I don't consider myself a food snob. But I do have criteria that I adhere to for me to write a…read morereview like this. I found this out of the way Mexican food place here on yelp. The first thing I always look at is the health score of any place I eat at.I worked in food service for over 30 years I never got below a 98 on the health score. I have very high standards. There are no excuses.The second thing I look at is reviews, The good the bad and the ugly, It gives me an insight into the place. The third standard is mom and pop places are the best, they have put their lives on the line to make a business to sustain themselves and their family, Now for my street creds, I lived in Texas all over the state for over 30 years, I know good Mexican food, I know good Tex Mex and I know the difference. With all of that being said. Westbank WTF is wrong with yall? We came to this place this evening at 6;30 pm, it was empty on a Thursday evening. When by any standards it should have had a line out the door, with standing room only. Our waitress a sweet young lady named Angie greeted us promptly, with friendliness and professionalism for one so young in age. She gave us the table set up silverware and a abundance of napkins, full dinner menus were provided, Let me tell you my delight when we ordered a couple of Modelo's and they were served in ice cold bottles and frosted mugs. You do not find that often on the westbank, The tortilla chips and salsa was brought, The chips were light and crisp, but firm enough to hold the salsa and the guacamole dip I ordered to go with them. The wait in between the ordering of our food and the arrival was timely, It gave me an opportunity to take a quick look around and snap some pictures. Yes I took a picture of the restroom. Ladies how many times have you turned away from the ladies room because it was on par with a latrine at the jazz fest? Not this place it was sparkling, You can tell alot about a place when checking out the restroom. If they keep the bathrooms clean you can bet the same care and dedication is taken with the kitchen area and food prep surfaces.
With in minutes of taking the pictures and the restroom visit our food arrived. He ordered the fajita street tacos, I ordered the fajita plate. As per the usual it came on a plate, but this plate was still cooking when it came to our table. The aroma was divine, it was served with a side of rice and black beans. Not let me be honest, I DO NOT LIKE BEANS. Childhood trauma. But to be able to give a fair review, I made myself try them and to do it with an open mind. They were awesome, the flavoring, the texture, the consistency. all blended so well together that I ate them with relish. It amazed the old hippy so much that he had to try them, because he does know my aversion to them. And he quite agreed they were the best he had ever had., Our waitress was readily available asking us if we had everything we needed, And as we both dug into our respective dinners. We were amazed. Having spent the last decade in this area of Cajun and Creole delicacies and seasoning. It was so pleasant and enjoyable to taste the flavor and the blending of the ingredients, And not have it hidden by an over abundance of the seasonings of cajun and creole cooks. Spices are designed to enhance the flavor of the food, not to mask the flavor. The heat of the cuisine was understated but had a build up of flavor and heat. It was not overbearing, it was perfection. Delivered with a chef who knew what he was doing in the kitchen. Not just dumping to cover. But to beguile and build up the anticipation of the next bite. Now if you haven't ever noticed a true professional in the kitchen will never put salt and pepper on the table being served, as it is an insult to the chef stating that they had gotten it wrong. There was absolutely nothing wrong or missing from out dinner. From the first bite, to our pushing our plates away in full and complete satisfaction. We did have to make room for a piece of Flan and it was like none we had ever had, Angie our waitress advised us that her father is the chef and everything is handmade by him in the kitchen. That was the secret, it was fresh not frozen, home made not by some corporate entity and packaged and shelved for shipment.
I said it before Westbank WTF is wrong with yall, you love your food, you love supporting local businesses. This gem of a small restaurant deserves your patronage. Leave the cajun seasoning, Step away from the roots and go see what quality, homemade, dedication in the kitchen is really all about. This was our first visit but I can guarantee you it won't be the last. From start to finish the dinner came in under 60 dollars, the portions were more then ample. and the flavor was out of this world. I have not had Mexican food of this quality since I left Texas. And I am so happy this is local to me.
