Restaurant review: Tia Carito’s in Lake Dallas

by Heather Jackson of of North Texas Daily , Taylor Short of of North Texas Daily

Surrounded by chain and franchise restaurants in Lake Dallas, Tia Carito's stands out as a locally-owned business backed by the Garza family's quality Mexican cuisine.

The calm and quiet atmosphere made the wait for our meal seem even longer, but the Mexican artwork and knickknacks along the walls offered a comforting, family-oriented environment.

The homemade chips alone could have sufficed for a meal, a warm and hearty serving with a pleasantly spicy-sweet red salsa. The green variety, commonly known as salsa verde, was thick and lime-colored with a strong back bite.

For such an empty dining room, the service seemed unusually slow. The long wait allowed ample time for us to plow through two baskets of chips before being served.

Fifteen minutes and two glass bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola later, Taylor's order of shrimp quesadillas arrived. A favorite of owner and chef Carolina Garza, the hot quesadillas overflowed with shrimp and cheese.

Served with a scoop of guacamole, sour cream and a useless pile of lettuce, the tortilla was crispy, and the shrimp was flavorful without being too fishy.

The best dish of the night was the chicken salome, a chicken breast stuffed with shrimp and mushrooms, topped with ranchero sauce and served with rice, sautéed squash, zucchini and mushrooms. The chicken was tender and juicy with a slight hint of pepper.

The ranchero sauce tied the chicken, rice and tender, buttery vegetables together nicely.

Our other guest's entrée, sour cream chicken enchiladas served with rice and beans, was tasty but not exceptional. She described the sour cream topping as "cakey" and the rice lacking flavor.

Heather's grilled tilapia tacos with chipotle sauce were much too spicy for her delicate taste buds.

The tilapia itself was good, but the typically tasteless fish was overpowered by the spiciness of the chipotle sauce. The dish was served with rice and beans, which Heather found much more tolerable.

We followed our entrees with an order of bunuelos, thinly rolled dough cut into wedges and deep-fried. The inside was soft with a crispy outer shell, generously covered with cinnamon and sugar.

It was easy to understand what keeps the local patrons coming back to the Garza family's restaurant.

The menu offers an impressive variety of beef, chicken and seafood dishes. The prices and portions are fair. The total cost for two entrees, drinks and a tip was about $30.

Tia Carito's is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m Friday through Sunday at 274 Main St. in Lake Dallas.

For more information about the menu and directions to Tia Carito's, visit the restaurant's Web site at mexicansubs.com.