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Charlottes (where Tequila Gaucho was)


mhopkins2

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I'm willing to give it another try, but the ribs were disappointing and not tender at all and I mentioned it to Lori. We dined with Mexicomoose, so I'll let him provide the detailed review. He ordered the pepperoni pizza and let me have a slice. It was tasty, but not the best pizza in town. On the other hand, I saw several salads with chicken going to another table and they looked fantastic. Saw another diner with a huge slice of cheesecake with berries that looked divine. The road noise and flies made it a less than pleasant dining experience, though.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Three  friends and I had a great experience eating at Charlotte's. Very good appetizers, warmed cheese and Pesto sauce and an artichoke dish with great bread. Excellent fish and chips, pork cutlet, ribs and chicken salad. Cheesecake for dessert. Plus 6 of their great Margaritas.

Buen Provecho!   

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I had their diezmillo special. Took a risk, because I had just returned from the dentist with temporary crown fillings. As promised, very generous portions, it was tender, sliced very thin, and seasoned perfectly, great, interesting sides - I think the special was 139 pesos. For dessert I had a sipping glass of tequila, their tequila prices were not set yet, so she gave me very top shelf, for the same price as regular. The fly trick there is to sit inside and direct the fans around your table. They have numerous floor and ceiling fans. Their wood fired pizza seems to be very popular.

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I was there a couple of days ago, and had their Pollo Parmezana special, which came with mashed potatoes and vegetables.  The chicken was so flattened out, that all the moisture had gone out of it.  The sauce was a sweet tomato sauce and unfortunately, the parmesan cheese was the dried kind that you get in the shaker, sprinkled on top.  Very disappointed!

I'll try a different dish next time, but if I have a similar experience, I won't be back.  It seems like most of their menu is the same as it was at Lake Taco, but Lake Taco has a nicer location.....better breeze, and not as much traffic noise!

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We too recently dined here.  We like Lori & Carlos and decided to check it out.  I had the Ribs - they were ok, not nearly as good as Adelida's. The plate came with corn on the cob which was brown at the ends and very soggy.  Hubby began with an order of Calamari - it was nice.  Came with a little green salad on the plate - but nothing to dip it in.  Hubby ordered the Rib Eye - he said it was average.  We enjoyed their house red wine and found their prices to be average.  Location isn't the best with road noise but they play nice music to try and offset that.  We will try again and see if all improves..............

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16 hours ago, Guiness said:

.    Location isn't the best with road noise 

If seen this mentioned several times about this location and frankly don't understand it. There is less traffic on the libremento than the carretera through Ajijic and yet there are plenty of restaurants that sit by the road there and no one seems to have a problem with them. Gossips in particular comes to mind, can't get much closer to the road than that.

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44 minutes ago, dcstroker said:

If seen this mentioned several times about this location and frankly don't understand it. There is less traffic on the libremento than the carretera through Ajijic and yet there are plenty of restaurants that sit by the road there and no one seems to have a problem with them. Gossips in particular comes to mind, can't get much closer to the road than that.

Trucks coming down the hill on the libramiento are often using their air brakes which makes a lot of noise - you don't have that on the carretera in the middle of the village.

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I only eat at Gossips because he makes a few truly excellent N'Awleans-style dishes. But even with his plastic curtains, the noise and smell is almost untenable. I would eat there far more often if he had a better location, away from the constant bus, trucks, and exhaust. (Ismat blew it for me, opening the Avocado Club and not keeping it Gossips.)

The noise at Fogon is amplified from the highway, just because of the acoustics of the location. And as bournemouth points out, those jake brakes on the big trucks are truly deafening. I can hear them in the wee hours of the morning out past San Antonio. (Every time you hear one, the driver is breaking the law.)

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Yup, we found that location pretty noisy as well.  Went once when it was Gaucho Tequila, OK but not good enough to justify the price and noise, and never went back.  We have to really like a restaurant to justify eating a meal in a noisy, unsettling location.  Ditto for the amateur, always over amplified music.  We avoid.

Not a good sign this new restaurant is getting mixed reviews.  

 

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I like how it has casual appeal, like Lake Taco, with the cats sometimes roaming around. The second one sometimes has small, under control dogs, on the outdoor deck, and their young daughter, who seems to be waiting for a ride home after her school shift, is a real charmer, and very much likes to be the center of attention. Their taste in music is excellent, and it is never loud.

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18 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

I like how it has casual appeal, like Lake Taco, with the cats sometimes roaming around. The second one sometimes has small, under control dogs, on the outdoor deck, and their young daughter, who seems to be waiting for a ride home after her school shift, is a real charmer, and very much likes to be the center of attention. Their taste in music is excellent, and it is never loud.

These are all positive things about the people who run it, but ultimately, a restaurant is supposed to be mainly about the food.  If the food isn't getting good reviews, then nothing else matters.

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13 minutes ago, suegarn said:

These are all positive things about the people who run it, but ultimately, a restaurant is supposed to be mainly about the food.  If the food isn't getting good reviews, then nothing else matters.

Not really in this town. Where so many people are on their own. Where so many people are on a budget, and not from a background of "gourmet" tastes and flavors. A family ambience, a sense of welcome, a laugh among strangers, not having to cook or do dishes. These are more important than having some Gordon Ramsey character trying to achieve culinary excellence and Michelin stars. Rey Taco is also like Fogon and Lake Taco. Food can often be hit and miss, especially here trying to get a year round, consistent supply of raw materials. Must be a challenge.

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Disagree. Food has to be good, period. Otherwise, would restaurants lakeside be catering (NPI) to what, different social stratas? I don't think so. And I for one do not appreciate being hugged by happy-go-lucky waiters who feel that this action is more important than good service. And we certainly don't have Gordon Ramsey types around here, so that is never going to be a worry. It IS a challenge, and too many people here get into it without the experience or the fortitude for the job, and they just shouldn't bother. The ones that tend to win? Families who open taco stands, serving an always-in-demand dish that is fairly easy to perfect.

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1 hour ago, ComputerGuy said:

Disagree. Food has to be good, period. Otherwise, would restaurants lakeside be catering (NPI) to what, different social stratas? I don't think so. And I for one do not appreciate being hugged by happy-go-lucky waiters who feel that this action is more important than good service. And we certainly don't have Gordon Ramsey types around here, so that is never going to be a worry. It IS a challenge, and too many people here get into it without the experience or the fortitude for the job, and they just shouldn't bother. The ones that tend to win? Families who open taco stands, serving an always-in-demand dish that is fairly easy to perfect.

Friendly is always nice, but if the food isn't "good":  (well prepared, no matter what price range it's in), why patronize a place?  Sorry, but no excuses or hugs will make up for lack of attention in the kitchen. This isn't brain surgery.  It's cooking, plain or fancy.  Yes, there are taco stands which fill the bill for those who want a meal without cooking it.  Some are notable for their attention to the matter at hand.:rolleyes:

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It never fails to amaze me how many people are willing to spend good money on bad food just because they like the owners or waiters.  I can throw a rock from my place and hit a classic example of this interesting mentality.

We've crossed places off our list far more often for poor food than for unfriendly staff or owners.  Most places seem to understand they need to be nice to the customers.

I go to a restaurant to eat.  I go to the gym to work out and I get with my friends to socialize and be friendly.

 

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Yada, yada - Gourmet versus Gourmand - this debate has been going on for centuries. I know this is an imaginary bar, but do you really think people visited "Friends" for the artisan beer and stellar food? At least Fogon and Rey Taco have an open kitchen. Marco, of Rey Taco, has had professional chef training, of which food safety is a big factor. In this town, the number of kitchen staff who have received food safety training would be minimal. There is no one inspecting these kitchens either. Here is an interesting tidbit, Canada has an "Express Entry" category for skilled applicants, each occupation is scored as far as demand. The highest number was for Food Service Supervisors. In the top ten, there were no medical occupations at all.

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3 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

Yada, yada - Gourmet versus Gourmand - this debate has been going on for centuries. I know this is an imaginary bar, but do you really think people visited "Friends" for the artisan beer and stellar food? At least Fogon and Rey Taco have an open kitchen. Marco, of Rey Taco, has had professional chef training, of which food safety is a big factor. In this town, the number of kitchen staff who have received food safety training would be minimal. There is no one inspecting these kitchens either. Here is an interesting tidbit, Canada has an "Express Entry" category for skilled applicants, each occupation is scored as far as demand. The highest number was for Food Service Supervisors. In the top ten, there were no medical occupations at all.

Chillin', I'm not sure where you got the idea that any of us were talking about gourmet food.  We are all in agreement that the main focus for any restaurant is to cook food well, whether it's filet mignon or a simple fish taco!  If they can't cook, then it doesn't matter if it's the friendliest, nicest looking place around......it won't be in business for very long!

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Chillin, if a thread topic is like a train, with two directions of track, I have to say I think you're going south on this one. I don't understand your comparisons, espec. gourmet vs. gourmand, because that doesn't even fit into this discussion, does it? I mean, tell me if I'm wrong.

And I can tell you from experience, no matter what "fast tracking" might be implemented for food-service workers in Canada, they still have to take at least two government courses before even being let into the staff bathroom at a food prep place.

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What actually is really bad re "food safe" in Mexico is how they do dishes at many (most?) restaurants. A little tub of soapy water with bits of food floating around in it, then a little rinse under the tap. I think when people get sick at restaurants down here, it´s as much from this entirely non-sterile way of dealing with the dishes than from the food.

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My bad, I meant "Cheers" not "Friends" - does that feel better? Look, I have been a foodie, home brewer, home distiller, for many years, 40 years in Vancouver, one of the greatest food cities in the world, if not the most diverse. I love to cook, there is not a single dish in this town that I could not easily cook at home, for one/third the menu price - and enjoy the experience. The key to good food is access to fresh, simple ingredients, which can often change day by day, week by week. Unless the restaurant owner makes an early morning run to Guadalajara everyday, which would be extremely tiring, this is not going to happen here. To put something on the menu that you are going to support all year is a commitment to mediocrity. Sorry, but it just is. A financial and logistics necessity. The father of Marco (Rey Taco) was a professional French chef - you don't see him going down that road. He has got it right, so does Fogon, but they are stretching and experimenting around their Lake Taco favorites.

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