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Five-time winning vendor at the Texas State Fair Abel Gonzales has just debuted a new restaurant concept replete with a selection of Tex-Mex favorites and smoked meats called AG Texican in Dallas and it looks like something to see and something to taste! The restaurant’s website boasts that Abel is known for crafting “deep-fried masterpieces at the world-renowned Texas State Fair” such as his legendary fried PB&J and has brought his “inventive cuisine and his keen sense of humor” to his kitchen. The very same talents that won him a spot as judge on the reality Television show Deep Fry Masters.
From The Texas State Fair To A New Dallas Restaurant
“You already know him as Fried Jesus, he’ll bring back those fair favorites any time of the year for you and your guests.” – AG Texican
Gonzalez is a familiar face at the Harry Hines Boulevard location in Dallas where AG Texican makes its home. He had initially launched an Italian restaurant concept there that was unfortunately timed with the perfect storm of the COVID-19 panic.
He told Dallas Culture Map,
“We had a hard time during COVID-19,” he says. “We shut down for a little while to wait it out, then decided to take the opportunity to re-do it entirely and figure out what we wanted to do. Italian food wasn’t really a success in this neighborhood so we said, ‘Let’s make something different.'”
The Italian restaurant closed its doors in March 2021, but a little under a year later was reborn as a new vision: AG Texican. On the business side, Abel seems to have learned that there’s a sweet spot in Dallas for restauranteurs, and it’s breakfast and lunch. “That’s when most of the business comes in this area,” he says.
Teresa Gubbins explained the fare at AG Texican, “He’s having fun doing a creative mash-up of breakfast tacos — chorizo & egg, potato & egg, bean & bacon — plus gourmet doughnuts with toppings such as fresh strawberries.
Lunch includes Tex-Mex classics such as quesadillas with choice of brisket, pork, steak, chicken, grilled veggies, or cheese; gorditas and flautas; tortas with choice of smoked pork or smoked brisket; and sides such as cilantro rice, bacon-beer beans, and jalapeño potato salad.
There’s also a daily special for $10 to $12, with options such as half smoked chicken and smoked chili rellenos.”
The purely Texas combination of old-school barbeque and wild, flavorful Mexican hits sounds like a winner.
“It’s purely a breakfast and lunch place, but we’re doing smoked brisket and pork and sausage, so you can get your morning taco with regular sausage or smoked sausage, or a smoked brisket taco with fried egg,” he says. “It’s that irresistible combination of Texas and Mexican food.”
Check out some of Abel’s genius in this video from the State Fair of Texas.
