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September 10, 2004 > Arts & Entertainment > Dining: Casa Manhattan gives typical Tex-Mex a creative twist

Dining: Casa Manhattan gives typical Tex-Mex a creative twist

By Emily Holcombe | Thresher Editorial Staff

Living in Houston, most of us have enjoyed huge amounts of Tex-Mex food. After this many fajitas and enchiladas, however, all Tex-Mex begins to taste the same. While we can fight over the tiny nuances of the food from Ninfa’s, Chuy’s and Pappasito’s, at some point we must try something unique. Which leads us to Casa Manhattan, a stylish new Tex-Mex restaurant in Midtown. The restaurant opened in July and caters mostly to a late-night crowd of hungry and fashionable bar-hoppers. Casa Manhattan claims to combine great Tex-Mex recipes with ‘the one-of-a-kind, late-night atmosphere of Manhattan.’ Its simple decorations and earthy colors evoke a sophistication rarely found in Houston. Metal stars hang from the ceiling and small candles sit on every table, creating a classy and romantic mood. Mariachi music and beautiful tile work in the hallways are the only decorative hints of its Tex-Mex flavor. Casa Manhattan is small, but it offers three seating options. Customers can eat in the stylish bar area, the cozy dining room or outside on the casual patio. But be aware that if you plan to eat outside, you will be sitting almost in the building’s parking lot. The menu at Casa Manhattan is one of the restaurant’s biggest selling points and appears as diverse as that of any other Tex-Mex restaurant. While it includes salads, some interesting specialty dishes and Mexican pizzas, as well as the usual tacos, burritos, fajitas and enchiladas, what makes this menu special is an element of choice. Not only does Casa Manhattan let you ‘build your own’ taco plate and choose your own fillings and sauce for enchiladas, it also offers an à la carte menu. You can combine tacos, enchiladas, chalupas, vegetables, rice and beans to create your own platter. We decided to try Casa Manhattan for dinner on a Thursday night. A host casually greeted us and allowed us to select any table in the empty restaurant. Like most Mexican restaurants, chips and salsa arrived at the table immediately. Disappointingly, Casa Manhattan’s salsa is lackluster — it tastes like tomato sauce, and the queso has the consistency and taste of Velveeta. After this initial disappointment, the exciting main course pleasantly surprised me. The enchiladas are far from typical and some of the best I have ever had. Flour tortillas are tightly rolled and stuffed with extremely flavorful shredded chicken and topped with a delicious and unusual creamy ranchero sauce, which was recommended by the waiter. The beef fajita burrito contains a perfect mix of onions, beans and rice, as well as well-marinated, tender beef. The chicken taco, however, blandly combines only chicken, onions and peppers. For desert, we tried the sopapillas, another great recommendation from the server. Their warm, dense and sweet taste ended the meal perfectly.
The service at Casa Manhattan is extremely casual and relaxed. If you are in a hurry or prefer efficient and professional restaurant service, Casa Manhattan will not impress you. Each course took at least 15 minutes to arrive, and no server ever seemed rushed. However, every employee who waited on us was exceptionally friendly. While our water glasses were not always full and we spent some time waiting, we also never felt hurried and felt comfortable lounging through dinner. Aside from the food and the ambience, there are a few other practical reasons to try Casa Manhattan. Most importantly, it is open until 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Casa Manhattan is not as expensive as its fashionable decor suggests. Main entrees cost $8-$15, and items on the à la carte menu all cost less than $4. Most Mexican restaurants have great salsas, boring entrees, large and noisy dining rooms, and very casual atmospheres. Casa Manhattan, however, is special. The food is unusual and tasty, the service is friendly, and the ambience is hip.

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