Worst Mexican Restaurant Ever.

[Hungary Jack]

This rant sucks. Chips and salsa do not a good Mexican restaurant make. Nor does its absence make the restaurant necessarily bad. Chipotle charges for chips and salsa, and it's pretty good. But the best Mexican restaurants make their own guac, their own mole sauce, and serve those marinated peppers/cauliflower/carrot/ onion trays.

[docellis]

I think Chipotle sucks.

[thrill]

Say goodbye to doc, everybody.

[Arthur Dent]

Isn't Chipotle really more fast food than a restaurant?

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I'm not saying mom and pop places necessarily have better food or better anything for that matter.....they're just.....less industrialized. I'd rather have worse food and pay more but get better service and a warm atmosphere.

Strange, the reason I go to eat out is for the food.

So you'd rather get worse food and pay more just so you can sit in a nice atmosphere w/ I guess you can say better service (which is debatable). The service has nothing to do w/ the mom and pop place and more to do w/ the individual that serves you. I rarely get rude servers anywhere I go.

And I'm not saying mom and pop places have bad food. I was just going from what your post says.

Here's an example, I was in the city a week ago and hadn't had a sandwich from mom's deli (LeGrands was closed ) for quite sometime and some on here rave about it. I got the mom's special which seemed like a good choice. That was about as cookie cutter of a sandwhich as I've ever had, there was NOTHING special about it, in fact I would say I've had better sandwiches at Subway.

It seems that place would close down fairly quickly then.

In my experience, I would say "mom and pops" food is better than and certainly more varied than "chains" food (in general, obviously) and the price is usually less or comparable. That said, even if both those things were not true (ie, the food was worse and the price was more), I'd rather go to a place that will serve olives and feta cheese as an appetizer and some heinous entree as their special with 20 different beers on tap and a knowledgeable bartender that set up the bar than a place where the bartender is aloof and they have marginal food.

Also, here are just a few examples of mom and pops and comparable chains:

http://www.mcnellies.com/

www.bastante.com

http://www.fasteddiesbonair.com/index.cfm

Chains:

http://www.copelandsofneworleans.com/

http://www.buffalowildwings.com/

www.olivegarden.com

www.applebees.com

[cardinalkarp]

Honestly I'm fine w/ chains or local places. I just go where I think the food is good.

[Popeye_Card]

Honestly I'm fine w/ chains or local places. I just go where I think the food is good.

I am too. Though when I'm in StL, I very rarely will go to any chain for dinner. Just because I know plenty of local places, and know what to expect.

I agree with your review of Mom's Deli. I've heard great raves about it, and it was pretty bland, IMO.

[Hungary Jack]

Isn't Chipotle really more fast food than a restaurant?

Definitely. Not a place where you sit and get served. But most here in Chicago serve beer, which makes them something more than fast food.

[cardinalkarp]

Honestly I'm fine w/ chains or local places. I just go where I think the food is good.

I am too. Though when I'm in StL, I very rarely will go to any chain for dinner. Just because I know plenty of local places, and know what to expect.

I agree with your review of Mom's Deli. I've heard great raves about it, and it was pretty bland, IMO.

That's one reason why I wish I did live in the city, so many more options on sandwich shops and food in general. Out in my neck of the woods there are very few options. Although there is a new deli/meat market right by my place that has sandwiches that I'm going to try soon.

[Hungary Jack]

I think Chipotle sucks.

Have you even been to Chipotle?