I was excited to combine two of my favorite things–Hatch Chile season and brunch–at Blue Goose Cantina in Grand Prairie last Saturday. Hatch Chile Peppers are grown in Hatch Valley, New Mexico, but they’ve been enthusiastically adopted by Tex-Mex fans as an authentic part of our Texas culture.
Blue Goose is celebrating their 23rd annual Hatch Chile Fest, but it’s for a limited time only. If you’re an aficionado of the spicy peppers, you’ll want to get over to your neighborhood Blue Goose asap. Last year we goofed around and missed the season, but not this year! The Hatch Chile Peppers are only available during harvest season, which ends sometime in September. Like most crops, the season depends on the weather—and we all know how unpredictable that can be.
Blue Goose Cantina Hatch Chile Fest Menu
They’ve expanded the menu for this year’s Hatch Chile Fest, with nine ways to get your hatch fix. The LTO menus are available at any of their seven DFW locations: Fort Worth, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Highland Village, McKinney, and Plano.
With so many options, my husband and I agreed to cut a few items from our tasting brunch. Even then our table overflowed with an embarrassing array of dishes. We left off the Hatch Queso ($9), with fresh roasted Hatch chiles, blended with cheese and spices for a spicy kick. It sounded delish but super rich and filling. We also didn’t order the Hatch Birria Burrito ($16). A large flour tortilla filled with Birria, roasted Hatch chiles, Jack cheese, onion and cilantro. It’s topped with Hatch queso and Hatch salsa and served with spicy Hatch pineapple pico, Spanish rice, and consommé.
Also not ordered, since it was early in the day, were the two Margaritas on the LTO menu. Blue Goosed Cantina’s Famous Hatch Margarita ($12). Spicy Hatch chile pepper infused tequila shaken with fresh lime juice and agave nectar. Or the new Watermelon Hatch Margarita ($13). Hatch Chile Pepper infused tequila blended with watermelon, agave, and fresh lime juice.
We settled for iced tea; his sweet, mine unsweet with lime. Blue Goose always serves great-tasting iced tea, and not the watery kind that looks and tastes like flavored water.
Huevos Stack Too Good to Share
With my first bite of the new Huevos Stack ($11), I found my new favorite brunch dish. Three over medium eggs on a guajillo seasoned tortilla stack. Stuffed with charro beans and queso fresco, and topped with Hatch Salsa and roasted Hatch Chiles. Served with well-seasoned brunch potatoes, it’s only available during Saturday and Sunday brunch, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. And the Huevos Stack is only available through Hatch Chile Pepper season.
We’d agreed to share all the dishes Saturday, but that Huevos Stack was simply too good to share. It’s not too spicy, just a perfect blend of zesty flavors. Luckily, my companion was busy guarding his Chimichurri Steak ($24). Another new offering this year, it’s a Mesquite grilled steak, smothered with Hatch Chimichurri Sauce. He’d asked to have the sauce on the side, and liked it better without the sauce. The seasoned steak is served on top of grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers, and served with rice and beans. It was his favorite dish on the LTO Hatch Chile brunch menu.
The Hatch Pulled Chicken Enchiladas ($15) were a hit with both of us. Two enchiladas topped with your choice of spicy Hatch salsa or Hatch queso; served with Spanish rice and charro beans (always good here). Another thing that’s always great at Blue Goose Cantina is the friendly Tejano-style hospitality.
Hatch Street Tacos
Two additional dishes included Hatch Street Tacos ($14) and Hatch Shrimp Tacos ($12). The street tacos featured four corn tortilla street tacos (2 topped with fajita chicken and 2, fajita beef) with spicy Hatch pineapple pico and queso fresco; served with Hatch salsa. The only dish I wouldn’t order again on the LTO menu is the new Hatch Shrimp Tacos ($12). Large fried shrimp served in homemade corn tortillas, topped with Hatch pico, and drizzled with Hatch mayo and queso fresco. The flavors were fine, but I prefer grilled or blackened shrimp.
As you’d imagine, with so much food on the table we took home enough leftovers for supper that night. My husband even thanked me for saving him those fried shrimp tacos.
Peterson Management Group
Established in 1984, Blue Goose Cantina brings together fantastic made-from-scratch Mexican food, legendary cocktails, top-notch service, and a fun atmosphere. A division of Peterson Management Group, Blue Goose is part of the family-owned and operated restaurant management company with 12 restaurants located across North Texas. Founded by Bob Peterson and Scott Holyfield, two guys with larger-than-life personalities, it all started in 1983 with eclectic seafood shack restaurants, Aw Shucks and Big Shucks Oyster Bar. They are the best places in North Texas to get raw oysters, shrimp, catfish, crab legs, po’boy boy sandwiches, a nice cold beer, and tasty crawfish when in season.
Peterson Management Group opened Blue Goose Cantina in 1984, where fantastic made-from-scratch Mexican food, legendary cocktails, top-notch service, a fun atmosphere and a kick-ass attitude come together. The restaurant chain has repeatedly been voted the best in North Texas for its winning combination of food, fun, and signature margaritas. Today, Nick Peterson, son of Bob, leads the family business, serving as its CEO. For more information, visit PetersonManagementGroup.net.
Blue Goose Cantina in Grand Prairie is located at 2536 I-20 Frontage Road. For more information about Blue Goose Cantina, including menus and hours, please visit bluegoosecantina.com.
