Jan Kershner 1995

It was a late night of errand, with no time for diner.  And since I was driving we were lost, to boot.  As we rounded a corner in what I hoped was Hatfield, but what tuned out to be North Wales. We saw a map of Texas with the inviting words Tex Mex Connection.

Thinking it might be a lack of hot sauce causing my confusion. I veered into the parking lot, unfortunately missing the driveway, but coming to rest quite nicely near a tree.  After a brief struggle over the keys, my husband and I sallied south of the border.

The corner restaurant is small and cozy, with a seating capacity for about 50.  Connected to the restaurant through a small passage is a neighborhood bar, about half full this Wednesday evening.  I saw what appeared to me rope batting in the bar, and thought maybe the Blues Brothers were slated for an appearance, but restaurant owner Jane Keyes assured me later by phone that it was basketball machine game.

Keyes operates the restaurant portion of the establishment, and her father, William Keyes runs the bar.  “My daughter used to live in Dallas, Texas,” said Keyes, “and got hooked on Mexican cooking down there.”

“When I moved up here four years ago,” said Keyes, “I couldn’t find anything to compare with the Mexican food I was used to.  I just decided to open my own restaurant to offer homemade Mexican cuisine.”

The idea made her father a little apprehensive at first he admitted, but now he sings her praises, “Mexican food in North Wales,” he said “who ever heard of such a thing?”  But now it’s almost impossible to find a seat on the weekend without a reservation.  On Saturdays, she serves about 130 dinners, and we only seat 50.”  Plans are under consideration, he said, to expand the restaurant.

At a nice corner table, my husband and I began our meal with complimentary chips and salsa, pleasantly surprised that the house salsa had a little spice to it.  Subsequent rounds of chips and salsa cost $2.

The nachos we ordered as an appetizer ($4.25) were delicious, large chips with ample cheese and jalapeno peppers.  “We make everything from scratch here,” said the younger Keyes, “even our chips.”  The difference was noticeable, crisp and tasty, but not greasy.  “Many Mexican restaurants use lard for their frying,” she said “but we use only vegetable oil.”

Adherence to rules of good cooking and good health merge nicely in Keyes’ servings.  We don’t use salt in our cooking, not on anything but the chips.  There is no salt in the food, “no additives and no preservatives’” she said.  “My mother is a great cook who never used salt, so I never used it at home either,  When I opened the restaurant, I just decided that with high blood pressure and high cholesterol so prevalent, that I wouldn’t add to it with unnecessary ingredients or methods.”

For entrees, my husband and I each chose a combination platter ($7.50).  Platters include any two of the following: chicken, cheese, or shredded beef enchiladas; chicken or shredded beef chimichangas; chicken, spiced beef or bean and cheese burritos; chicken or shredded beef flautas; or chile rellanos.  Extras are $3.00 each.

Our choices included just about everything on the platter menu,  The chicken enchiladas were stuffed with large chunks of chicken, very tender, and smothered with cheese and homemade sauce,  The shredded beef used to fill the flautas, a fried corn tortilla, was spicy but certainly not hot.  Hot sauce is available upon request.

The chimichangas, or chimis, as our waitress called them, are deep-fried four tortillas stuffed with your choice of filling.  The amazing thing about the deep-fried items was that they didn’t even hint of grease but were crunchy and flaky.  Platters are served with Mexican rice, lettuce and tomatoes.

We also ordered cups of chile ($3.50), thick and rich and topped with generous melted cheese, and cornbread ($1.50), small squares with interesting bits of bacon and corn throughout.  Other side orders were included frijoles ($1.20), well-fried frijoles topped with cheese and onions ($1.75) and corn or flour tortillas with butter ($.75).

Tacos are available ranging from $1.50 for cheese or bean to shredded beef or chicken for $2.50.  Specialty dinners include Tex Mex ribs ($12.95), Cajun sirloin steak ($8.95), Texas t-bone steak (Friday and Saturday only (12.95) and Angels on Horseback, marinated shrimp wrapped in bacon and grilled over mesquite ($11.95).

Four kinds of Mexican beer are available from the bar, as well as several types of Margaritas.  The dessert menu includes flan, a traditional Mexican dessert with coconut ($2.50), Chocolate Decadence, a “sinfully rich” brownie a la mode affair, said Keyes ($3.25), and bourbon –laced pecan pie, the only item on the menu not made on premises ($3.25).

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