I am working reaaallyy hard to get that Mexi-can badge. So much so, that the list I texted boyfriend of potential dinner options for last night was comprised almost entirely of Mexican restaurants. Mexico was his choice. I realize one day I'm going to have to give in and take him somewhere decidedly American.
There is a parking lot on the corner of Ventnor Ave for patrons of Mexico, but it was full so we ended up parking around the block and subsequently praying that all 4 tires would still be attached the car when we came back.
Mexico is adorable, inside and out. It was cozy with tons of decorations and bright colors. The space is also deceiving from the outside: there are actually 2 separate dining areas and a bar area with tables. We were greeted, seated, and had our drink orders taken. I haven't had a margarita since boyfriend and I were in Mexico (the actual country) so I was really excited to have one here. I was also happy they didn't default to a frozen margarita, and actually asked if I'd prefer it on the rocks (I do, by the way.) Drinks came out pretty quickly and the margarita was kickin'! Well made, not overly sweet, and quite nicely priced might I add.
I was a little disappointed looking at the menu. No al pastor, no goat. They did have lengua, which I was happy to see. I loved that next to each Spanish word, there was an English description...except for the lengua. We decided to start with the Veulve a la Vida: shrimp, calamari, and crabmeat mixed with onions, tomato sauce, avocado, and cilantro. It's a cold dish, which both of us had magically managed to skip over in the description. Boyfriend chose chicken tacos for his main, and I ordered the flautas. The tacos don't come with rice and refrieds automatically, so boyfriend ordered them as a side. We were also served warm tortilla chips with warm (?) salsa.
I've never had warm salsa, so that was kind of a surprise. It was really tasty and the spiciness was great. It was a little runny and watery, as other reviewers have noted. If they could keep the exact taste of the salsa, and just make it chunkier, they'd definitely have the best salsa in south Jersey.
The Veulve was delicious, probably my favorite of the night. The sea creatures were so fresh, and there was an abundance of all of them in the glass. It was slightly spicy and cilantro-y and just a little sweet at the same time. The calamari was taut and snappy, the crab and the shrimp were so succulent and sweet. It was served with crackers, but I didn't use any. Boyfriend stated that he was tasting the calamari too much and felt like it was overpowering the dish. I love calamari, and I thought it was spectacular. We couldn't finish it, but trust and believe we were picking at it right up until our waitress took it away.
I'll get right to the point: I found our entrees to be very bland. A bite of my flauta and all I could taste was....well, really nothing. The chicken inside desperately needed some seasoning. This chicken needed seasoning like Snooki needs an adoption agency. I got pretty heavy-handed with the hot sauce here in an attempt to extract some semblance of flavor. The rice was very good, as were the refried beans. Boyfriend's chicken was bland and unseasoned as well, but he reported that he likes it that way. Okay then!
The service was a little slow, but that's par for the course in a Mexican restaurant. It wasn't painfully slow, and we never waited too long for anything. I'm not really sure how "authentic" this place is. It COULD be authentic, if they wanted it to be, for sure. To me it just seemed like typical Americanized Mexican. Also, there were way more caucasians dining here than any other ethnicity. Typically not really a sign of cultural authenticity.
The bill was about $60, before tip, which is reasonable considering it included drinks, an appetizer, two mains, and a side. But the side of rice and beans was $7! For two dollars more, we could have gotten a whole 'nother dinner. Seems a little steep for some rice and beans. I think their appetizers are a little overpriced as well. $14 for nachos? I'm pretty sure the Siberian Nachos at Red Square in Tropicana are $14 as well.
I would definitely come back to Mexico, after we try a few other places first. I think this would be a really fun place to come grab a couple drinks at the bar and order up some Mexican plates to share. They are also co-owners of La Hacienda in Galloway. read more