Chisos Grill

Chisos Grill

It’s hard to believe that just a few short years ago the Galleria was virtually devoid of restaurants. You could get flat out hungry shopping your brains out with no dining solutions. Luckily that’s changed and one of the newer restaurants just down from Dillards is called Chisos Grill. Chisos means “ghost” in Navajo but luckily you don’t have to spend hours in a sweat lodge to reap the benefits of the Chisos experience. The Southwest cuisine may not be spiritual but its darned good.

Let’s start with the Fried Peppers and Jalapenos. The breading is what makes this crunchy dish as it lights up the vegetables and the chipotle aioli finishes it off. Great way to begin. The Lobster Bisque is another keeper. Normally one finds this dish tricked up with sherry in inexperienced hands but Chad Jones kills this soup with nuance and just a bit of zip. We love it. The Chipotle Baby Back Ribs are another strong recommendation. Tender as the night (sorry F. Scott) these ribs are savory and delightfully sweet. Very good dish, especially with the apple bacon slaw. The Tortilla Crushed Chicken Tenderloins with a lovely Chipotle vinaigrette and a smooth Jalapeno ranch are moist (first requisite) and exceptionally flavorful (2nd requisite). The result: slam dunk my friends.

The salads have a unique and pleasing concept and tastes. Start with the West Texas Wedge. The Bleu Cheese dressing immediately sets this one apart and the green onions and apple bacon don’t hurt either. And the Fri8ed Calamari Spinach Salad is one of my favorites in the city. The calamari is firm and tasty and the cilantro lime vinaigrette coats each delicate spinach leaf with a sheen of beautiful flavor. Hard to resist this one.

The entrees at Chisos are characteristic of what one would expect from a southwest style restaurant. They have an immediate flavor rush that derives not just from an abundance of heat but from the more difficult layering of tastes that comes with Jones’ expertise. I really like the Tortilla Crusted Salmon with jalapeno cream and sauteed crab. Delicate flavors here with wonderful texture. Get the grilled corn on the cob as a side! The Oven Roasted Pulled Pork with Green Chile is one of my very favorite dishes. The pork is very tender and the chiles impart a flavor vibe to this dish that renders it. TO ME AT LEAST, VIRTUALLY IRRESISTIBLE. I could order this one on every visit without tiring of it. And the Shrimp Pasta with a perfect red chile cream sauce is a great Soutyhwest style dish. The penne pasta works perfectly with this blend of flavors and the key is everything is subtle: nothing overwhelms. It all just works beautifully. I also like the Nuevo Diablo. This begins with plump shrimp wrapped in apple bacon. stuffed with jalapeno, and finished with a red chile cream sauce. The first bite of this dish says it all. Huge flavor profile. On the steak side, the Angus Choice Bone-In Ribeye is on the smallish side at 12 oz. but every ounce is packed with sparkling flavors. This is the kind of steak that stays with you, long after the last bite has faded away.

Now they do burgers at Chisos as well and my recommendation is the New Mexico Green chile Cheeseburger. Take a look at this baby. Hatch green chiles were created for burgers like this. So head out to Chisos. It may look a bit “chainish” but it is proudly owner-operated.

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