Comments on: In Oak Cliff, Tex-Mex is a sacred tradition

By: Steve Watson

Steve Watson — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:50:47 +0000

El Fenix in Oak Cliff was quite a treat for us. Our family ate there nearly every Sunday after church. I can still taste those tamales covered in con carne sauce & cheese. We also dined at the McKinney Ave. location. A bit fancier with the Mariachi band and homemade tortillas. Portraits of well known Dallasites and celebrities adorned the walls of the building. I believe the artist was Demitri Vail. Thought that was kinda weird having these paintings staring at you ala “Twilight Zone”. Maurice, I do remember La Tupinamba’s. Ate there a couple of times – should have changed it’s name to “Dante’s Inferno”…A little too original for my taste…

By: Maurice Eason

Maurice Eason — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 17:50:14 +0000

Gayla, one of my favorite Tex-Mex places was Tupinamba which I believe was on Ft. Worth Ave., Davis or Jefferson just west of Hampton Rd. That location has been closed for a number of years but there is one on Inwood Rd. just north of Forest Lane and plans to build a new one in Frisco. Also, I needed to have a cherry coke with my Kip’s Big Boy.

By: Sherrie Luttrell Voegele

Sherrie Luttrell Voegele — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:21:47 +0000

What memories this article brings back…and especially all the posts. Sunday lunch after church at Hampton Place Baptist was either Wyatt’s Cafeteria in Wynnewood Shopping Center, El Fenix or El Chico, and also Naler’s Fried Chicken. Austin’s was for during the week if mother didn’t want to cook one night or if daddy was out of town.

By: Bitsey Ker Loy

Bitsey Ker Loy — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:06:42 +0000

Your article was great. Brings back lots of old memories. My family loved El Chico’s and Buddys loved El Fenix. Our alltime favorite was Naler’s Fried Chicken. I think one was on Davis and one in the Westmoreland Heights Shopping Center. I’m glad you remember a lot of these things about Oak Cliff. Helps me to remember. Do you remember Polar Bear Ice Cream down on Ft Worth Ave across from Lake Cliff Park? First Mexican food then ice cream. Yummy

By: Margaret Dandridge Herring

Margaret Dandridge Herring — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:44:02 +0000

I loved hearing all about your memories of eating in Oak Cliff. I think that most of you went to Adamson or Sunset. My group went to South Oak Cliff so there were no lunch breaks to any of these great places. Kip’s Big Boy was near my last home in Oak Cliff, just off Sangner (sp not known)and Illinois. Of course we did love to go to Red Bryans after a game. Thanks for reviveing all these great memories. What happened to the effort to save the big church that was about to be towrn down. Did the historical group raise enough money to stop the distruction? Now I live in East Texas and do not hear all that is going on there. Margaret Dandridge Herring

By: john

john — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 20:30:45 +0000

You forgot to mention the original Taco Wagon on Davis, And not the current one. And those famous carne guisada tacos.

By: Vonnie Brown Schoenrock

Vonnie Brown Schoenrock — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:23:39 +0000

I remember him well Sharon!!You and me and Peggy Palmer…oh what memories…Mostly good…..Me and the girls would go to El
Fenix, order one enchalada and fill up on chips and hot sauce….

By: Gayla Brooks Kokel

Gayla Brooks Kokel — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 18:19:41 +0000

I’ll keep a record of everything you guys are posting, all of which is great! So any of you who have memories of eating at Austin’s, email them to me at gkokel@advocatemag.com. I plan on doing that column sometime in late spring. However…I have a word limit. So I may or may not be able to use every comment. Thanks for reading!

By: Sharon Holland Enenkel

Sharon Holland Enenkel — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:56:00 +0000

Gayla, Thanks again! I can almost taste the food! Up here in Canada there is nothing that can compare! Last Mother’s day my youngest son mailed me El Fenix Hot Sauce and Chips! What a treat!

P.S. When you write about Austin’s, don’t forget Officer Tippett who put fear in everyone and he paraded down the aisles.

By: Martha Owens Garcia

Martha Owens Garcia — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:48:48 +0000

When you write about Austin’s, be sure to mention the “Corn Puppies”. Bite-sized corn dogs served in either a “litter of six” or a “litter of eight”. Yum!

I moved away from Dallas in 1964, but still have fond memories of Oak Cliff. I thoroughly enjoy your column (which my cousin e-mails to me)!