Update: 8/1/12-The Groupon deal has ended but the regular menu prices are still decent at an average of $10-$12 per entree.
Connecticut has an abundance of “Mexican” restaurants. From On the Border to Azteca, you can find Tex-Mex restaurants in almost every town. With Christina’s birthday around the corner, I decided to assemble a surprise party at a Mexican restaurant. I chose Los Mariachis Grill because as a hole in the wall restaurant, it stood the chance of looking and tasting authentic. Hole in the wall restaurants tend to be family owned and stay true to the culture in terms of food and decorations. We genuinely enjoyed the company of friends and good Mexican food.
Los Mariachis Grill
Overall Grade: A-
Location: 105 North Colony Street, Wallingford, CT
Atmosphere: 9/10-Los Mariachis has a small interior. It does, however, offer a bar and outside seating. You’ll notice a few paintings on the wall but nothing that screams authentically Mexican. Los Mariachis could benefit by adding a few more paintings and possibly some music. We enjoyed Los Mariachis cozy size. Unlike most chain restaurants, Los Mariachis isn’t burdened by crowds or long waits. Unfortunately, the parking lot is unequipped to handle many cars so you might have to park on the street. Update: The last time we visited, we enjoyed a wonderful Mariachi band!
Service: 9/10-Los Mariachis was short staffed for a busy night. Our waitress was friendly but rarely refilled our drinks. We were impressed that our appetizers and entrees arrived quickly. When the plates arrived, they were steaming hot and looked delicious. Like El Flamboyan, the staff paid attention to the ambiance of our meals. We liked the way the staff separated the toppings for our entrees. This gives the customer culinary creative control!
Price/selection: 8/10-Los Mariachis’ prices are decent. The same goes for their entrees, specials and appetizer variety. Entrees average around $11 or $12. We took advantage of Los Mariachis’ Groupon deal. This allows you to purchase $20 worth of food for $10. This is a good deal! Please note that you are only allowed to use one Groupon per table. We didn’t read the fine print and ended up paying a little more than we expected. We were slightly disappointed by the gratuity charge on our bill. We understand that restaurants want to be tipped, but, we feel good tips depend on good service. We appreciated our service and would have liked to determine its worth on our own.
Taste: 9.5/10- Los Mariachis won over taste buds. We loved the “kick” to the hot sauce, the appetizers and the entrees. Tex Mex restaurants tend to dilute the spiciness because of the age-old stereotype about American distaste for spicy foods. We loved that the dishes made zero apologies for their spice quality. We also loved the portion size. You receive plenty of food for your money. We recommend you try the giant burritos or the flavorful fajitas.
Extra credit: 0.5-Los Mariachis offers delivery! This is an added bonus for residents of Wallingford.
In a nutshell: 36/40- In all, we enjoyed our experience at Los Mariachis and we plan to use our other Groupon soon! We recommend you try Los Mariachis for the great taste and large portion size. Be aware of the gratuity charges and the limited parking spaces when you visit.
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CT Snapshot 