Mexican food again :)

The place is called 'Dusk till Dawn' and although they advertise Mexican cuisine, its about as Mexican as your local Balti House. Their idea of Mexican decor is a Mexican flag tied in a knot with a Confederate flag! And from there it went downhill - refried kidney beans ( ), saffron-flavored rice ( ), naan bread for tortillas....( :\\\'().

Heeeee, it should be our mission to find a good (almost passable?) Mexican restaurant here.  I like this place, but it's also Mexican in the loosest sense (i.e., rather a mish-mash of what Brits perceive to be Latin American cuisine)...

http://www.lasiguanas.co.uk/locations-leeds.asp

The concept isn't much different from a major Mexican chain restaurant in the States (the kind just slightly upscale from Taco Bell).

Another similar 'Latin' place:

http://www.cubanheels.co.uk/food.php

But no, I haven't found anywhere like the little holes in the wall Mexican restaurants I have been to in the US.  Sadly.  I've heard of a 'good' Mexican restaurant in Otley, but have yet to seek that one out.

Maybe you should open one?     I've got a few dried New Mexican hot red chillies still stashed away in my cupboard.

I have a friend who lived in Italy for a year (Florence) and said she looked everywhere for Mexican food. She finally found a place and got really excited... and then the salsa was actually marinara sauce.  After that she ended up having her parents ship her implements to make Mexican food and charged 10 euros a person for all the college students she knew to come have all you can eat Mexican food at her dorm. She made a killing!

hi Carolyn and other west yorkies , there is a great Mexican restaurant in Bradford called la cocina on manningham lane  its got good reviews and my friend gave it top marks apparently the best Mexican in west Yorks 
 http://www.sugarvine.com/Leeds/reviews/review_detail.asp?restaurantid=7564&name=Cocina%20Mexican%20Restaurant

Also heard good things about this place...

http://www.cactuslounge.com/

It may only be Mexican food in the loosest sense of the word, but it is tasty and the folks at Las Iguanas are very nice about letting large groups sit there and have a good time (I had a Live Journal meet-up there last October, it was great).

that's true--been to the one in brum a few times (mostly for their 2-for-1 drinks! yum!) and they have been pretty cool.

the food leaves me craving the real stuff, though. you can't serve me black beans and call them "refried"! and their "mexican" rice was nothing more than plain white rice! eek! but all in all, it's alright.

It may only be Mexican food in the loosest sense of the word, but it is tasty and the folks at Las Iguanas are very nice about letting large groups sit there and have a good time (I had a Live Journal meet-up there last October, it was great).

there's one in London at the Royal Festival Hall (I used to work there - RFH, not las Iguanas)
We would go for 2 for 1 drinks, but the service is absolutely awful! Maybe so that they don't give away too many free drinks...

Food was okay...I wasn't particularly excited by it, but it was decent.

I've had good experiences at Las Iguanas as well, and the food is tasty!  Plus, the drink specials are great.  We've always got good service at the one in Leeds.

Just thought I'd mention the "Mexican" restaurant DH and I saw while driving through Marske-by-Sea a few minutes ago - La Fez.  Their idea of "real Mexican food" included Tagliatelle Carbonara, Steak Diane, and a side of boiled new potatoes!   

Coming from Arizona where every other restaurant is Mexican food, I think I'm going to have serious cravings when I go to London. Can you even buy flour tortillas, ground beef, refried beans, and salsa? If so, I think I will survive. I'll just pack a handful of packets of Lawry's taco seasoning! Not REAL Mexican, but pretty close for making it at home!

hi Carolyn and other west yorkies , there is a great Mexican restaurant in Bradford called la cocina on manningham lane  its got good reviews and my friend gave it top marks apparently the best Mexican in west Yorks 
 http://www.sugarvine.com/Leeds/reviews/review_detail.asp?restaurantid=7564&name=Cocina%20Mexican%20Restaurant

What British folk think of as 'good Mexican' is nothing like what we (speaking as a Californian) grew up with.  I cant put my finger on what the difference is, but it's just not the same.      I've given up, and just cook my own now.  If friends suggest going to a Mex restaurant, that's fine... but i dont go with any hopes of finding the 'real thing'.

I've given up, and just cook my own now. 

My old roommate in Boston (from San Diego - her parents are Mexican) and I used to have huge enchilada parties every so often; a friend down in London (also from San Diego) makes killer guacamole; and I've found a cheese shop in Darlington that will special order Monterey Jack!  I've been idly tossing around the idea of picking a weekend this summer and inviting anyone from UKY round to ours for a big Mexican-food potluck - enchiladas, taco soup, whatever people fancy and are good at making out of British ingredients!  Would anyone be up for that sort of thing?

Coming from Arizona where every other restaurant is Mexican food, I think I'm going to have serious cravings when I go to London. Can you even buy flour tortillas, ground beef, refried beans, and salsa? If so, I think I will survive. I'll just pack a handful of packets of Lawry's taco seasoning! Not REAL Mexican, but pretty close for making it at home!

Yes you can buy all four in the supermarket.  You may want to bring individual packets of the taco seasoning, as I haven't seen them sold outside of the taco kit box.  Sometimes I buy the kits, then have leftover shells, but don't have any extra seasoning to make them again.  Its a problem.

My old roommate in Boston (from San Diego - her parents are Mexican) and I used to have huge enchilada parties every so often; a friend down in London (also from San Diego) makes killer guacamole; and I've found a cheese shop in Darlington that will special order Monterey Jack!  I've been idly tossing around the idea of picking a weekend this summer and inviting anyone from UKY round to ours for a big Mexican-food potluck - enchiladas, taco soup, whatever people fancy and are good at making out of British ingredients!  Would anyone be up for that sort of thing?

Hey, I don't even like Mexican food all that much but that sounds like fun!

Yes you can buy all four in the supermarket.  You may want to bring individual packets of the taco seasoning, as I haven't seen them sold outside of the taco kit box.  Sometimes I buy the kits, then have leftover shells, but don't have any extra seasoning to make them again.  Its a problem.

yes, you can buy packets of Old El Paso or Discovery taco seasoning mix, seperately from the taco kits.