Ok...I don't like to give a review based on one visit, so now that I have eaten food at Latino Grill about five or six times over the course of several months, I'm prepared to give an honest assessment. I absolutely love Mexican food, and this the only place around that serves anything remotely authentic (unless I want to drive for 15 or 20 minutes).
Latino Grill is actually a small (only 5 stools) 'lunch counter' located inside a busy truck stop/gas station, and seems to do a steady business of both take-out and eat-in orders. Each time I have eaten here, it has been at lunch time, so I cannot really comment on their breakfast or dinner. As far as I can tell, they have one fairly basic menu, and based on what I have heard others ordering, all of the items are available all day long. I have eaten tacos, burritos, rice and beans, and chips, so I've had most of the 'hits' here.
As per usual, here are my list of pros and cons :
Pros:
* The tacos are authentic, street-style, with the usual cilantro and onions. They can be ordered with other ingredients, but I like them this way. They are hot, fresh, and served with a lime wedge.
*The burritos are pretty big, and definitely filling.
*They offer a hot and a mild sauce, both fresh and made daily (I say this because I have seen the sauces cooking on the stove as I ate every time I've been there). The hot is really tasty, and complements everything.
*The two Latina women that work there are extremely friendly and very hard-working.
Cons:
*Every time I have gone here, the counter and kitchen area seem to be pretty dirty, with the counter un-wiped, and pots and pans scattered all over the kitchen area. I realize that this is located in a truck stop, but that is no excuse for not keeping the eating area clean. Their health rating was in the mid-90s at my most recent visit, and I'm wondering how they managed to achieve that score with the conditions I've seen.
*The seating leaves a lot to be desired. If you are sitting at either outer of the five available stools, you'll either be right at the cash register where people are constantly ordering and/or paying, or at the other end you will be right in front of the dish washing sink, and there is no guard to keep water from spraying onto you or your food as you eat (and your presence will NOT deter the women from continuing to wash dishes or pans).
*In all but one of my visits, I have requested an order of chips and salsa (the first item on the menu's list of appetizers), only to be told that they didn't have the tortillas. How does a Mexican/Latin restaurant run out of tortillas, when almost every menu item uses them ? The one time I did get them, the chips had to be made fresh, with one of the women cutting corn tortillas and frying them. Either pre-make tons of chips, or remove that item from the menu, guys.
*The amount of time it takes from the time you order until you get your food can be painfully long for such a limited menu. Don't expect fast-food drive through wait times if you eat here.
*They accept credit/debit cards, but their machine is amazingly slow. Also, they have a sign up stating that on the weekends, they accept cash only, no cards. It doesn't explain why, and gives one the sense (even if untrue) that this is not the most legitimate of businesses.
Ultimately, I have come here always hoping that the 'next time' will somehow be an improvement, but I'm afraid that just hasn't yet been the case. I guess the only reason I continue to occasionally eat here is that they are capable of serving very good, authentic tacos if I don't want to drive far. Maybe your results will vary. read more
