Here’s a Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall hangout in Fort Worth for enchiladas, carne guisada
Before the late restaurateur Virgie Martinez passed last week, I asked her where we should go now for Tex-Mex.
She didn’t hesitate.
“Tia’s on the Bluff! They’re relatives,” said Martinez, gone at 85 after 40 years at the tiny, hidden Mi Cocinita Restaurant in a south Fort Worth backyard.
“It’s not like my cooking. It’s their own style. But it’s good.”
Patricia Villarreal is the namesake “Tia” of the restaurant and patio, sprawling across a half-block in a historic, fortress-like old home on the edge of downtown. It’s at 1301 E. Bluff St., off East Belknap Street behind Cowtown Brewing.
Officially, Tia’s is in the historic Lawrence House, built about 1892. That was before the Stockyards came to town, not long after the last cattle drives crossed Bluff Street on the ride north.
For years in the early 20th century, it was home to a horse and mule dealer. A Star-Telegram classified ad in 1918 was looking for a stray from 1301 E. Bluff St.: “One large light Jersey cow with rope on horns.”
The Sotelo family bought the home in 1967 and raised children there who opened Tia’s in 2017.
It’s a folksy, homespun restaurant with all the quirks of a smaller hole-in-the-wall. The other day, for example, the cash register wasn’t working. So instead of closing down, Tia’s simply served customers and asked them to drop by later and pay.
It’s not your typical Tex-Mex. But look for first-rate enchilada sauces, carne guisada (stew) and gravies.
The highlight: boneless chicken in mole sauce, with extra spice and cumin.
Tia’s other signature dish is carne guisada — notably mild, made from soft, tender cubed beef. It tastes close to roast beef with gravy.
If you can’t choose, Tia’s offers a “Miss Piggy platter” with both chicken mole and carne guisada, plus rice, beans and Tia’s house-made potato salad.
Tia’s also served a medium-hot chicken enchilada platter in green sauce, or regular cheese or beef enchiladas.
It all comes with fresh corn or flour tortillas, and chips and salsa with an extra bite.
Expect the unexpected. The potato salad, for example. (Order it.)
Tamales are pre-reserved and sold out for the holidays. Also, there are no traditional enchilada-and-taco combination plates on the menu, but both are sold a la carte. Staffing can be short, and menu items or hours may change.
Right now, Tia’s is open for lunch and dinner Thursdays through Sundays; 817-420-9000, tias-onthebluff.com.
This story was originally published December 16, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
