Just inside the door, sleek tortoise shell pendant lights illuminate a compact bar whose lacquered top is decorated with old Western movie stills and head shots. In the dining room, colorful landscapes and metal sculptures with a recurring sun and moon motif hang on walls painted in rich, mottled shades of honey, plum and tomato. The only sombrero you're apt to encounter is on the head of the margarita-bearing cartoon waiter that graces the menu.
The message is clear: Bravo's Mexican Grill, which opened on New Year's Day in Harrison Pointe Shopping Center, is not your father's Tex-Mex restaurant.
Not that Dad wouldn't recognize most of the menu, mind you, from chimichanga to burrito grande to the lunchtime Speedy Gonzales combo. Execution is a notch better than at most Tex-Mex joints, though, and the menu does offer a few items that don't fit the cookie-cutter mold. Lime tilapia, for instance, and an unlikely culinary fusion of Philadelphia and Mexico City called Bravo's cheese steak. Then there's an offbeat twist on pollo relleno featuring grilled chicken breast stuffed with ham, spinach and cheese, topped with "our creamy broccoli gravy."
If you're hankering for a little something besides the complimentary salsa to dip your chips into, you can choose from nine options, from guacamole to queso to the restaurant's specialty Texas dip, which serves up grilled shrimp, chicken and beef under a thick blanket of cheese salsa. The quesadilla selection is likewise extensive and includes mushroom, spinach, scallops and Mexican stew in addition to the usual suspects.
Catch the fish
Fajitas fans looking for a change of pace will find pork, vegetarian and a shrimp-and-scallop combination among the dozen or so choices. Those fortunate enough to talk a companion into sharing can opt for the parrillada for two, a mixed-grill feast of boneless marinated chicken breast, sirloin steak and two pork chops on a sizzling bed of poblano peppers, onions and tomatoes.
Tacos lean more to the Tex side of the Tex-Mex border, with ground beef and shredded chicken (hard or soft shell) heading up a short list. A handful of taqueria-style fillings (carne asada, pollo, al pastor, carnitas and chorizo) is available, though they won't win any converts among taqueria aficionados.
Fish tacos, on the other hand, are a keeper. The menu describes them as "two flour tortillas with delicious breaded fish, topped with cabbage and pico de gallo," but your server will probably inform you that you can also order the fish (tilapia) grilled. I did just that and wasn't disappointed.
Caldo de pollo is another winning option. Bravo's refined take on the classic meal-in-a-bowl chicken soup features shreds of boneless breast and chunks of zucchini and potato in a chile-reddened (but only moderately spicy) broth garnished with tortilla strips, avocado and a dab of pico de gallo. At $6, it's a bargain light entree or shareable first course.
Attention to detail
If the bulk of Bravo's menu appears indistinguishable from what's offered at countless other Tex-Mex eateries, rest assured that attention to detail makes the food stand out from the crowd.
The chicken breast in pollo Feliz is marinated in a blend of vinegar, oil and spices before being grilled and topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and molten cheese. The shrimp are extra large and deveined in coctel de camaron, where they mingle with chopped tomato, avocado, jalapeños, onions and cilantro in a large glass goblet filled to the brim with Mexican cocktail sauce, with a wedge of lime and the traditional saltines on the side. Even the cheese on the refried beans that accompany most entrees isn't the all-too-common mozzarella impostor, but authentic Mexican white cheese.
The kitchen turns out an authentic flan, too, though ordering it can be something of a gamble. On the bright side, it costs only $2.75 to find out whether the custard is delightfully smooth and creamy or disappointingly grainy on a given night.
Come to think of it, that's another plus for Bravo's Mexican Grill. While the restaurant clearly aims to raise the Tex-Mex bar, prices haven't risen accordingly
