Alma

OMG they closed?! :’(I can’t believe that they left without telling me goodbye!
I heard from a friend that they closed this past Saturday! Sorry if you had yet to try the amazing-​ness that is Alma.

Me and the hubs ended up eating here because our original destination was PACKED, and I’m glad it was! I really enjoyed the food, but first, let’s get the bad out of the way.
The plate they laid in front of me that held my silverware and napkin (what is this plate even for???) was dirty. Like crusty avocado dirty. Gross. I wasn’t feeling optimistic at this point. Their coke is in a bottle, which means you pay out the a** if you want soda. There are no «freebies» here, no bread, no chips and salsa, they charge for everything. The service is SSSLLLOOOWWW. It wasn’t packed when we were there, but there were several full tables. Our waitress seemed to be in charge of 3 tables (including ours) and it was a little… difficult…for her to cope, so this is probably not the best «quick lunch» spot.
Now to the good! I ordered Tacos de Camerones (shrimp tacos) and the hubs ordered Enchiladas Rojo. This is pretty authentic Mexican cooking, not Chili’s or On the Border quality here. And its good. Really, really good. Worth the wait. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, not overcooked which happens so often. The combo of the pickled onions and the arugala were the perfect accent to the taco. And the black beans were melt in your mouth good! I could have eaten a bowl of beans and been happy! The pork in the enchiladas was fall apart tender. The sauce on the enchiladas seemed like it had some kind of mole in it… I’m not sure how to describe it, try it. You’ll like it. Their chips taste homemade and their salsa is very mild. I’m not sure if you can ask them to spice it up or not. It’s not bland, just completely void of any heat. The atmosphere is great, pretty laid back with Mexican music playing not too loud. The patio area is fairly large and I will be back to sit there when it finally cools off for good.

Oh my goodness, we had a great meal here. We made reservations and were seated promptly. Service was good, actually it may have been a little too good… maybe too attentive. But more on that later.
Our tabled tried Ceviche, Guacamole, Chile Rellanos and Beef something or other. All but the Guacamole, were excellent. Now the guacamole was not bad, but I thought they were too aggressive in the preparation and spices. Sometimes, and maybe it is just my personal preference here, simplicity is best is some dishes and a plethora of textures and spices are not required. As a side, we spilt the street corn and next time, this may be my entire meal. It was so good that when all my past sins are revealed and I am placed on death row, this will be my final meal request.
We were too stuffed for desert, but we took some Tres Leches to go. Sadly, I did not get a taste.
Okay my final word on the service. Food was really quick and it seemed like every three bites someone was asking me how my meal was. It sure beats having to send a flare up to get a water glass refilled, but I felt kind of hurried. Overall, a great experience and a wonderful meal.

Ok if you know my reviews i typically do them on a 1. 2. 3 etc reasons I liked it. Well folks this was a one shot deal.
First impression — holy mackerl this place is expensive. Geez Louise. Don’t bring a first date here. They’ll expect expensive all the time.
After perusing the menu I noticed the second issue. EVERYTHING has beans, EVERYTHING. Sorry but that was all I saw as a side with almost every single entrée. Ok guys at Alma is that really the best you guys can do?
Not much selection for beef eaters either.
I ordered the ceviche tuna. It was really nice but guess what??? — No Serrano peppers to be had like the menu said. Plus the tortilla chips that came out the only thing I tasted was salt, salt and more salt.
Would I come back or recommend this restaurant, definitely not. I suspect it’s going to last about the same about of time that the last place that was at this location, Cuba Libre.

BEST FOOD!
Can’t say enough about this place, it’s a weekly spot for me, I come for lunch with the girls and come for dinner with the old man, the foods always wonderful and if there’s something on the menu not reaching the high standards of this place you better believe they will have it off the menu the next week!
I’v never had a dish that was not amazing, the food is expensive if you usually eat at taco bell. And I don’t, so I don’t mind paying for quality food.
Alma is really perfect for any occasion and is always fun. Plus the girls at the door are always so cute and friendly!

We tried this place on a Sunday evening with another couple. First impression: really great atmosphere, mediocre food. The patio will be fantastic once the temperatures drop below 90. We started with cocktails at the bar — fantastic drinks and great bartenders. Sadly, this was the peak of my Alma experience and the rest of the evening declined from that point.
Service was slow (especially for a Sunday evening and a half-​full restaurant). Our server was marginally knowledgeable about the menu. I was really excited to try the mole because I am a HUGE mole fan (see other reviews below). A bit of advice — skip the pollo en mole negro at Alma. It is inedible. Thank goodness we ordered the street corn because it was fantastic (probably my favorite part of the meal). Unfortunately, the rest of my table didn’t get much of it. We also ordered the queso, sopes, and chicarrones — all were okay. Good, but definitely not the best I’ve ever had.
The rest of my dinner crew ordered as follows: pork jowl tacos, chicken enchiladas, and chile relleno. The pork jowl tacos were delicious (although I am judging from the few bites I was able to steal). Everything else was just… okay.
The chocoflan was a total bust – a lot of dry chocolate cake with a tiny smattering of flan on top.
I can see Alma being a great happy hour place during Fall — the upstairs bar is cool and, as I mentioned before, the patio will be awesome once the temperatures drop. However, I will head elsewhere when it is dinner time.

Started with ceviche with fried plantains. Phenomenal.
Then on to the chile relleno. I have never liked these in my life but I thought I’d be a big girl and try it one more time. I’m so glad I did because it was reaaly, really good.
The Torta de carne deshebrada was next. I’m still in awe over how amazing it was. I even went online to find a recipe so I can try my best to recreate the experience at home. Do yourself a favor and try it. It’s insane how good it is.
We ended with the Pastel Carlotta. Let it sit for a few minutes so it can defrost just a bit then dig in. It’s a wonderful blend of pineapple, cinnamon, pecans and crunch. It’s tart, sweet and refreshing. Muy bien!

Came here last night with a friend to start off our girls’ night out. We arrived around 7:45 on a Thursday with no reservations, were handed a pager and told that we’d have to wait 1 – 1 ½ hours for our table. That was fine, since we were planning to have a couple of cocktails anyway.
My first issue, however, is that, for a place where you have a significant wait for a table, both the downstairs and upstairs bars were full with limited seating. This is NOT the kind of place you go just to get a drink. Luckily, upstairs there is an extra seating area — couches and odd chairs near a fireplace (not lit, it was still about 100 degrees outside) — so after we ordered our drinks we sat on the couch to wait for our table. My friend ordered something she called the «Roberto special,» which is not on the menu but was probably the best drink I tried all night. It involves vodka and lime juice and something else; if you ask for it the bartender should know.
Of the drinks I had, the «la patada» was ok, surprisingly savory with a kick at the end, and the «la granada» was just way too strong. From the description on the menu it seems as if it might be somewhat girly and fruity, but it’s all tequila.
When we finally got our table I was ready to trade my granada for a Roberto special. I ordered the shrimp tacos and my friend had the chicken tacos. The shrimp tacos were good, nothing special. The chicken was quite tender when I tasted it. We weren’t given enough tortillas for the amount of food we had (only 4 came with our two entrees). We also ordered chips & salsa which was $ 3. When we had finished our entrees, the server took the $ 3 basket of chips away without asking — we weren’t done with them yet.
I probably won’t come back. The Porch is a better location for a girls’ night, and Neighborhood Services is better for a date. The drinks were just okay. As far as the food is concerned, I’ve had better shrimp tacos at Fuzzy’s. And they have a lot of nerve charging $ 3 for chips and salsa.

Interesting restaurant. We enjoyed parts of it, nothing was bad, just have much better alternatives for same type of cuisine.
They take an updated, upscale approach to traditional Mexican food, but don’t hit the same notes as Café San Miguel or Urban Taco, for an example of a couple of places with a unique twist to traditional offerings.
Service was excellent, nice ambiance, chips and salsa good.
Enjoyed Carnitas, beans ok.
Enchiladas more like Lasagne, layered. Not bad.
Plantains usually some of my favorite in any meal, I eat them all. This time I left most behind — missed the mark on these.
Again, not bad, not great. Next time I want nice ambiance and really good updated Mexican food, I’ll go to Café San Miguel just down the road. And if I want great Latin with great plantains, Mario Sabinos for twice the quality, half the price, just up Lemmon.

When my friend said we were meeting at this restaurant, I did as I always do and checked it out on Unilocal.I have to say I rolled my eyes at the low reviews… they all say the same thing: Overpriced.
I suppose we have been trained to think that if it’s called «Mexican Food» it must be cheap. Well guess what, if you make really good, gourmet Mexican food, you can charge more. And that’s what Alma does.
Yes, a $ 9 margarita is a little steep, but that’s because we are used to the slop that comes out of a frozen drink machine. If you want a hand-​made, natural margarita made without a ton of sugar that you can’t put down because it tastes oh-​so-​good… $ 9 is a steal. And that’s what you at Alma.
$ 16 for shrimp tacos is a little pricey, but we are talking perfectly cooked shrimp. They were juicy AND crunchy (you usually get dry and crunchy at cheaper places) and beans and tortillas were delicious.
The portions are also really big. Possibly too big. This is an great restaurant. The food and service were so good that I can forgive the 35 minute wait past our reservation time (my friend said he told them «no hurry» and they may have taken that too seriously).
Note: Parking is a bit of a hassle if you don’t want to pay for valet.

This is what I wanted Frontera Grill to be.
I was particularly a fan of the queso fundido and the myriad mushroom dishes.

This is clearly a love it or hate it place. Since the original chef and concept came from the Rick Bayless background, there was only one thing I disliked about this place. They shouldn’t have chips and salsa and guacamole on the menu. If you want them for cheap or free, take your sorry ass two blocks in either direction and go to Chuys or La Hacienda. I can not believe the moronic complaints about charging for this. This isn’t On The Border — this is upscale interior Mexican.
Having been to Rick Bayless’s Frontera Grill on many occasions, I found the food here to be similar, creative and a subtle loving assault to your senses. We started with the street snacks, a restaurant take on a great inexpensive healthy snack you’d get on the streets of Mexico City (cucumber, jicama and mango, a little bit of lime juice, then sprinkled in sugar and chili spices). Refreshing, tasty, incredible. Next came a salad with jicama, avocado, candied pumpkin seeds and a creamy cilantro dressing. A fine a salad as we’ve eaten in Dallas. Next were the Tres Ceviches, one with Tuna, one with Shrimp and one with Portobellos and Beets. Again, tasty, very nice and done perfectly.
Last the entrée, Achiote marinated Pork Shank with black beans, arugula and pickled onions. Pure genius. I wanted to stick the bone in my wife’s purse and see if it could make some kinda of magic soup afterwards. It came with corn tortillas and a dangerously hot habanero sauce. A little dab did me — and made the tortillas all the better.
Finally the service — our waitress seemed to materialize as soon as anything was on our mind. Always making sure we were satisfied. Hugo, who manages the front of the house was fantastic — he noticed we hadn’t ordered any «Street Corn» and brought us over an order on the house. Creamed corn with lime juice and chili powder. I’ll be trying to make some of this at home.
The pricing. Maybe I am crazy — but two drinks, four items from the menu and tax was $ 72 (FYI, the Alma Verde with serranos was possibly the best spicy cocktail I’ve ever had). One of the CHEAPER Saturday night meals I’ve had in a long time. And all of the food was super high quality. I always trusted Unilocal reviewers — so what has happened here? Has huge quantities of unidentified beany, cheesy low quality messes, driven people to believe that Mexican has to be big portions and low prices? Me, I will take great flavors and amounts that don’t make me think about a diet as soon as I leave.
So please, if you want an endless basket of free chips, crappy salsa, and plates filled with refried beans and crap cheese, go somewhere else. Simply put you are not worthy of one of the best dining experiences in Dallas.

So good. I can’t believe the bad reviews. Def kind of pricey but the food is fantastic. If you are looking for Panchos or On The Border style Mexican food don’t bother. You wont find cheesy décor or margaritas here.
The cocktails are complex and strong. The food is great but the cocktails are the reason I go to Alma at the end of the week.

Wow — I am shocked about many of the negative reviews about Alma. We checked this place out on Saturday night and had a great experience. The atmosphere is nice, the service was fantastic and the food was delicious! We enjoyed the crab & shrimp enchiladas as well as the short rib enchiladas — simply delicious and uniquely prepared!

Pure heaven. I am stunned by some of the low reviews! First off, for those who compare Alma to Cuba Libre… don’t! It’s a completely new restaurant with a completely different concept in mind. So if you want Cuba too bad, you won’t get it and, thank goodness, because Alma is way better!
My fave dish above all is the Chilpachole (seafood stew). It has some kick to it but it is so tasty! Couple that with their fresh guac and seafood cocktail (forget the Spanish name for it) to start and you’ve got heaven on a platter. Sure, I was thrown off by the Saltines that were served with the seafood cocktail but my friend reassured me that that is actually very traditional. Who knew?! Kudos to Alma for keeping it authentic.
I tasted my friends dish, the pork shank, and it was AMAZING! I don’t eat a lot of meat but good lord it was delicious. Fell right off the bone and melted in my mouth. Again, pure heaven.
Service was great! My server was knowledgeable about the menu and very attentive.
I am already planning my next visit back. Alma certainly gives Dallas a new taste of mexican cuisine. Forget those Tex Mex places and try some real food!

Alma has found the perfect recipe for a mojito:
Find the smallest glass possible, fill it with as much Sonic ice as you can, throw in a splash of rum and a splash of soda. Top it off with one mint leaf and then charge $ 9. Are you f’ing kidding me?
The food and service were equally as bad. The waitress went missing quite often, and the place is so compact and cramped that anyone walking by our table would bump into it. Add all of that to the fact that you have to scream in order for the person across from you to be able to hear you and you have one crap fest of a night.
The queso fundido was cold and the carne asada tacos just plain sucked. Stay away from this place if at all possible. It is new and hip now, but it will go the way of Cubra Libre soon.

Met up with a small group here on a weekday within a few weeks of the restaurant opening. Overall it was pretty good food and our waiter was excellent. There were some areas that keep me from giving it 4*‘s for now.
Negatives:
The prices are on the high side
The red wine was served at room temperature (not cellar temperature)
. The waiter explained that they will be getting temperature controlled storage for the wine in time, but it did not help the ninety dollar bottle that we ordered.
Very little changed from Cuba Libre days. really, it took them this long to get rid of the frozen drink machines?
Positives:
Food was generally of a high quality. Loved the grilled corn served in husks.
Good service — Waiter was very attentive
Cool atmsphere & nice décor
With a bit of work and luck, this can move to 4*‘s over time. or it could just fade away.

Kind of shocked by these reviews… guess my experience was a bit different, but also i guess I actually didn’t eat an entrée, but the atmosphere and small touches like an older woman hand making tortillas was impressive. I had the 3 salsas which were pretty good; the habanero one had a nice kick, first time i ever had street snacks and the seafood stew actually reminded me of my trips to Cabo eating the same dish at the Office…
They said everything is homemade… tough to find these days… i guess if you’re looking for a $ 2 beer this isn’t your place but is anything located in that area inexpensive…

I’m really going to try and hold my tongue, but it’s not gonna be easy. Let’s start with the fact that I was forced to end my Saturday night after dining here with eating Taco Bell tacos to make up for what I experienced at Alma.
It’s expensive. No, like, REALLY expensive. The cheapest entrée is $ 16 and every «fancy» drink is a cool $ 10, followed by a tecate beer for $ 6.
The food is not good. The chips and 3 salsas we ordered left anything to be desired. The 3 salsas really didn’t have much to them and the chips seemed like they were straight out of a bag and cold with barely any salt or flavor.
We both got the Enchilada Pollo de Verde ($ 16) and it was lasagna. The chicken part was mainly on top of the actual «enchilada» and it was layered just like the italian meal. Layer after layer of doughy tortilla — WHAT?! The tomatillo sauce on top was great, but that was it.
Never again. Not even for patio sitting since they have no kind of traditional margarita and they don’t offer pitchers. Yikes. What a let down!

Rebirth
Cuba Libre has reincarnated as Alma, the word for «soul» in Spanish, and seems to have gone up the karma cycle. While most of the basic layout of Cuba Libre is apparent, there are some window dressing changes. The biggest change is in their menu and drinks.
The signature drinks were all interesting combinations (all $ 10). My favorite was the Añejo Bravo, a combination of aged tequilas with a spicy and sweet finish. It was very smooth, maybe a little too smooth, as I could barely feel just how potent this drink really was! I also tried the Alma Verde, their flagship drink. It was an interesting yet a bit unnerving taste. It tasted like jalapeño flavored cream with alcohol. Not for me, but a few friends seemed to enjoy it. The other drink tried was the Brandied Horchata, it was another friends favorite. The flavor reminded me of an aged port.
The food I tried was all delicious. The «Street Snacks» cuccumber, mango, jicama all drizzled in lime juice and chili powder tasted great, but at $ 7 was way too overpriced. The tacos de carne asada were even more delicious. The beef was cooked to a nice medium rare, served with what tasted like freshly made corn tortillas, pico de gallo and a cup of ranchero beans. Lots to eat, but $ 19 for tacos is a bit sacrilegious to me. Did I mention that they have «street corn» at a cool $ 9?
While I love the flavors, décor, and especially the drinks. I might have to be reincarnated as a Rockefeller in order to really enjoy this «street food» with the champagne price tag.
But then, money is only an illusion.