La Tequilera del Patron brings tequila and taste of Monterrey to San Antonio

Despite the fact that its masa cup went soggy, another intriguingly named dish, atropellado (knocked down, run over…) norteño, demonstrated that the kitchen can turn out dishes with real depth of flavor. Yes, the dried beef was chewy, but that's machacado for you. Another appetizer, the poblano empanada filled with rajas de poblano, melted white cheese and (very little) corn, was too loosely cheesy for the tasting team, though the flaky pastry was perfect. But for all of its heft, a chamorro de puerco (pork shank), baked and "marinated with our house recipe" bombed for lack of flavor. Its bed of bland, refried black beans didn't help matters, and the toreado onions were strident, but some proper jalapeños toreados helped ease the pain by adding some.

However, I am happy to report that the Arrachera del General sported truly beautiful pieces of flavorful, uncut fajita meat, cooked to the desired medium rare. Yes, the accompaniments were forgettable, but bring on the beef again — preferably with a shot of, say, a Herradura or Tres Generaciones reposado in a proper glass.