Stephen Montoya
There’s a lot to said about taking a simple dish and elevating it. And nothing could be simpler than a fajita quesadilla. I mean it just cheese, and fajita meat melted in between two tortillas. I have been making a version of this at home as a standby meal plan for years. It’s a simple dish that pleases the masses without really making a mess or breaking the bank. Needless to say, this was my attitude upon entering one Fort Worth’s most beloved Mexican establishments, Los Asaderos Mexican Grill & Seafood located at 1535 N. Main this week. Why I ordered the fajita quesadillas is beyond me. It was as if an unknown force was guiding me while in the mist of extreme hunger.
Before I placed my main order, I indulged on the chips and salsa to gauge my palette and take flavor notes. The chips were alright, but the salsa was great with hints of cilantro hitting my taste buds towards the end of each bite. I love getting salsa before ordering a plate that has other dips like sour cream and guacamole. It puts me in charge of each dip and bite, like I am creating my own unique food journey.
A few minutes later, a server placed my order in front of me as she refilled my tea. It looked like your typical plate of quesadillas. But, after my first bite, I was taken back twenty years or more to a place called Speedy Gonzales Tacos, located on the east side of Cleburne. For anyone familiar with this establishment, it was known to have some of the best fajitas in Johnson County, with great salsa to boot. I spent many an afternoon there eating a full order of fajita quesadillas and talking with friends. In fact, this is the first place me and my now wife went to for our first date. I could’ve taken her anywhere, hence the reason why I brought her there. It was my favorite place to eat in the whole world. Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed since its heyday in the late 90s. I even bee-lined for it once we moved back over the summer, only to see it had faded like so many of the memories of my youth. That hole was filled with this plate of quesadillas. I mean, it was better than what I remembered Speedy’s tasting like, but that was over twenty years ago, so I can’t be for sure.
I continued eating this awesome plate of food remembering how much I enjoyed this style of cuisine as a kid. The fajita meat was cooked just right, with a savory seasoning and moist consistency. The cheese was also very good, add the fact that the fajita meat made a greasy layer of drippings that added to the overall flavor. I’ll admit, a piece of fajita fell out of the corner of one of my bites, but I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I looked around the room for a brief second, snatched it up off the table and — yes — placed it in my mouth. The clock hadn’t quite struck five seconds yet, but it was close. If that isn’t a testimony to how great this food is then I don’t know what is. That and the fact that former first lady Laura Bush stops in to eat here every time she’s in Fort Worth. Perhaps she has also beaten the clock on a few bites; who can say for sure? With my weekly culinary journey complete, I made a plan to bring my wife with me next time we are in the North Main area of town. My goal is to watch her eat in anticipation that she might feel the same transformation I did. So, if you love fajitas and Tex-Mex style food, Los Asaderos is highly recommended.
Holes in the Fort Rating Scale
Ambiance: Out of 5 – 4 (The reds, yellows and black celling made me think of eating at grandma’s house. Perhaps that's the point?)
Service: Out of 5 – 5 (Every few minutes a server would come by and check on me like family.)
Food: Out of 5 -5 (Come on — I had a full Ratatouille moment in the dinning room. Great beef fajitas.)
Price Point: Midrange (About $15 to $16 a plate)
Do: Any beef fajita choice (they have fajita nachos and fajitas plates too.)
Don’t: forget to check for parking before you go. It can get dicey in this old part of Fort Worth.
For more information on Los Asaderos click here.
(Holes in the Fort is an ongoing series that highlights some of the city’s best local food spots.)
