My volunteer efforts with Dallas Hearts & Hammers got rained out Saturday at 11:30 am when a thunderstorm swept through and brutally battered the freshly painted exterior of our project house. Three hours of hard work and we were going to have to return some other weekend to repair the now sagging paint along with some unfinished tasks. I stood there, my shirt and arms and hands covered in pastel yellow paint, pants and shoes brown with mud, trying to make the best of the situation. Then it struck me, Mexican on Maple!
I don’t live near downtown so driving 15 miles to a predominantly Mexican neighborhood for chow isn’t an option I choose often. I remember reading a detailed report about Mexican food on Maple on DallasFood.org and decided on that for my lunch adventure since we were close. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t remember any of the specific names of restaurants mentioned in the detailed report (except for Ojeda’s, but we were looking for a more hole-in-the-wall place). We decided to just drive along Maple until we found a place with a full parking lot (this is usually my strategy when seeking out ethnic eats in an unfamiliar place).
Our strategy led us to Rosita’s, a colorful building on the corner of Maple and Maple Springs.
Rosita’s sign claims to be serving the best Tex-Mex since 1977. Rosita’s offers an all you can eat buffet. I’m not a fan of buffets so I didn’t choose that route, though the food did look more appetizing and fresh than most other buffets I’ve seen (and many of the lunch diners were taking advantage of the buffet option). Instead, I decided on a torta with fajita beef ($6) and my companion ordered chicken flautas ($8). Waters and chips and salsa came immediately while we waited for our food. Along with a very good, extra spicy salsa, the thick corn chips were served with a small bowl of individual Land O’Lakes spreads, which I found odd. After polishing off a whole basket of chips (we were starving!), the food arrived.
Fajita Beef Torta:
I found it odd that the torta was served with french fries. But the fries were the thick cut kind that tasted fresh out of the fryer so I did not mind. The tender slices of fajita beef were served on a chewy bolillo spread with refried beans and topped with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, avocado, and jalapenos. Although this version of a torta is much more “whitewashed” than those served at taquerias I’ve frequented, I loved it. The meat was juicy, well seasoned, and not too greasy. It was a good (or at least decent) cut of meat to have good texture even in these large pieces (5 slices on the whole torta). The refried beans, avocado, and sweet juicy tomato (not the thick skinned hot house tomatoes) added moisture to the sandwich while the jalapenos gave it a good kick. I really liked this sandwich!
Chicken Flautas:
This was my companion’s dish so I can’t describe it in as much detail as I only had a couple of bites. I do remember the flautas being so freshly piping hot out of the fryer that my companion almost burned his tongue trying to eat it. From the little of this dish I had, I remember them as not overly greasy with moist, shredded white chicken.
Overall I enjoyed my experience at Rosita’s. Although I was looking for a more authentic Mex-Mex hole in the wall joint, Rosita’s quality Tex-Mex satisfied. Our server was very friendly (and thought it was amusing that I took photos). Freshness and attention to detail can make Tex-Mex much more than just a cheesy saucy mess, and Rosita’s certainly proved the point.
Rating: 3 / 5
Rosita’s Tex Mex Restaurant & Catering
4906 Maple Ave
Dallas, TX 75235
Donna Cooks 
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