Tipped

Not just cheese and beans....

October 01, 2008

So last week I suddenly developed a craving for Mexican food. Perhaps it was the late summer sun we had in London, or just that I'd become curious about this place following the mixed reviews. The last time I had Mexican cuisine was somewhere in the backwoods of San Luis Obispo and was treated to a burrito smothered in cheese the size of a small child. All I remember from that night was crawling home on all fours clutching my stomach and the ensuing cheese nightmares. But time is a healer, and once again I was ready to dip my toe into the waters. We arrived here off peak on a Saturday (around 3pm) and were shown straight to a table. The place was probably about 3/4 full and had a good buzz about it, although the decor is quite school canteen like. We ordered a selection from the Street food section of the menu and ploughed our way through some salmon ceviche tostadas, chorizo and potato quesadillas, pork tacos, a super food salad and some margaritas, a couple of Modelo Especials and a shot of aged tequila for husband. I felt the food was actually pretty good - it felt light and fresh, and dare I say it - almost healthy! Service was mixed - the waiters were friendly enough, but we had to remind them about some forgotten drinks and then at the end they mixed up one of our plates so we had to wait whilst it was cooked for us. The margaritas were so-so. I'd had a pre-dinner drink at Navajo Joe just up the road in Covent Garden, and their margarita definitely had more kick to hit. But then it was also more expensive. However, at the end of the day, our meal was very good value for money and I hadn't set my standards too high. Would I go again - probably. For a quick snack in town with some friends this is a good option. It's certainly not a place to linger, but it's perfectly fine for what it aims to be - healthy fresh fast food.

Tags: mexican

Don't jump on this bandwagon...

October 01, 2008

Hmmm, I've been here twice and both times I've left feeling annoyed.

They make you wait at least at hour for a table (I arrived on a weeknight at 7pm) and they give you unrealistic times so when you come back and expect your table ready, you have another half an hour to wait.

The Front of House staff are rude, sarcastic and kept forgetting our booking. I can understand they have a stressful job but no need to be rude, after all, we are the ones waiting for a table.

The first time we went, we ended up sitting about an inch away from the people who had been queueing behind us for an hour which was a bit awkward as it felt like we knew them by this point.

Wahaca is a money-making machine. If there is a table available for 4 but you are a party of 3, they would rather make you wait for an hour than lose out on that extra person's spend. This is not a struggling business, they are constantly full and pack everyone in like sardines. It's also noisy and you have to shout to make yourself heard.

The food is good but the above really does spoil the experience.

Wahaca claims to be authentic Mexican but I'm not so sure. They offer Churros y Chocolate (which I love) and, according to Wahaca: "churro stalls are found all over Mexico". Which is strange because I've travelled through a fair part of Mexico and never saw a churro stall.

So why does it attract so many people? I think us British can't help but be attracted to a queue. If there's a queue, it must be good right?

Please don't jump on this bandwagon and spend your money somewhere more worthy.

Uninspired

September 25, 2008

I was majorly hyped up by this place, and all the good reviews it has been getting. Maybe the people who have dined here and thought it was good have never had good Mexican food.

Overall, the experience was pretty poor. The dishes were really uninspired, lacking the spicy tanginess of good Mexican. The tortilla chips were stale and out of a bag. The salsas came in very small portions and were equally disappointing.

I wouldn't go back or recommend this place. You can make better Mexican at home.

Que bueno

April 07, 2008

I don't expect much out of Mexican food in London. The ingredients typically aren't fresh, the salsa is from a jar, the meat isn't chargrilled...the list goes on and on. And Tex Mex does not equal Mexican!!!

But Wahaca does a pretty good job. The menu is incredibly varied and you have a number of choices. It's a bit annoying that they crossed Mexican food with tapas, because I wanted to try all the types of meat but was informed that mixing and matching was not allowed. Ahhhh...I forgot I was in London, not Mexico, so customer service is optional.

Anyway, the food was all very good. Definitely the best guacamole I've had in town. The meat was all a bit too complicated but it was very good. What they need are some simple dishes to balance out the complicated marinated meat dishes. That said, the pibil was top-notch.

Service was a bit spotty but the server knew the menu inside and out. And the place was packed on a Monday night, so they're doing something right. Thus far it's the best Mexican I've found in London.

Tags: mexican, Mexican beer,

down mexico way - via the strand

February 25, 2008

I've only eaten here once but it was a truly yummy experience. Too many mexican restaurants serve up greasy nasty imitations of mexican food, but the steak salad I had here was anything but greasy and bland. Served up in a tortilla basket the salad was fresh with lovely avocado and black beans and the steak came with a great spicy dipping sauce. I had a "virgin" mojito - lime, sparkling water and mint to accompany the salad...if it had been an evening visit I would have been really tempted to try the alcoholic version!
The only thing I'm wondering is why I haven't been back here since!

Tags: mexican

Good mexican (coming from a Mexican

December 01, 2007

Wahaca does have authentic mexican food. It has authentic Mexican Beers and a good selection of tequilas. It does not, for some odd reason, have a single Mexican waiter (?!?).

Relative to other "Mexican" restaurants Wahaca is one of my favorite (second only to Mestizo). The tacos are spicy enough (if not add the Chipotle sauce), the mole is truly hand made.

Fantastic place to grab some real Mexican food after theatre or to go with a group of friends. Notice the no reservations policy though.

Tags: Mexican, Tacos, Tequila, Tex-Mex

way to go wahaca!

October 17, 2007

I went to Wahaca with some foodie friends after reading the review here on Tipped. I really enjoyed it.When you walk into the place, you know it is not going to be the usual London Mexican experience. There was a long wait - but the host gave us some taco chips to tide us over. Great atmosphere, nice food, helpful staff...overall a very good Mexican experience in London.

Tags: mexican covent garden

Muy bueno

October 02, 2007

I went over to Wahaca following reading about it here on Tipped. Being from California, I feel like I know what I like when it comes to Mexican food, and most of what I find in London I definitely don't like. Wahaca was a pleasant change from that poor record.
The place is well laid out in a subterranean dining room that manages to be quite bright despite the fact that its beneath the street. I tried several of the 'Mexican Market' options, and although none of them could quite function as a meal unto themselves, pairing a set of pork tacos with a chorizo quesadilla is plenty filling. I also added in a small bowl of deliciously creamy frijoles and a Pacifico beer and presto, a hearty, quality Mexican meal!
Although upon entering you get the sense that this is the kind of place that could turn out quite costly, I found that it is quite possible to have a satisfying meal for under 10 pounds, which is a real plus.
Make sure to try the habanero sauce, but be careful you don't give yourself too much! It's the real deal, and very spicy.

Tags: Mexican beer, tequila, hot sauce

wahacaheeeeeeeeeey

August 30, 2007

I'm pleased to report that I've finally found a decent mexican restaurant in london and it's taken me a loooong time! i think this place is run by the same guys as wagamamas and you can tell that from the decor and friendly, laid-back vibe. the margheritas are to die for and the whole street-food sharing thing is a great way to pig out with your friends. highly recommend

Tags: mexican covent garden

Now we're talking Mexican

August 29, 2007

Wahaca is actually the first time in four years I’ve been fairly impressed with Mexican food. I come from the West Coast of the US where there are a lot of Mexican’s and this is pretty darn good. It’s more authentic Mexican instead of tex-mex, which means small dishes, usually with very simple ingredients focusing on the meat rather than then huge burritos stuffed with beans and rice.

The guacamole is some of the best around, very chunky with the right amount of lime and coriander and their tortilla chips are homemade and fried and oh so good. We all started with a Pacifico Beer, a blast from the past from my Spring Break days in Mazatlan; they went down nicely with the guacamole, hot salsa and chips. Then we decided to share the street food platter which consists of a sampling of all their good dishes: Fish tacos done in a habanero chili spice rub and served in a tiny corn tortilla; same with the steak tacos; aubergine and goat cheese quesadilla; chorizo quesadilla; and a couple others, all served with more guacamole and spicy cole slaw. We couldn’t finish our platter probably because we stuffed our faces on the guacamole. It was pretty good food. The only thing I didn’t like was the potatoes in the quesadilla’s – they shouldn’t mix English with Mexican food; it would have tasted better with just the other ingredients.

It’s a Wagamama-type experience where they take your order on a handheld device and things could arrive out of order, but our food didn’t. Probably because we had to wait a long time to get our food, but we weren’t too fussed about it. And James, our waiter, was really good. He was extremely hung-over (like the rest of us) yet was polite and efficient and had a great sense of humour. Service means a lot to me so I rate that place highly because of it.

If you want good Mexican, go here. It’s worth it.

Tags: groups, beer, fresh, margaritas, friendly, vegetarian