# Restaurant authenticity clues **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 6, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276 "2019-08-06T23:19:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/41 "2019-08-07T18:03:33Z")
Good Mexican restaurants have waiters, not waitresses. If you are able to listen to the talk in the kitchen, it will be in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/42 "2019-08-07T18:31:55Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Good Mexican restaurants have waiters, not waitresses. Definitely not true around here. You’ll have both, though it skews towards waitresses here. As for Spanish in the kitchen, you’ll hear that in almost any restaurant around here, regardless of cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/43 "2019-08-07T18:44:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Definitely not true around here. You’ll have both, though it skews towards waitresses here. As for Spanish in the kitchen, you’ll hear that in almost any restaurant around here, regardless of cuisine. And for a long time now, as per _Kitchen Confidential_. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/44 "2019-08-07T19:08:42Z")
For Mexican restaurants, if the have Lengua (in tacos, burritos) on the menu. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/45 "2019-08-07T19:39:58Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > … > Other cultural authenticity is restaurants gotta have this too. In the Twin Cities these are my observations: > … > Mexican - if they DON’T put out a basket of chips and salsa when you sit down. > > Vietnamese pho - if they only accept cash… Twin Cites? Authentic Mexican Food? :dubious: 😛 Where I come from Mexican Food is called “food” 😃 and yes, chips and salsa is standard, except in the few Mexico City style upscale places. Only accepting cash means only that they are cheating on their taxes. I lived in San Jose, where outside of Asian, you can;t get more & better authentic Vietnamese food. The Pho should be presented with a plate of peppers, sprouts, limes, mint and etc, to be added to taste. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/46 "2019-08-07T19:41:13Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Mexican - Do they offer menudo Sundays? > > BBQ - Do they have plates? Skip it. Another clue is to count the number of religious calendars/posters/flyers on the wall. The more Jebus, the better the 'cue. > > General ethnic - Is there a table in the back covered with homework? That’s where the waitress(daughter) stays busy when there are no customers. Family-owned, good food almost guaranteed. Well, _paper_ plates are Ok. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/47 "2019-08-07T19:42:10Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Twin Cites? Authentic Mexican Food? :dubious: > > 😛 > > Where I come from Mexican Food is called “food” 😃 and yes, chips and salsa is standard, except in the few Mexico City style upscale places. > > Only accepting cash means only that they are cheating on their taxes. don’t know why you’d assume that. [this place](http://scottysfishandchips.com/) has been cash only since forever, if they were tax cheats I’d assume they’d have been nabbed by now. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/48 "2019-08-07T19:45:00Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > Agree 100% > > My post above yours should have added that the places I mentioned in Cabo and Ensenada where I had some truly fine meals all served chips and salsa, (although maybe one just served corn tortillas and an assortment of salsas, no tortilla chips) but I have to say that at least some of the other patrons were not Mexicans, but the food was truly excellent. > ) I miss going down to Ensenada. One really nice restaurant there had a special on a half broiled pacific lobster. We ordered two each. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/49 "2019-08-07T19:47:06Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > For Mexican restaurants, if the have Lengua (in tacos, burritos) on the menu. Or Birra. But some authentic places have neither. But pork is a must. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/50 "2019-08-07T19:51:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, _paper_ plates are Ok. Actually, I would also allow divided plates. That way the [best BBQ place in the country](http://www.bridgesbbq.com/) gets the **Silenus Authentic Star of Approval**. But butcher paper is standard at the best places in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/51 "2019-08-07T20:08:08Z")
For Chinese, the ducks need to be hanging in the window, and you need to time your dialog when placing the order in between the cook’s thunderous chops with the ludicrously sized meat cleaver. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/52 "2019-08-07T20:25:27Z")
For barbecue, the rule I’ve heard is that you can tell it’s good if you see both pickup trucks and Cadillacs in the parking lot. That means everyone in town eats there regardless of their socioeconomic status. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/53 "2019-08-07T20:32:35Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > The moral of the story is, if a Mexican restaurant has any people working there who aren’t Mexican, run. Our former favorite Mexican place had quite a few waitstaff of the Chinese persuasion. Not a problem at all. But the management changed/got sloppy/whatever and things started going downhill. Not as clean, etc. Then it went out of business. Now we go to a “chain” place. A whopping 2 locations. Being successful enough that you can open another site is a good sign. (And keep both open for years.) As long as you don’t go all Frontera. (We known people who think that Frontera-type places are the peak of great Mexican food. Haven’t they tried _any_ non-chain places?) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/54 "2019-08-07T20:43:28Z")
For sushi, I avoid places that combine it with other Asian cuisines. A cliche is that sushi joints with English language names like “Blue Ocean Sushi” aren’t good. Stick to Japanese names. Good Mexican food was easy to find when I was in Silicon Valley. Since moving to a slightly rural area of Washington state, it’s been next to impossible. Place with the usual indicators all serve the sneer generic sludge. I’ve only found one decent mole sauce. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/55 "2019-08-07T20:55:56Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Twin Cites? Authentic Mexican Food? :dubious: > > 😛 > > Where I come from Mexican Food is called “food” 😃 and yes, chips and salsa is standard, except in the few Mexico City style upscale places. > > Only accepting cash means only that they are cheating on their taxes. I lived in San Jose, where outside of Asian, you can;t get more & better authentic Vietnamese food. > > The Pho should be presented with a plate of peppers, sprouts, limes, mint and etc, to be added to taste. Except for Little Saigon in Orange County, California. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/56 "2019-08-07T21:02:33Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Except for Little Saigon in Orange County, California. Pistols at dawn, sir? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/57 "2019-08-08T01:32:49Z")
I’d like to emphasize what a few others have mentioned that authentic doesn’t mean a place is necessarily good. Here in Corpus Christi the most authentic sushi place serves some of the worst sushi. The owners and staff are all Japanese, and you won’t find any salmon or other non-traditional fish on the menu. The problem is that they go overboard with wasabi and no matter what you order all you taste is wasabi flavor. Ask for your sushi without wasabi and you’ll get the stink eye because that’s not the way it’s supposed to be served. The rice is also mushy. The sushi places with Mexican or Chinese chefs taste better than the authentic Japanese sushi place. Other than the presence of non-traditional fish like salmon the other places don’t seem any different than the sushi places I ate at when I went to Japan. My guess is that even though the owners are Japanese and the restaurant is traditional, they just happen to be terrible cooks. It would be like if I went to Japan and opened a place serving authentic Texas barbecue. Just because I’m from Texas doesn’t mean that I can make good barbecue, and people who eat at such a place would get the wrong idea about Texas barbecue because I suck at making it, not because it wouldn’t be authentic. ---
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/58 "2019-08-08T13:38:18Z")
> [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](#): > > Mexican - if they DON’T put out a basket of chips and salsa when you sit down. This is very rare in Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/59 "2019-08-08T13:49:46Z")
The serving or not of chips and salsa isn’t really indicative of Mexican authenticity, as I’ve been to restaurants (mostly non-tourist restaurants) in Mexico that do, indeed, bring you _totopos y salsas_ to your table. It’s nowhere close to universal, but it’s not extremely rare, either. (For reference, I lived in Mexico nearly five years cumulatively one three separate occasions, and I’ve car-tripped extensively, covering nearly everything between Sonora and Quintana Roo.) I’m usually down on Mexican food in the United States, because while it can be tasty, it’s usually not what I’m looking for when I’m in the mood for guacamaya. If there’s a guacamaya on the menu (the torta, not the bird), then it’s probably a good Mexican restaurant, but the lack of a guacamaya doesn’t disqualify it, because it may simply be a _different type_ of Mexican restaurant. The same for tamales, etc. If the Mexican restaurant is in a popular tourist spot, say, Old Town San Diego or near Vernor Hwy and I-75, it’s probably going to to have “wet burritos” on the menu and most things will be covered with yellow cheese. If everything comes with beans and rice, it’s probably not authentic (I’ve literally, never, ever ordered a _plato_ in Mexico that came with both beans and rice, except in the airport restaurant at BJX). If the name of the place is “Taqueria Place-Name” and you go inside and have to stand at a counter and all they have is tacos plus maybe a couple of other things, and a fountain with aguas frescas, then it’s probably going to be an awesome taco place. Restaurants that don’t specialize in tacos tend not to have very good tacos. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276/60 "2019-08-08T14:02:04Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > If the name of the place is “Taqueria Place-Name” and you go inside and have to stand at a counter and all they have is tacos plus maybe a couple of other things, and a fountain with aguas frescas, then it’s probably going to be an awesome taco place. Of all the sweeping genralizations I have read here, this is the one that really rings true to me. Salt Lake, San Diego, Denver, Tucson, all over the Western US, little nondescript, hole-in-the-wall places like this are where I will try to seek out for excellent, inexpensive, fresh and filling fare. Is it “authentic”? i am perhaps not the one to ask, but it is almost always damn good food, which to me is the only thing that matters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restaurant-authenticity-clues/838276.md?page=4)