Mexican Restaurants

[treacheroustexan]

This is something I have always wondered... How do Mexican restaurants afford the portions you get? And why do I get enough rice and beans to feed a family of nine with my single entree? Certainly not complaining... but it's pretty crazy. I got takeout a few hours ago from a local place, I walked out with three bags of food (one bag full of complimentary rice and beans).

 

[bfish]

Mexican along with pizza and breakfast (eggs/pancakes/waffles/biscuits) have the lowest food cost.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I'm just sayingg.... I would be more than happy with 1/4 of the rice and beans that I usually get.

 

[Ike]

Mexican along with pizza and breakfast (eggs/pancakes/waffles/biscuits) have the lowest food cost.

Yep. They know they're not winning you over with Michelin Star-worthy cuisine. Tex-Mex is comfort food and cheap food, so people want a LOT.

OTOH, the best TRUE Mexican food I've ever had is at Cafe Poca Cosa in downtown Tucson, AZ. Simply the best. I have a few regrets about leaving Tucson (leaving the AZ weather, as I currently freeze in Idaho, is notable) but the greatest of all is moving away from that restaurant.'

ETA: Dangit dude, now I want a combination platter from the Tex-Mex joint up the street. Thanks a bunch.

ALSO ETA: They give you tons of cheap food so you don't feel bad about paying $5 for a bottle of that crappy Mexican "beer" with a lime shoved in the neck.

 

[Homercidal]

I haven't noticed a huge amount of beans and rice at our local place. Decent food, but no outstanding portions. I'd love to have a second meal of it, though. I should talk to them about how they are failing me.

 

[jmcquesten]

Does anyone know what the "Mexican ranch" dip is that some places bring with the chips & salsa? All the restaurants around here (VA) serve it, but my wife and her family (from NM and TX) have never heard of it. I think it's a regional thing depending on what part of Mexico they are from. I asked a server at one of our local places where he was from and he said most people in the area are from around Guadelajra (sp?). I assume most of Mexican people in Texas and New Mexico are from areas closer to the boarder.

The dip is not great and when the wife's family tried it, they were offended by it. They refuse to call it "Mexican" food

 

[JonM]

I often get one a la carte taco and an a la carte side of rice, and that is PLENTY. An entree with three tacos and a mountain of rice and beans is just too much.

 

[mikeasu]

OTOH, the best TRUE Mexican food I've ever had is at Cafe Poca Cosa in downtown Tucson, AZ. Simply the best. I have a few regrets about leaving Tucson (leaving the AZ weather, as I currently freeze in Idaho, is notable) but the greatest of all is moving away from that restaurant.'

Only went there once, but loved Mosaic Cafe on Grant/Silverbell. Lacking good mexican food in MD now (left Tucson about two years ago). Miss the quick burrito places, and the taco truck on Grant and around 8th - great cabeza!

 

[Vandulus]

What I consider true Mexican places don't have this issue - they serve really good Mexican food in reasonable portions. Los Gauchos here in Columbus is the best authentic Mexican I've ever had - they offer awesome El Pastor, plus beef tongue, tripe, veal head...

The cheap Tex Mex places are the ones that give tons of rice/beans plus typically use processed cheese. Those are the ones I avoid.

 

[treacheroustexan]

What I consider true Mexican places don't have this issue - they serve really good Mexican food in reasonable portions. Los Gauchos here in Columbus is the best authentic Mexican I've ever had - they offer awesome El Pastor, plus beef tongue, tripe, veal head...

The cheap Tex Mex places are the ones that give tons of rice/beans plus typically use processed cheese. Those are the ones I avoid.

Have you been to Condado?

 

[Vandulus]

Have you been to Condado?

Not yet, but it's on my list to try now

 

[treacheroustexan]

Not yet, but it's on my list to try now

Enjoy

 

[Xernex]

So I come back from a team lunch, at the cheap mexican joint down the road from work (chexican we call it). Absolutely miserable from eating entirely too much food for $5.35. It's a slow day thankfully so I decide to check HBT, and i find this thread...is it fate?

 

[Vandulus]

So I come back from a team lunch, at the cheap mexican joint down the road from work (chexican we call it). Absolutely miserable from eating entirely too much food for $5.35. It's a slow day thankfully so I decide to check HBT, and i find this thread...is it fate?

Nope, it's just indigestion! Ironically this thread made me hungry for Los Gauchos so that's where we went for lunch.

 

[casualbrewer]

I love it! I'm kind of a big guy so I can put down some Mexican food and beer lol. Love a good 32 ounce cold modelo or dos Equis *****. actually drinking one as I type this haha. Turns out if you drop $400 in gift certificates they will hook you up with free drinks lol

 

[gratus fermentatio]

This is something I have always wondered... How do Mexican restaurants afford the portions you get? And why do I get enough rice and beans to feed a family of nine with my single entree? Certainly not complaining... but it's pretty crazy. I got takeout a few hours ago from a local place, I walked out with three bags of food (one bag full of complimentary rice and beans).

Rice & beans are cheap. 20 lbs of pinto beans for about $10, 20 lbs of rice for about $16; You can fed a lot of people with 40 lbs of food.
Regards, GF.

 

[Zuljin]

Fried burritos off the gut truck. Mmm mmm good.

 

[jerbrew]

Does anyone know what the "Mexican ranch" dip is that some places bring with the chips & salsa? All the restaurants around here (VA) serve it, but my wife and her family (from NM and TX) have never heard of it. I think it's a regional thing depending on what part of Mexico they are from. I asked a server at one of our local places where he was from and he said most people in the area are from around Guadelajra (sp?). I assume most of Mexican people in Texas and New Mexico are from areas closer to the boarder.

The dip is not great and when the wife's family tried it, they were offended by it. They refuse to call it "Mexican" food

I'm from California and I've only ever seen that ranch thing in Texas. I found it really weird. It's definitely not a Mexican regional thing. That's Tex Mex to the core it just depends on where in Texas. I think someone (the place I saw it was chewys in San Antonio) found out the American palette in general prefers fatty creamy dips supposed to spicy acidic dips. It just caught on in certain regions I'm guessing.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'm from California and I've only ever seen that ranch thing in Texas. I found it really weird. It's definitely not a Mexican regional thing. That's Tex Mex to the core it just depends on where in Texas. I think someone (the place I saw it was chewys in San Antonio) found out the American palette in general prefers fatty creamy dips supposed to spicy acidic dips. It just caught on in certain regions I'm guessing.

The server I asked said that they do make it back home (Guadelajra, MX). And the people from Texas and New Mexico had never seen it before. I guessed it was just a matter of what part of Mexico they were from. I figured it was regional just like how American food is.

 

[jerbrew]

The server I asked said that they do make it back home (Guadelajra, MX). And the people from Texas and New Mexico had never seen it before. I guessed it was just a matter of what part of Mexico they were from. I figured it was regional just like how American food is.

That's interesting. I'll ask some of my friends from Mexico if they've ever seen that. I would think it would be a crèma style dip not ranch dressing. Perhaps it's an adaptation. Either way I'm all about the salsa.

 

[Rockn_M]

Does anyone know what the "Mexican ranch" dip is that some places bring with the chips & salsa? All the restaurants around here (VA) serve it, but my wife and her family (from NM and TX) have never heard of it. I think it's a regional thing depending on what part of Mexico they are from. I asked a server at one of our local places where he was from and he said most people in the area are from around Guadelajra (sp?). I assume most of Mexican people in Texas and New Mexico are from areas closer to the boarder.

The dip is not great and when the wife's family tried it, they were offended by it. They refuse to call it "Mexican" food

I'm from Texas and go to Mexico about once a year and I've never heard of Mexican Ranch. What is it?

I love tradition Mexican food. Street tacos are the best thing ever. Last year when we went to Mexico we rented a car and drove up the main road and stopped off at each taco stand we saw and had a street taco. Good thing I brought antibiotics. They were good but some places looked sketchy.

 

[Dfitz]

I'm more inclined to enjoy Sonora style Mexican. There's a place called club 21 in Tucson I used to love to go to when I was there.
http://www.club21restaurant.com/site/6af9ce6cb3604295b8f685f788c287a4/home?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.club21restaurant.com%2FTucson_Mexican_Food_Home.html#2930
Best Mexican food I've ever had. Then again, most Mexican food in Tucson is good

 

[Zuljin]

I judge by salsa and chile rellenos.