The wife and I just got back from a small local Mexican eatery. There was a long table for 10 or 12 next to us and it was inhabited by a bunch of overweight and unattractive women and their equally unattractive and overweight children. Because of the distance, I could not help but overhear them order. Not a one took any item from the menu without a myriad of substitutions and additions. I believe one lady ordered the equivalent of a cheeseburger without any cheese, meat or bun.

I felt a bit sorry for the waiter whose understanding of our language was a bit challenged to start with. I left him a big tip and wished him well.

P.s did they order diet sodas with the boat load of grub?

There are do's and don'ts of ordering off the menu. Usually, just don't. But the rule of thumb is, no big changes, and call ahead to speak to kitchen manager to see what you can or can't do if you have dietary restrictions.

But if you're just being a picky PITA, stay at home and nag the spouse instead of your local eatery.

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Soli Deo Gloria

They have Mexican food in Illinois?

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Hold on. SWAT's at my door.

must have been Chicago

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is it just me?

Lots of Mexican food in downstate Illinois. Like most places in this country, we have seen some large population shifts the past several years. The place we were at has probably been in business for over 30 years. However, there are lots of new ones. I am from a small farming community in the south central part of the state and I think it now has at least 4 Mexican restaurants. The next town south of there has a number of Mexican groceries and is maybe 1/3 Mexican now.

The best tacos I ever had was in a little Mexican place in Joliet Illinois. The owner told me I had to get my food to go and to never come in there after dark. When I asked him why he told me he didn't want my blood on his floor. I never went back there but those tacos sure were good.

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sticks-n-stones&hollowpoints

Every "Super Mercado" in an around Chicago has a couple tables where you can get fed at. A friend of mine and I used to work in all those areas and he would search out the worst Mexican slop chute in every area to eat at. I met him at a place one time and there were 10-12 hispanic guys sitting there waiting for there lunch to be delivered to the table by the "waitress". We ordered and my buddy Bob got up and found the washroom. A cop car pulled up by the front door and 10-12 hispanic guys got up and flew up the back door like their pantaloonas was on fire. A cop got out of the car and went to the counter and picked up the tacos they ordered and left. Bob came back from the john and said "where the hell did everybody go?"

There are very few stray cats in these neighborhoods.

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SOS USA

Pepe's in Barrow Alaska. Food is as good as any of the Tex-Mex Type. I think they even can use whale meat. Try getting that off the menu elsewhere.

We've got two true Mexican food places here, both of them are staffed by folks who don't speak real good English, but they make some fantastic food! My daughter is in her third year of Spanish and one of her extra credit projects was to have someone take a quick video of her ordering in Spanish at a Mexican restaurant. She kinda cheated, as she always orders enchiladas...

A very good mexican restaurant close to us is one of my favorite
places to eat. The staff can't speak very good English but they try
and the service and food is outstanding and authentic. I always
order off the menu and have'nt been disappointed yet.


chuck

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They hold no Quarter

I am occasionaly guilty of asking for a substitution at Mexican Joints. It is always double beans no rice. No problemo.

We have a family run hole in the wall place here in Keller that is excellent, Tres Casas for any of y'all in the DFW area, please check it out.

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Copyright MCMLXII ©

I asked my in-laws why they NEVER just ordered a "#5" or whatever, but ALWAYS ordered each item they wanted separately.
They said they got what they wanted, especially for them, which was much better than the standard menu choices....

I pointed out that the breakfast order one had just taken 5 minutes selecting item by item was the same as "#2 breakfast with small orange juice and coffee." Oh well....

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Science plus Art

Only change I ever do in a Mexican restaurant is hold the guacamole.

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Proverbs 14:7

I rarely have problems with substitutions but I'll add jalapenos or double rice at some places (good rice-fair beans). But then, we tip well and order in Spanish.

I too am (was?) a Hoosier from NW-IN --
My dad always said if you hear that a place has THE BEST TACOS in town you'd better get there fast because they'll be shut down for using cat meat real soon.
And people will tell you flat out - "I'd NEVER eat cat meat!"
There are even people who won't eat dog meat (intentionally), Believe It Or Not

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In dog years I'm dead.

At at dinner in China there was some breaded meat going around on the lazy susan.
It was good
I asked my *sponsor* what it was - He said "Duck"

My American co-worker (USN Ret) cut a piece in two and said "This isn't duck - It's red meat."
So I asked Mr. Lee again and he again answered "I said duck - It's DUCK!
"You mean like quack quack duck?"
Mr. Lee looked at me kinda funny and said "No - Like bow wow duck"

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In dog years I'm dead.

Yo quiero Taco Bell.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

What Mickey D said!

Bein in central Oklahoma, we have a lot of very good Mexican restaurants. I probably eat at local family owned Mex restaurants 2-3 times a week. Como se dice... Yo estoy muy gordo!

Hog

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Isaiah 55:8-9
Phil. 4:13

"Cerveza, por favor" is all you need to know.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

One of the best local Mexican places, Matta's, closed down after decades in operation, downtown on Main St., partly because the neighborhood deteriorated after being overrun by low-life illegal immigrants, mostly from Mexico. How 'bout that for irony? Thankfully, after a several-year hiatus, they've re-opened in an upscale shopping center that is so large in area that it is its own neighborhood.

You know my pet peeve ==when people stand at the head of the line and read the menu to little Johnny or Mary (who can't count past two) and have them order for themselves and turn to smile at all the people waiting in line while the "little darlins" change their mind at least 3 times. Of course, each child insists on paying for their meal independently. If Darwin really was right, these people should die of starvation like the rest of us do while waiting for them!

"*Dónde está el baño?" is helpful.

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I always take precautions

I think when people order off the menu frequently it is lack of reading comprehension. In Third World Countries it is occasionally best to ask "What do you recommend?" because it asks kindly, "What do you have in the kitchen?" instead of "what is about to spoil?."

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Front sight and squeeze