Why is it that mediocre and wonderful dining experiences rarely compel one to spend time preparing a rant, but a poor dining experience is such a strong motivator? Our dinner experience tonight incited me to actually create a MenuPages.com account (MenuPages is a great resource for New Yorkers looking for a bite; I have some complaints, but overall, it’s very useful) and write a review. Their reviews are apparently moderated and since I insist on immediate gratification, here’s (a slightly edited version of) the text:

I am a foodie. I love most varieties of Mexican food I’ve sampled. While not very “authentic,” the food at Mama Mexico is definitely better than average. We sprung (unwittingly) for the fresh prepared-at-the-table guacamole, which was excellent. The mole was among the best I’ve tasted (well balanced rich, spicy, chocolatey, smokey). The only complaint I have about the food is my soggy taco from which ground beef fell into a meatball-like clump.

So why won’t I return? Largely for the same reasons Michael lists (10/20). We were asked if we’d like some guacamole with our chips before receiving a menu (who expects guac to cost $11? a side-order is $6 if they don’t make it at your table which was never offered and would have been fine, even though the fresh guac is excellent). The margaritas were skimpy for $9; the waiter tried to upsell us to top shelf tequila. The specials have no listed prices. I ordered water and was asked “Evian or Perrier?” … tap wasn’t a listed option, but I ordered that anyway. Every moment had an “upsell” opportunity that just become obsurd.

The service was very attentive, if curt and rife with “upsells.”
We went very early (around 4:30pm; we hadn’t eaten all day), and the place was not crowded. Still, they felt compelled to replace the paper table covering before they had even brought us the bill (which took forever). Then, they couldn’t seem to figure out how to ring me up on a Visa gift card I’d received for Christmas, though the hardware store next door had no trouble at all.

While I’d avoid margaritas in the future, the beer and food are worth the higher prices for quality and lively atmosphere. I might consider returning with a group, but I do not appreciate constantly being “up sold” by a server. I expect (if not appreciate) that kind of treatment at a car dealership or electronics store, but not at a restaurant.

The “Michael” referred to above is the review posted here on 10/20 (MenuPages complaint #1: no direct links for reviews). And their web site is goofy, too: MamaMexico.com.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 31st, 2005 at 7:57 pm and is filed under Local, Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.