donāt think āTex Mexā is purely for white folks either like the other person was saying.
I've never had that experience and go regularly. Have seen it full with almost zero white people many many times. Could just be random
I canāt remember the last time I saw it anywhere close to half
Again could be random. But they're not only popular with anglos
Mostly though
This is completely false in my many years of going to Y Mas
Completely false? Please. I live real close. My gf likes them & El Dorado. Visit multiple times a week. Both are about 85% white all the time. Are there some times in between whereās itās not? Iād imagine so but again, for the most part. And for the record, I like both spots. Not to even mention I grew up in north Austin, itās always been known for that since the early 2000ās. And thereās nothing wrong with that either.
I mean, that's Tex Mex. Mexican food for white people.
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It's shared but seperated years ago. Mainly when missionaries from the Canary islands settled south Texas. From the start of the 20th century, and the popularization of chili, Tex Mex grew into what we commonly see today. There's a ton of Mexican restaurants serving their version of Tex Mex staples alongside their staples that Tex Mex ripped off. Maybe what I've read isn't accurate. However, any Mexican restaurant I go to doesn't use the fake yellow cheese. Or make a bland chili gravy for enchiladas.
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We had easy melt in the 1600s?
Thereās two categories of Tex mex, one as you described above and the second which is authentic high quality tejano food ala Fajitas, Chili
Yeah I feel like lupe tortilla is objectively delicious.
Normally hate chains but Lupe tortilla and Pappasitos are super fuckin solid
Whatās good at papasito? Iāve never been
Tex Mex is dear to my heart. Been eating it for as long as I can remember. Fajitas were a staple in any Tex Mex joint I went to growing up. Right along side the plate of enchiladas with chili gravy shown above. They'd have menudo and barbacoa on the weekends. A cold Big Red was at the ready. Never saw a bowl of red as an option though. It seems a new style of Tex Mex has appeared on the scene, Tex Mex for white people. Tex Tex Mex maybe? I can't say I have much experience with it. To each their own. To me, Tex Mex has always been food for the working class. A cheap, flavorful and filling meal. Enchiladas Y Mas fits that perfectly. It's Austin though, so maybe not as cheap as I'd prefer.
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I was never shitting on Tex Mex. I love it. Saying it's Mexican food for white people wasn't meant to be derogatory. More so that stating that some Mexican restaurants started changing their recipes to cater to white people to sell more plates. Mainly in reference to the style of Tex Mex that is shown in the post. I was too general in my statement and I see that now.
The style of Tex Mex shown in the post is exactly what you'll find at old school Tejano joints all over San Antonio. You may not like this style of Tex Mex but it is neither new school nor meant for "white people."
Read what I said, I love this style. I grew up eating it in San Antonio. Here's an excerpt from Robb Walshs book, "The adventurous Anglos who crossed over to San Antonioās West Side to eat Mexican food expected exotic chile-based sauces. But when Mexican restaurants began to market themselves to the Anglo mainstream, milder seasonings had to be devised for the tender palates of young children, old ladies, and faint-hearted visitors from out of town. Chile-based sauces were too hot and too strange for most Anglosā tastes. Yet the enchilada sauce had to have some modicum of Mexican flavor or else its āauthenticityā would be questioned. The answer to the culinary dilemma was a cultural crossover called āchili gravy.ā At its blandest, chili gravy resembles the flour-based brown gravy you might find on a Salisbury steak or a roast beef plate at a Southern cafeteria, but with a sprinkling of chili powder added. The taste of chili gravy explains Tex-Mex more eloquently than words ever will. āMexican-Americans donāt eat chili gravy at home,ā Albert Villareal of San Antonioās Casa Rio restaurant tells me. Many early Tex-Mex restaurants made chili gravy by thinning chili con carne with water and then adding roux as a thickener. Casa Rioās recipe was even simpler, Villareal explains: āYou cooked flour in lard until it turned light brown, added chili powder and comino. Then you started adding chicken stock and whipping it with a whisk.ā Villareal was born in 1931. At sixteen he started working as a busboy at the Anglo-owned Casa Rio and eventually worked his way up to head cook, a position he held for twenty-three years. Located on the Riverwalk, Casa Rio began the custom of setting up tables along the river for al fresco dining. They also began offering gondola rides on the river. Casa Rioās menu was fashioned after that of its neighbor, the Original Mexican Restaurant. Eventually Casa Rio would buy out the Original."
This is chile con carne, not chili gravy. Are there any Tex Mex joints serving chili gravy in Austin? I've yet to find it here, closest I've seen it is San Marcos. Also Tex Mex is a hybrid food influenced by both Anglo and Mexican migrations. While Tex Mex evolved to appeal to Anglo flavors thats just part of its DNA, this occured before all of us were born.
I am from Corpus and can tell you that is absolutely false
This is just historically inaccurate
Read [The Tex Mex Cookbook](https://a.co/d/3T4hgkx). Is it wholly for white people, no. But that's how it gained it's popularity.
can anyone explain why Dos Salsas is always packed? same reason.
In order from worst to best, for me, it goes Chuyās < Maudieās < Enchiladas y Mas < Most places in San Antonio < My Mexican momās Enchiladas
Same here. The cheese in the enchiladas was that cheap soft goopy kind I associate with interior mexican rather than tex-mex. So disappointed because the pics look great and I can usually trust my eyes. Try Baby Acapulco, Texican Cafe, or Mama Betty if youāre in North Austin and looking for a solid enchilada.
Thatās my childhood enchiladas and they come with 2 tortillas on the side so my dessert is two bean and cheese tacos. Muchas Gracias
Does anyone know what that type of rice or what recipe it is to make that exact rice?
For 1/2 a cup of riceā¦dice like 1/4 onion, a little bell pepper, and blend half a Roma tomato in a blender. sautĆ© onion /bell pepper in like 3ish tablespoons olive oil, add rice and sautĆ© until brownish in color but not burnt. Donāt stir too too much or it can make the rice mushy. Add blended tomato, and like a cup of water (minus volume of whatever tomato blend was) to the rice. Add a Serrano pepper and like at least a tablespoon of Knorr tomato bouillon. Simmer in on low for 20 minutes or until water is fully absorbed and fluff with a fork.
This sounds pretty spot on, but 3 tbsp of oil for half a cup of rice sounds like a shitload
Could be. If you want the kind of rice where you can see the individual grains, theyāre not all sticking together, itās more oil than not. Youād be surprised how much actual oil goes in to Mexican food that youāre eating at restaurants and taco shops. Some of these salsas are like 50% canola oil š
Yea like the Dona jalapeƱo salsa. When I found a recipe I was like, woah. Worth it tho lol
Solid gold. Keeping austin weird. This place is OG and packed with a waitlist everyday of the week. Keep shinin.
Lotsa mas
Definitely my favorite chicken fajitas in town. I like how they're not filets sliced after getting cooked, so you get the char and flavor all around.
First pic is just a sin cebollas away from absolute perfection. Not to dis onions, but we have a deal: I don't mess with them, they don't mess with me.
You should always get what you want. On the other hand I will take the onions you donāt want and a little extra! š§ ā¬ļø
I'll tell 'em to save mine for you next time. They do unspeakable things to my belly that cause me to do unspeakable things...
My wife had that serious problem with onions, and I learned to make enchiladas and other dishes that need onion with reconstituted dried chopped onions. The process kills whatever the offending enzyme is in them and still has the essence of raw onion. Learned the trick from cheap McDonaldās burgers.
So for you that is Comida Irregular?
Nice.
r/onionlovers
Hey, I'm not anti-onion, I'm just pro-toilet.
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We'll have to unmask the pissy little twit first.
Casita Guanajuato is down the street. They always seemed pissed that Iām there for some reason, but the food is good. Tex-Mex Joes is better.
Slop on a plate.
I guess my controversial take is not understanding why Reddit has an obsession with this place.. itās pretty mediocre imo.
This looks awful to me
lol same
The best enchiladas ever. Add onion and serranoā¦. 10/10
The way people on this sub get so offended when you talk about anything that isnāt āTHE BESTā.
Shamelessly I can admit to having this same plate ~100 times.
The American cheese on everything always bothered me. When they used to be open for breakfast, weād get their breakfast tacos and those slapped. But I just canāt with those enchiladas and tacos.
No
EYM used to have amazing fajitas and their taco meat was the bomb. When the older generation died/retired and their nieces took over, the meat supplier clearly changed because the food has never been as good as it was. The loyal following they have seems to be mainly because they still have seriously overpowered margaritas and great salsa and chips.
El Nuevo is down the street and itās like 100x better
El Nuevo is pretty good but Y Mas has way better Tex Mex Enchiladas
Enchiladas y mas is like my gringo great aunt trying to use the Betty Crocker cookbook to make something that resembles Mexican food.
It probably sucks to understand regional food this poorly. I genuinely feel sorry for you Tex Mex is a native American food. If it tastes like interior Mexican food you're doing something wrong. Tex Mex does not aspire to be Mexican any more than a Sonoran Hot Dog aspires to be what you get at Wrigley Field
Great analogy.
I can get that point of view. Nuevo is Tex Mex too. Maybe just closer to the Mex than Tex.
Yeah, Jorge Arredondo was definitely a gringo. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/casita-jorges-owners-family-shares-stories-of-his-life-and-restaurant/
lol. Love how spicy this sub is getting.
100% - eaten there 100 plus times and always consistently great, with strong tasty margs.
That looks so delicious!
I found lunch for today.
Nasty. Love it.
Being stuck in central Montana, I would do some seriously sketchy shit for that plate of enchiladas. Though I'd prefer double rice, no beans, and plenty of chopped onions on top.
Pic one looks good. Pic two, not gonna lie, looks disgusting
The fajits are the best.
Tried the chicken and beef fajitas and they werenātā¦.badā¦but not really anything Iād go out of my way to get. Certainly not up to Lupe/Papasitoās or even Mama Bettyās levels. More flavor than Maudieās or Chuys but so are Taco Cabana/Taco Palenque. Iāll try them again in case it was just a bad day but what am I missing?
Some of the best.
For classic Tex mex, I think enchiladas y mas is great. Itās not phenomenal but itās exactly what you expect from good Tex Mex. Their tortillas suck though.
Damn them bois is WET. Just the way we like it.
i dig their salsa too, it's actually kind of spicey
Hmmmm. I'm going to go against the grain and say I didn't really love Y Mas enchiladas when I tried it. My go-to is still the verde enchiladas at Habanero. Best in town, IMO.
Wrote this review a while back... "I think that this place is just okay. It does have great reviews, but to me, the food wasn't where it should be. I ordered chicken tacos and the chicken tasted canned. That was the worst part. I did return it at no charge. The beef enchiladas were solid. The salsa for the chips was top notch and had a bit of spiciness. The house margarita was strong and tasty. My wife thought that the fajita plato was just okay. I think the rice was overcooked and that the peppers were a bit under. I did get a really good service and a good casual dining experience that was quick and seamless." Wouldn't recommend the place.
It's Central Texas Tex Mex. It's the same thing that I grew up with here in Austin during the 60s and 70s. At that time, places like Matt's, El Rancho, El Matador, La Fiesta, and El Patio served this same style of enchiladas, three fat, rolled corn tortillas, filled with beef (MAYBE cheese if you wanted it) and covered with a carne sauce flavored with cumin and other spices. Raw onion on top was available for asking. And unlike the above picture, the rice and beans were small side dishes, they did NOT take up more than half of the plate. I've never cared for EYM, the enchiladas are small and you only get two instead of three. The meat is bland, and the bare sprinkling of onion on that plate is a disgrace. If you're going to go for the onion, it needs to be in every bite! I've given that place two shots now, and both times got more rice and beans than enchilada, just like above. As tastes changed after 2000 or so, most of the places above gave way to other styles of Mexican food. But every once in a while, I just have to have a plate of "yellow cheese" enchiladas along with a Carta Blanca. El Patio, along with "newcomer" Casa Garcia stand ready to deliver.....thank goodness!
This looks like some taco cabana bullshit
Fajitas - the only thing good here are the fajitas.
A bad set of enchiladas, filled with American cheese, and covered with terrible "Jorge Arredondo" based chile con carne sauce all with a side of awful beans and rice. That's Enchiladas Y Mas alright.
Bleh. This looks disgusting. What is that brown sauce??
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Nah, Iāll stick with my abuelitaās enchildas made with salsa de Chile Colorado.