Changes at Los Tios?
Julia Dream
Has anyone noticed any poor changes in the quality of the food at Los Tios?
We were very disappointed in their fajitas the last time we visited, but
that was about six months ago. We've been told by some folks that lately
their ground beef (picadillo) for the tacos has had tough grisly pieces in
it, that their salsa has changed, and that the tacos al carbon have been
chewy and served with less meat. Any others have opinions? Los Tios has
been a family institution for years; we'd hate to think that it was going
downhill since the guy from Skeeters (what's his name?) bought them out.
Becky
Jeffrey
I've always had a problem with 'Los Tios' and 'Molinas.' Both are
highly over-rated in my opinion. Perhaps people like them so much for
nostalgic reasons? I found their food to be really boring and
uninspired...even relative to the average Tex-Mex joint.
I grew up eating Tex-Mex here in Houston (as a little kid mostly at
'Casa Elena' on 1960 at Kuykendahl, 'Ricardo's' on 45 North, and at
the 'Popolo Village' location of 'La Hacienda' at the intersection or
1960 and Stuebner Airline) but didn't try 'Los Tios' or 'Molinas'
until I was an adult. I suppose the restaurants I went to back then
probably weren't that great either but I'm sure I would enjoy them
(and their queso-covered, crispy, corn tortilla puffs) even today.
If I needed an old school Tex-Mex fix I guess I'd go to Spanish
Village, Felix's (haven't been here since I was a toddler), or the
original Ninfa's.
I'm sorry if this is a tired topic...I imagine Tex Mex has been
discussed hundreds on times on this Newsgroup.
vonroach
Julia Dream
"Jeffrey" <jmor...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b0234928.04032...@posting.google.com...
> Hi Becky,
> I've always had a problem with 'Los Tios' and 'Molinas.' Both are
> highly over-rated in my opinion. Perhaps people like them so much for
> nostalgic reasons? I found their food to be really boring and
> uninspired...even relative to the average Tex-Mex joint.
> I'm sorry if this is a tired topic...I imagine Tex Mex has been
> discussed hundreds on times on this Newsgroup.
Yes, Tex-Mex has been discussed quite a bit here. Ten years ago, the food
at Los Tios was not bad at all, the meats were always fresh and never tough
or grisly. It was never what I would have called "innovative" or
"creative", but it wasn't boring either. Just good ol' basic Tex-Mex. But
what I am specifically asking is if anyone else has noticed a decline in the
"quality" of the food at Los Tios.
Becky
Dave Garrett
@hotmail.com says...
> I grew up eating Tex-Mex here in Houston (as a little kid mostly at
> 'Casa Elena' on 1960 at Kuykendahl, 'Ricardo's' on 45 North, and at
> the 'Popolo Village' location of 'La Hacienda' at the intersection or
> 1960 and Stuebner Airline) but didn't try 'Los Tios' or 'Molinas'
> until I was an adult. I suppose the restaurants I went to back then
> probably weren't that great either but I'm sure I would enjoy them
> (and their queso-covered, crispy, corn tortilla puffs) even today.
I am reasonably certain that Ricardo's was the first Tex-Mex restaurant
I ever ate at as a child. It is also one of the few restaurants from
back then that is still around and serving food that's essentially
unchanged, albeit with a much smaller dining room than they used to have
back in the 70s, when the place was about twice as large as it is now.
I still eat there every once in a while. There may be better Tex-Mex to
be had, but for me, it's hard to beat Ricardo's (although I'm also fond
of Mexicatessen and Felix). Comfort food of the highest order.
Dave
Thunder
was 10 years ago. Starting in 1994, I ate at the Hwy 6 location (Near
Bissonnet? Bellaire? In a Randalls strip center just south of
Alief-Clodine)... and it was my "usual" Mexican - I liked it, nothing
fancy, very "family" feel to it, and ate at the Memorial & Kirkwood location
several times as well.. I ate at the Westheimer location (near Gessner, by
Party City/behind the Burger King, close to Cavendar's?) about 3 years ago
and the food was not up to the same standards. Maybe it was some nostalgia
for what was going on in my life back in '94 & '95, but who knows for sure.
I knew they had the big commissary on Richmond, just inside the Beltway for
years. When I heard the family sold the restaurant to the guy who did
Skeeter's, I feared a downgrade, and maybe it did happen.
"Julia Dream" <pink...@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:1061po5...@corp.supernews.com...
Cookie Cutter
> If I needed an old school Tex-Mex fix I guess I'd go to Spanish
> Village, Felix's (haven't been here since I was a toddler), or the
> original Ninfa's.
>
>
or the Mexicatessen on Crosstimbers . . .
Cookie
mysticolor
of Monterrey House.
The other day, I went in, and they've changed their salsa. I left, needless
to say.
I won't be back. That was comfort food. Skeeters might as well have just
opened another Mexican chain, because they really haven't stayed true to the
one signature that every Mexican restaurant has... salsa.
Too bad. Corporate america strikes again.
"Julia Dream" <pink...@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:10610tb...@corp.supernews.com...
Jay P Francis
research and recipe test The Tex-Mex Cookbook.
What happened at Los Tios is that they started selling a bottled salsa and
started using the same in the restaurant.
Los Tios Mexican Restaurant (Houston) Salsa Picante
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 pounds (about 4 large) very ripe tomatoes, broiled so that the skin is
charred
5 Serrano chiles, broiled
2 tablespoons safflower or other vegetable oil
2 heaped tablespoons finely chopped white onion
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Instructions:
Broil the tomatoes and chiles for 10 minutes, or until nicely charred, in the
oven broiler or on an outdoor gas grill. You may need to remove the chiles
before the tomatoes.
Put the garlic, unpeeled tomatoes, and fresh chiles in to the blender jar and
blend to a slightly textured sauce.
Set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook the onion
over medium heat until translucent-about 3 minutes.
Add the blended ingredients and salt - cook over high, scraping the bottom of
the pan from time to time, until slightly reduced and thickened - about 8
minutes.
Adjust the salt to taste.
Yield:
Christine
Los Tios has
> > been a family institution for years; we'd hate to think that it was
going
> > downhill since the guy from Skeeters (what's his name?) bought them out.
> >
> > Becky
> >
favorite places for lunch.
Chris in Pearland
imag...@gmail.com
I just used pretty close to the recipe above for salsa. Went to Del Taco, got a bunch of cheap tacos, put shredded Velveeta on them(like the puffy Los Tios tacos) and made a frozen margarita, and got as close as I could for my emulation of the Christmas dinners at Los Tios as a teenager in the 80's.
After Skeeters... No, nothing even close.
If you like the puffy tacos, there is a place over off of Telephone road at 45 south that does them. Fiesta Loma Linda. It almost seems that they tried to copy a lot of the Los Tios stuff from the 70's and 80's, when it was so good. But, many I've brought to that place who said that it's awful. I was just trying to get close.
Jack Tyler
I have been going to Los Tios since 1970, when Rosemary and Tom opened it. I have continued to eat there happily since that time, including after Gary Adair bought it from them. In any restaurant, a load of skirt steaks bought by the restaurant to cook can be different from the last shipment and that's pretty much the same for many restaurants. There is no difference in the recipes now from those I enjoyed over 40 years ago. The queso is exactly the same and, in my opinion, every bit as good. I know that many employees in the kitchen have been there (at the Meyerland location) for 15-20 years. The woman who makes the puffy tacos and the queso was making them for Rosemary and Tom when Gary bought it (well over 20 years. The waitperson who I always ask for when I go has been with Los Tios for 27 years. The Adairs bought it in 2000 (14 years ago). Everyone remembers things differently, but I know for a fact that Gary Adair has made no changes in the product, recipes or service and even has many of Rosemary's staff still there. As far as I know, at least 25 employees are still there from the previous ownership. As far as the frozen margaritas are concerned, Rosemary and the Molinas had a running battle over who offered them first. I know them all and like them all, but tend to believe Rosemary, as I know that she converted a Slurpee machine into making margaritas.
George Kerby
On 12/15/14 4:25 PM, in article
67ff0152-f208-4256...@googlegroups.com, "imag...@gmail.com"
Loma Linda closed for an extended period about 2 - 3 years ago and has since
re-opened. It is one of a few original family run Mexican joints here in
town. I like it ok, but my money is on Spanish Village on Alameda. The
margaritas are excellent and I do love me some of their TexMex!!!
George Kerby
On 12/16/14 9:02 AM, in article
275eb573-79ca-4e35...@googlegroups.com, "Jack Tyler"
