# What is the best Mexican restaurant in your city? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 13, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766 "2006-01-13T02:56:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/121 "2006-01-23T14:30:50Z")
If you’ve ever had good Mexican food, you too would pine for it in New Zealand. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/122 "2006-01-23T15:19:49Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > RTFirefly writes: > > \> I’d spend more time in that area, because we’re definitely talking authentic. > \> Unfortunately, the seediness of the area makes my wife nervous. > > It’s really not that bad an area. That’s my perception of it too. It’s my wife that’s uncomfortable with it, and I don’t make her do stuff she feels uncomfortable with. > [@](#): > > I tend to go to La Sirenita for Saturday or Sunday lunch about 1:00 or 2:00 PM. Hey, you want to get some of the local Dopers together to do lunch at La Sirenita or one of the other places? I think that that would be great. We should do that. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/123 "2006-01-23T15:21:52Z")
calm kiwi writes: \> Being unable to find good Mexican food seems to be one of the major \> complaints of Americans in NZ. WHY? I think that a really big complaint of Americans living in foreign lands is that these foreigners often have forty-year-old notions about what Americans eat. No, Americans do not consider McDonalds to be the height of great eating. They’re not even considered particularly good hamburgers. McDonalds is no longer even the most common fast food restaurant within the U.S. A few years ago, the number of Subway restaurants within the U.S. passed the number of McDonalds restaurants within the U.S. Americans find themselves homesick for “Mexican” (or “Tex-Mex” or whatever food) because it’s what they eat a lot when they’re in the U.S. (Similarly, to mention a country I know more about than New Zealand, possibly the most common food eaten when eating out in the U.K. is chicken tandoori at an Indian restaurant.) If an American living in New Zealand starts to complain about the lack of food that he typically eats in the U.S., you’re well within your rights to say that now that he is in New Zealand he should take the opportunity to eat food more typical of New Zealand. Just don’t act as if McDonalds should completely satisfy his fast food urgings. That’s not, in general, typical of the sort of food he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/124 "2006-01-23T15:25:25Z")
RTFirefly, do you have a choice for a Saturday or Sunday reasonably soon that we could do this? ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/125 "2006-01-23T15:53:11Z")
Hmm a topic near and dear to my heart! Chicago is so rich in its’ depth and breadth of Mexican and other central American restaurants finding a single favorite would be nearly impossible for me. I’ll break it down a bit. For Mexico City style street fare e.g. huaraches, tacos, birria, I genereally head down to Maxwell Street Market on Sunday mornings. There are a number of vendors that do amazing things with fresh masa and the ambience is fun! Check out the [video](http://dchammond.com/gorilla/), it’s worth the money. There is also a Oaxacan tamale vendor that serves amazing paperback sized tamales wrapped in banana leaves, forget pretty much everything you know about tamales when you go there. For seafood I have two places near each other, Las Islas Marias and La Cazuela on North Clark Street. LIM does Nayarit style stuff like whole snapper, _camarones aguascalientes_, and empanadas. La Cazuela does much the same but not surprisingly I like their _Siete Mares_ soup that overflows with crab, shrimp, mussels, all sorts of great stuff. When I am in the mood for red meat, you cant beat the $12 strip or $10 ribeye at El Llano, a Columbian steakhouse. It comes on a wooden plank and is served with chimicurri, yucca (fried crisp, think large fries) potato, and plantain. Best steak deal in town. They have a couple locations as well as Brasa Roja which specialises in roasted chicken. For a steak taco, it’s hard to beat La Pasadite Jsut south of the corner of Ashland and Division. Actually it’s hard to miss, there are three separate LaP restaurants on one block! There’s a sit down place at the south end of the block and two stands with limited seating facing each other at the alley. The steak is great but the salsa is what brings you back. As **Magdalene** so eloquently put it “It’s the perfect salsa verde delivery system” For authentic Mexican food that isn’t just _antojitos_, I would recommend La Casa De Samuel. I would put him up against Rick Bayless any day and at a fraction of the price with no wait. For fancy shmancy Latin fusion I like Mas. OK that’s enough for now. Maxwell St Market Corner of Canal and Roosevelt, Sundays 8-1pm Las Islas Marias 6635 N. Clark St. La Cazuela 6922 N. Clark St. El Llano 7018 N. Clark 773-338-053 [La Casa de Samuel](http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2429&highlight=samuel) 2834 West Cermak Chicago, IL 60623 773-376-7474 Other locations: 2047 North Milwaukee, Chicago 2753 West 55th Street, Chicago 120 North Genesee, Waukegan Mas 1670 W. Division ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/126 "2006-01-23T16:06:53Z")
> [@cainxinth](#): > > Philadelphia > > Los Catrines & Tequila’s Bar (16th and Locust) - Somewhat fancy and expensive but excellent. > > El Vez (13th and Sansom) - More flash than flavor but not bad either and a fun place to eat or just get a drink. > > Lolita (13th and Sansom) - Across the street from El Vez and even better. More aptly described as Mexican themed continental cuisine. BYOB, cash only. Bring a bottle of tequila and they’ll add it to one of their various homade margarita mixes. > > La Fonda (7th and Snyder) - Hole in the wall, inexpensive, authentic, delicious, BYOB > > El Fuego (7th and Walnut) - Burito joint like Chipotle or Qdoba but not a chain and fresher food. > > Pasion (15th between Walnut and Locust) - Super expensive (like $120 a couple), but nothing short of gourmet. > > Zocalo (36th and Lancaster) – Nuevo latin for the UPenn crowd, not too expensive and they make their own corn and flour tortillas. BLESS YOU! I routinely visit Lemon Grass Thai at 36 & Lancaster, and now I have to check out Zocalo! **Wow, also…7th and Snyder…is this an actual eatery?** I always need a ‘spicy’ fix, and get it from Chinese, Indian or Thai. I usually only get my Mexican fix from visits to Southern Cal. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/127 "2006-01-23T16:12:50Z")
Oh, my Souther Cal favorite is Los Cabos in Orange. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/128 "2006-01-23T18:00:55Z")
> [@Lissla Lissar](#): > > Toronto, **cowgirl**? El Sol (on the Danforth between Coxwell and Greenwood, north side) is very good. Very slow, though. Don’t go if you’re in a rush. Ooh, I’ve been there. I’m a west-end girl, which is why I didn’t think of it, it’s practically in another time zone! There are a couple around Bloor and Ossington but I don’t want to go in without a recommendation. > [@](#): > > We really don’t have many good Mexican places, although we’re tripping over good Asian. I wish we had more than one good barbeque place, too. Which one? O Buzio (or whatever its latest incarnation is called) on College at Ossington? I’ve never been (as a veggie) but I’ve heard it’s spectacular. You know, I think I’m going to start another thread for this. I never get tired of talking about tasty regional cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/129 "2006-01-23T18:31:41Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > If an American living in New Zealand starts to complain about the lack of food that he typically eats in the U.S., you’re well within your rights to say that now that he is in New Zealand he should take the opportunity to eat food more typical of New Zealand. Just don’t act as if McDonalds should completely satisfy his fast food urgings. That’s not, in general, typical of the sort of food he wants. I think we’re well past the “Ooh, Ahh” stage when it comes to American fast-food outlets here. Those of us with own-transport take American visitors out to restaurants, cafes, wineries and all the et ceteras. If you hear of NZers taking their American friends out to McDonalds only – we’ll need names so we can send the re-education squads out to have a wee chat to 'em. Ta. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/130 "2006-01-23T19:01:01Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Oh, my Souther Cal favorite is Los Cabos in Orange. Anything particular about it that you like so much? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/131 "2006-01-23T19:57:40Z")
-Shrimp Diablo. -Sauces in general: plenty, extra spicy. Enough and good enough to drink! -A Fave of my Mexican friends in Fullerton. -Unpretentious little place. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/132 "2006-01-23T20:32:32Z")
In Denver we went through a series of favorites, from Senor Pepe’s to Bluebonnet and the Brewery Bar, but our old standby was always Benny’s. The margs were terrible but everything else was reliable. Here in the tiny hamlet of Port St Joe, the best Mexican restaurant is Pepper’s, the _only_ Mexican restaurant. (We are _very_ thankful it’s good.) Outstanding rellenos, and a tasty schrimp chimichanga. I never ever thought of Tex-Mex as Cal-Mex. To me, they have always been two different schools of cooking, and I appreciate both interpretations. In my experience, Tex-Mex is heavier on the meat. I don’t worry too much about how authentically “Mexican” the food is; if it tastes good, I’m there. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/133 "2006-01-24T10:07:37Z")
> [@Wendell Wagner](#): > > calm kiwi writes: > > \> Being unable to find good Mexican food seems to be one of the major > \> complaints of Americans in NZ. WHY? > > I think that a really big complaint of Americans living in foreign lands is that these foreigners often have forty-year-old notions about what Americans eat. No, Americans do not consider McDonalds to be the height of great eating. They’re not even considered particularly good hamburgers. McDonalds is no longer even the most common fast food restaurant within the U.S. A few years ago, the number of Subway restaurants within the U.S. passed the number of McDonalds restaurants within the U.S. Americans find themselves homesick for “Mexican” (or “Tex-Mex” or whatever food) because it’s what they eat a lot when they’re in the U.S. (Similarly, to mention a country I know more about than New Zealand, possibly the most common food eaten when eating out in the U.K. is chicken tandoori at an Indian restaurant.) > > If an American living in New Zealand starts to complain about the lack of food that he typically eats in the U.S., you’re well within your rights to say that now that he is in New Zealand he should take the opportunity to eat food more typical of New Zealand. Just don’t act as if McDonalds should completely satisfy his fast food urgings. That’s not, in general, typical of the sort of food he wants. Americans living in NZ seem to seriously miss Mexican food. It can’t be helped. They moved here for a reason, bleating about the lack of Mexican food just seems silly. JEEEEZ! If anyone from anywhere complained about missing McDonalds they need to a) find a map (Mickey D’s is around every corner) and b) develop a taste bud! In this neck of the woods the Chinese/Korean/Veitnamese is going to be better and more plentiful then the pseudo-Mexican will be. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/134 "2006-01-24T11:24:32Z")
> [@Homebrew](#): > > If you’ve ever had good Mexican food, you too would pine for it in New Zealand. That was my point. I have never had good Mexican food. I have never felt the loss (I actually made chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight…I’m sure a Mexican or American would have hated them). We have brilliant Asian food here, cause that is what our immigrants make. Oneday Mexicans might discover NZ! I look forward to that day. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/135 "2006-01-24T11:42:22Z")
calm kiwi writes: \> Americans living in NZ seem to seriously miss Mexican food. It can’t be helped. \> They moved here for a reason, bleating about the lack of Mexican food just \> seems silly. They bleat about Mexican food for the same reason that anyone who came to live for some substantial time in another country would bleat about things in their home country - they’re homesick. They might be trying to put a brave face on it by pretending that they’re merely criticizing the food in the country that they’re visiting, but the fact is that they’re lonely and scared. Many Americans are thoroughly ambivalent about visiting other countries for substantial periods. At one level they want to experience other cultures and learn about new things, but at another level it’s all too disorienting to them and they occasionally want to find a little piece of home to hang onto. ---
**Author:** ![TwoOnSunday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@TwoOnSunday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoOnSunday)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766/136 "2006-01-24T18:44:58Z")
Are we talking about going for the food or the margaritas? I have yet to find the place in the city (Chicago) the has the best of both. For Margaritas and atmosphere - Cesar’s on Clark For Food - Taqueria Susupuato #2 on Broadway near Granville. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-mexican-restaurant-in-your-city/339766.md?page=6)