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(February 16, 2007) by Rob Balon
As the population of Austin continues to grow, more and more chain restaurants are going up, robbing the area restaurant scene of its home-grown quality and original charm. We have to celebrate those local operators who have served their communities over the long haul with passion and excellence. I can think of no finer example than the Texican on S. Manchaca near Highway 1626. Mourad Belkacem and his staff have operated this wonderful restaurant since 1987. And they are going strong.
The Texican serves a blend of New Mexican and El Paso style dishes which feature marvelous flavors and inspired design. Chef Fabian Ramirez has been there since the beginning and shows no sign of slowing down. In fact his Tortilla Soup is nothing less than inspired. He begins with a chicken broth and adds lovely white cheese along with requisite spices. The broth is poured on top of the dry ingredients as it is presented to you. The result is delicious. And the Queso Flameado blows me away. This is not your usual Tex-Mex version; rather, this features sizzling white cheese with chorizo and tortillas. This has a rather limited shelf-life so eat while hot and you will be rewarded with a unique, seared yet mellow flavor. And make sure to try the Stuffed Jalapenos. These are the best in town, without question. The cream cheese in a potato batter just explodes on first bite and the jalapeno jelly is homemade and innovative.
The entrees run the entire taste gamut at The Texican. And those tastes are indeed compelling. The Shrimp Flautas are exquisite: two red chile corn tortillas stuffed with white cheese and grilled shrimp served agonizingly crispy with an ancho mayo sauce! Dios mio!!! What amazing taste. And the new Pork Ribs, which one doesn't often see at a Mexican restaurant, are spot on delicious. The red chile pepper sauce is mesmerizing and the meat has several layers of flavor as it fallsoff the bone. And the Cabrito is another classic that sets the Texican apart. The tender, young goat is a loss leader for the restaurant, but the customer demand is so strong that they keep it on the menu for fear of a revolution. It's that good. And on the lighter but no less wonderful side, try the Orange Roughy Cozumel. This is a grilled Roughy done with onions, bell peppers, serranos and tomatoes. It is delicate but delightful and presented along with a shrimp enchilada with a piquant Tomatillo sauce. Muy bien.
The Texican believes in giving back to the community. Area schools and local athletic programs have seen the flavor of Mourad's generosity. Despite their success, the Texican has remained true to its culinary roots and to its home base. (A sister store opened in Lakeline Mall several years ago with the same innovative menu.) An Austin original if there ever was one.
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(September 17, 2004) Austin Chronicle Review by Mick Vann
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Open since 1988, the Texican, near the far end of Manchaca, specializes in what they call "El Paso-style Tex-Mex." This means a full menu of border cuisine utilizing the flavors of West Texas and southern New Mexico. Whatever the label used, the Texican is easily the most popular South Austin Tex-Mex venue, and you'll be hard-pressed to avoid a wait for a table. Strangely, it's also a restaurant that most Austinites know little about.
The Texican is on our short list of regular dining spots, and over time we've developed a long file of favorite dishes. For years it was the Santa Fe Enchiladas ($7.50), a stacked version smothered in an authentic Chimayo-style red-chile sauce, topped with cheese and fried egg. Then we discovered the Carne Colorado ($8.50), luscious pork tips in the same sauce.
We stumbled across their Tacos al Carbon ($8.25), smoky seared strips of tender sirloin in flour tortillas. Not long after we tried their Tamales ($7.50), an excellent sauce and cheese-topped version that boasts rich flavor with an uncommon lightness to the masa. A few weeks ago it was the San Antonio Enchiladas ($7.50), two cheese enchiladas topped with their succulent carne guisada and chile con queso.
Lately we always begin the meal with Con Queso Maya ($5.95), a large bowl of unctuous chile con queso, with the addition of spicy taco meat and guacamole (all three delicious on their own, but incomparable as a combo). Before that we were stuck on the Queso Flameado ($5.95), a molten mixture of Mexican white cheeses and chorizo, served bubbling on a cast-iron platter.
Last week we dined on the Steak Fabian ($14.95), a tender charred rib eye topped with grilled whole serrano chiles (more of those, please) and onions, and the Beef Fajitas ($9.95), a sizzling platter of authentically spiced meat that melted in the mouth (a tad heavy on the bell peppers ... we'll request fewer next time, with some serranos). We also had the Fajita Gordita ($9.25) made with chicken fajita meat (superb), but we were disappointed in the dense, precooked gordita shell. The same meal also tempted us with a slab of Heavenly 7 Chocolate Cake ($4.50), which wasn't made in-house but tasted fine. Our only complaint was that it came garnished with honey, which didn't match well with the chocolate; might we suggest cajeta, instead? Just as simple, but a better match and much more authentic.
The Texican sports a full bar that shakes and blends an excellent margarita (available also in multiple top-shelf versions), which comes in sizes up to the jumbo carafe. They carry a full line of Mexican beers, and have Dos XX on tap. The salsa is superb, and the oft-replenished chips warm and crisp. Plates are huge, and most of them come with exemplary beans, Mexican rice, and pico de gallo.
If we could make one recommendation, it would be to have the host staff make a concerted effort to keep the tables with loud screaming children in one of the large dining rooms while seating childless, quieter diners like us in the other. Lately it seems like many of our trips there have been marred by adjacent families that choose to ignore their high-decibel children. Note to the parents: Your kids are not cute when they start to "act up" and ruin neighbors' meals!
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Obnoxious spawn of the breeders aside, the Texican is a rock-solid choice for dependable and delicious Tex-Mex in far South Austin, and has been for many years. Prices are reasonable, especially when one considers the size of the portions and the high quality of the food.
