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- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Sun 5 pm - 11 pm
Thu-Sat 5 pm - 12 am
Sun 10:30 am - 3 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Mon, Fri, Thu
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
109 reviews for Trece Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Lounge
Review Highlights
"The empanadas and braised short ribs where amazing."
(in 7 reviews)
"The guacamole was fresh and made at our table."
(in 39 reviews)
"Cocktails were tasty, I recommend their blueberry mojito."
(in 6 reviews)
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109 reviews in English
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Review from George Y.
Clifton, NJ
10/23/2011
So I came with my sisters(Dallas residents) who convinced me to come because of their free-Monday menus.
I noticed right away that this was a nice place, so I made sure that I was on my "best behavior". Server was standard, nothing special, but the menu did catch my eye.
Had the Budin Azteca, and was hoping that I didnt make a mistake and stick with something safe like a chicken dish, but luckily, I was right. The budin was delicious. It was a pulled chicken dish and mexican chorizo dish with mango and a great creamy sauce that was not overly hot that it caused a distraction. Yet even with the abudance of sauce, the fired corn tortilla shells managed to stay crispy!!!!
I did have some of my sister's Chile Rellena Vegetariano, and it wasn't as good. Lacked the depth necessary to give a veggie dish any kinda weight weight to stand up alone. Inconsistancy is not a good sign. Either way, I can still recommend this place to this people who love a great deal. -
Review from Anh D.
9/3/2011
Unfortunately, when it comes to most self-proclaimed "upscale" forms of ethnic cuisines, this usually means that the food is lackluster at best and completely disastrous and a shell of its former mother cuisine at worst.
For Trece, it is somewhere in the middle. I would think that of any state, besides California, to pull off this kind of cuisine successfully, it would be Texas. While I can't speak for the rest of Texas, Trece does not do Mexican food justice here in Dallas.
I was here for my cousin's rehearsal dinner.
The decor is very forcedly modern, dark in a way you could tell is supposed to be romantic, but I just find kind of dark and dull.
The food was not good. We had the enchiladas with black beans and rice. The tortilla was very dry. The beans and rice were very bland. The chicken inside my enchilada also suffered from both the same issues.
When I come back to my homestate, I will not be returning here. -
Review from Alex Y.
Dallas, TX
7/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I could say I really loved the attentive service, warm atmosphere and flavorful yet refine food. But that would be a lie.
We arrive at about 8:30 on a Friday night for dinner and the restaurant was so empty we were seated in the bar area. That's a pretty new concept to me seeing as this place was known as the swanky Mexican eatery around these parts. Now that swankiness has been replaced by a bright TV(oh no you didn't), obnoxiously loud and over-served party boys and a pace of service that had us in and out in 30 minutes. Even after we had politely declined 3 times, our waiter still asked us if we wanted an app or order of $20 guac.
The sangria was great, not strong enough though. I had the tacos which came with two chicken(spicy) and pulled beef(not so spicy), black beans and rice which I barely touched.
All in all, I could see how this place once had a shine to it, say when Wilcox was still here whipping up dishes in native form, but that culinary flare has now been over taken by a restaurant that seems to pride itself on it's tequila over it's food. -
Review from Nikki T.
Dallas, TX
5/28/2011
Once again with the "upscale" Mexican description. Seriously. Just because you charge $18 for a chicken dish does not "upscale" make. There's no such thing. (The chicken dish is horrible, by the way)
What I enjoy about Trece is the atmosphere and the service. Beyond that, they really need to do some recipe tweaking. I can eat better food at other Mexican joints.
Would I recommend? No. Not even for the free dinner on Mondays. -
Review from R. Mark M.
Dallas, TX
4/21/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Trece can be summed up as upscale Mexican food. I have been a couple of times and have enjoyed it, but I haven't been sure it justified the price.
Therefore, I decided to try out free dinner night on Monday which other reviewers have mentioned. You have a small menu of choices that you get for free! You just pay for the tip and drinks. The bill came and for four drinks and guacamoli came to almost $50. You then must tip off of what your total would have been before the discounting....our total was $109.00 so I gave a $20 tip. Our free dinner night cost us $70!
I wouldn't have been that concerned about $70 if there wasn't better Mexican food, but there is so much competition in the category of upscale Mexican. It is good and the environment is great. I just caution to not raise your expectations too high. -
Review from Rachel H.
Richardson, TX
5/7/2011
It started off so well!! And quickly went downhill....the host was attentive. The drinks were delish. The decor was slick. :)
But the rest of the staff(and our waiter) were clearly preoccupied with moving tables back and forth, which totally killed the atmosphere. :(
We had to resort to setting down our menus and flagging down the waiter to place the appetizer order. At that point, we opted to go ahead and order the entrees as well, hoping to avoid another lapse.
It took a long time for them to make their way to us with the guacamole service, which wasn't a huge deal. It would have gone unnoticed except, before he was finished, another waiter brought our entrees. When he asked if we were ready, he seemed quite confused when we said no. He then asked if we wanted it kept under the heater in the kitchen.
We then had to place our app plates on the edge of the table and try and get the attention of our waiter(or someone, anyone?) to bring the entrees. At this point, the surrounding activity was incredibly distracting and made it difficult to settle in and enjoy the meal.
My boudin azteca was yummy, even better the next day! Husband's tablones(short ribs) were just ok. Actually, it just tasted like pot roast. Really good pot roast, but we were hoping for a little more flair.
We'll probably try one more time, making sure to try and sit on the patio while being prepared for service. Maybe out there the service will be a little better, or at least a little less intrusive on the mood.
(Not to beat a dead horse, but the yelp survey questions asked what type of music they play. I have no idea if music was playing or not becuase it was so frenetic in there! lol!) -
Review from Ashleigh A.
Dallas, TX
2/3/2011
I really can't put my finger on why I was unimpressed with Trece. But I can tell you right now that if I had been paying for this meal I would have died from shock at the bill. I mean, for tex-mex? $15 for a plate of 3 enchiladas with beans and rice? W. T. F. That should be illegal.
So our waiter was nice, but a little...spacey? I don't normally comment on service unless it's really good or really bad, and this was neither. 100% technically okay, but let's just say I'm pretty sure he was passing the dutchie to the left hand side at some point earlier that evening.
We started with two orders of guacamole, and it was REALLY good, but I'm also a guacamole whore. I'll do dirty things for avocados (not TO avocados...get your minds out of the gutter, people). Since the people we were entertaining weren't Texans, we opted for an order of the mild and an order of the medium. If a go back for anything, it would be solely to try the hot version. Mmmmm.
Some of the chips were burned, but I think they were supposed to be that way? Maybe I'm just not classy enough to enjoy the avant-garde-ness of burned chips. Whatever. As far as the salsa goes, I literally cannot remember what it tasted like at all. So there's that.
Drinks: yum! This was definitely the high point of the evening (isn't it always?) I had a Skinny Margarita and a frozen Pomegranate one. YUM.
For my meal I ordered the jalapeno-marinated pork chop with cotija-mashed potatoes. It was actually pretty good. The consistency of the mashed potatoes was a little off. The pork chop was freaking huge, I noticed some other reviewers said the portions were small, if that's a concern for you, get the freaking pork chop.
I guess all in all it was definitely an A-OK type experience. I just...I dunno. I guess maybe I can make a blanket statement and say upscale tex-mex just isn't my kind of thing. Or maybe it is my thing and this place just didn't do it exactly right. All I know is I would have been just as happy - okay, probably happier - with some cheap brisket tacos down the street. -
Review from Tucker M.
Redondo Beach, CA
3/13/2011
Interesting Mexican food left me very happy with our experience at Trece! First, the menu was unique. Even common dishes had an interesting touch. The chile relleno was good, the guacamole was fantastic (the roasted tomatoes really came out well), and the Budin Azteca was a treat. Ok, it was made with chorizo, and that's almost cheating in a chicken dish, but it brought the disparate ingredients together for a strong, singular impression. Also, the drinks were above average, the dessert (a crepe) had an excellent combination of creams and cajete, and the service was great. Plus, on a Friday night around 7:30, there was no wait. Easy!
Dear Trece: Please consider a seasonal menu. Some of the fruits were not quite ready for prime time, and this keeps you from 5 stars in my book. If it's not fresh, change the menu! The current menu seems very summer-centric, so I'll be back in the summer to see how it's supposed to be! -
Review from Athena H.
Dallas, TX
2/26/2011
I had a suprisingly nice date with my husband and 8 month old daughter at Trece. We had a nice walk on the Katy Trail and walked in to Trece afterwards. It was one of the few times I didn't Yelp something beforehand. THANK GOD! I am a foody. I am Mexican. I am VERY picky about my Mexican food. I can't believe the attacks that this place has from patrons who ate for free or used a coupon.
We HAPPILY paid full price, and tipped based n the price and WONDERFUL service. We were dressed much more casually than anyone else in the place, we had a stroller with a baby, and they treated us very well and were very accomodating. I am pregnant, the waiter happily suggested a virgin margarita.
We shared quacomole tableside, and crab cakes to start. Both were great. I then had two enchiladas, one with shredded beef and one cheese. My husband had the flank steak with chimachurri sauce. We both enjoyed each other's meals. For dessert, we shared a chocolate cake,with chocolate sauce, in a stawberry soup. It was good. Again, we are snobs when it comes to food.
I have ZERO complaints about the place, the service, or the food. I am SO happy I didn't let the reviews ruin my opportunity to go there. I will definitely go back. The tequila menu was fabulous and if I was drinking, would have indulged. My husband had a bottled beer and said it was great, served in a chilled glass. The patrons were a mix of families, date nights, and groups of hipsters. Everyone seemed happy.
It is NOT Tex Mex. It's gourmet Mexican food. To all the people who complain about the prices, there are other places such as Chipolte and On the Border within walking distance. If you go to Mi Cocina, you will pay more for less qourmet. We found the prices fair for what we were served, quality gourmet Mexican food.
As we were leaving, the bar was beginning to fill up and there was a dj playing dance music.
For the Monday night waiters, God bless you. It seems like you've got quite the crowd of whiners. -
Review from Steven C.
7/11/2011
WOW! What can I say, I've used yelp for years and swear by it. 90% of the time the star rating is accurate in the Dallas area. Not the case at Trece!!! (Who is currently rated at 3 stars.)
The same 3 stars, that I consider to be decent but not memorable. 1. The warm salsa was void of flavor or spice. It was kinda creamy and could have been tortilla soup. The chips had an interesting cut to them that made them easier to eat. So that was nice, but over all just a standard chip that you can find anywhere. The Tortilla soup had some really poorly cooked chopped chicken in it and tasted like cream as well. It needed salt and didn't taste any better than the salsa. The pork chop was super thin, tough, poorly cooked and topped with some kind of sauce that again was somewhat creamy and served with mashed potatoes that were ok, but nothing I couldn't get at Grandy's. My margarita was $10 and no freaking kidding was SUPER TART. I'd like to say they got something right. But in all honesty, I'm grasping at straws. The cook or food runner that brought the food was pretty good and enthusiastic. But our waiter was cold and seemed put out by our having come in. -
Review from Arvin T.
Las Vegas, NV
12/1/2010
The place looks pretty sweet, I have to admit. You don't expect it, it has a random door on the outside that you're not even sure is the right door to enter from. But I should have realized what I was in for when I came upon the hostess. She looked about 6'0 95 pounds, and she wasn't looking up as I was standing there. I know I'm short and all, but I'm not thattttttttttt short. After about 2 minutes, she asked if I wanted a table. I remained calm, I didn't want to be that short guy throwing a tantrum in public.
So the night went on, I got the guacamole and made it spicy. No complaints there. I wasn't too hungry, so I got the tacos. They were pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Got drinks, just made the bill pricier.
I had to laugh at Tori's review, because I was also on a date, and we had to sit in a big booth, but we decided sitting closer to each other and being that couple.
Would I come here again? Yes, for drinks. It's a cool place.
Why 4 stars? Because the waiter gave us cough drops, because we ran out. -
Review from Morgan C.
Dallas, TX
4/19/2011
Can you say Free Monday Dinner? Count me in.
I dined at Trece with my boyfriend and tried the "Neighborhood Appreciation" (i.e. Free) two-course prix fixe menu offered on Mondays. The menu was diverse and every selection was good - butternut squash soup, house salad, a tilapia dish, and chile relleno. We also tried the legendary frozen blueberry mojito which was super delish.
The waiter informed us that sister restaurants Sfuzzi (Uptown) and Villa-O (Knox/Henderson) also offer the "Neighborhood Appreciation" menu on Mondays, so we will be checking these out next. -
Review from Leigh F.
12/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
I've been here 3 times over 4 years. I consider it a real treat when I get to enjoy a night at this place. I have never had anything but top notch service....taste bud tantalizing food....and stroooong tasty drinks :)
If you go and dont try the table-side made guac, you're insane. Now now.....yes I know the $12 price tag on a bowl of guacamole is a little jarring.....but once you taste it, you'll wonder how they get back without charging $25 for it. WOWZA it's yummy.
If you're there, you're already preparing to drop some dolla's.....so for the love of José, order their top shelf margarita's. You'll thank me. And teh cab driver will thank me, too. he he
The short ribs? Fall off the bone.
Their tamales? All very unique flavors combined to make conversation piece food.
Sides? Highly recommend the squash.....and the rice....and the corn.
Yes this place is a little expensive....but there is a reason...it's top of the line food, ingredients, chefs and service. You get exactly what you pay for and then some.
I can't wait for my next chance to go. Hint. *cough* hint. AHEM. -
Review from Steven T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/7/2011
I came here a little while back, but I definitely remember it; not for amazing food (it wasn't that memorable) but for it's ridiculous atmosphere.
The place was so dressed up, the moment you walked in you knew you were going to be paying half your bill to the dude who special cleans all the damn fabric in the lounge.
Drinks were average priced - around $8 a cocktail, if I remember correctly.
Nice place to wind down after a long week though... if you have the budget. -
Review from Courtney S.
Dallas, TX
2/16/2011
I've had both good and bad experiences at Trece.
They offer a free 2 course dinner on Monday nights consisting of appetizer and entree (call for reservations) and usually have good wines offered at a promotional price that they recommend for pairing. Gratuity is not included, recommended tip is what you would have paid if food had not been free. Sister restaurant Villa O offers the same deal.
For nights other than Monday: the lobster nachos are great and affordable, one of my favorites here. The food isdecent, but a little overpriced, IMO.
I also wouldn't recommend it for large groups - more than 5 or 6. The service is mediocre at best, especially the drinks. Last time we went, the waiter forgot one of our entrees, brought out cold scallops for 3 of our party, and then disappeared for 15 minutes. When he returned, our friends sent their food back, but he just warmed it up, brought it back, and then gave the plates to the wrong people, instead of having the chef re-do the order.
The manager was gracious and comped the food as well as provided a $100 gift certificate for next time (value of the food).
I like this place, I think they just get overwhelmed easily. So make it a smaller dinner and you will be fine.
The tequila selection really is great (as are all of the cocktails). I would try it out at least once. -
Review from Joshua W.
6/28/2010
A very trendy, upscale Mexican restaurant located uptown. Well known for their huge selection of tequila here (over 120). It's got 2 bars when you walk in, lounging area, outside patios, and the dining tables are on the right.
The guac is made tableside and one of the better tasting guacs I've had. Beware it does not come with the chips and costs extra. The salsa is very watery and could have been better. The cost per entree is hovering right around 25 dollars. Their food is decent, comparable to Gloria's or Chuy's. The portions are smaller however, but you're really paying for the environment more than anything. The wait staff performed well. No complaints. -
Review from Andrew M.
Dallas, TX
1/29/2011
I've been here multiple times and don't have any desire to go back again.
The first few times I went for their "Free" dinner on Monday nights and, although you get an average tasting appetizer and entrée for free, you're asked to tip on what the meal would have cost. My issue each time was that the waiters were never good and there was no continuity over the course of the meal. By the end you haven't seen the same waiter twice and you get a bill that tells you the very average entrée normally costs $20 and its suggested that you tip off of these prices. Because of this I've left each time feeling like I overpaid for a meal that was supposed to be free.
I've come on a Saturday night and the service has been excellent- food and drinks get brought right to you without the waiter having to ask the entire table "who ordered the tacos?" The food is pricey and be warned, they don't split checks. All in all, for my money I'd rather go elsewhere. -
Review from Rachel K.
Dallas, TX
11/11/2010
I would not suggest going to Trece on Monday for the free meal. While it is supposed to be a "Customer Appreciation Night" you have to wonder if they really appreciate their customers....
This was my first time at Trece and my friend and I were looking forward to an upscale meal on a quiet night in the restaurant industry.
Our table WAS quiet because the service was SLOW and our waitress left us alone for most of the night (not per our request). The atmosphere in the restaurant is very nice, modern and upscale. And I guess this is one of those places where you are to be seen, but not seen eating. Our meal consisted of wilted lettuce and cold entrees. Who would want to eat that? I wish I could say I was impressed and I'll be back to the restaurant on a day other than Monday, but that is not the case.
However, I will be back to the bar. The Skinny Margarita was YUMMY! There are plenty of other restaurants on Travis street to visit after enjoying a skinny margarita at Trece. -
Review from Scott L.
8/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
Entering busy Trece on a Monday felt like a sceney cool nightclub as we waited for our table on a leather ottoman in the dark ambiance of amber lamps and casually dressed up beautiful people. We joined the ranks of what my friend called, "people pretending to be rich", as we partook of the free dinner offered here on Mondays, from a preset menu in environs that suggests upscale. It was really just an excuse to drink, and the free food on the preset menu, the quesadillas and the vegetariano chile relleno, even though better than it had to be, was basically just free bar food.
It was also an excuse to order tableside guacamole ($8) and dessert ($10)
The both sexy and homey surroundings surpassed the food quality which was a bit like an overpriced hotel restaurant at some Colorado ski resort during the Summer.. Well, we had fun. -
Review from Betsy M.
6/28/2010
A secret that may people do NOT know about is Trece's free dinner on Monday nights.
When I say free, I'm not even kidding, the only thing you pay for is a tip (which you MUST tip, super lame if you dont) and any alcoholic beverages that you may order.
There is a set menu but it is nothing short of their regular menu items. The night that I went, I ordered a salad and vegetarian stuffed jalapeno. It was to die for. The jalapeno pepper or whatever it was, was HUGE! I didn't know those could get so large. Literally it was probably 9 inches long... Anyways, we had great service. The whole time I was a bit skeptical about a "Free" dinner but when the bill came, it was NO joke! Literally we had to pay nothing but left a nice hefty tip considering we got such a nice dinner for nada.
5 Stars because, nothing is better than eating at a delicious restaurant for FREE! Don't forget - you MUST make reservations to get in on this deal! Give it a try next Monday, you won't be disappointed!
Villa-O has this deal every Monday, as well! http://www.thedallasso...Listed in: Arriba, Arriba!
-
Review from Lauren T.
7/11/2011
Half-off appetizers during HH.... Cha-ching. They also have a great private room in the back if you have a reservation of 10-15 people. I came here for a birthday dinner and we got to sit in the back room, and I don't even think the birthday girl asked for it when making reservations. I could be wrong on that, but it sure was nice. Our waiter was also awesome and the guacamole was wonderful. Other than that, the food here is alright. Not very memorable, I'd venture to say.,.. I would prefer MiCo or Taco Diner when eating mexican. But the atmosphere is nice and I love the Travis St. neighborhood. Cute for a date night if you have never been.
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Review from Tonya C.
9/12/2010
I have to be completely honest I was a little disappointed when I went to Trece Labor Day Monday with two acquaintances. I knew about the free Monday deal and frankly was brought in by the deal. I mean really what's a better way to try out a new place when you know you won't have to hugely come out of pocket?!?!
On the free "Neighborhood Appreciation" Monday night you get a choice of one salad/soup and an entree. Well, I went with the Sopa de Tortilla soup because I had already previously heard the caesar salad was bad..perhaps I should have taken note to that. The soup was good and no where close enough to you fill you too much for your meal. In fact it was only about 4-5 soup spoon's full. My entree was the blacken Tilpia with mashed potatoes, which truly did sound delicious, but I thought it was interesting even the waiter would suggest the one non-Mexican dish on the menu as the best...hmmmm?? The entree was good, I think the mashed potatoes were the better of the two on the plate, but as a real restaurant can you really screw up mashed potatoes??
We chose to get a dessert- the chocolate cake stuffed with hot fudge. Okay so don't get me wrong the cake was delicious, however there was no hot fudge in it- it was just a well baked chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. And the ice cream that came along with it was literally a two tablespoon scoop. So just enough for one person to eat with about two bites of cake. Really they might as well just left that off the plate and it would have made the same difference.
In the end our bill, including the dessert and two drinks each came to $81.00. Reason being they also automatically include a 20% gratuity to the amount the bill would have been if you were charged for the entire meal. As someone that has worked in the food industry, I do understand and actually applaud them for making sure to look after their servers. The problem I do have with this though, is because you do get free food the service really isn't 20% worthy. Our server pretty much left us hanging for most of the time and we had to wave down someone else to get a menu to see the desserts. It could've very well just been our server, but by the looks of all the other tables sporadically looking around I think it's a safe bet to say the other people's servers weren't that much better.
All and all this was my first and last time eating here. It is a nice restaurant (visually), but I think it's sketchy when as a Mexican restaurant your best dish as suggested isn't even a Mexican dish. I also have an issue with the fact that despite knowing they are going to be pay like a regular day that the servers probably treat patrons this is on a regular day too. I was just very disappointed. :( -
Review from Kristin C.
New York, NY
12/31/2010
I was visiting friends in Dallas and one mentioned the free, two-course, Monday night dinner at Trece. I thought that she was insane since the concept sounded so absurd. So, when Monday came around, we decided to try it.
Figuring that the idea of a basically free dinner would be quite popular, I attempted to make reservations on http://opentable.com. Nothing seemed to be available. So, I called. On the phone, a woman happily took my reservation for a couple of hours from now. Great, right? When we arrived and I let the hostess know the name under which the reservation was made, there wasn't a table ready. I know that this happens on occasion. I asked about how long the wait would be and she looked at me blankly and said she didn't know. Hmmm, ok. What's the point of making a reservation then? The wait ended up being only five minutes or so, but the first encounter was odd.
When we were shown to our table, I found its location a little odd. It was turned on the diagonals and there was a little space between one chair and the wall. I made the grave mistake of sitting in that chair first. Within five minutes, three waiters had indelicately walked through this tight area, each abruptly kicking my chair (without apology, I might add). So, I moved to the empty fourth chair at the table.
The free menu is basically a prix-fixe, but free. While looking over it, I ordered a raspberry caipirinha with light sugar (a request that they gratefully heeded). It took a while for our drinks to come. When they did, mine was quite good. We attempted to order table side guacamole. The waiter said that they were out. OK, it's 8:30 pm and you're a Mexican restaurant. You're out of the elements to make guacamole? Really? However, we did see the guacamole cart pass by at least once...after the waiter said that they were out. We settled with the chips and salsa. They were good. While not spicy at all, the salsa was warm, which provided a different twist.
I'm forgetting the name of my appetizer. It wasn't the quesadilla or the soup. I opted to just eat the contents out of the fried shell, having already overloaded on chips. The beef was cooked well. I added a bit of salsa and there was a little onion relish on the side as well. A simple dish, but tasty. For the entree, I had the tilapia with jalapeno mashed potatoes. The portion of fish was a good size, but a hair overcooked, though well-seasoned. The mashed potatoes were excellent, though I didn't taste any jalapeno. One of my friends seemed to enjoy his chile relleno as well, a huge portion..
Like another Yelper or two below, I was a bit surprised when the bill came and we could see the prices we would have paid had we not been taking advantage of the Monday night special. Tilapia is a very affordable fish to purchase and there is no way that I would pay $18-19 for an OK dish in which it is the main component. Everything seemed to be similarly overpriced for the quality by about $5 on the entree side and $2ish on the appetizer side. The place was packed on Monday. However, I couldn't help, but wonder if these folks actually come back on normal nights and pay the regular prices. And of course, they weren't quite prepared for the crowd with the whole "running out of guacamole" thing.
If the food hadn't been free, this would be a two star review. But I don't want to be ungrateful. It was fine. I just don't think I will be running back anytime soon when next in Dallas. -
Review from Lance H.
Dallas, TX
4/13/2010
The Groupon special, roped us in as well, and I still feel like I got kicked in the wallet junk.
The food is way over priced, and while the portions are very small, I liked that about Trece. They made a decent meal, and didn't idiocrasize i, by putting 5 meals worth of food on my plate. And I really liked the presentation of our dishes.
Our server was amazing, she was sweet, not all over us, and very knowledgable. She talked us into a couple topshelf maragritas, that were small, but really tasty. We started off with some, 'made next to your table', quacamole....some of the best I have ever had, very fresh and refreshing. Out of Mild Medium and Spicy, we rolled with the Medium, and I am GLAD we did. I wanted the Spicy, but the Medium had PLENTY of kick, woo!
On to the main course...we both had the braised short ribs with jalapeno relish and a butternut squash tamale. Apparently the staff is really laid back, and don't mind subbing sides. So, I got the corn and blue cheese sauce, instead of the tamale, and it was awesome. The slaw wasn't what I was expecting, needed more jalapeno if you are gonna put that in the title. The ribs were tender, and had a great flavor, could have used more of the sauce, fa sho.
Though layout of this place is different for a Mexican food place(maybe that's where some of my money went, hmmm, not worth it). It's dark and very modern, it's more islandy tribal, than Mexican. Our both was a cozy little son of a bitch, in the dark bar porttion, and we could see out to the patio, which was a soft top convertible, if you know what I'm saying.
Lower prices and larger drinks, would set this place apart from other Dallas, Mexican food places. -
Review from Brandon C.
Dallas, TX
10/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Nothing upset me,
Nothing stood out.
Food was alright,
Tequila was stout.
Great little patio,
Servers are nice,
Not my favorite,
but I'll try anything twice. -
Review from Monica A.
Dallas, TX
Updated - 7/9/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This place never fails to amaze me. The secret to the amazing tableside guacamole -- they roast their own peppers. Also, since the recession they have something on Monday nights where if you make a reservation (up to 6 people) they offer a 2 course meal. The idea is that you'll try the food and guacamole/drinks (not free). Love this place.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/22/2010
Went here on a Thursday night.
Free tiny quesadillas which were super tasty -- 4 stars.
$3… Read more »
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Review from Betty L.
Dallas, TX
11/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
I went here for free 2 course dinner on Mondays, and had a pretty decent meal. There menu changes every week, so when we went, it appetizers were your choice of sopas, chicken quesadilla, salad, and some much more. The dinner was your choice of talapia, brisket enchiladas, and chile relleno.
I tried the sopas and chicken enchiladas appetizers as well as the talapia and brisket enchildas. The sopas had a mild, but elegant broth. It was the faniciest sopas I have ever had and probably my favorite dish of the night.
However, when they showed us the "what you would have paid"- I can say without a doubt that I would never return! $9 for sopas?!? $19 for talapia? Are you out of your damn mind???
I thought the food was underseasoned and bland, and for a $69 meal, there are other places that can do much better. I recommend going to Trece for Monday night dinner to give them a chance before you decide and save from spending some of your hard earn money. -
Review from Tori T.
4/5/2010
Trece...means thirteen if I'm not mistaken. This in no way indicates their price point. I bought a $20 Groupon for $40 worth of food so I could experience a meal I had not yet deemed worthy of splurging on. Even with the $40 taken off our bill, my date and I still ended up with a $45 bill! This equates to approximately $42.50 each person! (Not to mention they only took $35 off the bill until we questioned them- seriously lame!)
The food didn't taste worthy of $42.50 each! I had the sea bass in a shrimp sauce with cubed veggies. The sea bass was light, slightly sweet, and tasty. It was a decent portion. The shrimp sauce was a nice touch but the cubed vegetables were undercooked, crisp, added nothing special to the dish.
My date had the braised short ribs with a butternut squash tamal and jalapeno slaw. The meat was very tender and succulent but was served luke warm. The butternut squash tamal was the best thing served. And the jalapeno slaw was just whatever. We also ordered a side of blue cheese corn, which was the second best food item served.
Nothing we ate screamed Mexican food. Better than the food were the drinks. The blueberry mojito was rockin! And my date enjoyed his tequila flight so it seemed!
The atmosphere is great- great location and decorated on the trendy, Mexican modern side. They made us sit in the very back of the restaurant, very excluded, very awkward. And they seated the 2 of us in a 6 person booth. Weird for a date- we had to make a decision whether or not to sit a mile away from each other or sit next to each other looking like "that couple".
Go to Trece for the drinks, skip the food- there are better choices (ie Javiers!)Listed in: Tex-Mex, the good, the bad,…, Vodka Soda, please!
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Review from Dana B.
Dallas, TX
8/26/2009
Dana's B.'s Simple Restaurant Week (RW) Disclaimer in 3...2...1...
I believe you can tell a lot about a restaurant in how they "handle" RW. Yes, a portion of your noticeably discounted meal is going to charity, but a great restaurant notices that patrons who wouldn't normally dine at said restaurant are, and that the opportunity is upon them to treat you like gold and perhaps you'll dine there again....at the nondiscounted rate. It's Restaurant Customer Service For Dummies. I should pen the book. But I digress...
I can't figure out why people don't go here. Really. The first time I dined here I took some out of town guests, 2 from Hot-lanta, 1 from LA and all 3 RAVED about their meals....Always a good feeling when you're hosting people from out of town. Sweet, I thought, I'll come back. Yet, nobody goes here. You could hear crickets as we stood at the hostess stand last night. Crickets.
A few weird things about last night:
Because they were out of the original bottle of wine we selected, he suggested another Cab from Chile. Turns out, when the bill came, it was nearly $20 bones more. Seriously, dude, help us out. If it were me and a group of girls, I woulda pitched a fit..."um, yeah, since you were out of the original bottle of wine we wanted, you should price match this bottle you're offering us." BUT, I was with a dude and that's his place. I'm a delicate flower. *Bats eyes.
Sidebar: I've noticed a penny-pincher-like tone I've adopted these last few reviews. I apologize. Over a year on unemployment and clearly it starts to get to you. I swear, I'm not cheap. Ask my dad.
We ordered the table-side Guac. Not on the RW menu, but if you're gonna go to Trece, you order the table-side Guac. Delish. Post Guac, Don Pablo, our waiter (name has been changed to protect the innocent), suggested that since we had already ordered an appetizer, we should fore-go the RW menu, each order an entree, and then split a dessert. It would be "cheaper." Seriously. Did he just suggest that? Do I look like a $5 hooker? We're here for RW, we're gonna order off the RW menu, and you're gonna like it.
By about 8:45 we were the only people dining besides 2 SMU girls behind us. I say they were from SMU because they were dumb, loud, and I heard a Range Rover reference. (GO FROGS!) It gets kinda awkward when you're the only ones left in a restaurant. I literally noticed the waiter checking his watch, waiting for us to pay. Like, hold on muchacho, I'm going to finish this $60 bottle of wine that you suggested, I'm going to eat the entirety of what we ordered of the RW menu, and god help me if I pick up and leave before SMU chick #1 and #2. Get over it.
The food was delicious; we got 6 different things off the menu and ALL were fantastic (Except he swears his tortilla soup tasted like tires. Really unclear about how he knows what tires taste like).
This would've been 4 star worthy food, but because of the wine-upsell, the weird anti-RW suggestion, and the hovering, it's a 3. (No points deducted for the SMU patrons, but I thought about it.) -
Review from Nico M.
Dallas, TX
10/23/2007
So a buddy of mine and I were at The Bodega Bar for a birthday party when all of a sudden, we realized that it was just a wine bar . . . dammit . . . so we snuck off to fine somewhere to do shots. We ended up at Trece.
We had a nice chat with the bartender and manager, talking about the different types of tequilas (including the $85 a shot ones). We noticed the brunch menu and told the GM we'd be back this Sunday to try the brunch. He said, "Alright! I'll remember you!"
So . . . cut to Sunday . . .
SPECTACULAR BRUNCH!
Not only is one of Uptown's sexiest bars doing Sunday Brunch, but they are doing it right! The free bread basket is comparable to anything you'd get at Breadwinner's and the drinks were wonderful! The manager came out and gave us "samples" of all of their mimosas (the blueberry is the tops!) that were basically full drinks.
The table side bloody mary's are a lot of fun, and the option of doing tequila is a great idea and damn tasty.
The food is just ridiculous . . .The chili relleno is stellar. The pepper and smoky shrimp are complimented by just the right amount of jack cheese, a sweet tomato sauce, and crunchy nuts.
Maybe it was just a once in a lifetime thing . . . but the GM didn't charge us for a single drink . . . but I would have easily paid for everything . . . this place rocks.
Highly recommended! -
Review from Lori P.
12/22/2009
I have no idea why it took me so long to make it out to Trece. I practically spend my weekends in this area, so I have no excuse.
I'm thrilled that I finally made it out. WOW, who would have thought that such a tiny looking place from the outside could be so enormous actually on the inside. I was delighted to see how modern and chic this spot was. Such a cozy and warm dining area.
I ordered the vegetarian Chile rellano and couldn't stop mmmming my way through it. Others at my table ordered the fish tacos and enchiladas. I don't think anyone had one bad thing to say about their entrees.
I was super jealous of one of my dining partners who braved it and went for a tequila flight. He said one of them was "cinnamony"! I want some cinnamon tequila...now! I had a Margarita and it lasted me the full 2 1/2 hours we were there....tasty tasty!
We are already planning another date night!Listed in: I'm not cool enough to live in…, Mmmmmexican!
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Review from Sarah C.
Dallas, TX
7/11/2011
Trece's atmosphere seemed to be a first date kind of place due to the mod-ish edgy club feel, but I wouldn't go back if they paid me. They almost did, since we went for their "neighborhood appreciation" free two-course meal. Everything ordered was cream-based, including the salsa. It was seriously underpowered in terms of flavor; certainly the most bland "Mexican" food I have ever had. TThe waitstaff was attentive in terms of how often they came to the table, but seemed focused on getting us to order drinks/items not on the planned menu.
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Review from Colin B.
Arlington, TX
9/11/2009
I can judge how good a margarita is by what it does to my 98 pound wife. Formula as follows:
1. She talks my arm off, symptoms mimic a sugar rush.
2. She continues to talk my arm off but with slurred speech, symptoms mimic a sugar rush with a Red Bull and Starbucks base.
3. She passes out in the car.
4. We've never gotten this far. She probably wouldn't get out of bed for two straight days.
Last night at Trece, during happy hour, she had four $3 margaritas and left 100% sober. What does that tell you?
Sure, the $3-you-call-it during happy hour is a good deal, and the frozen blueberry mojito is wicked tasty, but I am fairly certain there is little to no alcohol in any of their frozen drinks. Stick with the rocks or beers when you head over there for happy hour.
On the serious note, their service was the bomb. They were beyond attentive, knew exactly how much our tab was off the top of their head when we tabbed out and we never had an empty drink. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was part of a 30+ person group on a night when our group doubled the rest of the attendance in the restaurant/bar. (Which brings me to ask, how in the hell are they still open?! Last night was Thursday night!)
Oh, and their guacamole was BANANAS, B-A-N-A-N-A-S. That is all, kids. -
Review from Tricia S.
1/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
Trece, you're not quite four stars but I give you the benefit of the doubt. You are toooo expensive and your portions are toooo small.
BUT, you are really pretty, your drinks are really good (jalapeno capirinha is good but not as good as some others I've had around town; the cucumber lavender mojito is my drink of choice, especially when you can get them to make it a little stronger), the tableside guacamole is AWESOME, and you have the Monday customer appreciation menu!! (Eat for free off their special menu, just pay tip. I vote they call it "just the tip" night. Make your reservation in advance though.) Plus you have a DANCE FLOOR. Service has been good every time I've dined here (with large parties and small ones), but they are really good at getting you to spend more money. Very very sneaky.
Sunday is family day, where you can get a 3 course meal for $15.95 and kids eat free. Their website actually says adults can "eat to their hearts content" which to me implies you can get more than 3 courses?? I'm not quite sure. I did this at Villa-O, which also has the same Sunday/Monday specials but I don't recall anything about free food refills.
Some entrees are better than others (I really like the fish ones, and their little butternut squash tamales kick ass so try and ask for one of those!) and as long as you go in resigned to the fact that you'll be shelling out for your meal (hard to justify for Mexican food for me sometimes), you'll love it. I'm not sure how many "fancy" Mexican restaurants one city can handle but Trece gets to stay! -
Review from Janea M.
Dallas, TX
2/12/2009
A couple of Cucumber Lavender Mojitos with a Lobster Nacho for a start. Or a pulled grilled chicken quesadilla with roasted poblano cream with a Primal Passion drink or two and you are set for the night. If you want something else, top that off with Trece Sopa de Tortilla. I'm a sucker for queso fresco. A bit dark sometimes but that is the ambiance.
Sit at the tequila bar and order a flight. Or order your all-time favorite tequila; they are sure to have it. Make a reservation and be there on time. Don't fall for the old "we have a table here in the conversation area" line. The tables are not big enough to eat on. Go early, get a seat at the Tequila bar and enjoy the bebidas alcoólicas. I have to warn you though, the bebidas prices are not immediately obvious and the drinks and menu items are small for the price. You are paying for the atmosphere here.Listed in: Happy Hour Haute Spots
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Review from Aaron E.
Dallas, TX
3/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
I went to Trece for the first time last night for happy hour... a verrrrrry e-x-t-e-n-d-e-d happy hour - it was *that* good, friends!
I don't often comment on the service element of a dining experience - maybe it's because I don't *usually* give it much thought since - usually -it's pretty standard OR really bad. It's not TOO often that you come across a place that jumps to that next level - the above-and-beyond, but not over-the-top attention-to-detail level, and *that* is EXACTLY what you get at Trece. From bartender, Alex, to the front of house manager and the waitstaff - everyone was attentive and seemed genuinely concerned about ensuring a quality dining experience.
Now... With all of that said... I'm not sure I'll be enjoying a meal there anytime soon since a quick look at their regular dinner menu confirmed my suspicions - most of the entrees are preeetty expensive. At first glance, the appetizers seem to be decently priced, but then I realized that you get a teeeeensy weensy serving size for a not-so-teensy price.
LUCKILY for you, fellow penny-pinching recession-ized foodies - I was there on a Thursday, and you, too, can go there on a Thursday (I'm not sure if they do this any other night[s] of the week, but on THURSDAYS, for sure) - you will receive (seemingly) never-ending plates of mini quesadillas and some sort of cilantro/lime/avacado dip sent to Trece's kitchen directly from HEAVEN. Seriously. I will be dreaming about those until I find myself there again next Thursday ;)
Now, for the pièce de résistance... was it the $45 margarita, you ask? uh, HELL NOz. I'll drink the "cheap" stuff, thankyouverymuch... and by "cheap" i mean... $11 for their delectable, smooth, and as tasty as I've ever experienced Mexican Martini -made with tequila (duh), fresh lime juice. Patron Cintronge. Agave nectar - shaken over ice and served up with a chili salt rim and a side of N(*hiccup*)OM!!
Bonus #1: $3 house margaritas (I switched to these after two rounds of martini goodness, and they're really quite good too), blueberry mojitos, beer and house wine.
Bonus #2: from 10PM until 2AM on Thursdays and Saturdays they push back the tables and commence with the salsa dancing! ¡Olé!
Seriously - put Trece on your happy hour calendar for next week! Go on... Do it now... I'll wait... -
Review from Alex T.
Redwood City, CA
7/1/2010
Expensive, Tex-Mex is weird. It doesn't make sense. It's like high-end hot dogs or super-classy flip flops.
Trece was an interesting experience.
Fresh, $12 guacamole that didn't necessarily taste as good as the $1 guac from Chipotle.
My seared-tuna special wasn't bad, but at $31? shieeeet.
We had a huge group though, 2 tables with about 20+ people. They split checks well, but then added a 19% gratuity.
At least they had Sol! Literally, the Mexican beer - not a play on words to say that the staff was enthusiastic and cheerful.
And yes, I may seem like a cheapo, but [refer to first sentence] -
Review from Solomon W.
Austin, TX
8/2/2010
Trece gave me exactly what I expected: filling, familiar, funky Mexican food. This was my first big meal coming back from a 3 month tour chock full of nothing but Asian food, so I wanted to get hit hard with food with Texas flair, and much food did hit me.
The portions here are pretty hefty, in my opinion, and the prices aren't terrible if you avoid the seafood and stuff. If you just go with the rib-sticking Mexican casseroles and tacos and such, you'll be fine. The restaurant did give me a good reminder of what a lot of restaurants tend to do: they rely on the sauces. The atmosphere is definitely Dallas: trendy, snappy, and fairly tasty.
We started with the "family platter" with bland short rib quesadillas, overly cheesy lobster nachos, not-half-bad-but-bland crab cakes, bland shrimp tacos, flavorless beef skewers. Oddly, the most delicious thing on the platter was the little nacho bowl of their red and green salsas; it was drunk like a soup.
The entrees were large and ran at $12 and $15, not bad for portions that could feed 2 or 3 un-hungry individuals. The side of mushrooms were tender, and they had a nice zippy, vinegary glaze. Pleased was I by the mushrooms.
The pulled chicken casserole had tortillas, cheese, and chicken... that was literally all that was inside; at least that was all I could taste. The tomatillo sauce was the only redeeming attribute, besides the fact that this beastly Aztec pie filled you up. The pork and carmelized onion taco was exactly that: meat--which was actually very dry, onion, and tortilla. The enchiladas weren't much better. The pulled beef and pulled chicken were bland and wrapped up in... you guessed it, a tortilla. The ancho garlic sauce and the tomatillo sauce were the least flavorful sauces of the night.
Go into Trece, have yourself some drinks, and then endulge in the food. The food is comprised of simple ingredients smothered in some assorted toppings and layering and flavors. Other than that, do not expect too much, except to be satisfied by trendy Mexican food. -
Review from Chris G.
Dallas, TX
2/8/2009
Dear Trece,
Sometimes I wish that money was something that equaled the experience that was charged for. I went here for one of my best friends bday parties. We had a rather large group of folks. I bought a couple of margaritas at the bar.. "What kind of tequila do you want? You want well don't you?" Umm, yeah I guess? Okay, fine.. that will be 20 bucks! WTF? $20 for two well margaritas?? Honestly, they were so so.
They messed up and set us at two tables. Weird arrangement for a party. They quickly fixed it. Long story short, I got the menu and was like, how much is too much for Mexican food? If you put shrimp in enchiladas does that make it worth $25? I am not sure because I had a $8 quesadilla that was two bites big. I don't need texas sized portions but expected more for my $$. I got two more margs these were $13 each. An upgrade that I didn't ask for. I got out of Trece feeling taken advantage of. My total bill with tip was almost $70 bucks. 4 Margs and 1 quesadilla. Money doesn't always equal an amazing experience. -
Review from K. W.
Murphy, TX
10/5/2010 Seated via OpenTable
I really enjoy the atmosphere at this location. It was a nice night in Texas 75 degrees, we sat outside and enjoyed watching the people walking by.
We had a reservation through Open Table and this service works really well. It was for 630 on a Saturday, not crowed yet, so we got seated pronto.
We were attended to immediately, but it seemed once we showed our Groupon our waiter had a mood change. I thought service was a bit slow, but sometimes that is youe waiter.
I will give the food we order a two thumbs up.
We started with the crab cakes with jicama/jalapeno salsa which were really great, not to dry with good flavor. I really liked the jalapeno bite it gave the cakes (you get 3 for 11.00)
Next we split the Chilean Sea Bass (25.00), it had a good seasoning and cooked just right. Did not know some considered it endangered, would not have ordered it, but it was good.
We finished up with the Chocolate Cake (7.00) in Strawberry soup. It was good, but not something that I would go, Oh, my gosh and just want to savory every morsel. It was moist but had a course texture to it, if that makes sense.
We did not try any of the drinks, we had tea for 3.00 dollars a glass. I would considered this place a bit pricey, but for a special treat a great place to try new things.
With my 40.00 dollar Groupon, we still walked away paying 30.00, meal, tax, tip.
Now they do have a standard taco, enchiladas menu that would work for those looking for some budget deals.
