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| - Truth be told, the options for Mexican food within the city of Pittsburgh are beyond what one would call limited. Aside from the chains like Qdoba, there really are only two that I can think of to choose from - Las Velas and Mexico City.
As far as I'm concerned, they're both worth the time and tastebuds. Las Velas is more glitzy fancy, and Mexico City is more basic nitty gritty. One is location, location, location, with higher prices, and slightly better food, and one is off the beaten trendy path, with only slightly lower prices, and a much smaller menu. Although the much smaller menu seems to have developed some time in the last year.
Mexico City is a decent restaurant for standard Mexican fare, and although I do have to say that it seems to be on the downslide in patronage and atmosphere, the food is still the same good quality.
When I went the first time a couple of years ago, the atmosphere was brighter, there were a few more occupied tables, the music was existent but not overbearing, there was a lot of staff running around keeping things going, and they were engaging.
This time around, the back half of the restaurant seemed to not even have the lights on, except for a few people at the bar we were the only other diners in the place, and there seemed to be one waitress, two guys going in and out of the kitchen, and one child of one of the staff, there was almost no noise except for the yinzer trailer park gal cackling at the bar, and the silenced television seemed stuck on the doom-and-gloom Hispanic news channel, which kind of looked like a long episode of 'Cops' on steroids.
It was 5:30 pm on a Friday, and there were no customers.
Which really was a shame, because the food was just as good as it had been, albeit sans a little of the extra 'glitz' that used to be attached.
I ordered the Guacamole and chips to start us off. The menu had been pared down to a two-sided one-page deal, whereas it used to be several pages with more descriptions, but the Guacamole description even said 'prepared tableside'. It wasn't prepared tableside, as it had been in the past, but it was still good when brought to the table. The chips were just right, light and crispy, without a heavy stale oily nature, and Guac, although it did seem a little skimpy on the ingredients, was still tasty, although a bit steep at $9 for a serving for 'four' which really only barely fed two.
My friend ordered enchiladas, and I ordered the 'Super Burrito' which is a large burrito stuffed with steak, rice and beans, cut in two, with two different sauces. The steak was very flavorful and tender, the burrito was very well stuffed, and they hadn't cut any corners on the sauces - they were still as good as they'd been under a more light atmosphere.
The bill, including tip, for the appetizer, two entrees and two sodas (Coke people, thank goodness!) was under $40, and we were full, and our tongues were not disappointed.
It always seems so sad to me to see downtown restaurants plain empty after work, and though I know the trend spots like Market Square will be filled, it makes me nuts that people here won't walk a block or two in a different direction to try something other than the trendy spots. Generally speaking from my experiences, the 'trendy' spots in da burgh usually end up being overpriced toy food.
I'm not sure what I can say to boost the business of Mexico City. The atmosphere was very sad...but why liven it up for one table? Another couple did come in toward the end of our meal, but at 5:30 on a Friday, there should have been a hell of a lot more people there. The food is good...and that's what I go out to 'eat'. I don't chow down on atmosphere.
But hey - we had a good meal - in peace. No other pesky customers to annoy us. I just hope they're still there in a year.
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