I guess the thread title is pretty self-explanatory. I’ve been craving Tex-Mex lately. I realized I’ve never seen a Tex-Mex restaurant outside of Texas. Are there any?
Sure, lots, though they often advertise themselves as just plain Mexican.
I seem to recall a few in New Mexico, from a visit there a few years ago.
I love the food in New Mexico, but I’ve never had anything close to Tex-Mex there. Maybe in southern New Mexico? The food in El Paso is to die for, so maybe that extends to Las Cruces?
Uhh… there are THOUSANDS of Tex-Mex restaurants around. It’s a rather commonly enjoyed type of cuisine.
“Tex-Mex” is such a subjective term, I’m not sure how to help.
Added–to the OP–how do you define “Tex-Mex?”
Chi Chi’s used to have Tex Mex on the menu, but they went out of business several years back. 
There’s the Austin Grill restaurants around Washington DC.
There is a place called Jake’s Tex Mex in town, and I am definitely not in Texas.
In my experience, the truest test of Tex-mex is to order some queso.
If they bring you a plate of shredded cheese, you know you’re in the wrong place.
Yeah, “Tex Mex” is one of those terms that has probably lost it’s true meaning for most people. I’m not even sure what it originally was, but the food I see advertised as Tex Mex is typically the Qdoba/Chipotle/Salsarita’s/Moe’s -style place. Quesadillas, burritos, tacos, etc. I have, unfortunately, probably never had proper Tex Mex.
Yeah, I’ve always thought of Tex-Mex as pretty much what most Americans think of when they think of Mexican food: basically Northern Mexican cuisine fused with (United States of) American influences.
It’s a proper Tex-Mex restaurant if they sell both burritos (good ones) and steaks. Fast food like Taco Bell isn’t “Tex Mex” in the sense I think most people mean it.
For good Tex-Mex in the Toronto area (or Kingston or Ottawa) I suggest Lone Star Cafe. Actually founded by an expatriate Texan. Their salsa is addictive. I have tried to get the recipe to no avail, and I went as far as dating the company controller. No dice.
Texan I Used to Know: Dammit, queso isn’t just cheese!
I believe we are from the same place. ha
Burritos are a California thing–although some Houston Tex-Mex restaurants sell them. Even some of our Mexican places do. Steaks are often on the menu–this is Texas, after all. But they aren’t strictly Tex-Mex, either.
I tried to google “Lone Star Cafe” in Toronto but kept getting the Lone Star Texas Grill. “Panhandle Tilapia?” nope. Lots of Houston Tex-Mex & Mexican places serve seafood–but we’re on the Gulf. No need for tilapia.
Very slightly amusing anecdote:
Years ago I went to Europe on a Rick Steves (Europe Through The Back Door) tour. I’m a Texan and I’ve traveled across the U.S. a fair bit, but this was my first international trip (not counting short visits to some of the Mexican border towns). So I’m much, much further away from home than I’ve ever been before.
One of the stops in Italy was a small Tuscan hill town (Civita, I think). Our bus parked in a designated area at another small village nearby, and then there was a bit of a walk to get up the hill to Civita. So we’re walking up a dirt road past these old earthen brick homes and the beautiful countryside is all around us and it’s just this perfect, authentic visage of old-world Italy.
As I’m soaking all this in and walking on toward the path that leads up the hill, I see that one of these old buildings is a restaurant, and hanging in the window is a bright red neon sign that reads, “TEX-MEX.” :smack:
The Tex-Mex in Las Cruces is much better than the Tex-Mex in El Paso, IMHO. They don’t call it Tex-Mex there, though, but rather “New Mexican cuisine”.
I’m still waiting for someone in authority to tell me what “Tex-Mex” is or isn’t.
I’m no authority. (Moved to Texas from Kentucky at the ripe old age of nine. Thirty years ago.)
To me, Tex-Mex is VERY beef-centric. Chicken is not the fajita chicken breast meat chicken but the shredded in everything else. A pollo asado taco truck? Yes.
Black beans? No. Pinto beans? Yes.
Jalapenos pickled and fresh. I like a Hula Hut (austin, part of Chuy’s) sweet salsa but Tex-Mex isn’t sweet.
To me, it’s a lot of lime.
I love fish tacos, but that’s Baja-cali-mex. (From my experience.)
My .11