Like Abba sang, "I was so afraid, Fernando," I feared that the unlimited refills on the complimentary mimosas Fernando's Mexican Cuisine's advertised with its brunch would actually have an unstated limit. But unlike other brunch spots in Dallas that promote bottomless mimosas and then stop refilling your glass after the sixth or sometimes the third mimosa, the staff at Fernando's on West Northwest Highway didn't let any of our Champagne flutes see clear. They perpetually filled our glasses with the brunch beverage. We never even had to ask for a refill. The servers came by every couple of minutes with pitchers ready to top off our drinks.
All the items on Fernando's brunch menu except for one are less than $10, and each comes with free mimosas. Excellent deal. Plus, the restaurant provides complimentary chips and salsa. (Which should be a given -- I grew up in New Mexico where chips and salsa are always free and most places serve free sopapillas too. A few places here in Dallas have the nerve to charge for chips and salsa. Not nice.) The Sunday my date and I met two other couples at Fernando's, he ordered the huevos con chorizo, scrambled eggs with Mexican sausage and pico de gallo that came with refried beans and Mexican potatoes. In fact, three of the people in our party ordered the huevos con chorizo. They all liked the dish and the fact that it came with a full tortilla warmer. Two of us got the breakfast tacos, flour tortillas with scrambled eggs and either bacon or chorizo, potatoes, sautéed onions, peppers and tomatoes, also served with pico de gallo and refried beans. My flavorful tacos came with bacon -- I finished them. And the lone ranger at our table ordered the chilaquiles, scrambled eggs and corn tortillas sautéed with onions, tomatoes, chicken, cheddar and Jack cheeses that came with refried beans and Mexican potatoes. She enjoyed her plate, but not the fact that she missed out on the mimosas. So she vowed to go back to Fernando's after her baby is born.
Once we were all served and knew the mimosas would keep flowing, we each gave our holiday rundown and then quickly moved on to the next topic -- movies. It's the post-holidays nomination season, and everyone wanted to weigh in on his or her predictions and favorites. We talked about Black Swan, True Grit, The King's Speech, I Love You, Phillip Morris and how my date and planned to see The Fighter after brunch. Then we got on the topic of recent DVD releases and half the table went on and on about Inception. I hadn't seen the movie yet (yeah, I know) and decided to focus on my tacos and mimosa instead. I'd been on a date with this guy before and felt relieved of my duties to fully pay attention to everything he was saying.
By the time we got up to leave, we all felt full -- but not an all-you-can-eat-buffet-full, just a pleasant full -- and happy with our choice to eat at Fernando's. While you could dine at the always-good The Original Pancake House in the Village at Preston Hollow Shopping Center, I suggest taking one Saturday or Sunday to drive further down the shopping center and eat at Fernando's Mexican Cuisine. You'll enjoy the food (and drinks), the service and definitely the great price.