What would happen if you introduced a Tex-Mex restaurant to a sweet little down home breakfast joint and then taught them how to make mouth watering barbecue? Dos Pancakes, that's what would happen.
My family and I have been frequenting this restaurant for a few months now and honestly everything we have eaten there is fantastic.The restaurant itself is located next door to a gas station that's right off of 85 North immediately after you get off the exit for Hamilton Mill. Not surprisingly the building used to be an old Huddle House and from the outside it doesn't really resemble anything more than that. Wonderfully though, what is found on the inside is light years away from greasy truck stop food, it is a little piece of culinary mash-up heaven.
As you walk in the door you are greeted warmly by Sam who also checks on you throughout the meal asking if you need anything and also your opinion on the dish you're having, which scores big points from me. If he is brave enough to ask what our opinions are as diners that means he values them, which also means he is always trying to improve things to make the experience better. And let's not forget Felipe! The head chef who makes us all happy. Everything is hot, tasty and cooked to perfection when it reaches the table.
Obviously I am a big fan of this diner as I've eaten here several times before but just to give you an idea of what others are saying I asked a few regulars what their opinion was of the restaurant and this is what they had to say about the food at Dos Pancakes.
Mary:
"Everything I have tried so far is delicious. From the fish tacos, to the chorizo's, to the omelets, to the quesadillas, anything you try is phenomenal. I like that everything is freshly made, that nothing is processed and that is what really attracted me to the restaurant."
Julie Richardson:
"My favorite is the Mexican Pyramid. It's got the chicken pieces that are grilled and then the rice in the middle, and then the broccoli (around it) and then the cheese dip is all on top of it, it's really good! It's delicious!"
And when it came to her teenage daughters' favorite?
"The best cheese quesadilla ever, she doesn't like them anywhere else except for here."
Her daughters other standby item is the queso and chips. So much so that even when they come for breakfast she will sometimes order that instead of a breakfast item. The fact that she is able to do that though is what Jennifer thinks is
"the best thing about this place." Delightedly adding that
"you can get mexican whenever you want!". If I want Brisket first thing in the morning I can have it. If I want a big pile of banana nut pancakes with a side of eggs for dinner, I can have it. Freedom of food! Ah, the beauty of eating in America. God bless the USA! Sorry, I'm a food enthusiast, I can get carried away.
So what did we have for dinner last night? Well, we had THIS! Chili Relleno with chicken!
First of all, this Chili Relleno isn't fried!
GF friends rejoice! Seriously though, so often people will deep fry the mess out of these peppers, which in my opinion can kill the flavor of the entire thing. Not this bad boy. It has been grilled till it's just soft enough to cut with a fork and stuffed to overflowing with your choice of beautifully seasoned meat (chicken, beef, or shrimp) jalapenos, red and yellow pepper slivers, onions and a light and slightly sweet poblano cream sauce. Everything about it was light and fresh and filling. I think this might be my favorite dish thus far, granted I haven't tried everything on the menu yet but that is going to happen eventually. The entre is served with fresh refried beans and mexican rice and the portions were enough for my mother and I to split but I could definitely consume this entire meal if it was just myself eating and it wouldn't be seen that as over-eating. It really is a single adult serving which I think more restaurants should do.
So after we polished off dinner we had to have a little something sweet. That is where the Apple Chimichanga enters the story.
I recently spent three days in downtown Atlanta dining at some of the best restaurants in town and I promise you, none of the deserts I had in those restaurants came even close to this. It is apple pie a la mode but wrapped in a fried, homemade flour tortilla sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar! It is heaven on a plate. You will notice immediately after tasting the filling that it is less sweet and dense than you wold expect it to be. That's because the filling, instead of the regular cornstarch and sugar combo, is made from agave syrup. It allows the taste of the granny smiths to come through as opposed to other similar pies or fried deserts that cover up the main ingredient with an overload of sugar and cinnamon. And as for portion size? It is easily a two person desert. I'm sure some folks could eat the whole thing...
*cough*...Dad...*cough*... But if you are watching your weight then half is plenty!
To sum up our experience I have only one thing to say: Go now!
The service was wonderful, the atmosphere is family friendly and the food was fantastic! So please, call up a few friends your sweetheart or your family to invite them to come have a unique dining experience at Dos Pancakes!
