PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

This cozy Mexican joint, in a modest old blue house in Oak Cliff, south of Dallas, has been one of the best home-style Mexican restaurants in the area for 25 years. A cult favorite, it deserves to be much better known. The extensive menu focuses on nouvelle Mexican fish dishes, such as superb ceviche (fish and shrimp marinated with lime), Mexican seafood (such as octopus) cocktails, mahimahi tacos, and other main courses such as chile relleno de mariscos (poblano pepper stuffed with shrimp, scallops, octopus, and fish). They even do respectable Spanish paella, or you can opt for the more standard Tex-Mex plates. The soups, such as sopa de pescado (fish soup) and caldo Xochitl (Oaxacan-style chicken soup) make wonderful appetizers. The margaritas are also some of the best in town, and they've got stiff competition. If your kids like Mexican and Tex-Mex, they should feel like they're eating at Grandma's house -- that is, if they called Grandma Abuela. If you can't make it to Calle Doce's south-of-downtown Oak Cliff location, try the branch in Lakewood at 1925 Skillman Dr. (tel. 214/824-9900); it's much less atmospheric but serves the same menu.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Texas, 4th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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