Ericeira (Lisbon), Portugal: Ay Caramba, Delicious Mexican Food With A View!

El Chilito

R. da Boavista 3

2655-319 Ericeira, Portugal

+351 927 454 456 

Web: ElChilito.pt

Prices: €€€€

We eat enough Portuguese food, so we decided to go Mexican for a change and I am glad we did!

El Chilito does a great job considering that they are so far from Mexico and that Mexican food in Europe is traditionally terrible.

We started with Queso Fundido (€6), Guacamole (€6), a Margarita (€5.50), and an Horchata (€2.50). The queso came with two large tortillas and was gooey and tasty. The guacamole was plentiful, but lacked seasoning, needing a bit more garlic and salt. The margarita was very good, although 'on the rocks' was the only option (I prefer blended), but the horchata was too watery and the cinnamon, sprinkled on top instead of being blended in, would not stir into the rice drink.

We both had the Bistec (Steak) Tacos (2 for €7.50), brimming with cubes of steak, melted cheese, onions, and a seasoning which was good, but a tad too spicy for my wife. Our server graciously offered to make her two tacos without the seasoning and offered me her's, so I ended up with four. They were delicious ... HOOAH!

We ended our fiesta with the Churros com Cajeta, a big bowl of churros and another small bowl of Doce de Leite (dulce de leche), both excellent, but the doce de leite would have been much better had it been served warm rather than cold.

We enjoyed our Mexican feast and, considering how much delicious food we ended up with, I consider this restaurant an excellent TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives El Chilito 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

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Read Chris S.'s review of El Chilito on Yelp

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Title: Ericeira (Lisbon), Portugal: Ay Caramba, Delicious Mexican Food With A View!

Key Words: Ericeira, Lisbon, Mafra, Portugal, Mexican, tacos, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved 

Mafra (Lisbon), Portugal: Central, Superficially Nice, But Bed And Pillows Were A Nightmare

Hotel Mafra

Avenida 25 de Abril, Mafra 2640-456 Portugal

+351 261 816 050

MafraHotel.com

Prices: €€€€

We stayed here because the hospital where our dog was having his second cancer operation recommended it. I expected a better value and a decent night's sleep.

Pros:

• Staff were very nice
• Fairly modern facility
• Small refrigerator in the room
• Good breakfast, many choices
• Distant ocean view

Cons:

• Bed was terribly uncomfortable
• We woke up with back aches - deal breaker!
• Pillows were far too thick and hard ... ouch!
• There was black mold in the shower

For €80, during low season, with an uncomfortable bed and in an isolated area, I would expect to pay €70 max!

CombatCritic Gives Mafra Hotel 4 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

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Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Mafra (Lisbon), Portugal: Central, Superficially Nice, But Bed And Pillows Were A Nightmare

Key Words: Mafra, Lisbon, Ericeira, Portugal, nightmare, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, hotel, accommodation, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Good, Authentic Mexican Food In Europe? You Bet!

Hola Torito Restaurante Mexicano

Avenida 5 de Outubro 156

Olhao 8700-304 Portugal

+351 289 704 343

Website: HolaTorito.pt 

Menu: HolaTorito.pt/menu

Prices: €€€€

Comparatively speaking, 'Hola Torito' (their new name) would get 9 Bombs (5 Stars) because Mexican restaurants in outside the USA are normally quite inauthentic and bad. This place actually has better Mexican than some stateside cantinas.

Their Guacamole (€4) is quite good with fresh smashed avocado, plentiful in the Algarve as cultivation of the little, green delights has skyrocketed in recent years (weather similar to SoCal where avocado trees flourish), diced white onion and tomato, garlic, salt, and cilantro. An order comes with a basket of fresh, hot, crispy homemade tortilla chips (otherwise €3 w/ their tasty salsa, also made in-house).

I have had their Enchiladas Rancheras (€10.90), which are pretty good, coming with rice and beans, but I prefer the crispy Gringos tacos (3 for €10.90) with ground beef, cilantro, cheese, pico de gallo, and guacamole as well as rice and beans.

The Margaritas (€5) are excellent even though they could use a tad more tequila, but I recommend getting a Jarro (jug/liter ´€15) if purchasing three or more because you will get at least one additional margarita for the price.

So often, even in the US, you get store bought tortilla chips which taste like crispy cardboard and Old El Paso prefab taco shells, but Hola Torito stands out by taking the time to make their own chips, salsa, and taco shells ... HOOAH!

I cannot, in good conscience, give them 9 or 10 Bombs (5 Stars) because I know deep in my heart that this is not the best Mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at, but by European standards, they do a pretty damn good job. The owners apparently lived in San Diego for a time and, fortunately for us, learned a few things about making authentic Mexican food ... Olé!

CombatCritic Gives Hola Torito 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Olhão (Faro), Portugal: Good, Authentic Mexican Food In Europe? You Bet!

Key Words: Olhão, Faro, Portugal, Hola Torito, El Torito, Mexican, tacos, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Read Chris S.'s review of El torito on Yelp

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Tavira (Faro), Portugal: No Idea What 'Zeca da Bica' Means, But I Know I Love It!

Zeca da Bica

Rua Almirante Candido dos Reis 24

Tavira 8800-318 Portugal

+851-281-323-843

Prices: €€€€

My buddy Bart, the golf pro, not the pirate, turned me on to this place and,it was wonderful ... HOOAH! 

On a small road, one of many off of the main square on Tavira's older east side, you might wander by this place and not give it a thought. Think baby, think, and grab that door handle 'cause this place is the real deal.

Simple inside, the food is anything but that, Portuguese all the way with fresh seafood, meats, and combinations thereof. I was part of a group of 20ish, but before I get to our superb dinner, I will tell you about the meal at the three-top, Tavira-ite and Portuguese all the way, family next to us, that I got to sample. The server/owner meandered past my seat with a bowl full of something that turned out to be amazing, Porco Alentejana, razor clams and chunks o' pork in a big bowl full of delectable broth with chunks of potatoes thrown in for good measure. When the local recipients saw the look of amazement on my face, they placed some on a small plate and passed it my way ... obrigado (thank you), I said, to these most gracious new friends. It was as special as it looked and will be ordered during my next visit, which will be very soon.

Back to OUR meals ...

Liter carafes full of local wines, red (vinho tinto) and white (vinho branco) as well as bottled water were waiting for us when we arrived, but once we sat down, the aperitivos started to appear before our eyes. First a tasty octopus salad, then tiny little whole ones in a red wine sauce which did not float my boat, followed by massive shrimp and a soupy risotto of sorts that was to die for, all accompanied by fresh bread and more wine of course. An that was just for starters!

Our entrees were then delivered, for me a perfectly cooked steak and for others, fresh, grilled local fish, robalo (sea bass) I think. The steak was tender and juicy, accompanied by what looked like thick potato chips, but not quite so crispy and unusually good, along with a salad of greens, sliced tomatoes, and shredded carrots. I was getting full, but wait, it was time for dessert, choice of creme caramel (flan) or chocolate mousse, and coffee, a decaf manchado (macchiato) for me. Dessert was the lowlight of what was otherwise a meal fit for a king.

I now always order the Carne de Porco à Alentejana (€16), a classic Portuguese dish made with tender cubes of pork, crispy fried potatoes and clams simmered in a white wine sauce. As usual, it was delicious and filling.

Always busy, get a reservation, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. The service is always very good, fast, efficient and friendly.

So, if you find yourself in central Tavira with a hankerin' for some local chow, chow-chow-chow, head on down to Zeca da Bica for some of your own, and maybe a taste of a friendly neighbor's, Tavira-based cuisine ... HOOAH!

The prices are very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food, making Restaurante Zeca Da Bica a definite TravelValue!

CombatCritic Gives Restaurante Zeca Da Bica 10 Bombs Out Of 10 and A Spot On My ´WALL OF FAME´... More Bombs Are Better!

Ten Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: 

HOOAH!: "Phonetic spelling of the acronym HUA, which stands for 'Heard Understood Acknowledged.' Originally used by the British in the late 1800's in Afghanistan. More recently adopted by the United States Army to indicate an affirmative or a pleased response." - Urban Dictionary

"The Department of Military Science and Leadership, University of Tennessee claim HOOAH 'refers to or means anything except no' ... Regardless of its meaning ... the term is an expression of high morale, confidence, motivation and spirit." - WarChronicle.com

"The U.S. Air Force stole 'HOOAH' from the Army because we were part of the Army until 1947 and rather than waste a bunch of time coming up with something new and unique like "ROO-YAH" or "HAL-A-LOO-YAH", we said 'screw it, let's go with HOOAH' ... thanks Army ... HOOAH!" - CombatCritic

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20/'21/'22 

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Restaurante Zeca Da Bica on Yelp

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Tavira (Faro), Portugal: No Idea What 'Zeca da Bica' Means, But I Know I Love It!

Key Words: Tavira, Faro, Portugal, Zeca da Bica, zeca, bica, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2022 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved