Idaho game- Best BBQ & Tex Mex in Denton

mdmeangreen · July 23, 2013

OK, so I'm excited about flying in for the Idaho game. Since my favorite college hangout- Flying Tomato- is no more, I need some help from my fellow UNT'ers to find a decent place to hang in Texas. Since there is no such thing as good BBQ or Tex Mex in Maryland, let's start there- any ideas as to the best BBQ & Tex Mex in Denton?

Oh, I'll also be looking forward to the tailgating on gameday!

KRAM1 · July 23, 2013

Well, you will get lots of "agreements to disagree" on this subject, but, for me...I try to support the folks who support the Mean Green, so I would say not to forget:

BBQ: Rudy's and Metzler's

Mexican Food: El Guapo's

Yep...plenty of others, but this will perhaps start the ball rolling for you! WELCOME to Apogee...home of the Mean Green!

oldguystudent · July 23, 2013

Metzler's is the only decent BBQ in Denton, and they've got one HELL of a beer selection to go with it.

But since it's Idaho, shouldn't you be looked for the best baked potato? That would be at the steakhouse in Ponder. It has a name, right? Ranchman's?

Baby Arm! · July 23, 2013

^{There is no "good" BBQ in Denton, closest you'll find may be in McKinney. I hear good things about Hutchins BBQ. They made Texas Monthtly's Top 50 list}

Edited July 23, 2013 by Baby Arm!

mdmeangreen · July 23, 2013

Yeah, def plan to go to Metzler's.

Green P1 · July 23, 2013

Has anyone tried the new Gold Mine BBQ joint yet?

El Matador for TexMex

mdmeangreen · July 23, 2013

That's right! There actually used to be a pretty good Mexican restaurant in Denton called Mercardo Juarez- not sure if that place is still there. Of course there's always Cheweys!

ColoradoEagle · July 23, 2013

Chuy's is a crime against humanity. For Mexican, I would make the drive to Pappasito's or something. El Guapo's is ok and cheap, but that's about it. For BBQ, Rudy's is ok, and the place in Lewisville off of Justin Rd/35 is ok.

If I were in Denton, I'd go for Cowboy Chicken ahead of anything else, personally.

UNTLifer · July 23, 2013

Pappasito's is a chain. Good Mexican food comes from authentic, family owned joints like El Guapo's or Mi Casita. Sadly, there really isn't a great BBQ joint in Denton. Metzler's and Rudy's are not bad, but they aren't coming close to being ranked in Texas.

KRAM1 · July 23, 2013

That's right! There actually used to be a pretty good Mexican restaurant in Denton called Mercardo Juarez- not sure if that place is still there. Of course there's always Cheweys!

Mercado Juarez is now El Guapo's...I believe the guy who owns and runs El Guapo's was working for Mercado Juarez at one time.

mdmeangreen · July 23, 2013

Mercado Juarez is now El Guapo's...I believe the guy who owns and runs El Guapo's was working for Mercado Juarez at one time.

Cool, thanks for the update KRAM1.

NT03 · July 23, 2013

Chuy's is a crime against humanity. For Mexican, I would make the drive to Pappasito's or something. El Guapo's is ok and cheap, but that's about it. For BBQ, Rudy's is ok, and the place in Lewisville off of Justin Rd/35 is ok.

If I were in Denton, I'd go for Cowboy Chicken ahead of anything else, personally.

I have yet to try Cowboy Chicken , but have heard it's pretty good

ColoradoEagle · July 23, 2013

Pappasito's is a chain. Good Mexican food comes from authentic, family owned joints like El Guapo's or Mi Casita.

Pappasito's may be a chain (loosely), but not being a chain doesn't make El Guapo's or Mi Casita better than they are. If you want to get technical, Mi Casita is a chain, too. There are plenty of good Mexican places around, but tastes differ. Los Molcajetes is down the road from me and continually pops up in best of DFW lists, and it's just ok to me.

El Guapo's tends to be under seasoned and pretty generic. I'd rather go to Taco Casa than Mi Casita. Neither are bad, but no one outside of Denton would list either of them as great.

UNTcrazy727 · July 23, 2013

Chuy's kicks the crap out of El Guapo's

End.Of.Story

meaniegreenie · July 23, 2013

I always liked Colter's, but mostly for the onion rings. Anybody else remember the low-voiced "Need a ring" guy that took the orders and announced it into the mic?

meaniegreenie · July 23, 2013

Mercado Juarez was one of my favorites and I was recently looking to go back (after over 20 yrs). The online reviews I read indicated that it had really gone downhill, so I didn't try it. Maybe the reviews were kinda' old, since I wasn't even aware that it had changed names.

Do the chips still have the paprika (?) on them and the pickled veggies on the table?

Edited July 23, 2013 by meaniegreenie

mdmeangreen · July 23, 2013

Yeah, the chips at Mercado Juarez were pretty darn good!

adman · July 23, 2013

Mercado Juarez is now El Guapo's...I believe the guy who owns and runs El Guapo's was working for Mercado Juarez at one time.

He actually came from Tia's. Was the GM there for years. Nice guy. Supports NT - some of you may remember his fajitas on the Hospitality deck at Fouts.

NT03 · July 23, 2013

El Guapo is the same guy who owned Tia's

Mean Green 93-98 · July 23, 2013

Mercado Juarez was the bomb, and it was still good when it changed to Cantina del Sol . . . I've been there once since they've been El Guapo's, and I will not go back.

Mazatlan (next to the bowling alley on University) is still good.

As far as good BBQ, is the Smokehouse on Fort Worth Drive still in business?

UNT 90 Grad · July 23, 2013

^{There is no "good" BBQ in Denton, closest you'll find may be in McKinney. I hear good things about Hutchins BBQ. They made Texas Monthtly's Top 50 list}

I had Hutchin's on Father's Day. Good stuff.

Side Show Joe · July 23, 2013

I'm sure I'll catch grief from some of the Mean Green fans out there for saying this, but I can't find good B-B-Q or Mexican food anywhere around Denton. I had Cousins down in Fort Worth. I know Texas Monthly had named them as good B-B-Q, but for me, it was just okay.

jtm0097 · July 23, 2013

The turkey from Rudy's is good. The rest of the food is mediocre. I agree there is not good BBQ in Denton. The best BBQ I have had around here was at Halls grocery in Colleyville. I'm sure there are better places in the metroplex. The best BBQ I have had is back in my hometown of Jefferson, Texas. Joesphs Riverport BBQ is the place. It made the top 50 in Texas Monthly, and is owned by a fellow UNT alumni. Mi Ranchito and El Guapos are not bad. There is also this taqueria off of Bonnie Brae that is not bad. It's east of 35 by the shady apartment complexes and beer barn.

oldguystudent · July 24, 2013

On a huuuuuuuge tangent, I'm going to Keiichi on Friday. Any bait eating fans out there who can justify the small nation GDP I'm about to drop at that place?

Edited July 24, 2013 by oldguystudent