La Terraza Grill and Bar
While dining recently at La Terraza, we couldn't help but think about the lucky folks that stay next door at the La Quinta at the corner of I-35 and Oltorf
Reviewed by Claudia Alarcón, Fri., April 1, 2005
La Terraza Grill and Bar
1605 E. Oltorf & I-35, 444-0018
Monday-Thursday, 7am-10pm; Friday-Saturday, 7am-midnight; Sunday, 7am-8pm
Having traveled a fair share around Texas and the U.S., I'm often grateful when I find a hotel with a decent restaurant nearby, especially in cities I don't know very well or if I am just passing through. While dining recently at La Terraza, we couldn't help but think about the lucky folks that stay next door at the La Quinta at the corner of I-35 and Oltorf. While it is not an out-of-this-world food destination, this Mexican restaurant offers good quality Interior and Tex-Mex dishes at affordable prices.
The restaurant itself is quite large, but it is comfortable and nicely decorated. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and has a sizable bar with a few tables and TVs, perfect for relaxing for happy hour or a favorite sports event. The beer is cold, and the $1.99 margaritas are good. The extensive menu includes appetizers, soups, Mexican specialties, and Tex-Mex favorites, and even a few American food items for those seeking something more familiar.
At the risk of being trite, we ordered the Camarones Diablos ($7.99), the ubiquitous shrimp with jalapeños wrapped in bacon that seem to be on every restaurant's menu. In my opinion, there is a reason for this: When well made, they are excellent little morsels to start a meal with, washed down with an ice-cold beverage. La Terraza serves eight of these tasty critters, smothered in melted Jack cheese, with a side of a spicy and tangy sauce similar to hot wing sauce (in fact, they serve wings: bet it's the same sauce) that complemented them well. The Queso Flameado con Rajas ($5.95), broiled Jack cheese with roasted poblano strips and chorizo, came with freshly made flour tortillas. While it took a considerable amount of time to get the appetizers, we were rather pleased with the product when they finally arrived.
Among the many entrée selections, we opted for the Asado de Puerco ($8.25), tender chunks of roast pork marinated in an adobo flavored with guajillo chile and comino. It is always good to see local menus that feature cabrito, the northern Mexican specialty of kid goat meat, usually prepared on the grill and eaten with tortillas. At La Terraza, it's prepared three different ways, but we chose the simple Cabrito al Cabón ($13.99). It came with rice, beans, and a shredded lettuce salad with a scoop of guacamole, although the menu described a sliced avocado salad. The cabrito had good flavor, but I usually like it when it is cooked longer and more tender. We had also ordered the Pollo al Chipotle, described as a grilled chicken breast topped with a spicy chipotle adobo, but after a few minutes we were told that they were out of all chicken dishes. We finished the meal with the homemade Flan ($2.95), which would have been much better without the unnecessary whipped topping. The only topping flan should ever have is the caramel sauce it cooks in.
Despite a few flaws, La Terraza, with its long hours and hearty fare, is a good place for road-weary I-35 travelers to stop for a satisfying meal and a cold drink.
