Matt's Rancho Martinez January 14th

I have to say, I am a little sad- I found ANOTHER DALLAS QUESO BLOG- it is called Blog Con Queso. But when I saw they have not posted since 2007- i felt a little better....
This week we decided to up the ante and hit Matt's in Lakewood.
history first....
The Matt's legend began more than 50 years ago in Austin, when Matt Martinez Sr. opened the original Matt's El Rancho. After a move to Dallas, Matt Jr. opened this spinoff in Lakewood, now managed by his son, Matt Martinez III. Contrary to popular myth Mattito's is no longer related to Matt's- it is now owned by someone named Jeff Frankel (shout out). Hence- the difference in their off the menu Bob Armstrong dip and what you will read about below.
Now- back to the quesorita...
The first arrivals got the original Bob Armstrong and top shelf margaritas on the rocks- the second wave opted for a vegetarian version of the Bob Armstrong and I think we might have stumbled on to the MOST PERFECT QUESO EVER!!!! Now, for those not familiar with this little piece of heaven- the Bob Armstrong dip has a scoop of sour cream and guacamole on top and usually ground beef which most people would be psyched about- but some times God rewards you for not eating animals- the Bob Armstrong Dip is beyond but the Bob Armstrong Dip without beef is even better (carnivores at the table agree!)
HEAVEN. plain and simple. Best queso, Best margaritas thus far, maybe ever. Not the cheapest ($8.50 per huge bowl of queso) but worth every penny.
Here are the scores-
Margaritas- 4/4 (swirls, top shelf)
Queso- 5/4

Shout outs to the friends we haven't met yet who have left comments, we can't believe you found our blog and liked it! If you have suggestions of places for us to check out- we would love to hear them!

Oh yeah, who is Bob Armstrong- thank you Blog con Queso friends- we are keeping your dream alive....

Herrera's on Maple

 
I must confess that I felt a little pressure when I volunteered to write the blog for quesorita this week. No, not THAT kind of pressure. THAT pressure was because I ate too many beans. Not only is this the first quesorita blog of 2009, it is our first quesorita WITHOUT margaritas. I will do my best.
When you look up “Hole-in-the-Wall” in the dictionary, Herrera’s on Maple is what you will find. Their service was speedy, chips hot, salsa spicy, queso lumpy (in a good way) and liquor license non-existent.
I will start with the queso…Upon arrival to our table, I have to admit that I gave it one look and thought, “Great, it’s that Sysco powdered, flavorless, orange/yellow *%#@!.” Then we tasted it. It was surprisingly good. The closer we got to the bottom, as only Shelby and I know because we were the only two still eating it, the better it got. The onions and peppers were all there waiting to be scooped up by only a truly devoted queso lover. L.E. thought it was “fluffy” and “too airy” but other than the way it looked, it tasted pretty darn good.
Queso: 2.5-2.65/4
Again, this place does NOT serve any kind of alcohol…have no fear, Herrera’s is situated along a street catering to the thristy B.Y.O.B.ers. We got a six pack of Tecate and a six pack of Pacifico with which we washed down several plates of yummy food. Lauren (that crazy girl) got the Crazy Nachos-loaded with tac0 meat, shredded chicken, beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos. Rich had the Huevos Rancheros, Shelby didn’t eat because he was bloated and begging Lauren to “pull his finger”. I had the “Number 10” which consisted of one chalupa smothered with guacamole, one cheese enchilada (I substitooted the meat sauce for a greener one) and one cheese soft taco. It was delicious. After several inappropriate wrestling jokes, The DJ (Angela) arrived to have her Quesorita cherry popped. She refused the hazing rituals even though we promised to go easy on her but she did agree to help us finish the leftovers. Unfortunately, L.E. had to leave before she could sample the food. I think she would have liked her options considering there were several vegetarian plates on the menu.
After paying at the cash register up front (the entire bill for ALL 6 of us was 33 dollars!!!) we realized that we still needed to discuss/recruit more peeps for Surf Camp, so we sat back down, cracked another beer and talked about stuff for an hour or so…
We would all like to go back to Herrera’s at some point, it would be kind of silly not to. The prices are UNBEATABLE!!!
Shelby’s Inappropriate Joke of the Day:
"My girlfriend isn’t very good at wrestling, but you should see her box!"
Looking forward to many more Quesoritas in 2009 when we go global!!!
PURA VIDA, QUESARITA!!!
Kelly (K-so) out!