Vancouver, WA: Bueno, But A Weak Margarita And Bad Guacamole Ruined The Meal

Lindo Mexico Restaurant and Cantina 

316 SE 123rd Avenue, Suite D-11

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number (360) 433-2296

Website: lindomexicovancouverwa.com

Prices: $$$$

Decent food, weak margarita. I even ordered The Bomber ($6.75 / 17.5 oz) with "extra tequila" and it still barely gave me a buzz.

We got a side of guacamole ($2.75) because we did not want to order the larger Table Side Guacamole ($7.99) for just two people. It was mostly tomatoes and chopped onions, making me glad we went with the side order because my wife is allergic to tomato, Why do so many Mexican restaurants use tomatoes in their guacamole? It pisses me off because they are much cheaper than avocados, that is the reason why, so it always amazes me how they get off charging $8 for "guacamole". It should be called "tomato, onion and avocado salad" instead.

My wife ordered a Beef Quesadilla ($3.99) and Shredded Beef Flauta ($4.29) ala carte. The quesadilla was small, but good for the price and the flauta was tasty even though the same tomato, onion and avocado salad came on the side along with some pico de gallo (I actually could barely tell the difference).

Quesadilla

Flauta

I had a Combination (3 Items with rice and beans - $13.99), selecting a shredded beef taco, cheese and onion enchilada and shredded beef chimichanga. THe taco was actually pretty good, coming in a fresh fried corn tortilla, not the "pre-fab" variety most lazy places try to get by with. The enchilada was also very good as was the chimichanga. This was the the best Mexican plate I have eaten out since arriving in Portland. Bravo!

Combo

The service was excellent and the free chips warm and the salsa homemade.  The owner (or manager) makes the rounds checking on tables and helping the servers out, even comping a table of regulars with tequila shots as we were leaving. Too bad he did not toss one of those shots in my the weak margarita because that and the tomato-guacamole ruined the experience. I am still looking for my "Go-To" Mexican restaurant in Portland/Vancouver.

Margarita

Regular Salsa

Hot Salsa

CombatCritic Gives Lindo Mexico 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Lindo Mexico Restaurant and Cantina on Yelp

Title: Vancouver, WA: Bueno, But A Weak Margarita And Bad Guacamole Ruined The Meal

Key Words: Lindo Mexico Restaurant and Cantina, Lindo Mexico, lindo, Mexico, Mexican, 
123rd, taco, tacos, Vancouver, WA, POrtland, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Copyright 2017 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Lawrence, KS: Port Fonda's Ship Will Soon Set Sail ... Into Oblivion

Port Fonda
900 New Hampshire, Ste B
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone number: (785) 856-2535
Website: portfonda.com
Prices: $$$$

I forgot my phone in the car, so please excuse the lack of photos. I have been wanting to try Port Fonda since they opened, but, to be honest, the menu never did do much for me. I like traditional Mexican food and am not enamored with the many Mexican-fusion menus and ingredients that have become so cliche lately. However, before I leave Lawrence and the Midwest for the Left Coast later this year, I thought I should give them a try.

I met a friend downtown and we walked over, entering a large, but mostly empty, dining room that looks more like a sports bar than a Mexican restaurant. I despise paying for chips and salsa, but we ordered it anyway ($5), coming in a small tin bucket accompanied by choice of two salsas (we got the corn and roasted tomatillo). The chips were  a bit skimpy, but fresh and obviously homemade, and the salsas good. but not great. I was a bit disappointed for $5.

The "special" sounded good, a deep fried chimichanga filled with chicken, rice, pork belly and some other stuff topped with a poblano (or was it serano?) chile cheese sauce ($14). The chimichanga was quite tasty, but very greasy, feeling my arteries clogging with every mouthful. It was about half the size of your average chimichanga and came with zilch, zippo, nada, making it the equivalent of a $28 chimichanga, ale carte, no rice, no beans, at your run of the mill Mexican place. Not a great value.

Because my ratings are based on value, bang-for-the-buck, and not on just the quality of the food, I cannot in good conscience give Port Fonda even an average rating (5 Bombs Out Of 10). Let's face it, their ala carte chimichanga belongs in the $6 to $8 range max, not $14, particularly at lunch. Additionally, I detest restaurants that charge for chips and salsa and $5 is ridiculous for what we received. The highlight of our lunch was the server, who was very attentive, but then she should be as we were two of the few customers in the place at noon on a Thursday.

Now I know why the place is empty and why they have received such mediocre ratings. I doubt that this place will be around much longer and am surprised they have remained open for over a year.

CombatCritic Gives Port Fonda 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Port Fonda on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Port Fonda's Ship Will Soon Set Sail ... Into Oblivion

Key Words: Port Fonda, port, fonda, New Hampshire, Lawrence, Kansas, Mexican, Mexico, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: SNAFU = "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

Lawrence, KS: Taco Taco, Just Give Me A Taco!

Taco Zone 
13 E. 8th Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
Phone number: (785) 424-7123
Website: thetacozone.com
Prices: $$$$

I was not extremely impressed the first time we ate here and am not overly so after the second. I hear many in Lawrence raving about Taco Zone, but have yet to see what all the fuss is about other than it may be the best of many mediocre Mexican food options in a city of nearly 100,000.

The food is pretty good, hence my rating (in comparison only to Lawrence, Kansas and the lack of decent retail food establishments), but in Los Angeles, San Antonio, New York City or other food havens, they would deserve 3-stars at best.

I am acquainted with one of the owners (through the American Legion where they do most of their preparation), a very nice man and well trained at the infamous Le Cordon Bleu in Paris on a scholarship from Julia Child no less, but think Taco Zone is trying too hard to be a "trendy", Mexican-fusion outlet when they should focus a bit more on the basics. There has not been a traditional Mexican taco filling option on the menu in my two visits ... "chorizo and potato", "chicken mole", "chile rojo beef and sweet potato", and "braised lamb and green olive" for example. They should stop trying to be quite so trendy and eclectic and stick more to the basics (carnitas, adobada, carne asada, al pastor, etc.), offering at least a couple traditional Mexican taco fillings.

Then there are the tortillas. I have rarely seen such tiny corn tortillas used for serving "street tacos" and when I have (which is rarely), there are traditionally two. The fillings appear generous when compared to the teeny weeny tortillas, but when you can eat an entire taco in three (not so large) bites, something ain't right. Their "Taco Plate" consists of three tacos for $7 or $2.33333333 per taco with no rice or beans, only some pickled carrots. On "Taco Tuesday" you can get the Taco Plate for $5, a much better deal, but the tortillas are still ridiculously small.

Their guacamole is decent, but also small for the price, coming with chips that are better than many places, but fried a little too long and a tad too salty. The strangest thing being the fact that they scrutinize the number of chips they put in each paper bag order, weighing them on an electronic scale to ensure you do not get one chip more than they have deemed necessary.

I really do want to like this place more because I encourage creativity, thinking outside the box, and the entrepreneurial spirit. If you are familiar with my blog or reviews, you know that I am also brutally honest and rarely give 5-stars (9-10 Bombs) and 4-stars (7-8 Bombs) is reserved for those who go above-and-beyond the call to duty. Taco Zone is average in my book, not a bad thing at all, no matter how many reviewers in general and LFK brethren in particular bestow the highest rating far too frequently in my eyes.

CombatCritic Gives Taco Zone 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... A Slightly Above Average Rating In My Book And A One Bomb Downgrade From My Previous Review Because My Recommendations Were Ignored ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Taco Zone on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Taco Taco, Just Give Me A Taco!

Key Words: Taco Zone, taco, zone, Lawrence, Kansas, KS, University of Kansas, KU, university, Mexico, Mexican, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Lawrence, KS: Decent Mexican Food And NO MARGARITAS?

 Tres Mexicanos 

1800 E. 23rd Street

Lawrence, KS 66046

Phone number (785) 830-8415

Website: N/A

Prices: $$$$

We tried Tres Mexicanos shortly after moving to Lawrence and were not overly impressed. Because they are so close to our house, in a stirp mall on East 23rd Street, we decided to give them another chance on two occasions recently and I am glad we did. Yelp has a new option that allows you to register your credit cards and receive 7% cash back at select restaurants, so when I saw that Tres Mexicanos now offers this promotion, we decided to give them another try last night.

Even though the service was spotty, the food was pretty darn good and the prices fair. They have Amercanized tacos with pre-fab shells, fried tacos (more traditional), and traditional, authentic soft tacos on corn tortillas with just meat, cilantro and onion as they should have. The tacos, except the pre-fab variety, are very good and their cheese and onion enchiladas tasty. Their guacamole is one of the best in town and "was" one of the best values, but they either raised their prices or decreased the portion because last night's order was smaller than I remember. 

When I asked about the margarita special last night, I was told "no margaritas, no wine, no beer, our liquor license expired". How can a restaurant let their liquor license expire? Mexican food without margaritas is like a day without sunshine ... BORING!

I made the mistake of ordering the "hard shell tacos" ($6.50)with rice and beans, not knowing that the "fried tacos" that I wanted were actually on another page of the menu. The server offered to exchange them for what I had intended to order, but it was my oversight and was not about to ask them to waste food on my part, so I ate the pre-fab tacos. The highlight of the dish was actually the "Charro" (aka Boracho - drunk in Spanish - beans) which were full of bacon and sausage in a soupy, savory sauce. 

My wife is not fond of Mexican food, so she ordered the cheeseburger and fries ($7.50), a massive beef patty on a fresh sesame seed bun with lettuce and tomato and a massive portion of french fries. For a Mexican restaurant, it was a pretty good burger - surprise, surprise!

The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired, but the food is decent, the margaritas well done (when they have them) and strong, the service good, the prices very fair and several TVs broadcast sporting events all over the restaurant, so we will probably be returning again. As a bonus, when I got home there was an email from Yelp and sure enough I had received a 7% credit ... HOOAH!

CombatCritic Gives Tres Mexicanos 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Tres Mexicanos on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: Decent Mexican Food And NO MARGARITAS?

Key Words: Tres Mexicanos, tres, Mexicanos, Mexican, Mexico, taco, tacos, University of Kansas, lawrence, Kansas, university, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G ="Good To Go"

CombatCritic's Favorito Recipes: Great Chili Rellenos ... Olè!

Ingredients:

Rellenos

4 Large Poblano Chiles
1 Pound Queso Fresco (Cheese)
Toothpicks
3 Eggs
1 Tablespoon Flour
1 Cup Oil

Tomato sauce

4 Medium Roma Tomatoes (Halved)
1 Cup Water
2 Garlic Cloves (Peeled and Chopped)
1 Tablespoon Chicken broth powder
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped oregano leaves

Directions:

Rellenos

1. Heat grill to medium.
2. Grill and char the chiles on both sides. 
3. Once blackened put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat out moisture. 
4. Remove from bag, slit down the middle, and remove seeds. 
5. Stuff peppers with the queso fresco and use toothpicks to hold together.
6. Separate egg yolks from the whites. 
7. Add egg whites to a large bowl, reserving the egg yolks.
8. Beat egg whites with electric beater until fluffy. 
9. Add flour and egg yolks, mixing thoroughly.
10. Add oil to a frying pan (medium heat). 
11. Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. 
12. Remove from oil and place on serving platter.

Tomato Sauce

1. Add tomatoes and water to small pot (medium heat).
2. Simmer until soft, stirring in garlic and chicken broth powder.
3. Add the 1/4 cup oil to a frying pan (low heat)
4. Stir in flour to make roux (flour and fat) mixture. 
5. Cook the until browned, then add tomato sauce. 
6. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add oregano.
7. Pour tomato sauce over chile rellenos on serving platter.
8. Eat!

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Title: CombatCritic's Favorito Recipes: Great Chili Rellenos ... Olè!

Key Words: Chili Relleno, chili, relleno, rellenos, recipe, Poblano, pepper, Mexican, Mexico, Spanish, food, recipes, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Lawrence, KS: Tres Mexicanos Is Muy Bueno Amigos

Tres Mexicanos

1800 East 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 830-8415
Prices: $$$$

We tried Tres Mexicanos shortly after moving to Lawrence and were not overly impressed. Because they are so close to our house, in a stirp mall on East 23rd Street, we decided to give them another try recently and I am glad we did.

Even though the service was spotty, the food was pretty darn good and the prices fair. They have Amercanized tacos with pre-fab shells, fried tacos (more traditional), and traditional, authentic soft tacos on corn tortillas with just meat, cilantro and onion as they should have. The tacos, except the pre-fab variety, are very good and their cheese and onion enchiladas tasty. Their guacamole is one of the best in town and one of the best values as well.

The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired, but the food is good, the margaritas well done and strong, the service OK, and the prices very fair, so we will be returning again soon.

CombatCritic Gives Tres Mexicanos 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

"Good To Go"

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Title: Lawrence, KS: Tres Mexicanos Is Muy Bueno Amigos

Key Words: Tres Mexicanos, tres, Mexicanos, Mexico, Mexican, taco, enchilada, Lawrence, Kansas, 23rd, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, service, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

Read Chris S.'s review of Tres Mexicanos on Yelp