Mexican Restaurant Similarity

Cafe Society
#1

I have been consumed by an intermittent obsession for about 10 years. Every so often I MUST get to the bottom of it, then it subsides for 6 or 7 months until the next new restaurant opens. Here is the thing, I have been to dozens of Mexican restaurants in many cities all over the midwest. Most of them are different in name only and I think that about 90% of them have far too much in common for it to be mere coincidence.

Nobody seems to agree with me so I am searching here for either an answer to this conspiracy or at least in the hope of finding some fellow conspiracy theorists. My friends and family just think I’m crazy and roundly dismiss the similarities I find so frustratingly obvious. I will concede that to some extent enchilada A is going to bear at least a passing resemblance to enchilada B, etc. The decor of most of these establishments is equally unvaried, but I will concede that a few sombreros and maracas on the walls do not exactly make my case.

If you’ve been to one of these restaurants here are some things you might have noticed. I have found them to be universally true in literally dozens of places all over the midwest.

  1. Each restaurant has a lunch menu selection called the Speedy Gonzales. The Speedy Gonzales always consists of a taco, an enchilada, and rice or beans.

  2. Each restaurant also has on it’s menu an eponymous dinner, for example; La Hacienda Dinner. It is always an enormous amount of food and arrives at your table on 3 or 4 plates.

  3. Each restaurant also has a ridiculous number of combinations. Usually around 20 or so, each a slight variation of the others. It’s mind boggling, I don’t even look at them. I’ll order a la carte instead.

  4. Each restaurant has an employee who delivers chips and salsa to your table. This appears to be said employees sole responsibility.

  5. A waiter(seldom a waitress) then takes your order.

  6. An entirely different person conveys your food to your table. Your plates are precariously perched on the servers arm, which is clad in a full length oven mitt. This appears to me to be an incredible feat.

  7. On any given night you are very likely to see the restaurant’s employees place a sombrero on a patron’s head and gather around to sing what is apparently a traditional Mexican birthday song.

That’s all I can think of right now, I’m sure I’m leaving something out. I should add that I do not at all dislike the food served by these places. I do not consider it all that authentic but it is good, especially the Chili Verde. What I do not like is the fact that they are a dime a dozen. In my town I could drive in any direction and arrive at one in 5 minutes. There are even areas with an outlandish concentration of nearly identical restaurants. What really bothers me is when I visit friends in other cities and we visit “their” Mexican restaurant. After listening to them talk it up for hours I am not even surprised or disappointed anymore when we get there and I find the same old thing.
Anybody else out there? Care to commiserate? Surely someone must know what I’m talking about.

#2

I think you can say the same thing about other ethnic restaurants. Every Indian restaurant will have certain dishes like lamb curry, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, etc. Every Chinese restaurant has General Tso’s Chicken, Buddha’s Delight, etc.

I think what you’re noticing is that most ethnic restaurants conform to the formula expected by the average American diner. If you want something different, you have to go to a restaurant that’s not aiming at the mainstream.

#3

I have never once in my life been in a Mexican restaurant that matches that description. Not by a mile.

  1. No way, José. Any place around here tried that, there would be riots.

  2. Maybe, sometimes. Usually just a special.

  3. Nope. 10 max, and most are pretty varied.

  4. Nope. Whoever happens to be closest delivers the chips and salsa. Usually the waitress.

  5. 50/50. Could go either way depending on the place.

  6. Usually the waitperson is the one who delivers the meal.

  7. See #1.

You really need to start eating at family-owned places.

#4

Only these two are true of my favorite local Mexi place.

#5

I realize that there is a difference between an authentic Mexican restaurant and places like these, whose target audience is Gringos who just want to drink some margaritas and practice their high school Spanish while thinking that they are enjoying an authentic Mexican meal.

But still…something is afoot. I’m not sure what it is but there is definitely something to this.

#6

My considerable experience with Mexican restaurants doesn’t match yours. Your five (seven) points:

  1. Never noticed that.

  2. Never noticed that

  3. Yes, that’s common in my experience but not universal.

  4. I’ve often had the waitress/waiter bring me chips and/or more chips.

  1. I’ve had roughly equal number of male and female waitstaff.

  1. Different employee brings the food? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Haven’t seen an oven mitt, however.

  2. Maybe, but pretty rare.

#7

What part of the country are you in? Everything you describe makes me think of cheap chain Mexican in the northeast, where they have no clue what a good American Mexican restaurant is. I haven’t seen much of what you describe at all.

#8

OP:

So, the midwest. Not a shocker. My few experiences with Mexican in the midwest ( and Canada ) were not particularly impressive.

To no surprise to anybody I’m sure, NoCal Mexican mostly does not fit that profile. Though a certain subsection of “family” Mexican restaurants do feature that massive menu of endless variations on the combo plate.

#9

I think this is the basic problem. If you want some good Mexican food, you’ll need to visit some place that has a decent sized Mexican population.

#10

Totally missed that in the OP, though I read through it looking. :smack:

But yeah, Midwest. I live here, but I wouldn’t know about the Mexican restaurants, because hell if I’m going to go into a Midwestern Mexican place. I’ve spent too much time in the west (Colorado, New Mexico) to subject myself to that.

For what it’s worth, I did go to one that opened in my town and operated for a couple years. My first visit showed me that the refried beans were the reconstituted dried version (I remember those well from my camping days…) and (I kid you not) the enchilada sauce was ketchup-based, if you can count “base” as 90% ketchup with some very mild chili sauce thrown in.

I didn’t return.

#11

I am in Des Moines, IA and Omaha, NE. I have been to other restaurants in IL, WI, and MN. As far as I can tell these are not chain restaurants. I have met a couple of owners and asked one of them what was up. His answer was that all of the owners of these restaurants are from the same part of Mexico, can’t recall where.

I should also note that Mexican patrons at these establishments are generally conspicuous by their absence. I have eaten at many taquerias and enjoyed many a “Parking Lot Burrito” where that was not the case. I have an equally difficult time convincing my family and friends that food served out of a truck is awesome.

#12

Frankly, since 99% of the Mexican places in the USA serve Sonoran-style food, what would you expect? Its damn near impossible to find a restaurant that serves Veracruz-style food, or the cuisine of Chiapas or Durango.
If you are happy with Sonoran/Tex-Mex, you are fine…but there is a lot more to Mexican cuisine than that.

#13

Yes, OP, that’s the generic crappy Mexican model. Much like the generic crappy Chinese model, I’m betting they’re based on a kit of sorts that can probably be purchased from Sysco. There must be a reason their menus are all nearly identical.

#14

That’s what I’m thinking. The menu formats themselves, not just the contents are also way too similar.

It’s really not that bad though. There are a few things that I really like and I love my dos equis. When we get the right servers there are free shots of tequila, whether we need them or not.

#15

  1. Never every seen this called a Speedy Gonzalez.

  2. Haven’t noticed this.

  3. They tend to have combo plates involving pretty much every combination of 2 or 3 items out of a list of 6 or so items.

  4. Seems pretty random who delivers the chips and salsa could be the server or could be a bus boy.

  5. Waiters Waitresses seem pretty evenly split.

  6. Usually it is someone with a big tray. often the Waiter but about equally it is someone else.

  7. Never seen this.

#16

I am in Southern California, where many people of Mexican heritage also reside.
*

  1. Each restaurant has a lunch menu selection called the Speedy Gonzales. The Speedy Gonzales always consists of a taco, an enchilada, and rice or beans.*

I have never seen this. And I have been in Mexican restaurants from Ohio through California.

2) Each restaurant also has on it’s menu an eponymous dinner, for example; La Hacienda Dinner. It is always an enormous amount of food and arrives at your table on 3 or 4 plates.

Never seen this, but then I haven’t been looking.

3) Each restaurant also has a ridiculous number of combinations. Usually around 20 or so, each a slight variation of the others. It’s mind boggling, I don’t even look at them. I’ll order a la carte instead.

Well…yeah.

2) Each restaurant has an employee who delivers chips and salsa to your table. This appears to be said employees sole responsibility.

It’s usually a busboy who is working his ass off.

3) A waiter(seldom a waitress) then takes your order.

In my experience, it’s far more likely to be a waitress.

4) An entirely different person conveys your food to your table. Your plates are precariously perched on the servers arm, which is clad in a full length oven mitt. This appears to me to be an incredible feat.

It happens.
5) On any given night you are very likely to see the restaurant’s employees place a sombrero on a patron’s head and gather around to sing what is apparently a traditional Mexican birthday song.

I’ve seen places that sing Happy Birthday (GOD, that’s annoying), but not that often and not just Mexican places.

#17

For the record, I was mainly talking about points 1 and 2. I’ve seen the damn Speedy Gonzales probably dozens of times in my youth.

#18

The fastest mouse in all of Mexico?

#19

There are a number of Mexican restaurants in town (which is in the Midwest), and so far as I know there is only one that has an item called the Speedy Gonzales.

I can’t say I agree with the rest of your items either. While chips and salsa are standard fare for a sit-down Mexican restaurant, I haven’t noticed that there is any particular server dedicated to the task of bringing them. And if I ever saw someone put a sombrero on a customer and sing at them, I would probably never return.

Tapioca Dextrin, there are parts of the Midwest that have a surprisingly high Hispanic population. (I can’t say what the Mexican population is in the area, although every now and then one hears about deportations.) The Mexican restaurants in town are owned and operated by Hispanic people. (Unless you count the Taco Bell and Taco John’s.) The newest restaurant has absolutely delicious pork tamales.

#20

My favorite local Mexican chain in Tucson (La Parilla Suiza) has a roving mariachi band, but no sombrero. The place is worth putting up with the mariachi.