SL WhereLocalsGo

PHOTOS BY LORRAINE HAAN-STEWART REVIEW BY JENNIFER SLOAN

When my family first moved to Texas many moons ago, it was Colleyville that we first called home. It was so many moons ago, in fact, that the now Whole Foods shopping center was anchored with a K-Mart at one end and a JewelOsco at the other. I’ve seen many things come and go in Colleyville throughout my life, but I’ve also seen a few things that stuck. Colleyville’s most recent restaurant addition Zafiros Mexican Grill y Cantina is one I see having that staying power. The décor and ambiance of this transformed medical office (which opened early this year) rivals any elevated Mexican restaurant in our downtowns. Yet the staff—from hostess to server and chef to management— gives casual “we’ve known you our whole lives” vibes. You can tell owner Joe Murphy, a Colleyville resident and veteran of the hospitality industry, has put a lot of love into his first venture— and that’s before you’ve even had your first bite of food.

At Zafiros, they source the finest scratch-kitchen ingredients to create dishes that reflect the bright, fresh flavors of traditional Mexican cooking. Their recipes feature the freshest locally sourced vegetables available, fresh meats butchered in house daily and fresh fish hand selected by their chefs. Zafiros house-made, home-grown attitude carries over to their cocktail menu, where you will find a variety of unique and refreshing margarita flavors, including guava, watermelon basil and jalapeño cucumber. I find the bright flavor of the mango margarita is a perfect complement to their salsa, which is served warm.

Zafiros appetizer selection is pretty much what you expect from a Mexican establishment in Texas, but make no mistake: this not Tex Mex. Instead these are modern takes on traditional Mexico fare. The Guacamole Fresco ($11) is decadent. You’ve never had guacamole presented so beautifully, with a well of olive oil in the middle. It’s accompanied with a sprinkle of queso fresco, artfully placed edible flowers and crisp radish shavings. If you’re ready to dive into something a little spicier, try Carmen’s Tinga Tostadas ($15) with slow cooked chipotle chicken tinga atop a thin layer of refried beans, queso fresco, savoy cabbage, sour cream and avocado. It’ll set your taste buds ablaze, but you’ll keep coming back for more.

Where I think Zafiros really shines is their seafood dishes—and this is coming from a part-time Florida resident. If you’re going for that classic tacomargarita-patio experience, Tacos del Mar ($24) will have you feeling like you are on a resort in Tulum. Blackened fish of the day is topped with savoy cabbage, fried fresno pepper, grilled corn and guajillo salsa with a drizzle of serrano mayo served on flour tortillas. It’s three to an order and you won’t want to share.

My not to be missed dish at Zafiros is the Tequila Lime Pescado ($34). It’s a generous seven ounce Red Snapper filet encrusted with crushed plantain crisps, pan seared and topped with a tequila lime butter sauce, with papas de madre (a cheesy mashed potato with a sprinkle of peppers) and roasted vegetables. It’s one of those good-sized portions where you know about half-way through, you should stop, but you just can’t. The crunch of the plantain crisps is highly addictive. If you can make it to dessert, the Tres Leches ($11) is a local fave, but I’ve not had the pleasure of trying it as it was sold out on both of my visits. I can’t complain too much though because the Chocolate Cake ($11) is the stuff a chocolate lover’s dreams are made of. It’s layers of rich chocolate cake and chocolate custard dotted with fresh chocolate sauce and caramel and served with strawberry ice cream. They also have a vanilla ice cream that is second to none and if you’re really treating yourself, like I usually am, get both.

In Mexico, amazing tortillas are the essence of every household kitchen. That’s why at Zafiros, they grind the corn for their corn tortillas in house using only the best heirloom varieties. Murphy and the entire Zafiros team take pride in their attention to details like these that create a unique modern Mexican dining experience. From the craveable cuisine to their hand-crafted cocktails, they invite you to relax, enjoy great food, great drink, and, of course, great company. Bienvenidos!