A Few Thoughts on Javier’s

I had dinner at Javier’s on Saturday night for the first time in years. Although the food was great, here are a few reasons why it may be years before I return:

1. That chair may have been the most uncomfortable I’ve ever experienced. The back is literally perpendicular to the floor, and the seat is wide enough to hold an “America’s Next Top Model” contestant but not anyone who enjoys Mexican food on a regular basis.

2. Our table was a lot like a bobblehead doll. The surface was never completely still throughout our two-hour meal.

3. Above the urinal in the men’s room, there’s a photo of three banditos who are looking down, pointing, and laughing. Not exactly a confidence booster.

By Dan Koller Mar. 15, 2010 | 8:10 am | 28 Comments | Comments RSS
28 comments to "A Few Thoughts on Javier's"
  1. javilover @ March 15, 2010 at 9:11 am
    Want authentic, high-end Mexico City? Try Javiers. Want wide chairs and sturdy tables where a typical suburban couple could pile six baskets of free chips and “Top Shelf” margaritias out of a machine? Try On The Border or Chili’s… Preferably the one in Plano for the maximum in sterile dining.

  2. Gagree @ March 15, 2010 at 9:16 am
    That place is highly overrated. We only go when someone else picks the place and even then, I’m hesitant about going.

  3. MXfoodcritic @ March 15, 2010 at 9:49 am
    Love the fabulous food, just wished the chips were more authentic, and their guacamole could be prepared tableside. I am okay with the decor…. who cares, your only there for dinner.

  4. kmom @ March 15, 2010 at 9:56 am
    I love the filete cantinas but can’t deal with the crowds and the wait. If Javiar can keep the crowds like that, why invest in fixing the busted tables and chairs? Until they hordes start thinning I doubt he’ll be putting money into any changes.

  5. Charles Geilich @ March 15, 2010 at 10:27 am
    Gotta say, I love Javier’s. As much as I enjoy traditional TexMex like that offered at Mi Cocina Matt’s, and Rafa’s, Javier’s is a nice change of pace for dishes like the garlic snapper.

    I agree, though, about the chairs.

  6. Food Lover @ March 15, 2010 at 11:22 am
    Tried Javier’s for the first time this year – was unimpressed. Don’t plan to go back any time soon.

  7. Dallas Mex Food? @ March 15, 2010 at 11:30 am
    This place is just plum nasty, and there is little authentic or tasty about the food. I am constantly perplexed by the lines to get in this place. Dallas’s Mexican food leaves a lot to be desired compared to other parts of the state. Of course, that’s true of many Dallas restaurants. Unless you love steak, Dallas is a foodie’s worst nightmare.

  8. matt @ March 15, 2010 at 11:46 am
    wow, getting old must be terrible.

  9. Walt @ March 15, 2010 at 12:59 pm
    Used to go there until I got tired of overpriced food and slow service. Our latest Mexican food dive–just as good as Rafa’s–is Grandpa Tony’s on Mockingbird at Love Field. Best service of any Mexican foo restaurant I have seen in years.

  10. M @ March 15, 2010 at 3:27 pm
    Dallas Mex Food: correct you are. Dallas restaurants are vastly overrated…and the only reason the steak places are good is because you can’t buy a decent steak in ANY grocery store.

  11. Greg @ March 15, 2010 at 4:12 pm
    food is terrible and overpriced.

  12. E @ March 15, 2010 at 4:40 pm
    We have never understood the appeal of Javiers. I think there are a lot of great restaurants in Dallas….but Javier’s is not one of them!

  13. Ugh @ March 15, 2010 at 4:54 pm
    I choke on my $7 bean and cheese nachos (8 chips to an order) thinking about the owner’s high end sports car parked next to the front door.

  14. AD @ March 15, 2010 at 5:13 pm
    Been going to Javier’s for years. Best service of any restaurant in Dallas. Food is excellent and the atmosphere is fun and not “chain”. I’m not sure why you singled out Javier’s for a scathing review. You must have a grudge. There are so many bad mexican food restaurants in the area Mi cocina is at the top of the list of bad food. But I guess it’s owned by some “muy fabuloso Parkies” so it won’t make your list.

  15. tinkerbell @ March 15, 2010 at 7:13 pm
    Steak: Kuby’s. Nuff said.

  16. Kippie @ March 15, 2010 at 9:18 pm
    I don’t like going to Javiers because the food is mediocre. I have to agree that Rafa’s and Grandpa Tony’s are at the top of the “real” and traditional mexican food list. The tortilla soup at Grandpa Tony’s is the best I have ever had so we keep going back.

  17. Charles Geilich @ March 16, 2010 at 8:27 am
    “Dallas is a foodie’s worst nightmare?” You must be joking. While individual restaurants are subject to personal tastes, of course, Dallas has tons of top-notch restaurants with many excellent chefs. True, like every other American city, Dallas is beset with chains and mediocrity, but at the top of the food ladder, there are too many excellent choices across too wide a spectrum to label Dallas anything other than great.

    I urge anyone who thinks otherwise to consult your Zagat’s or other guide of choice and experiment!

  18. kmom @ March 16, 2010 at 9:12 am
    What @tinkerbell said.

  19. M @ March 16, 2010 at 9:41 am
    Charles–I’ll take your challenge. Where’s the best Italian food because I haven’t found any.

  20. bc @ March 16, 2010 at 12:04 pm
    @ AD

    What “scathing review?” He said he liked the food, but did not enjoy his chair, the table, or the picture above the urinal.

    I’d say the “review” is pointless, not scathing.

    Oh, and Javiers is pretty mediocre.

  21. Avid Reader @ March 16, 2010 at 12:37 pm
    Nonna.

  22. M @ March 16, 2010 at 1:48 pm
    Avid–sorry to say I was not impressed by Nonna.

  23. kmom @ March 16, 2010 at 2:20 pm
    @M, what high falutin city do you prefer to dine in?

  24. Charles Geilich @ March 16, 2010 at 3:26 pm
    Hm, Italian could be a hard one, especially now that Il Mulino (overpriced though it was) is gone. Actually, I haven’t been to many Italian restaurants in Dallas (cutting down on pasta and all that for awhile), and, although I wouldn’t suggest it is fancy or great, Cibus at Northpark (yes, the mall) is surprisingly good.

    Um, you had to pick Italian, did you, M? Somebody help me out here.

  25. PCMom @ March 16, 2010 at 3:57 pm
    Steak: buy from Koster’s – locally grown. http://www.kostercattle.com

  26. AD @ March 16, 2010 at 5:24 pm
    @bc
    When the reviewer says “it may be years before I return” then I would say “scathing review” accurately represents his evaluation of Javier’s. Though I disagree, it’s why we have blogs to express our sometimes ridiculous opinions.

  27. Sharpay @ March 16, 2010 at 7:49 pm
    Javier’s is authentic in that it resembles Mexico City’s elegant restaurants, including in its decor, drinks, the service, and the food. It is not a Tex-Mex restaurant (and I love those, too). I rarely go but always enjoy Javier’s when I do.

  28. peter griffin @ March 17, 2010 at 7:29 am
    for pete’s sake, i only go to javier’s to ogle the high class hook, er escor, er dates of the old park citizens.
    stay classy, javier’s.
    if not the best, at least the most expensive mexican food in town.
    a bargain at half the price.

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