If, up until now, you’ve associated Mexican food with slathering as much melted cheese, sour cream, and salsa on some kind of soft or hard tortilla let me just direct you to a restaurant in the city that can sort you out stat.
The only way to describe Mexico Lindo is to say that it’s a hole in the wall. Really and truly. But don’t let the basic decor deceive you. This is as authentic an experience as it gets. Tucked away in Fairview, you may have never heard of it before. I believe it used to be neighbours to a Hells Angel club but, after that got shut down, it no longer holds that distinction.
The food is comparable to the few places Cokebaby and I were able to eat at while doing the resort thing in Mexico a few years ago. Off the resort, of course. Or the Mexican food we’ve had in other cities. It’s home style cooking by co-owner of the husband-wife team, Ana Jimenez.
Instead of getting a bread basket to snack on while you wait, you start with yellow corn chips and salsa. The salsa itself is fresh and spicy. And when I say spicy, I mean it’s definitely not for those for find honey garlic wings burny, if you know what I mean.
Photo credit: feministjulie from Flickr
We were lucky enough to be there on a night when aqua fresca was available (in watermelon!) so we ordered a pitcher ($6.99) for the table of four. Aqua fresca is a brilliant combination of fruits, sugar and water, blended together to make a refreshing beverage.
I had the vegetarian enchilada combo: Tortilla soaked in spices and lightly fried, filled with vegetables (options for chicken, beef) and topped with cheese, onion and sour cream ($10.95). Cokebaby went with the chicken chimichanga & enchilada combo ($13.95). A chimichanga is a lightly fried burrito in butter (chicken, beef or vegetarian) topped with tomato, onion and sour cream. The combos are served with reasonably sized portions of rice and refried beans.
Our friends had chicken chimichanga ($5.99) and the chicken chimichanga combo ($10.95). Yeah, we weren’t really creative in our choices. But, believe me, it was all devoured without a spot of food left behind.
Personally, I’d like to see some other interesting items on the menu. They’ve got something called tepa which is tasty if you like that sort of thing: Large tortilla filled with potato and spicy sausage, topped with HOT SALSA, cheese, lettuce and sour cream ($5.99). I wouldn’t turn down a tamale, something in mole sauce, or tortilla soup though.
Kimberly Walsh is a social media and online community manager. You can follow her on Twitter @AliasGrace.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I am fortunate that it is close to me and I love their food:) The fact that they still exist after all this time in such an unlikely spot tells you that the food must be good!
Thanks for this review. We went there a couple of years ago, and I still have not kept my promise to visit frequently to show my support for small businesses cooking fantastic food!
I really REALLY wanted to like this restaurant. I grew up in So.Cal where Mexican food was abundant and varied. Mexicali Rosa’s is so dismal that when I heard “authentic mexican” I was excited. I agree that the fresca is a nice beginning. But it all went downhill from there. The chips were store bought (yellow circle ones). No one would dare do that in any mexican restaurant in the southern states. The salsa was ok. My husband and I each had a platter of 3 veggie somethings – can’t remember – taco, burrito and… really can’t remember. What I remember is there were all the same except fried for different lengths. No refried beans for a veggie burrito just lettuce, tomato and green pepper. That is just wrong. I certainly don’t consider myself the authority on mexican but I have had better fastfood “stall” mexican in the US. I am trying not to be judgey (ok I may be judgey) but really frying your own chips takes no time and is truly authentic. That small thing could bring them up one or two more notches.
You need to visit the other side of the harbour and check out the eats that Dartmouth has to offer.! Start at La Perla, and do try the calamari.
Mexico Lindo is far from good. It may be authentic if in Mexico you were raised by a mom who never cooked. Authentic to me would be homemade tortilla shells, rice and beans with flavour and some seafood on the menu. Jarred salsa! come on….let’s use some fresh seasonal ingredients and real food….
I too found Mexico Lindo to be pretty blah.
I ordered a Chimi platter as hot as they could make it. It was bland as hell. My wife had an enchilada that wasn’t very good either. Their open hours make it next to impossible to get there if you have kids and need to find a babysitter before going out. The atmosphere is decidedly high school cafeteria in appearance (not that this is huge, but I found it dirty).
And to top everything off, they don’t serve beer!
I doubt we’ll ever go back.
shelagh: Yes, I think despite the unlikely location, they seem to do really well.
themikestand: We’ve only been there a handful of times and mean to go back more frequently but there are just so many other places to eat in this city that it’s sometimes tough to remember the tucked away spot.
Chara: Mexicali Rosa’s is actually the one on Spring Garden Road (and I totally agree about how dismal that food experience is). Good for drinks on the patio though..!
witchypoo: I know and I will. I’ve heard fab things about Nectar too so I hope to get to it soon.
anastasia: While I agree that more variety and seasonal ingredients would improve the menu, I think for what they’re serving compared to the food I’ve had down south and in other “authentic” Mexican restaurants, they’re on par for taste.
Jeff White: The decor is part of what brings back memories of eating in Mexico, actually! All the places we ate at were open to the elements so it was all wood tables with plastic chairs. I totally agree on the hours (I’ve often thought of them on Sundays and Mondays to be disappointed) and that changing the menu a bit to accommodate the need for spicier and more complex flavours would do them a great service. A bad dining experience is hard to get over though especially if it’s your first one at a particular restaurant and with so many others to choose from in this city.
They have tried offering different items before, and having different hours. A Sunday brunch with all kinds of nifty fare died because people didn’t come out enough to make it financially viable. Same with the spicier fare, like Mole, etc. The demand wasn’t there. As much as people like to talk about how urban we are, there are still those here who are very limited in what they are willing to try, and that seems to afflict Mexico Lindo. Some unique dishes were on the menu last week for Mexican independence, and I ordered the tamales as a vote of support, but if I’m alone in doing that, then the fare remains what it is. In other words, tell them you want to see more variety, then be prepared to put the money where the mouth is…
I have to say, I loved it until I visited San Diego. Then it was, “Mexico Lindo, who?”
Have not been there. Thanks for the review. Will try it soon and let you know what we think – love to find small authentic spots rather than the formula versions of authentic corporations produce.
Thanks for the review! I’ve been a big fan for years and often order a large take-out feast whenever family is in town. It’s a far cry better than any chain Mexican food available elsewhere in town.
Mexico Linde is good, but they have limited options (especially if you are veg). I felt the various items all had the same flavour. We had the combo that lets you try the everything. The enchiladas were the best and if you ask for spicy, be warned they really know how to heat it up. You can’t beat the agua fresco, they really need to sell beer!
i would actually go back, but they need to start serving beer. it’s downright wrong to not be able to have a cerveza with mexican food.
Ben: I think it’s all about different styles of Mexican food. Every region has it’s own interpretation. Mexico Lindo is the best that we’ve got in the city but I know other cities have more to offer.
MrWordsWorth: That’s frustrating to hear! If they could advertise the special nights, even on their website or through an e-mail distribution, I’d definitely make the effort to swing by. Tamales seem too complicated and messy to make at home..!
jonathan: Definitely true on the limited selection for vegetarians. Especially in terms of protein sources.
Jeff White: Cokebaby feels the same about the beer situation. I think a lot of men do!
I absolutely love this place. I used to live right up the street from it and had to limit my visits to it because I could very well have gone every day. The owners are great people to talk with and I always enjoyed the atmosphere. As for the food, well, I always found it outstanding. I’ve met a few people who didn’t like it (as I frequently raved about it) and for the most part they would say it didn’t compare to Mexicali Rosas.
…at the risk of sound like a pretentious food snob: if someone things Mexi’s serves better food that Mexico Lindo, their opinion on the matter doesn’t really concern me anyway.
My biggest issue with Mexico Lindo is that I haven’t bee able to go very often since my fiancee went from vegetarian to vegan, although the next time I’m in Halifax I’ve promised myself I’ll stop by for some food.
Eric: I know what you mean. The enjoyment of food can vary dramatically due to personal preferences. I don’t think it’s food snobbery, it’s just different palates and expectations. From what I hear, it’s tough eating out in the city if you’re a vegan. I think, while there are increasingly more vegetarian options out there, the vegan meals are much harder to come by.