Despite it being the July "4th" event in Downtown Garland, with what looked to be well over 5,000…read morepeople, Dos Banderas served up some really delicious food.
There was a 45-minute wait, due to how many people were crammed into downtown, trying to find places to eat. I had wanted to come here for a while, and suggested coming here to my girlfriend, who admittedly, "doesn't like Tex-Mex" (I know, I know), and after encouraging her to give it a try, we were pleasantly treated to some very high quality food in a nice environment.
Despite being woefully understaffed, to the point that they were out of bowls for the salsa and started serving it in to-go containers, the staff was friendly and helpful, with the manager still making the rounds to introduce himself and check on people's experiences.
I really liked the chips & salsa, and so did my girlfriend who is very spice sensitive.
We had the, "Julio's Tilapia", which was, "Pan-seared tilapia topped with fresh sautéed baby spinach and jumbo grilled shrimp, finished with a silky spicy chipotle cream sauce. Served with rice and a crisp side salad." and the "GUIS-Ohhhhhh!", which was, "Traditional Mexican beef stew. Served with avocado slices, tomatoes, lettuce, & tortillas".
The food was delicious, and I really thought the jumbo shrimp was great, and the Guisoooo (carne guisada) was deeply flavored, and very rich in a way I haven't had before.
My girlfriend made sure to flag down the manager to point out what an exceptional meal she thought it was, and mentioned several times how blown away she was, and I quote her as saying, "I was expecting one thing, but I did not expect a foodie experience!".
We sat at the bar area, which while not large, has taller tables which is helpful for me.
The restaurant handled the huge volume of people well, and the food quality was great. I will return whenever an opportunity presents itself