Chiquito Restaurant & Bar

I have visited Chiquito's many times as I live just around the corner from the Smethwick restaurant and everytime I have been there the food has been absolutely perfect, I have tried almost everything on the menu because of going there so often, a few of the things I haven't had because i'm not overly keen on some of the ingredients. However, after much consideration I have decided that my perfect menu is this:

Starter: Chicken Nachos, the cheese is not overdone and the tortillas are not soggy as they are in some restaurants that serve nachos, the guacamole, sour cream and salsa make the dish complete and unlike some other places I have had nachos, the helpings are generous and it does not fill you up too much for your main meal. Also it is surprisingly refreshing for something that sounds so heavy.

Main Course:

Some of my favourite main courses at Chiquito's are; El Gringo's Chilli Con Carne, Texas BBQ Bacon Burger, BBQ Chicken and the Fiesta Grilled Gammon Steak, However for my main course I chose the Mexicana Mixed Grill because it is one of the mains that I can eat again and again and the quality is always excellent. The Mexicana Mixed Grill consists of A 4oz rump steak, lamb chop, sausage, half a rack of ribs and a short order of fiesta grilled gammon. Served with corn on the cob, spicy onion rings and fries. The steak is always cooked the way I want it done...which incidentally is rare, However my family all enjoy their steaks cooked in a different way and they all agreed that it was cooked the way that they like it. Once again, the helpings were very generous and you definately get good value for money because for £13,95 you're getting quite a lot of meat, not to mention a large helping of fries which are not dripping in oil and a portion of onion rings with a nice kick to them. The barbecue sauce on the half rack of ribs also had a kick to it, I'm not entirely sure what went into it to make it taste so nice but it seems to hit the spot nicely.

Finally we move onto desserts, I must admit that I have a sweet tooth and for me, with desserts the more sickly they are the better, So I suppose picking the Chocolate Brownie Fudge Sundae is inevitable really, Although all of the other desserts are superb and you always go home wanting more. The prices of the meals are very reasonable and in terms of the sizes we aren't talking nouvelle cuisine. You do actually get a meal. Chiquito's also provides vegetarian options and some nice healthy salads for those of you who are trying to cut down. The atmosphere in the restaurant is brilliant, you get the feeling that you're actually on holiday in mexico when you go there because of the music, the lighting and the decor. The staff are always friendly and are always willing to help make your visit better. The service is great too, however there is an occasional night when it's unexpectedly busy and you have to wait a little longer for your food. My only other criticism is that the drinks aren't exactly the cheapest around but they aren't the most expensive, It isn't too bad if you're only drinking Coke and lemonade as they have free refills so parents need not worry about thirsty children. Overall the restaurant is well worth a visit, even if you are just having a few drinks or a quick snack, You'll definately not regret going. Happy eating!

John.
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John
Friday, January 13, 2006