Oak Cliff News
Chef-owned Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff with marvelous mole closes
An award-winning restaurant in Oak Cliff is closing: Mesa Dallas, the authentic Mexican spot from husband-and-wife chefs Raul and Olga Reyes, will close on August 17, with a final going-away weekend event on August 16-17.
The owners announced the closure on Facebook, thusly:
"We want to thank all our Mesa restaurant customers who faithfully supported the typical Veracruz cuisine for 8 years. This weekend August 16-17 will be the last days of work. We will have specials to say goodbye to our clients, as they deserve it. Thanks again for your unconditional support."
The Reyeses opened the restaurant in 2011 as a step up from their previous restaurant in the same location, Las Palapas. The restaurant brought a little fine dining to Jefferson Boulevard with a chef-driven menu of dishes such as cochinita pibil; camarones a la crema; and seafood enchiladas with lobster, blue crab, and shrimp.
They made their own thick, satisfying tortillas — spotlighted in a signature dish, the enmoladas — and their mole sauce was renowned.
They received many positive reviews and press, including a royal visit from Beyonce and Jay-Z, when the couple performed in Dallas in 2013.
Reyes sought to expand the Mesa concept, and did open a second location in Southlake in 2013. A master craftsman, he did most of the woodwork himself. But he eventually left, and the restaurant is now run by restaurateur Mike Easley.
Reyes has since opened Ceviche Bar, an oyster bar at 451 W. Davis St., a few blocks from Bishop Arts, which he worked on for five years before finally opening the doors in April 2019.
Reyes' daughter, Jaretxy, who used to work at the restaurant, says that her parents haven't ruled out opening another concept in the space. "Some people complained about the prices, so I think he wants to do something more affordable," she says. "I think location is a big factor."
Anyway, if you have to have those enmoladas one more time, now's your chance.
