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    First Taste

    Kids get the better deal: Vida's adults-only, sexy Tex-Mex doesn't exactly leaveone lusting

    Sarah Rufca
    Oct 18, 2011 | 10:59 am
    • The sexy inside of Vida.
      Photo via Vida Tex-Mex/Facebook
    • Kids are not welcome.
      Photo via Vida Tex-Mex/Facebook
    • Once inside Vida, it's not exactly a risque scene.
      Photo via Vida Tex-Mex/Facebook

    When a restaurant dubs itself the purveyor of "sexy Tex-Mex," it's hard not to go in with a few preconceived notions.

    No, Vida Tex-Mex doesn't allow children inside the restaurant, but that doesn't make it a bordello. Some of the Federico Archuleta art lining the walls has a hint of sexy, albeit with a vintage, 1940s Mexican movie poster aesthetic, but it's nothing compared to the nudies lining the walls at Strip House. The "sexy" vibe mostly comes from dimmed lights and deep red and purple walls.

    I actually like the multi-colored, Dale Chihuly-esque light fixtures and iridescent central bar. It's not the most sophisticated design, but walking in after a long workday, it felt nice to escape the late sun and step into an evening atmosphere.

    The service was attentive and eager, if not exactly polished, the tortilla chips were tasty and the margaritas were decently strong, arriving promptly and with an orchid blossom on top. All good things.

    Unfortunately, the food was terrible.

    We started with the red snapper ceviche, which had meaty chunks of fish but lacked a real citrus flavor and was irredeemably marred by a soggy, rice-pudding-like texture that was (presumably) what the menu advertised as a bed of plantain. It was weird and unappealing.

    At the advice of my server, I ordered the shrimp tacos. The corn tortillas were dry and had a tendency to fall apart, and to counteract this Vida loaded the tacos with a bland mayo-and-stringy-cabbage slaw. Dumping most of the salad, I was able to put together three decent tacos — the shrimp was plump and plentiful, if a bit overcooked — but it was a mediocre dish at best.

    Vida's fancy tamales proved to be a dense, house-made masa, a basic beef flavor and a thin, underwhelming chili gravy. (Where is Shirley Bailey when you need her?)

    My dinner date ordered the ground chuck tamales, which was just a terrible idea. There is simply no way that a $13 tamale plate at a nice restaurant will be as good as — much less several times better than — the cheap versions sold out of street carts and amateur kitchens. That's just a fact of life. Of course, some people have to learn the hard way.

    Vida's fancy tamales proved to be a dense, house-made masa, a basic beef flavor and a thin, underwhelming chili gravy. (Where is Shirley Bailey when you need her?) The side of rice looked nice wrapped in the tamale husk, but it was slightly annoying to work to free the rice from the interior.

    By far the best part of the meal were the churros for dessert. The starburst pattern sticks were slightly smaller than the churros I'm used to giving them a great balance between warm doughy goodness and crunch. They were topped with the perfect amount of cinnamon and tasted even better when dipped into the accompanying vanilla bean ice cream. Sure, fried dough plus sugar is a recipe for success, but it was satisfying nonetheless.

    I think there's an audience for the kind of restaurant experience that Vida is selling, so it's a shame that the offerings coming out of the kitchen just aren't working at all. There's nothing sexy about underwhelming food.

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    With or Without Whiz

    Houston burger mastermind fires up new pop-up devoted to Philly cheesesteaks

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 19, 2025 | 4:35 pm
    Bas's Cheesesteaks Abbas Dhanani
    Photo by Michael Ma
    Abbas Dhanani is serving up cheesesteaks at his new pop-up.

    Abbas Dhanani is at it again. The food influencer-turned-restaurateur behind the CultureMap Tastemaker Award-winning smash burger concept Burger Bodega is firing up a new pop-up concept devoted to another iconic sandwich.

    Called Bas’s Cheesesteaks, the new concept will Dhanani’s take on the classic Philly cheesesteak, made with sliced ribeye and white cheese on a seeded hoagie roll — onions and a spicy sauce are optional. A second version swaps the white cheese for Cheez Whiz. Like Burger Bodega, Dhanani is using halal beef for his cheesesteaks.

    Bas's Cheesesteaks cheesesteak sandwichThe cheesesteak is served on a seeded hoagie roll.Photo by Michael Ma

    “We have experimented with cheesesteaks as specials on the menu at Burger Bodega and received amazing feedback,” Dhanani said in a statement. “However, the cheesesteaks at Bas’s are the most refined versions we have done so far. I am excited to bring authentic Philly cheesesteaks to Houston as a new flavor experience while continuing to build on the energy and community we have created at Burger Bodega. This is a huge passion project for me, and I plan to take it step by step, just like Burger Bodega."

    As Dhanani notes, he introduced Burger Bodega with a series of pop-ups throughout Houston. To answer the obvious question, of course a restaurant could be in the cards for Bas’s, too.

    “I think thats the goal of any new pop-up concept,” Dhanani tells CultureMap. “Like Burger Bodega, we want to take it one step at a time and see where it goes.”

    Bas’s Cheesesteaks will have its first pop-up on Monday, June 30 at Burger Bodega’s location (4520 Washington Avenue). In addition to the two cheesesteaks, diners can get fries. Future pop-ups will be announced via Instagram.

    As for Burger Bodega’s second location in Katy, Dhanani says it’s still working through securing the necessary permits to begin construction.

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