The motto at Tin Star is "Salsa, Smoke and Sizzle." Whatever nifty slogans the marketing folks may have come up with, combine great Southwestern cuisine, fast service, and unbeatably reasonable prices, and you've got something good going. Tin Star executes that relatively new restaurant hybrid known as "fast-casual" as good or better than anyone.
Tex-Mex food can be annoyingly ordinary (think tacos, fajitas, enchiladas), but thankfully the folks at Tin Star have "kicked it up a notch," to coin a pop-culture culinary phrase. Personal favorites include the grilled vegetable quesadillas (portabello mushrooms, poblano peppers, sweet potato straws, roasted corn, cilantro pesto sauce, and more) and the vegetable stuffed relleno (green chile stuffed with jack cheese, roasted corn, black beans, mushrooms, carrots, and more, drizzled with cilantro pesto lemon butter). Intrigued? I thought so. Even better, all of the entrees are in the $7-$9 range.
Tin Star has no servers. Instead, you place your order at the counter and after a few minutes the flashing remote you were handed tells you that flavorful Southwestern fare awaits you. In my experience, the quality of the food has always been at a consistently high level, and the service is fast and friendly. They are located just a couple of blocks from our gym, and all too often we've headed here for a bite to eat after an evening workout. Tin Star offers carry out if you're on the run.
They are also open for breakfast and offer a variety of breakfast tacos and "sunrise platters." Dollar for dollar, Tin Star boasts the biggest bang for the buck of any restaurant in town that I can think of. The food is that good, and it's that reasonably priced. You can check out Tin Star's web site here.
Tin Star was named one of The Dallas Morning News Top 10 New Restaurants of 1999.
My 1-10 ratings:
Food - 8 Service - 9 Atmosphere - 7