# Mexican Restaurants - Hot Plates

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 7, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164 "2003-09-07T22:12:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Guybud5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Guybud5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guybud5)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164/1 "2003-09-07T22:12:53Z")

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I’ve noticed that every Mexican restaurant to which I’ve been a customer serves the food on ceramic plates that are very hot to the touch. Why is this? Does the food conduct heat very well and transmit it to the ceramic plate? Do they heat the plates to keep the food warm? Or, perhaps, do they bake the food on the plates?

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164/2 "2003-09-07T22:17:48Z")

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Most of the plates see the inside of an oven before they see you. Helps to melt cheese.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164/3 "2003-09-07T22:37:46Z")

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Much mexican food is greasy (mmmm), as it’s supposed to be. The plates are heated to slow the solidification of the lard. And yes, many mexican cooks heat the dinner plates at home.  
The lard _belongs_ there, so don’t say “eww”.  
Peace,  
mangeorge

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mexican-restaurants-hot-plates/200164/4 "2003-09-08T00:35:57Z")

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Mexican restaurants are hardly the only ones who serve food on very hot plates, however. Heck, go to a Chinese restaurant and order a Wor Bar and get a VERY hot plate.