Sue & Bob Gordon

Tucked away in the tiny hamlet of North Wales is a Tex Mex restaurant that stacks up with the vest anywhere.  It was started more than 10 years ago by Jane Keyes who returned to Pennsylvania after living for a few years in Texas where she developed a love for chilies, cilantro, moles and salsa.  She rented the back room of a friend’s tavern and began to offer upscale Tex Mex dishes to an appreciative clientele.  Now Jane is out of the kitchen, replaced by Ben Vaso, a talented local chef who trained at Philadelphia’s Restaurant School.  The Tex Mex Connection has blossomed into an attractive second floor restaurant with warm terra cotta walls and soft sage woodwork

When you are seated, a server brings the de riguer basket of tortilla chips- but these are homemade, and the accompanying bowl of spicy tomato salsa is delicious- full of fresh cilantro and sweet, ripe, tomatoes.  For starters, the menu offers traditional dishes like Black Bean Soup ($3.50) and 7-layer Dip ($6.95).  But there are also marvelous house specials like Crab Nachos ($6.95),  a right-sized dish of light flour tortilla chips topped with large lumps of crab, Monterey jack cheese and fresh pineapple salsa, then drizzled with a thin ribbon of avocado cream.  Or try the fabulous Rojo de Camaron ($6.95), an exquisite cerviche served in an oversized martini glass.  Tender lime and tequila-marinated shrimp are layered with shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro and minced onion and topped with think tortilla strips.  Three skewers of beautifully translucent ahi tuna provide a delicious garnish.

The list of entrees showcases the chef’s range and creativity, proving that great food doesn’t have to break the bank.  The most expensive choice on the regular menu is $16.95, and daily specials are rarely more.  There is a marvelous Turkey Mole for $12.95, a superb rendition of Grilled Flank Steak with roasted peppers for $13.95 and Tex Mex Crab Enchiladas finished with a light tomatillo cream sauce for $14.95.  For something really special, try the Red Chili Chicken ($12.95), two plump. Moist breasts blanked with a velvety sauce of pureed. Roasted peppers touched with sweet cream.  It is served with “Slang-Jang”- a Texas tomato salsa that includes coarsely chopped cucumbers, peppers and onions, Chef Vaso always prepares a “Pescado Del Dia” (fish of the day) based upon the freshest seasonal offerings.  On our most recent visit, the pescado selection was Shrimp and Scallops with Crab Butter baked in a golden crescent of puff pastry.  It was accompanied by fragrant red rice and perfectly sautéed matchstick vegetables.  My husband’s one word description?  Outstanding!

And Tex Mex has the best homemade chocolate ice cream I’ve ever tasted.  It’s based on a specially blended Mexican chocolate syrup flavored with cinnamon and other spices which add a depth of flavor that is sheer perfection.

<< Back to Reviews