Tortilla Flats Cafe

Big eats in small town Texas.

Website: www.tortillaflatscafe.com

It started with a layoff. Funny how a layoff can get you thinking about what you really want to do as opposed to what you've endured for too many years. Fortunately for me, I didn't have this dream deferred of starting a restaurant, cause I hear how much of a pain that can be and my philosophy is "No pain, no pain." So my layoff didn't result in a restaurant.

Also fortunately for me, Brenda did have such a desire, so when she got laid off last November she talked her poor husband into the scheme and thus was born Tortilla Flats Cafe in Roanoke. Texas, that is, not Virginia. It's up there north of Fort Worth a bit. I don't normally hang out in Roanoke, but it just so happened that my hyperactive CPA¹ suggested I head up north for some pre-tax-season triage to see just how bad it's gonna be in April, so I was in the area. Strong coffee and heavy number crunching left us with an appetite. We zoomed up 377, got confused in Keller and arrived in Roanoke around noon.

There was a line out the door, a good sign. We squeezed in and I snagged a table before the previous diners even had all their stuff off it while The Woman and the CPA placed the order. We got the brisket tacos (smoked and tasty!), chile verde tacos (just the right amount of kick!) and the chicken avocado wrap (oh man, moist grilled chicken, jasmine rice, sliced avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, ranch dressing).

In a recent Ft Worth Star-Telegram review Brenda said the wraps are like Mexican food for gringos. If that's true, I'm proud to be a gringo cause that wrap made me wish I had the capacity to try all the other wraps in one sitting. I especially cast a lustful eye over the Applicious: applewood smoked turkey, granny smith apples, cranberries, walnuts, feta cheese, romaine lettuce and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Holy Toledo, bandito! I might have to get more tax consultations than I had planned!

I washed it all down with a Jarritos Tamarind soda. If you haven't tried one of these babies, you need to stop what you're doing and try one out. They also have a collection of pastries that will make your head spin like a rotisserie chicken. There are so many reasons to go to this place that I'm surprised you're not already there.

If you're within 50 miles of Ft Worth, you need to zoom over to Tortilla Flats for lunch. Seriously. It's worth it. It's just that good. If you're farther out, print out this review and keep it in your glove box. One day you'll find yourself in the Metroplex area. Say you have a 4 hour layover at DFW. Perfect! A 10 mile drive north on 114 from the airport gets you to Roanoke. What could be easier? Just do it.

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1. For those interested in FredBook trivia, it was after listening to tall tales as related by said hyperactive CPA over a kung pao chicken lunch almost 20 years ago that Jolene Culpepper was conceived.