Cyclone Anaya's
3211 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-420-0030
Recent visits to this popular outpost of the Houston-based chain inspire two observations.
First, bars and restaurants in Dallas consider the Margarita a child's drink. Order the famous Tex-Mex cocktail and, with a few exceptions, they bring out something bar-syrup sweet and only vaguely alcoholic, the sugary limeade flavor disguising shortcomings in the tequila department. Occasionally you pick up on a familiar effervescence in the background, a flitting taste similar to Sprite. Unfortunately, these candied concoctions tend to draw raves from the city's drinking crowd--maybe because it's possible to pound them all night without fear of a DWI.
Cyclone Anaya's 'celebrated' Margaritas fit the Dallas palate...and its pre-recession credit limits. They are far too sedate for the price tag.
The second observation is more frustrating: in a city proud of Tex-Mex
flavors, it takes very little to achieve popularity. Supposedly savvy
diners praise mediocre joints and even place barely-above-the-norm
chains on their top ten lists. Standouts exist, of course--but
compare some of the more successful Dallas Tex-Mex places to, oh, a
weathered rural tamale stand and you'll see just how far the city's
expectations have fallen.
Simply put, there's no reason a well-funded restaurant can't match some small mom and pop kitchen. But few try.
Cyclone Anaya's earned its popularity by quickly and easily rising
above the city's norm. They deserve some praise for creativity and more
for the warm, husky shreds of beef in their version of the
tamale...although their sauce falls into the suspect category.
Consistency has been a problem. Service on recent occasions has been
doting, but marred by little flaws--poor expediting one day (when the
entree arrived shortly after the appetizer), missing silverware
another. On my most recent visit their interpretation of ceviche turned
into a two-faced mess, with all the chilis crammed into one ferocious
triangle and the rest seeping far more lime than should be necessary to
cure fish.
But the salsa...bold, smoky, earthy, but with a monomaniacal attitude. A hint of complexity and a pretty solid kick.
