April is still giving us some beautiful weather, except for the strong thunderstorm last week that toppled a tree onto our neighbor's house. However, this past weekend brought in a slight cold front that delivered a sunny Sunday with the highs in the upper 60s.

My husband, Classic Rock Bob, and I found ourselves close to Midtown that day as we checked out the open house at the Italian Cultural Community Center. After listening to some opera, watching a little bocce and sampling some wines from TuttiLilli importers, we decided we needed to find a patio to make the most of what was left of the day.

I mentioned to CRB that the recently-opened Maximo had a covered patio so we headed over to the West University area. The new concept from Local Foods Group opened two weeks ago in the former El Topo space, located across from West U Elementary and sharing the same shopping center as Little Matt's. Thankfully, it was easy to find parking. Because of the nearby park, the area was teeming with families on the beautiful April day.
The patio area had a couple of open booths so we grabbed one plus a couple of menus that were by the front door. I knew Maximo was counter service so I figured we could sit down and have a look at the menu first before ordering. Within seconds, we had a manager over explaining the ordering system and another staff member delivering cute spatterware plates and silverware wrapped in blue and white cloth napkins to our table. We were also given water glasses, which were filled from a chilled bottle. These were all surprising and welcome touches for a counter service establishment.
CRB and I perused the small menu, which was created by Local Foods culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner and former El Topo owner Tony Luhrman. We made our choices and CRB went in to order. By the time he returned, the manager was right behind him with a frozen margarita. We told him that we had ordered two and he came back with a second one immediately.

Our Maximo margaritas were perfectly frozen, on the limey side, which I prefer, and not terribly strong. Or at least, they didn't taste strong. They kind of hit us later. We got the regular size which I think is the better deal at $12. The large margarita is $20 and if the ones delivered to the table next to us were the grande ritas, they didn't look that much bigger to warrant an extra 8 bucks.
Already, we were appreciating the friendliness and care that the staff were showing us and the surrounding customers. I overheard the manager tell another patron that at 5 p.m. the restaurant switched to waiter service. He lamented the fact that due to the size of the patio, they weren't able to accommodate as many people outdoors as they would like. Personally, I appreciated that the layout of the cozy area gave the tables a feeling of privacy.

Later, when I ventured into the interior dining space, it was very inviting with its cowboy and cowgirl artwork and burnt orange-velvet booths, creating a contemporary Southwestern ambiance of sunset colors.  The large picture windows in front, plus the open door, gave it a European feel with a nice flow between the spaces.
We had ordered queso and chips ($8) to start. I was torn between that and the chips and salsa ($5). However, CRB likes his cheese so that's what we chose. The menu stated that it also came with pico de gallo and salsa, which we didn't receive at first. That was quickly remedied by the manager who said he was still learning the menu. And I am glad we brought it to his attention because the queso itself was a disappointment.

The restaurant just opened a couple of weeks ago, so maybe it's a one-off, but the queso was very thin and runny. There were Fresno chiles in it but it was more like a sauce than a dip. The tasty homemade chips were on the thicker side and they deserved a queso that clung to them. Instead, I turned my attention to the salsa, which was a stellar smoky, roasted tomato dip that eclipsed the queso.
Our meals arrived right on the heels of our queso, so ordering at the counter all at once means that the food will probably come out that way as well. CRB had ordered the Maximo Plate ($16) which allows guests to choose two tacos from a list that offers Crispy Fish, Tempura Mushroom, Smoked Chicken, Barbacoa and Sweet Potato. He opted for the fish and the mushroom. The plate also came with a choice of two sides. Unlike most Tex-Mex restaurants, Maximo does not have beans of any kind on the menu. However, it offers another legume, lentils. We chose the rice and the Quinoa Elote Kale Salad for the accompaniments.
My dish was the Barbacoa Grilled Cheese. It was served with a side of escabeche, which seemed weird as a side. However, it was flavorful and very fresh. The pickling wasn't too heavy, just a tang of red vinegar on the carrots, onions and tiny florets of cauliflower which were tinged with pink from the vinegar. The barbacoa meat inside the sandwich was extremely tender, melting into the cheese itself. Or was the cheese melting into the meat? Either way, it was delicious. I gave CRB the other half and I was surprised that he really liked the sandwich since he's not a fan of beef. I think the texture of meat plays a big part in his dislike so the succulent barbacoa may have converted him. His one criticism was that the bread was too buttery (what?), then he dipped his sandwich into the queso. Go figure.

We then turned our attentions to the tacos. The Tempura Mushroom is a great idea, though the fry on the Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms was a bit much. Surprisingly, the batter on the fish taco was fine. I liked the fact that the mushroom taco also had a sprinkling of teeny-tiny pickled beech mushrooms to give a fresh contrast to the fried 'shrooms. The taco also had something the menu lists as corn nut chili crisp. All together, it was something a little different than the everyday taco.

The fish taco was crispy with the batter done all the way through, which doesn't always happen with fried fish. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what kind of fish it was because it had an almost peach-colored flesh like salmon. The avocado-pea puree brought a sweetness to it and it's an idea I might use the next time I make Mexican food at home. The taco had a lot going on with the lime crema, pickled Fresno chiles and radish but it was all held together by the homemade nixtamal tortillas which were thick enough to handle the multitude of ingredients.
The rice on the side was fine, though it oddly had a slight fish taste to it. The quinoa salad was a perfect choice to go with these kinds of tacos. With its healthy ingredients and fragrance of citrus, it is a refreshing alternative to heavier sides, especially during the summer. Guests may choose a soup instead of the two sides so the pozole, made by Local Foods, would be an option on cooler days.

As for the patio itself, it was one of the nicer ones I have enjoyed in a while. I am tired of restaurant patios that seem like an afterthought. Maximo's outdoor space offers very comfortable upholstered booths with mini succulent gardens running between them. A linear cactus garden guards the front, offering glimpses of the park across the street through the vertical cacti. There are fans and heaters and decorative light fixtures so it's ready for prime patio time.
The vibe is very much of a Continental cafe, with pedestrians walking past on all sides. I tried to talk CRB into another frozen margarita but instead, we split a Red Dawn ($13) made with Urapan rum and prickly pear. It was pretty but had way too much ice and went down like a couple of sips of fruit juice. We should have stuck with the margaritas.

I mentioned to CRB that most families would probably head to Little Matt's nearby because Maximo's menu wasn't really kid-friendly. Then, a family with three little girls sat by us and she told the girls that the kitchen could make them a burger or a cheese quesadilla so it seems the restaurant is willing to accommodate the families that visit the park or live nearby.
Except for the queso, which we will give them a pass for this time, it was a fabulous al fresco meal.. The flavors were unique and the service was top-notch. At least four different people came by to see how we were doing. All of these things together make a diner feel as if the owners and staff care about your experience, from the decor to the high-quality ingredients.

For a first visit, Maximo's patio outing was a success and a return visit with friends is already on the calendar.

Maximo
6119 Edloe
713-878-7774
maximo-htx.com