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Inni Heart (Closed) 1731 Montana Ave. El Paso, TX Inni Heart is a “New American” restaurant with an emphasis on freshness and quality (I am old enough to remember when this was the “regular American” food with the newcomer being … Continue reading
Jerusalem Grill
Jerusalem Grill joins a long list of El Paso restaurants that has made an effort to reinvent itself to reflect the changing dining scene, while keeping many of the features of the old restaurant that people liked. Jerusalem Grill was formerly located in the same building as the Market (5360 N. Mesa), but the restaurant has now moved to 5680 N. Mesa while Jerusalem International Foods (the market) is still in the original location.
Photo showing the original Jerusalem Market and Jerusalem Grill, which used to be next door to each other
As I understand it, Jerusalem Grill is now operated by one of the children of the original owners, and it has become more upscale. I think there is really no difference in the food from the original restaurant, except that they have added a few items including a new hot tea that is very good. There is now a lunch buffet, which to me seems to be the best feature of the new restaurant.
Because the food is basically the same but is just packaged differently, I am fairly confident in merging the review of the old restaurant into this one.
Lunch Buffet
Lunch buffet
The lunch buffet is definitely the best way to try the most items at the cheapest price (the buffet currently at $12.99 is not cheap but is very competitive with lunches at other restaurants).
I served myself hummus, salad, rice, kofta, roasted chicken, and moussaka
I should first make the comment that there are not a lot of selections on the lunch buffet, but I found every one of them to be very good. Two items were really the best, one of them being the Roasted Chicken (I have also had this from the dinner menu). The Moussaka was also excellent. The only other place I have found moussaka in El Paso was at Casa Pizza, but the one at Jerusalem was vegetarian and had an excellent sauce that really made it my favorite.
The rest of the plate really reminded me of the combination plates at many Mexican restaurants–there are usually several items that I would not want to order on their own but were excellent as part of the combination. The Kofta is something that many would want to order on its own but I happen to like the chicken better.
Fruit salad
The Fruit Salad served for dessert was the only choice available, but I thought it was very enjoyable and went well after the meal.
Vegetarian Dinners
Veggie sampler plate
Officially called an Appetizer Plate, the “Veggie sampler plate” from the new restaurant and the “Veggie combo” from the old restaurant mostly include the same items. This is enough to make a meal, and most importantly to me it includes Falafel which is probably the best example of it I have tried. Although the flavor is very good, the most important element of it is that it tastes fresh and not from a mix (I don’t know if it is made fresh, but it tastes that way).
While at most Middle Eastern restaurants the Hummus is my other favorite item, here it is not. I found this one to have an ordinary flavor compared to the restaurants in Oklahoma City, although I still like the one here. The sumac on top gives it some spice and a good flavor, but I prefer the ones that have more olive oil.
In contrast, though, the Baba Ganoush was quite good compared to ones I have tried at other restaurants.
The Grape Leaves are the only item that I have found to be not as good as at the old restaurant, although it is something I would want to try again to be sure this was not a fluke.
Veggie combo from the old restaurant
The vegetarian platter has changed a little bit from the old restaurant, but the most important thing to me is that the falafel is still served.
Lentil soup
Lentil Soup is not part of the vegetarian platter (appetizer plate) but it is flavorful. It is also on the spicy side.
Chicken Shawerma
Chicken shawerma from the old restaurant
The Chicken Shawarma is an item I liked at the old restaurant but I have not tried it since Jerusalem Grill moved. Still, I think I can say it is one of the best items here
Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken
Lebanese oven roasted chicken
The Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken from the dinner menu is the same as the “roasted chicken” on the lunch buffet, but presented with more garnishes. It also would have been too much to eat, but in this case it was shared by three people (along with with the vegetarian appetizer plate). My feeling in general about the dinner menu is that the items are too large for one person, although the restaurant does not make it difficult to share and the concept of family style meals seems to be part of the Middle Eastern culture.
Tea
The Middle Eastern style tea is made with loose leaves and was very good, although it was not a mint style tea. For the lunch buffet I found the iced tea to be good and a lot cheaper.
Other Comments
I have long considered the falafel here to be the best I have ever tried. Even so, the outstanding dishes at Jerusalem are probably the chicken dishes.
The vegetarian appetizer plate (veggie combo plate) makes a good meal from the dinner menu which is not too expensive. In general, though, I consider the vegetarian items at Jerusalem to be the weak point of the restaurant compared to other Middle Eastern restaurants. Of course the exception is the falafel.
The lunch buffet is not cheap but I definitely think it is a better deal than in many other restaurants. While some restaurants give you their cheapest stuff in order to have a good price, Jerusalem seems to include their best dishes at a price that is lower than ordering from the dinner menu.
RATING: 25
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: BYOB
Special Features: Lunch buffet M-F; Sunday brunch
Most Recent Visit: Mar. 12, 2018
Number of Visits: 9
Best Items: Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken, Moussaka, Falafel, Chicken Shawerma, Pita
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Chicken Shawerma |
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Lebanese Oven Roasted Chicken |
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Moussaka |
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Kofta |
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Falafel |
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Baba Ganoush |
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Spinach Pie |
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Hummus |
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Grape Leaves |
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Lentil Soup |
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Pita |
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Fruit Salad |
International Delights
When I came to International Delights I was not particularly hungry, but with Middle Eastern food being one of my favorites I knew I could have a snack at the restaurant and take the rest home. This turned out to be fortunate, because as much as I liked the food for dinner it was even better the next day as leftovers.
The restaurant is somewhat international, but mostly Middle Eastern. The items I ordered are common in the Lebanese restaurants which I enjoy in Oklahoma, but I think they could be associated with a number of countries in the region. I do not remember the items that are from other regions of the world except for the gyros, but I do remember that some other regions were represented.
It was actually difficult to order because there is not a complete menu of all the items. Instead some items were listed on a board above the cash register while there was a smaller board near the entrance that seemed to include their specials and seasonal items. For many items I did not understand either what they were or whether it was a plate, sandwich, etc. I had to stand at the register to see the menu, and this was while other people were waiting in line.
Because of the awkwardness of ordering I probably got too much food, but it turned out to be enough to provide two excellent meals instead of one. Also for my readers, of course, it allows me to give descriptions of more items.
Salads and Appetizers
Salads here are included on dinner plates such as the one I ordered, as are some side dishes such as hummus that could also be considered as an appetizer. The salad was fresh and had a good flavored dressing.
The Hummus met my expectations in terms of flavor, and in texture was really one of the best I have found anywhere. I think this was because it was not ground into a paste as I find in many restaurants.
Soups
Lentil soup
The Lentil Soup was excellent, and was better than any I have found in El Paso so far (and I assume it is also the best in Las Cruces). As the photo shows it is very thick, and possibly more filling than many others.
Chicken Shawarma
Chicken shawarma
My first comment about the Chicken Shawarma is that the meat was excellent–it had the type of flavor I find in Halal meat although I do not know for sure that the meat here is Halal. This was combined with a very flavorful seasoning, and was one of the reasons I was very impressed with this restaurant.
The tahini sauce was one of the best I have ever tasted, and went well with the meat. They also give you some local style salsa that I did not eat with the chicken, but it was great with the chips I had at home for a snack.
Moroccan Tea
Moroccan tea
Although the Moroccan Tea was good, it was not like ones I have had in Oklahoma made with mint and sugar (thus this was what I would call a disappointment). In the future I would still order the tea, though, rather than another kind of drink.
Desserts
Lemon cake
They also have a number of desserts available such as this Lemon Cake. Although it was good, I still had the memory of the wonderful desserts at Le Rendez-vous which are the ones I would really recommend if you are able to go there.
Other Comments
The Pita was as excellent as the other items, and I really do not know of another Middle Eastern restaurant in the Borderland which is as consistently good all around.
At first I thought the prices were a little high but this was before I knew how much I would enjoy the food. I still question, though, whether the cake and the Moroccan tea were worth what I paid.
I think the restaurant describes itself as Mediterranean (which covers a broad range of cuisines), but really I thought the Middle Eastern dishes were a standout here. I do not know about their gyros, etc., but for anyone who loves Middle Eastern food I think this is a must try.
RATING: 24
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily (breakfast Fri.-Sun.)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No
Most Recent Visit: Jan. 5, 2018
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Chicken Shawarma, Hummus, Lentil Soup
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Chicken Shawarma |
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Hummus |
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Lentil Soup |
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Moroccan Tea |
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Pita |
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Lemon Cake |
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Bamboo Garden (Closed) 2617 N. White Sands Blvd. Alamogordo, NM I was alerted that this restaurant had a “secret menu” of authentic Chinese food, and this meant the possibility of not only having a great lunch but also being able … Continue reading
Family Pho and Rolls
Family Pho and Rolls follows a popular trend in serving both Vietnamese food and sushi (at least the style of sushi that includes California rolls, etc.). Outside of a couple of Chinese restaurants I think this is the only Asian restaurant in Weatherford, so I think it makes sense for this restaurant to provide any other dishes they can that would be popular in this small college town.
While Chinese food tends to become more Americanized in smaller towns, Vietnamese food has tasted pretty much the same everywhere I have tried it (but the menu choices are more limited in small towns). This is good for me because I love what most Vietnamese restaurants are serving, and these tend to be reliable choices even where Chinese restaurants are not. Family Pho was exactly as I thought it would be–good food but with a rather small menu.
After my comments about Chinese restaurants I need to point out that I have liked the ones I have tried in Weatherford. My favorite place in town, Young China, has closed, but the people at Family Pho told me the owners have now opened the Hibachi Buffet.
Vermicelli Bowl
House vermicelli
The type of dish I was wanting happened to coincide with what seemed to be the restaurant’s special dish, the House Vermicelli. This did not come with my normal choice of chicken, but the pork they served had a very good flavor and is another type of meat I like. It had the added benefit of an excellent spring roll. The fish sauce was very good, and I especially liked the chile sauce (which can be seen in the small bowl on the lower right side).
Two things I normally like in a vermicelli bowl were lacking–peanuts and mint. Everything else was good enough that it pretty much made up for these deficiencies (I can say for sure that the spring roll was more satisfying than the peanuts would have been). Overall this was definitely a very good vermicelli dish.
Tea
I was disappointed that they did not have any hot tea, but iced tea was available. I would say this made the restaurant somewhat Americanized, but the food was good and it did not have a great impact on the meal.
An Assessment
Everything I had was good, but the negative aspects were the things I was not able to have (peanuts, mint, hot tea, etc.). In spite of this I would not hesitate to come back. At restaurants I usually like to order things again that I enjoyed previously (in this case it is the House Vermicelli). They do have other types of vermicelli bowls, though, as well as other items (mainly the pho and rolls implied by their name).
RATING: 23
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Mon.
Accessible: Yes, but maybe the sidewalk is a little steep
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: N/A
Most Recent Visit: Nov. 30, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: House Vermicelli
| Tea: | Iced Tea |
| MSG: | No |
| Buffet: | No |
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House Vermicelli |
Sam’s Southern Eatery at Hefner and Rockwell
Sam’s Southern Eatery is a rapidly expanding chain of Cajun style restaurants based in Shreveport, Louisiana, and which has recently opened several locations in Oklahoma with more planned. My first visit to this location and one in Shreveport were within a two week period, and as a result I was able to compare the recently opened location in Oklahoma City with a well established one.
I believe this location was still working out some of the details when I went, and the fact that the staff admitted this to me makes me more anxious to return. Probably a restaurant’s honesty and transparency is the most important factor to me other than the food itself, and the staff here left a very good impression on me.
As for the food, I didn’t think it matched what I got in Shreveport, but certain items were nevertheless very good. In case you wish to have a review in a nutshell, I will just say to do yourself a favor and order the red beans and rice (it is worth going just for this).
Gumbo
Gumbo, fried roll, red beans and rice, cole slaw
Mostly wanting to know how the food here compared to Louisiana, I ordered a bowl of Gumbo. Whether it is very authentic or not, I thought it was flavorful. The shrimp tasted as if it had been frozen and there were not many vegetables, but still it was enjoyable. The most striking thing I thought was noticeable was that the broth had a very light color. Overall the gumbo was fine but not exceptional.
I thought the Red Beans and Rice was exceptional, and the recipe was successfully transported from Louisiana. It had a good smoky flavor, and I think this is the best item at the restaurant (that I have tried, at least).
The Cole Slaw was fine and better than at many of OKC’s barbecue restaurants, with the cabbage being noticeably fresh. The flavor was strong on the vinegar but not too much so.
The Fried Roll tasted very good but after the meal was the only thing I was tasting, so I probably do not want to repeat this experience (I think they offer a choice of either the roll or cornbread, and if so I will take the cornbread next time).
Other Comments
Each Sam’s restaurant is individually owned, and the food varies from one location to the next. The chain does give them the recipes and I believe supplies the ingredients (so that the food quality is constant). In comparing the Shreveport and Oklahoma City locations I found that the recipes for the gumbo were different (although the quality of the shrimp used was the same), the Shreveport restaurant ran out of red beans and rice when I was there (the Oklahoma City restaurant had plenty of everything despite being packed with customers), and each restaurant has its own “extras” (the Shreveport restaurant had home made cake for dessert).
The biggest seller at Sam’s is the shrimp. I did not try the fried shrimp at this restaurant, although the shrimp in the gumbo was equivalent to the one in Shreveport. The fried shrimp comes in very large pieces (my dining companion and I shared an order of 8 shrimp in Shreveport and we really thought 6 would be enough for the both of us).
Almost everything at the Oklahoma City location was good, but I think the lesson with the fried roll was that you shouldn’t fry something that is already good before you fry it (the Shreveport restaurant didn’t serve this item, perhaps for a good reason).
RATING: 21
Cuisine: Cajun
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: I do not believe so, but I’m not sure
Most Recent Visit: Nov. 14, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Red Beans and Rice
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Red Beans and Rice |
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Gumbo |
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Cole Slaw |
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Fried Roll |
Menu (Nov. 2017):
Grand House Express
The previous restaurant at this location was Zen Asian Dining, a “fusion” restaurant with different cuisines whose menu has partially been retained at the new Grand House Express. The original Grand House is one of the anchor restaurants in Oklahoma City’s Asian District, being one of the largest and longest running restaurants along Classen Boulevard.
Zen was primarily a Thai restaurant, and several Thai dishes have been carried over to the new menu at Grand House Express. I thought their Thai food was overly sweet, but not having tried it at the new restaurant I really do not know how it would be now.
Dining room
I did find out, though, that the new restaurant appears to be true to the food of the original Grand House in its Chinese menu. More specifically, it is true to part of the Grand House menu, because Grand House has a regular menu which is largely copied here and a “Chinese” menu which is absent from the selection at Grand House Express. My take on the two Grand House menus is that both are actually Chinese, but the “Chinese” menu has some more interesting items that appeal to me more. For instance, the Express restaurant does not have clay pot dishes, and generally it excludes everything that takes longer to cook than the standard stir-fry dishes served at Grand House Express.
Some Vietnamese dishes on the menu also come from Grand House, and the result is a “fusion” restaurant representing food from different Asian countries, but I think done better than I found at Zen Asian Dining.
Lunch Specials
There are several lunch specials served Monday through Friday that I would find appealing, partly because the price is a little lower but mainly because lunch portions at restaurants are more in line with my appetite. I would probably pick the items that come from Grand House (Chinese and Vietnamese) over the Zen holdovers (mainly Thai).
Stir Fried Dishes
Chicken stir fry in XO sauce
The Chicken Stir Fry in XO Sauce was my first chance to try this sauce since I had another dish with XO Sauce at the original Grand House. Although this was not a lunch special, the price was good and the sauce was still good. XO sauce is something I would describe as having a very intense flavor and is something people will probably either love or hate (I think it is rather smoky and is the Chinese version of chipotle sauce).
While I am not necessarily recommending this sauce for everybody, I did get a sense that the stir-fried dishes and the food here in general is very good. One thing for sure is that Grand House Express has items on the menu that will not be found at many other suburban Chinese restaurants.
Other Details
To me it is a good sign that the restaurant did not have what I really wanted to order, yet I still enjoyed the meal. There are probably at least a dozen other menu items that I think would be equally appealing, if not more.
I think the other Thai restaurants in Edmond are far too good for me to purposely come here and try this type of food, nevertheless there are some Thai menu items for anyone who wants to try them.
The original Grand House is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city, and adding their food to this restaurant is a huge deal, in my opinion. It is too bad they could not include items like their clay pot dishes, but what they do have appears to be some of the best suburban food in the OKC Metro.
Probably the issue most people will have is the price, but for me it was not too bad (the menu is included below with the prices at the time I went to the restaurant).
RATING: 23
Cuisine: Chinese
Cost: $$
Hours: Closed Sun.
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Most Recent Visit: Oct. 20, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Stir Fry in XO Sauce
| Tea: | Jasmine (bags) |
| MSG: | No |
| Buffet: | No |
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Stiry Fry in XO Sauce |
Menu (Oct. 2017):
Gloria’s Mexican Kitchen
Gloria’s Mexican Kitchen (or just “Gloria” on the sign) is a venture of two former employees at Ricardo’s which used to occupy the same space. One of the owners was the cook at Ricardo’s, and he has continued the same cooking style as before (and I think this is a very good thing!). I thought of Ricardo’s as Mexican style cooking of dishes that are popular with Americans, and I think the same thing is true at Gloria’s.
In defining “Mexican style,” I would say it is very simple preparation of authentic ingredients with an emphasis on bold flavors. Some readers may feel comfortable with Tex-Mex style dishes with lots of cheese on top (much of the food here has cheese, but it does not overwhelm the dish), chips and salsa (they have that here), and a familiar menu (Gloria’s has made a point to do this). I am so impressed with what Gloria’s has done that I can almost guarantee that people will like it, even if they are reluctant to venture to new restaurants.
Gloria’s has continued many of the menu items from Ricardo’s, but expanded it in 2017. Also of note is that they now have daily specials on weekdays (the specials are offered all day).
Enchiladas
Gloria’s red and green enchiladas
The enchiladas here are genuinely good and genuinely Mexican style. Perhaps more importantly, they are unlike the ones I have found at any other restaurant. The red and green chile used remind me of the ones served in New Mexico, but not as spicy. I would say the recipes probably come from somewhere in the northern part of Mexico.
Traditionally I prefer red enchiladas to green ones, but in Oklahoma City this has been reversed because most restaurants serve tomatillo flavored green sauce that is more spicy and authentic tasting than the red. At Gloria’s, though the Red Enchiladas are the spiciest of the two, and they really have everything that satisfies my enchilada cravings.
The Green Enchiladas are very good also. It did not have the same flavor I find at other restaurants (this is not a good or bad thing, just an opportunity to try a new flavor). I really liked both enchiladas equally, but on future trips I would likely order the red ones because these have been so lacking at other restaurants.
The Beans were very good, and had a traditional flavor (they may be made with lard but I did not ask). The Papas were very good, but the amount of cheese on top detracted a little bit for me.
Guisado
Guisado with chile rojo
The Guisado with Chile Rojo was as impressive as the enchiladas, and I liked the fact that the chile was at about a four out of five spice level (hotter than the enchiladas). I recommend the rice with it since they are very flavorful and just just filler (you do have a choice of other side dishes such as the papas I had with the enchiladas).
Street Tacos
I had a sample of the Street Tacos, but I thought the flavor was not as good as at Abel’s Restaurant across the street. Still, I thought they were good and probably authentic.
Chips and Salsa
Chips and salsa
The Chips and Salsa are both excellent, but in addition to the salsa they also serve queso and guacamole dip. These are also excellent for take-home provided there is any left. What is good, though, is that each person gets their own personal dips.
Additional Comments
Some Internet sites (such as OKC Talk) have commenters who indicate that they enjoy authentic Mexican food but have a hard time finding restaurants in Oklahoma City that meet their standards. This is the kind of person that I think would especially appreciate Gloria’s. I think of it as a restaurant that is as good as the ones in El Paso, but with a different style of food (Gloria’s has food that is more interior style than is normally found in El Paso).
Gloria’s is small, but is a sit-down restaurant with all the service you get at larger restaurants. The prices are about average for OKC Mexican restaurants, but if you get the daily special this is a real windfall for your pocketbook (as of September 2017 they were Quesadilla Dinner on Mon.; Tortilla Soup on Tue.; Crispy Tacos on Wed.; Guisado on Thu.; and Fish Tacos on Fri.).
For a long time Abel’s across the street has been my “go to” place for Mexican food. I find Gloria’s to really be better than Abel’s for most things, although the tacos are better at Abel’s and Gloria’s does not have as many menu choices.
I don’t think their horchata is home made, and at least from what I saw I thought it would be better to order the tea. Other than that it is hard to find any negatives here.
RATING: 24
Cuisine: Mexican
Cost: $$
Hours: Open daily except Sun. evening and Wed. evening
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Most Recent Visit: Sep. 28, 2017
Number of Visits: 3
Best Items: Red Enchiladas, Guisado, Beans, Rice, Chips and Salsa
| Chile Index: |  |
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Red Enchiladas |
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Green Enchiladas |
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Guisado |
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Street Tacos |
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Beans |
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Rice |
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Papas |
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Chips |
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Salsa |