El Gabacho Tex-Mex Grill

Holy frijoles! Just south of Interstate 30 in northwest Arlington hides a tasty Tex-Mex hot spot, El Gabacho.

The deceptively small restaurant maintains a marquee spot at The Shoppes at Brownstone Village, just east of Bowen Road on Abram Street.

The menu features classic Mexican-come-American comfort favorites like combination platters of cheese enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, tacos, tortilla soup, nachos, chimichangas and taco salads. Some of the most popular sellers include chile rellenos and carne asada. Newer items on the menu include Tex-Mex seafood fare like fish and shrimp tacos.

For a sweet ending, customers can try an item special to El Gabacho’s menu:  ice cream nachos—a bed of crispy fried, cinnamon-sugar-dipped flour tortilla chips topped with creamy vanilla ice cream, strawberries, whipped cream and toasted pecans.

Not just good food, El Gabacho has spirits too. Their bar is available all day and features a generous happy hour:  Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7p.m. The happy hour specials feature $4.75 swirls, $2.25 domestic beers, $3 imported beers, $5.75 glasses of Glen Ellen chardonnay, white zinfandel, merlot, or cabernet sauvignon, plus FW Weekly critics’ “Best of 2009” choice, the El Gabacho house margarita, for $4.50.

Because of its location among the boutique shops of the Brownstone Village, El Gabacho makes a great spot to relax after shopping or a fun place to meet up with friends.

Just like the surrounding boutiques, there’s no lacking for conversation starters in El Gabacho’s eclectically appointed bar and dining area. The walls are adorned with a mix of old Western, Mexican and iconic pop décor, including lots of images of the grand old gringo himself, John Wayne.Diners can also sit outside in El Gabacho’s generous patio space that offers just enough shade for a cool afternoon or an evening under the stars.

Though the spot still seems relatively new with a clean and up-to-date atmosphere, El Gabacho has been serving customers since 2007. Its pedigree goes back even further.

Owner and founder David Govea has opened and operated more than a handful of popular restaurants throughout Tarrant County over the last couple of decades. Partnering with his family, he’s had a hand in the success of past restaurants like Mi Charrito, La Margarita and the Pueblo Grill among others. He places all his success on his passion for the business.

“I tell people I’ve been married four times, but have never left a restaurant,” Govea said. “You’ve got to give [the restaurant business] 100 percent.”

The effort has been paying off. Govea said people come from all over to visit El Gabacho, including one of its celebrity fans, Randy Galloway, local and longtime radio show host and sports columnist.

“Randy eats here all the time and has mentioned us on his show… It’s word-of mouth-like that, since we don’t do a lot of advertising, that has helped us grow,” Govea said.

HelloMetro Tip: Because of its size and location, El Gabacho doesn’t take reservations, but seats walk-in customers with ease. It keeps up with the constant flow of customers all day. However, for those hoping to sneak in during down time, the best bet is a visit between 2 and 5 p.m.

- by Jenn Emerson, Dallas Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)