There is a dearth of good Mexican food in the UK, and so I was thrilled when Lobo Rojo opened up…read morerecently! A quick ten minute drive and I was SO pumped to have some of these much-loved flavours again.
This place is hoppin', so call to book if you can or come early. We arrived at 530 on Saturday (two adults, one toddler) and it was almost full up - plenty of people just drinking in the bar area and most restaurant tables full. When we walked by on the previous Saturday night at 8, a sign said "No tables," so it does fill to capacity!
I got a mocktail - not on the menu, so I can't say what it was, but I was told it had pineapple, raspberry, and vanilla. And I have to say, it was one of the best mocktails I've had (and since I'm pregnant, I'm well-versed in this area). It wasn't sickly sweet - the opposite! It was fruity without being overpowering and actually had a "grown-up" taste without the alcoholic punch. This is rare and was much-appreciated, I really enjoyed it.
Next up - chips (I refuse to say crisps in this context) and guacamole, which came out in a flash. The guac tasted fresh and creamy, and the pomegranate seeds dotted throughout were a nice touch. The chips were not Doritos, thank goodness. Not homemade, but they did actually appear to be salted tortilla chips at least, and we were brought more when we needed them. So far so good.
Then the tacos, which you order in pairs, and a pair costs about £6. The al pastor was my favourite flavour-wise, although I thought the strips of pork were a little tough and dry. I think of al pastor as being a tender, pulled meat, but with the grilled pineapple and lime crema, I honestly didn't really notice. Also, the 2 year old liked it. Next, the chicken mole tacos - good texture, juicy dark meat, but the mole sauce was a little on the sweet side. And finally the ensenada - a classic fish taco with flaky fish, good breading on it, loaded with cabbage and pico de gallo. Really too many toppings to pick up the thing, but great crunchy texture and I think they nailed the flavours here. These are homemade corn tortillas, they held together nicely, and they are so much better than flour tortillas could dream of being. The frijole fries were good - probably not necessary as we were being total pigs - but you get a huge portion for £5. Bit of false advertising as the "black beans" they were topped with was more of a refried beans, saucy situation, but not bad anyway. Feta and onions added a nice zing and the fries were nice and crisp.
We are really keen to go back and try more things. The staff were very friendly, food came out quick for such a busy place, and even if some of the dishes slightly missed the mark, it's leaps and bounds above almost any other Mexican in the area (exception being Chucho's tacos and the late Barrio Comida - I MISS YOU). They totally have all the right flavours, the right combinations, the real ingredients. They either nail it or they are really close, and in this Latin American food desert, that's worth four stars in my book.
