Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Tres Joses and Melis Taqueria

I'm combining these because my trip to both of these occurred in the everlasting quest for breakfast burritos.

Tres Joses has been recommended to me by tons of people and I have notarized documents telling me that its good. Oh really? Then how come they don't open until 11? What kind of breakfast burrito place opens at 11? Who lies to people and tells them to go eat breakfast burritos at a place that isn't even open to sell breakfast burritos?

Also, how come the lady inside Tres Joses at 10 in the morning can't recommend a good place for breakfast burritos? You're telling me that a person who chooses to work at a mexican restaurant (and therefore presumably likes mexican food) cannot recommend a place to get breakfast burritos? She might as well have said "I heard McDonalds sell them now."

So, needless to say, Tres Joses is on my list of places that I'll complain about until I eat there and love it and stop complaining.

Since the three Joses couldn't help me, I went to Melis Taqueria on Vickery. This place looks like a shed with a porch. Plus, there was a shooting there a few weeks ago (nobody died). What can I say, I like to live on the edge. I'm a danger seeker. So, up I pulled, in my pastel polo, with knit cardigan draped over my shoulder. My boat shoes had been freshly oiled so the leather would repel any errant wave spray. I was ready for a breakfast burrito.

The breakfast burrito (or taco, if you like) is good here. The tortilla is warmed independent of the rest of the food and has just enough crisp to be its own item. The eggs, bacon, potato, cheese, and beans melded nicely and all seemed to have good flavor. But the best part was the hot sauce. It was spicy enough to give you a little wake up call (I had liberally basted my burrito with this sauce) but not so much that you can't taste happiness for the rest of your life.

If you go, I have two recommendations. Don't order the coffee, and if you order the coke, ask for the glass bottle. Then it will be a real mexican taco stand adventure. I don't care if its 9 in the morning. Get a glass bottle of coke like all the other people there and enjoy yourself. You're already going to be fat if you go to 10% of the restaurants I recommend. Why not be fat and hyper?

I'll post an update after I go for lunch one day to get the tacos al pastor.

Melis is on Vickery between Hulen and Montgomery, west of the Swiss Bakery and the strip with the Discount Liquor (I didn't know I shopped at premium liquor stores).

Tres Joses is on White Settlement at the big curve. Its never open when I want it to be open. Its on my list.

Melis Taqueria on Urbanspoon

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

The breakfast burrito @ Melis is the greatest breakfast burrito on Earth (and I'm not exaggerating)! They are made fresh, white cheese, a little bit of refried beans on a burrito w/ fresh grill marks. I usually get the chorizo or bacon (really like chunks of well cooked pork) and specifically ask for the red sauce. The place is an even mix of hispanic day workers and gringos in their SUV. Breakfast burritos only until 10:30 or 11 and the regular burritos, tacos and tortas are very good. I live off Vickery and go by all the time, I think they are open 365 days a year.

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

I held off from calling them the greatest breakfast burrito on Earth for two reasons.

First, I have it on good authority that a place in Lubbock has a very strong contender. It's a mushier mess on the inside, but its good. Seriously, they are good enough to keep a person living in Lubbock from killing him/herself.

Second, I am thinking that there is no way, in this great Fort, did I hit the number one burrito on my first time out (Palenque doesn't count because I had something different).

That being said, and taste being as subjective as it is, I think you have a valid argument that it is the greatest breakfast burrito on Earth. I will, however, have to hold off on saying that.

cd0103 said...

Hmm-- I thought Tres Joses sold breakfast burritos early in the morning. They used to? I will drive by on Friday

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

Cdees, I thought so too, but the hours on the window say they open at 11. Do they secretly open early on weekdays?

Anonymous said...

Tres Joses has a guy with a cart in the parking lot in the mornings (at least when I past by at 7:30 am). Many mornings there is a line 3 - 4 cars deep waiting for burritos. I keep thinking I will try them one morning but usually am not hungry on my way to work.

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

So that's the secret! Time for me to make a trip to the parking lot cart guy...that sounds like a drug deal.

Anonymous said...

Be sure to get to Tres Joses fairly early because they tend to run out around 8 or 8:30. Also, the burrito man doesn't work on the weekends. I think that should change!

I can vouch for the burritos though. They are great and inexpensive. $1.25 buys you a choice of chorizo, bacon, or jalapeƱo & egg (I may be forgetting one or two).

cd0103 said...

Yeah-- what they said.

Steve said...

I usually go for the green sauce at Melis along with my two Chorizo b'fast tacos. Mmmm. A friend that I go with always gets that orange Mexican beverage, Jalisco?, but it's way too sweet IMO.

Anonymous said...

I'm with hadji. Melis is the best -- so tasty and cheap. No need to choose just one sauce. Drizzle the red and green together. Now if they just had a downtown location...

Unknown said...

That place your talking about in Lubbock. Was it that one right across from the practice football field? I cant remember what it was called but that was in '02 last time I was there. Anytime someone asks what would be my last meal on my death bed I tell them that place.

Unknown said...

The place in Lubbock is Picantes. SO good! Huge burritos, cheap, and it is totally authentic. Homemade tortillas and everything!

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

The place in Lubbock I am referring to is JC's. Although I would say the Burrito Tower is second. JC's is on 19th out past the loop on the west side. Burrito Tower is on 35th, across the street from Uncle Chien's.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, I thought I was the only one who knew about this place. Been going here for 10 years.

Well, I don't want to be so stingy to keep the goodness of Melis away from fellow Fort Worthians.

The last time I went (before recently) was a good 7 years. I was doing work in the area and decided to stop by.

Yep, a mess of stinging insects buzzing about.

Yep, the bottle opener on the wall.

Yep, the food is killer.

More things that change (me), the more they stay the same (Melis).

Marcos said...

Love me some Melis. Nothing has changed since 2007. I prefer the taco's with no beans, add potatoes with bacon. Yum. Green sauce FTW.

Though what this post really made me realize was just how bad the breakfast burrito scene is in Ft Worth compared to the cornucopia that Lubbock has to offer.

Oh well. Kinda like this blogger, Melis was the 1st one I tried and 5 years later I refuse to believe there's not something better around here that I just haven't found yet.

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

Marcos, amazing isn't it, that a town less than half the size of Fort Worth has so many more burrito options?

Thanks for commenting

Anonymous said...

You have to try the Quick stop up the road its in a convenience store, I work next to melis, and the convenience store blows away there breakfast burritos..

Fort Worth gal said...

Where's the Quick Stop up the Road? There's quite a few Quick Stops in Fort Worth.

Anonymous said...

the best breakfast burritos are in abilene, la popular, on pine street. they beat anything in fort worth.

FortWorthHoleInTheWall said...

That's very useful information.