Sitting at home, watching NCAA conference championship weekend, the subject of lunch came up.  I mentioned the excellent chicken tacos my love had enjoyed at El Felix last weekend and that we could get the same things at Superica in about half an hour.  (Superica is Ford Fry’s newest Tex-Mex restaurant, in Krog Street Market, but when you walk in from the market, it’s like stepping into a restaurant in Austin, Texas.)  Next thing I knew, we were heading out the door and on to downtown, walking in their front door about 35 minutes after we walked out of our own.  (I love Saturday traffic.) 

Open just over a month, the patio was empty when we arrived (nearly full when we left 90 minutes later), but as we walked into the restaurant itself, it was fairly full.   We were seated at a table for two along the kitchen wall, with this giant longhorn over our head. 

The menu is similar to that at El Felix, with a few variations – including a forthcoming weekend breakfast menu.  The table is set with the same two salsas – one with roasted tomatilloes that is smoky with a kick to it and the other that has a creamy avocado base.  There is also a hot sauce – a housemade Tapatio – in a dispenser on the table that when sprinkled on a chip with the avocado dip made for quite a delicious bite.    

There was no question what was going to be eaten on the other side of the table, when it came time to order.  But she did ask if she could get a guacamole salad on the side.  The server said that she had never had that request before, but she didn’t see why it couldn’t happen.  It did.  I, on the other hand was torn.  I couldn’t decide between the tampiquena (a skirt steak, topped with a cheese enchilada and a fried egg) and the short rib, and  I was lamenting on the delimna to our server (who was wonderful, by the way). 

I was intrigued by the steak dish, honestly mostly by the cheese enchilada on top <g>.  The cheese enchiladas were my highlight of the meal we had previously.  She said that both dishes were good, but that the short rib was a “show stopper”.  So I went with the short rib.   But shortly after our order was placed, this cheese enchilada, arrived, piping hot. 

Sensing my apprehension of not having one with my meal, the server had one sent out from the kitchen as an appetizer.  It was an excellent touch.  And an excellent enchilada.  Before I was finished with the enchilada, the plates arrived.   She was so right – the short rib was a show stopper.  Heads were turning and watching the platter come to the table.  People stared.  Others pointed.  This thing was massive.  

A molasses glazed short rib (of a size that Fred Flinstone would have been proud, covered in a form of slaw (lettuce, onion and cheese) with two grilled jalapeños and warm, fresh tortillas.  The table had suddenly become very crowded.  

Then we had to make room for the rice and beans and I don’t think that we could have fit another thing on there.  The short rib was very good – fork tender and slightly sweet from the glaze.   The wood fired tacos across the way were as good as we both remembered.   It was a very good meal.  

The only issue I can raise is the cramped space – we were at a banquette where, when the server stood between the tables, her butt cheeks were over the salt and pepper shaker on the table next to us.  And everyone – patrons and servers alike – kept tripping over my chair.   Definitely not enough of an issue to discourage another visit, but I don’t want to go when I expect they’ll be full.