El Real Tex-Mex Cafe

El Real Tex-Mex Cafe is a satisfying return to form for a worthy genre: old-school Tex-Mex, in the style of Felix and other dearly departed restaurants from years past. It's a star-studded collaboration between the original Tex-Mex apologist (and former Houston Press food critic) Robb Walsh and celebrity chef Bryan Caswell, so the food could easily be over-hyped. But it delivers. Get a plate of chili con carne-smothered cheese enchiladas and you'll wonder where they've been all your life. Ditto the San Antonio-inspired puffy tacos with mesquite-smoked chicken and the refried beans made with pure, rendered lard. Yes, lard.