The Blue Mesa Grill is a small chain (3 Dallas and 1 Ft Worth Restaurant) of very cool contemporary southwest American (NOT Tex-Mex)
cuisine restaurants. I have been to all 3 Dallas locations, and the food and service is consistently good in all of the restaurants. Each restaurant has the coolest contemporary southwest decor, in their architecture, furniture, colors, and art on display.
After you are seated, they serve fantastic complimentary homemade chips made from yellow, white, and blue corn tortillas, served with dishes of fresh red and brown salsas (both are great). When our server comes, we usually order their trademark blue margaritas ($6), and their "Tableside Guacamole ($7)," which the server brings a tray of avocados, chiles, onions, spices, tomatos, etc, and makes a bowl of guacamole on the spot. The fresh guacamole compliments the homemade chips and fresh salsa perfectly.
After all the fresh chips, salsa, and guacamole, we often forego main courses, and get a bowl of their fantastic soup instead. Don't miss their soup ($4). They have "Painted Desert" soup, which is Black Bean soup and Corn Chile Chowder soup served next to each other in a soup bowl (without being mixed), garnished with sour cream and pico de gallo. Their other
soup is Tortilla soup, which is a hearty chicken and vegetable soup, served with a piece of corn on the cob, garnished with strips of their crispy homemade tortillas, and served piping hot. Both soups are excellent.
Blue Mesa Grill has a wide menu selection of appetizers ($7-$9), soups and salads ($3-$10), southwest entrees ($8-$12), southwest grill entrees ($10-$16), and desserts ($4-$6). We have tried several appetizers and entrees other that what I have mentioned, and have never had a bad experience.
Blue Mesa is kid-friendly, and has a kid's menu, and gives them crayons and an entertaining placemat upon arrival. Aside
from the restaurant, each Blue Mesa location has a full bar that is very popular. In the bar they have weekday happy hours where they have chips and salsa out for you, AND complimentary quesadillas that are grilled to order. On the weekend, they have an amazing Sunday brunch that is hugely popular (but pricey). There is nothing you won't find on the
buffet, and the selection of desserts is the most I have ever seen. They are open for lunch and dinner.
Blue Mesa has three locations around Dallas, and one Ft Worth location. We frequent the locations at 5100 Beltline Road at the southeast corner of Beltline Road and the North Dallas Tollway (972-934-0165), and a new location at 8200 Dallas Parkway in Plano at the southeast corner of the North Dallas Tollway and Highway 121 (972-387-4407). The third Dallas location is at 7700 West Northwest Highway, just west of Central Expressway (US 75). The Ft Worth location is 1600 South University Drive (817-332-6372). We always enjoy our visits to Blue Mesa, just don't go expecting Mexican or Tex-Mex food.