Former French Room Chef’s New Tex-Mex Restaurant Opens in Far North Dallas

In my opinion, enchiladas are the greatest Tex-Mex dish. So when I found out that a restaurant taking a chef driven approach to enchiladas was coming to Far North Dallas, my interest was piqued. LADA, a new fine-casual concept, comes from chef Michael Ehlert (formerly executive chef of Mirador and The French Room).

The Dallas-based chef, whose wife is a Texas native, told PaperCity last October that he’s always been interested in Tex-Mex, but hadn’t had the chance to really explore the cuisine until now. LADA’s new menu centered around enchiladas (six different options), elotes on stick, Mexican fried rice, and more gives Ehlert an excellent opportunity to offer his artful take on traditional favorites.

When you walk into the beautifully designed restaurant, a collaboration with renowned Austin architecture firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and FÖDA, you’ll quickly feel at ease. The space, filled with light blues, red-orange hues, and a stunning hand-woven tapestry menu board, is modern but warm — an aesthetic that extends to LADA’s spacious outdoor patio.

The ordering process is casual at LADA (you place your order at the counter before choosing your table), though this doesn’t take away from the restaurant’s elevated feel. For beverages, you can grab a local draft beer (El Chingon, Local Buzz), horchata, or one of the seasonally-flavored frescas.

Make sure to start out with the chicken tortilla soup, especially during these chilly winter months. The mango guacamole is also a must-try — but beware, it’s addicting. As for enchiladas, Ehlert predicted the Tipsy Chicken with beer-braised chicken and tomatillo sauce would be a crowd-favorite, and I can certainly see why.

All of the enchiladas, besides the Chedda Ricotta (a red chili sauce covered flour tortilla filled with ricotta and cheddar cheeses), are made with blue corn tortillas made in-house with Texas-sourced heirloom blue corn. This gives each dish a lighter feel without compromising any flavor. The other four enchiladas available are chipotle mahi, cider-glazed steak, orange-pepper carnitas, and shiitake mushroom.

And if you’re not into enchiladas (for some wild reason), there are tacos and variety of kinds of healthy salads on the menu, as well as sides like Spanish fries and fresh mango guacamole. With LADA’s special attention to fresh, quality ingredients, many of which are sourced from Texas farms, everything just feels a little healthier and lighter at LADA.

A true feat when enjoying Tex-Mex.

You can also feel good by giving back to your neighbors while dining at the restaurant. LADA recently launched its Whole LADA Love pay-it-forward campaign, which is giving 1,000 locals a way to show kindness to their neighbors by gifting a meal card for free dinner to-go from the restaurant. Each family that gets a meal card can then pay it forward to another family in the community.