TIXTECO MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★

Authentic Mexican Cuisine

Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Chicken w/ Red Mole; Quesadilla Masa; Chorizo; Lengua

Few things frustrate me more when I’m watching a cooking competition show than a chef who says their going to make a mole dish, especially if they have just hours—or even minutes—to pull it off.

Mole is an earned dish. It requires a deft understanding of ingredients and tradition, as well as days to develop the flavor. Making a mole in 30 minutes is like drawing a stick figure woman and saying it’s the Mona Lisa.

If you need proof of this, just visit Tixteco Mexican Restaurant.

The mole here takes two days to develop, and those 48 hours give it a deep complexity that can’t be achieved in a short amount of time. The result is the Chicken w/ Red Mole, an exploration with a flavor that evolves. It’s slightly sweet at the front end; not like sugar, but similar to cinnamon. There’s a pleasant smokiness throughout the rich, complex sauce, and a subtle heat builds the more you eat of it. It’s so delicious, I’d eat it out of a bowl like soup.

Pair that sauce with juicy, bone-in chicken, creamy refried beans, fluffy Mexican rice, and homemade corn tortillas to make your own taco, and you have a heck of a dish.

And if that seems like a lot of time and care to put into one dish, you’re going to be pleasantly surprised with Tixteco.

One might not expect a standout meal upon entering the restaurant. The humble dining room consists simple wooden tables and chairs and simple decor. Celestino “Tino” Bustamante, one of the owners, graciously and dutifully handles the front of the house, quick with both a smile and visit to your table.

But it’s the work of his wife, Eusebia, that’ll have you wanting to come back to Tixteco again and again. The flavor practically wafts from the kitchen the moment you walk through the door. You’re not sure what your nose is taking in, but you immediately want it.

Tixteco delivers street food at its finest. Its dishes carry the inexplicable “homemade” flavors that make you feel like you’re home, even if you’re trying something completely new.

And if new is what you want, Tixteco has you covered. You’ll find dishes with lengua (beef tongue), goat, and tripe (cow stomach), and gorditas are are a far cry than what you’ll find offered at Taco Bell. Tixteco provides a peak into a cuisine that you thought you knew, but is actually much more complex—and flavorful—than you imagined.

The Menudo is a shining example. This traditional Mexican soup is made with tripe and a spicy red chili pepper base. The tripe is tender, but maintains a bit of rubberiness (and not in a bad way). The broth is somewhat reminiscent of a tortilla soup, though with less smoke. It’s a brilliant dish, and the portion size is large enough to fill a Gatorade cooler.

The Gorditas are pockets with a consistency between a tortilla and cornbread. Stuffed with your choice of meat, beans, onions, and cilantro, these put the Americanized version to shame.

Feel like sticking to dishes you’re more familiar with? No problem. Tixteco has your Mexican favorites, but with traditional flair. The Tacos feature hearty yet chewy corn tortillas, freshly made. The Toastadas are striking when they arrive at the table, as Tixteco piles a mountain of protein, beans, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce onto each offering.

The highlight (to these taste buds, at least) is the Quesadilla Masa, a brilliant quesadilla-taco hybrid. These greasy handhelds ooze melty cheese and are packed with whatever protein you choose.

Speaking of which, the meats truly stand out here. The chorizo tastes of both smoke and spice and is among the better versions you’ll find. The lengua is tender and moist, and the carne asada is steakhouse worthy.

You’ll almost feel embarrassed paying such modest prices for your delicious feast. Most individual items range between $2-6, though the flavor and portion sizes suggest a price twice as steep. You can easily leave comfortably full for $10—or go all out and happily gorge for $20.

After sampling a good portion of Tixteco’s menu, I feel confident saying you’ll find something authentic and crafted with precision and love, regardless of what you choose. And if you question that, just order the mole and tell me it’s not a special dish.