Nick Reynolds
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Plata o plomo? It’s said notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar would ask this simple yet terrifying (which was the point) question to close business deals. And it really wasn’t a question, either. What it means is, Silver or lead? You can take the bribe or the bullet. Your choice. As you can imagine, it was quite effective.
For obvious reasons, you wouldn’t want the latter. But in this case? Yes. Give us Plomo.
Plomo Quesadillas is a newly opened quesadilla bar in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood. It’s so new we could almost smell the fresh paint on the walls. This quesadilla bar was founded on the campus of the University of Arkansas and served as a late-night grub haven for drinkers, partiers and students (specifically the menagerie of all three). Like its Arkansas brethren, this location will be open deep into the night. Likely way after curfew. From Thursday through Saturday, you’ll be able to score a bevy of unique and traditional quesadillas until 4 a.m.
With the plethora of nightlife and bars that line Henderson and neighboring Lower Greenville, it’s easy to see how Plomo could become one of the area’s top late-night munchies options. Speaking of munchies, Dallas restaurant E-Bar Tex Mex made some waves locally by implementing a no-serve rule for any customers who reek of weed.
Plomo, however, embraces it. A recent Instagram post says, “If you have the smell of marijuana on you, we will 1,000% serve you.” So feel free to hotbox your ride.
We stopped by for lunch recently and grabbed a couple of quesadillas and sides. Circling back to Pablo Escobar, there’s a quesadilla at Plomo named after the drug lord that we naturally had to try. The Escobar ($9) quesadilla is stuffed with ribeye, Jack cheese, avocado, elote and pickled red onion. You’ll also select from nine sauces to complement your quesadilla, from chipotle to sriracha to a spicy mango sauce. We went with chipotle.
Even stone-cold-sober in the middle of the day, this was a great quesadilla. We could see it being even better after a night of barhopping. On the side, we had queso and chips ($3.50 for a small), which was fine if unspectacular. The tortilla chips were long-stripped and thick-cut.
The “Escobar” comes piping hot and filled with ribeye, jack cheese, avocado, corn and pickled red onion.
Nick Reynolds
Our next quesadilla was the El Chapo ($9), named after the infamous (and now imprisoned) Sinaloa Cartel boss. As you can see, Plomo’s a big fan of legendary drug lords. After our trip to Plomo, we had a sudden urge to go home and binge-watch the Netflix series Narcos again. This quesadilla creation features piquant pork chorizo, Jack cheese, pico, pickled radish and cilantro.
We also recommend Plomo’s elote ($3 for a small): corn, cotija, cayenne, a dash of lime and mayo, all topped with a sprinkling of cilantro. Good stuff.
Other quesadillas we’ll have to try next time include the Vasquez (Caribbean jerk chicken, Jack cheese, mango, pickled jalapeños, Sriracha, cilantro) and Rick Ross (chopped brisket, Jack cheese, avocado, jalapeños, pickled red onion, salsa verde). Some quesadillas get even wilder the further you venture into the menu, like the Mac Miller, which comes filled with chorizo, mac and cheese, pico and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
If you’re looking for more traditional, less souped-up quesadillas, those are here, too, like cheese, steak, chicken and brisket quesadillas. There’s also an option to “dirty” your favorite quesadillas for two extra dollars: Plomo will add a layer of fried cheese to the surface of your quesadilla. Why even ask?
Plomo Quesadillas, 1802 McMillan Ave. Sunday – Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Thursday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 4 a.m.