When it was rainy and cold Sunday, we drove up to the Love Field area for some comfort food at Herrera’s. The cavernous Herrera’s up there has a few flat-screen TVs on the wall now, but other than that, its interior hasn’t changed a lick since the 80s. Even the day-glo paintings of Aztec warriors are the same.
And the menu hasn’t changed either. I’ve never not ordered 13A on the menu, two cheese enchiladas with chile con carne, which at Herrera’s is a meat gravy, not some weak enchilada sauce. That one dish, for me, is proof that Herrera’s is the ultimate Tex-Mex restaurant. Even the New York Times knows this is how Tex-Mex is supposed to be.
The original Herrera’s on Maple had only nine tables. And after it burned down, they moved across the street to a place only slightly larger. It appeared in National Geographic in 1984, clearly a hipster hangout.
There are several Herrera’s outposts in Dallas, including one in Oak Cliff and one in Carrollton. And now East Dallas is getting one. A sign announces Herrera’s is “coming soon” to a space on North Fitzhugh between Belmont and Manett. The place is undergoing renovations now, but it looks like it’s almost finished.
