Stampede 66

Stampede 66 is a restaurant that I have been wanting to try for quite some time.  This Stephan Pyles restaurant has received favorable reviews from many critics and diners alike.  The menu has an intriguing blend of Tex Mex, Southern comfort food, and cowboy classics.  My wife and I were staying in downtown Dallas for a wedding this past weekend, so we decided to meet a buddy of mine at Stampede 66 and try out their food.

Dining area and bar at Stampede 66

When I first walked into Stampede 66, I was impressed with the traditional Texas decor that was enhanced by vibrant colors throughout the restaurant.  The ambiance was very lively and the restaurant had a high energy level among the crowd.  Our waiter informed us that there was no "wrong way" to order from the menu and advised us to try some of the various menu items for starters.  I ordered a beef brisket taco and a pork barbacoa taco.  My wife ordered the fried green tomatoes and my buddy ordered the tortilla soup with a side of the Mexican cornbread.

Pork Barbacoa and Beef Brisket Tacos 

Taco relish tray

My tacos were brought out with a relish tray that included two different types of hot sauce, diced onions, cheese, lime, and cilantro.  The pork barbacoa taco had great flavor, but certainly played second fiddle to the beef brisket taco.  After inhaling both tacos, I wished I would have ordered two more of the brisket tacos which were some of the best I have had recently.

Fried Green Tomatoes

My wife enjoyed her fried green tomatoes, which were served with fresh mozzarella sandwiched between the tomatoes.  She claimed that this dish was the best thing she ate at Stampede 66.  I tried one and they were certainly commendable.  Our friend said his tortilla soup was great and also gave a thumbs up on the Mexican cornbread.

Tortilla Soup

For my entree, I was torn between desire for the honey fried chicken and the chicken fried buffalo steak.  My wife helped me make my decision by saying that she was going to order the fried chicken and would give me a piece to try.  With her decision made, I ordered the chicken fried buffalo steak which was served with loaded mashed potatoes and pea salad.  

When my order came out I was surprised to see that it did not come with traditional white gravy.  Instead, it was served on top of a queso-like gravy.  I didn't really know what to expect with the flavor of the gravy, but it was delicious and enhanced the flavor of the dish.  The batter on the chicken fried buffalo steak was crunchy and the meat was tender.  The loaded mashed potatoes were good,  but the pea salad was rather bland.  In the end, pea salad is still pea salad.

Chicken Fried Buffalo Steak, Loaded Mashed Potatoes, and Pea Salad

My wife gave me a chicken breast and I absolutely loved the honey fried chicken.  The chicken is injected with honey and it gives it a very unique taste.  I adored the flavor of the fried chicken and was particularly impressed with the crispy batter.  I thought it was one of the best pieces of fried chicken I have ever had, but my wife didn't like it near as much as I did.  Our friend also ordered the chicken and he also liked it.  The fried chicken was also served with mashed potato tots and biscuits.  We all three agreed that the mashed potato tots were great, but we were unimpressed with the biscuits.

Honey Fried Chicken, Mashed Potato Tots, and Biscuit

For dessert, my wife and I shared the seasonal cobbler.  The cobbler on this visit was a white peach cobbler served in a cast iron skillet.  This dessert was disappointing and didn't live up to my expectations.  The consistency of the cobbler was somewhat runny and neither the peaches or the crust were very sweet.  The other member of our group ordered the butterscotch pudding and he said it was a much better dessert than our cobbler.

White Peach Cobbler

Butterscotch Pudding

Stampede 66 gets somewhat of a mixed review from me.  It had some hits and some misses.  When I go back, I will certainly order more of the brisket tacos for an appetizer and would eat the honey fried chicken any day of the week.  If I get the chicken fried buffalo steak again, I will ask them to substitute the pea salad for more of the mashed potatoes.   The service was great on our visit, but the noise level made it hard to carry on a conversation at times.  I enjoyed my experience at Stampede 66 and absolutely loved some of the food I sampled, but I don't feel comfortable rating it above a six due to some of the items being sub par.

Stampede 66
http://stampede66.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3