mia's tex-mex restaurant

i discovered mia's over three decades ago, when it was first located in a small store front on lemmon avenue. the word spread, and the need for more tables brought therestaurantto the current location.

over the years, mia's family members and employees have started other restaurants, including, mi cocina's, taco diner, mesero's and manny's, but the catalyst for all these, is this colorfulrestauranton lemmon avenue!

so many great dishes, including the brisket tacos, enchiladas and a number of specialties. but i decided that on a cold night, i needed my comfort dish, sunset chicken enchiladas, with ranchero beans.

when i want tex-mex, i return to one of the great spots in dallas! glenn almack

i discovered mia's over three decades ago, when it was first located in a small store front on lemmon avenue.  the word spread, and the need for more tables brought therestaurantto the current location.  

over the years, mia's family members and employees have started other restaurants, including, mi cocina's, taco diner, mesero's and manny's, but the catalyst for all these, is this colorfulrestauranton lemmon avenue!   

so many great dishes, including the brisket tacos, enchiladas and a number of specialties.  but i decided that on a cold night, i needed my comfort dish, sunset chicken enchiladas, with ranchero beans.     when i want tex-mex, i return to one of the great spots in dallas!     

...and so i returned to mia's and discovered a new dish!   camarones a la diabla is one amazing dish, with some fire from the devil to make it interesting.  shrimp in 'chile de arbol' sauce, with sauteed vegetables and white rice.   definitely a spicy dish, but the vegetables and rice kept things anchored in this world.  glenn almack

our party of 3 enjoyed very much enjoyed mia's. good/fresh chips and salsa, tacos and enchiladas! restaurantis fairly small/cozy but we were seated after a brief wait and service as responsive and cordial. this was our 5th time at mia's and it continues to be a very good / steady choice.

lukewarm reception. i have the same feeling towards mia's as the hostess, manager and waitress took towards our group- lukewarm

food: all ingredients, including the seafood, was fresh, the vegetables were crisp and the tortillas had a great buttery flavor. the draw back was the lack of seasoning. but i'm a fan of the chips and spicy salsa. the brisket tacos get a lot of hype too. and the prices are fairly decent for dinner with some great lunch times deals at around $5.

service: again, not the warmest reception, but more importantly, the server made a couple of mistakes, including an important dietary substitution.

atmosphere: typical mexicanrestaurantdecor- sombreros pinned to the wall, 5 different paint colors, sticky vinyl floral tablecloths. therestaurantis relatively small but there's also a fairly large, enclosed patio with heaters.

reservations- yes. but all in your party must be present to be seated- even if therestaurantis half empty. however, unless you have a large party, a reservation is probably not needed. even at peak lunch hour there were open tables.

parking: small lot that fills up fast. there's a "complimentary" valet.

get the brisket tacos! you will not be disappointed. the salsa was delicious as well and the chips were fresh. i am certain they make their chips and tortillas fresh everyday. the tortilla soup was fantastic. the service was quick and the prices were great. this is not a fancy place. nothing to say about the decor but if you like food and could care less about the decor like myself then this is the place for you. please do not confuse a lackluster decor for being dirty. therestaurantwas clean as were the bathrooms. the only thing i would change about my visit was if i would have been able to sit on the patio but it was too cold.

i don't get the hype. it's a dirty, mediocrerestaurantthat us very crowded. my friends clarice all the way from the burbs to eat here. i live close by and choose other tex mex restaurants.

the start of it all .... it is my understanding that the dallas tex mexrestaurantseen is all in the same family or very intimately connected from mia's to manny's and mi cocina and then to luna de noche and carolina's mexican cuisine. mia's may not be my favorite of all of those but it is good and has some fun nostalgia for me that makes it a great mexican restaurant.

not bad. not great. middle of the road food. there really is nothing unique or special about this place: there are lots of comparable average tex-mex places in the hood that serve the same items and quality.
very gringo friendly menu, dumpyrestaurant(dives at least have charm, and newer places look like the owners at least give a damn).
come here once to experience the hype, then find something better and go there instead for the rest of your life.