Restaurant Review & Dinner at Casa Dominquez

This post is both a restaurant review as well as a recap of the Sudduth Friday night.  We were kindly invited to join our dear friends Jennie and Gardner Biggs at one of the oldest Mexican joints in Houston, Casa Dominguez.  This has been a favorite of mine for many years and Gardner and I usually made this our Friday night residence for many years just out of college.  Everyone knew we would be there and we would have as few as 2 and as many as 25 friends join us for dinner or just margaritas on any given Friday night.

An old matchbook from a long gone location

The little establishment is owned by Ken Trevino but was started many years ago by Pete Dominguez who at one time had a nice chain of Casa Dominguez restaurants in both Houston and Dallas.  Then the bottle and a heavy lifestyle took him away and last I read he was practically homeless and living in poverty.  Ken bought this location from him 20 years ago and it's been a staple along Bissonet ever since.  Until his recent retirement, you could always find Ken milling around the bar with a cocktail greeting customers and telling stories about some fish he caught with some professional sports figure years ago.

Many of the patrons are regulars including Gardner's parents and our friend's Don and JoyceLynn Childs, parents of a another old and good friend Clinton Childs.  In fact, both John (Gardner's Dad) and Don (Clinton's Dad) have menu items named for them.  I guess after you order the same item for 25 years, it gets named after you!

The Don Childs

Jalisco - John's Favorite

Joining us Friday evening were Jennie's parents, the wonderful Matt and Bonnie Delaney in from Kansas City for Spring Break.  If I think about it, I've known them most of my adult life and truly rank in my file as "Quality Folk".  Also in the usual Friday crowd were Gardner's Dad and his lady friend Toni, Don and JoyceLynn Childs and the Biggs' kids.

Mr. Photogenic decides he just can't look!

After lots of good food, a couple of good margaritas and a sampling of sangria, we took our leave and headed to the house.  Another successful trip to Casa D for the record books.  Alex Brennan of the famous Brennan's restaurants once said, "It's not the food that keeps people coming back, it's the memorable experiences associated with the restaurant".  I guess that's why this little Mexican joint in West University still has a nice following year after year...it provides a backdrop for wonderful memories filled with family, friends and good margaritas.  If you're in the neighborhood give it a try!