“We have a very small freezer, and a very large cooler because everything is fresh.”
Irma Arellano is from Reynosa, a town on the Mexican border near McAllen, Texas. Twenty-six years ago Irma and her husband, Mario, came to visit her mother who had been living in Bryan, Texas for a while; that’s when they decided this was a nice small town to raise their family. They had two young sons, and soon a daughter as well. Now all three are nearly grown. Their oldest lives in Iowa, finishing his PhD, the middle lives in Austin and is the director of a non-profit, and their daughter is in high school in Bryan. As deep as her roots run here, Irma’s heart still treasures and embraces her Mexican heritage.
As her children got older and needed less of her attention, Irma started thinking of something else she could do with her time. She would travel home to Mexico, and return to BCS with a car full of goodies, especially the homemade tortillas she loved so much. The hours-long drive in a car filled with the aroma of fresh tortillas inspired her first business idea; and in 2021 she decided to open the first tortilleria in BCS, in the heart of Downtown Bryan. While working on renovations for opening another tortilleria location, this time on Texas Avenue, she started talking to the owner of a restaurant that was selling next door. That’s when she started dreaming of opening a truly authentic Mexican restaurant, Frida’s Kitchen and Bar.
Frida’s has been open for a couple of months now and they’re off to a hell of a start. Irma said she was nervous about how her concept would be received; fresh, authentic Mexican foods that she grew up loving, with a modern flair.
If you’re looking for the usual tex-mex dishes, you won't find them here; be ready for a new and beautiful experience.
“We have a very small freezer, and a very large cooler because everything is fresh.” The cocktails are made with juices squeezed fresh daily and hand-crafted syrups. The horchata is made daily, along with all of the sauces, and of course the tortillas and chips from their sister company.
My evening started with Aguachile de Rib Eye. This was a sliced medium rare grilled ribeye covered in an aguachile sauce, topped with avocado, cucumber, and red onion, and served with crunchy tostadas. It's an appetizer, but definitely large enough to share. The steak was tender and nicely charred, and the sauce was tangy from the limes, and full of flavor from the peppers, and only mildly spicey. Get a bit of everything on top of the tostada for a blissful bite.
A beautiful blue rectangular plate came to the table next, Tostadas de Tinga. Three perfectly placed tostadas with a stack of shredded chicken atop each. The chicken had a light sauce of tomato and chipotle chili; then arranged on top of that was fresh sliced avocado, pickled red onions, and cilantro sprouts.
Next came the Tacos de Camote, a plate of corn tortillas loaded up like street tacos. Mounds of crispy sweet potatoes drizzled with house-crafted chipotle crema and topped with sliced avocado, pickled red onion, and cilantro spouts.
Both of these would make a perfect light lunch or a shareable for a tapas-style experience.
A gigantic bowl of steaming Barbacoa came out to the table, with a stack of piping hot corn tortillas, and bowls of goodies like onions, cilantro, lime, and salsa roja. This has got to be the best barbacoa I’ve ever had. Impeccably seasoned, succulent, and incredibly tender. This is a full pound of meat, so this is definitely a shareable (or leftovers) type of situation.
I have to admit, I felt kind of bad when I didn’t believe Irma. She showed me the Pan de Elote and told me that it was bread and not corn on the cob; I was in literal disbelief. I didn’t really believe her until I finished the photos and took the first bite. It’s a Mexican sweet corn cake, with a creamy corn sauce. It’s hard for me to describe this one. It had a similar moisture content as a tres leche cake, but it had such a soft sweetness that I enjoyed it as a side dish, like a piece of sweet cornbread at a BBQ joint. It was astonishingly good.
The Traditional Mole is a dish as rich in tradition as it is in flavor. A boneless chicken leg and thigh, covered in a healthy layer of authentic mole, served with a bowl of fluffy Mexican rice and warm tortillas. The mole at Frida’s is made with 26 ingredients…. Well, 25, and then they add some love too! It was a full-bodied and smooth sauce, a perfect way to round out the chicken. It was a wonderfully hearty dinner to give you a full belly and a huge smile.
The Tiradito de Betabel was a beautiful salad with bright flavors and textures. Beets on the bottom, a bed of fresh spring mix on top of that, then sprinkled with walnuts, pinenuts, and almonds. Salty queso fresco was crumbled across it and sliced, sweet strawberries nestled into the salad; then everything was drizzled with house-crafted balsamic honey. If you’re looking for a light and bright lunch to keep you on track with your goals, then this is a great option.
Lord have mercy, I’ve never experienced chicken and waffles, like these Chicken and Churro Waffles. Two huge pieces of white meat chicken were battered with a fluffy batter and fried to crispy, juicy perfection. To the side of it was a Belgium waffle, made from churro batter and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It was served with a side of syrup, and dulce de leche. I’m sorry, I can’t tell you if the syrup was good or not because I was stuck on the dulce de leche. With a rich caramel flavor and a silky texture, I was in love.
Before opening, Irma worked with a talented mixologist to create a cocktail list that is as surprising, fun, and enjoyable as the rest of the restaurant.
The Buenos Dias and Casa Azul were both light and refreshing drinks, that won't fill you up while you enjoy your brunch.
The Horchata is made by soaking rice every evening to make the rice water; it’s smooth and creamy, with a spiced flavor from the cinnamon. Then to make it better, mine was spiked with vodka.
I was astonished by the last drink though, the Corazon Oscuro, the Dark Heart.
One of my favorite drinks is an espresso martini because espresso - duh! But most of the time they taste like pure vodka with a hint of bottled espresso.
THIS bad boy tasted like ecstasy. It had a velvety, creamy feel in my mouth; a bold espresso and a dreamy chocolate flavor. It was cold, thick, and silky, almost like melted ice cream. This is a sneaky one, so watch out! With the flavor of a decadent dessert and a vodka kick, it will definitely jump out and get you if you don’t watch out. Unfortunately, I didn't grab a picture of it, because Irma and I were just relaxing and having a drink while we talked, so it didn't make it to the photo shoot.
Everything at Frida’s was out of this world good; an adventure of flavors and textures; as much a feast for the eyes as for my taste buds. The atmosphere was fun, lively, and bright; with the music turned up, and a smiling and attentive waitstaff.
If you’re looking for incredibly authentic Mexican food, outstanding drinks, or fantastic service, make sure you take the backroads on over to Frida’s Kitchen and Bar. Tell them I said Hi, and then come back here and let me know what you got - I might want to try it next time.
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3700 S Texas Ave, Suite Bryan, Texas
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