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| - While we were in Vegas we wanted authentic Mexican. We specifically chose El Sombrero for the high ratings on Yelp.
We didn't want a meal, but to snack on a few tacos. Unfortunately we arrived after 3:00pm and got the dinner menu. We ordered the Guacamole ($8), Quesadilla with Barbacoa ($15) and a Margarita pitcher ($32).
The waiter sold us on the Barbacoa; being slow cooked for 8 hrs with Mexican spices, juicy, melt in your mouth-deliciousness. In all honestly, it tasted like "roast beef," like something a gringo made from a recipe found on allrecipie.com.
The Margaritas were on the sweet side, but still tasty. The pitcher was a 1L wine carafe filled with 1/3 ice. For $32 this seems pricey. I would expect this on the strip or at Fremont, but El Sombrero is downtown, way off the beaten path. Even the cab driver thought the place was crazy expensive for where/what it is.
The Guacamole was fine but looked like maybe an avocado sized portion.
I've seen the photos on Yelp and they look delicious. Maybe it's what we ordered but from our experience, El Sombreo is overrated. The food was fine, being standard Mexican fare. My issue is the lack of perceived value for the price. Lets be honest, no one goes for Mexican expecting to wear a jacket, debating wether to pay the $65 supplement to have truffles shaved over your foie gras parfait.
Mexican is a 'salt of the earth' type of food. A cuisine that is proud to use less desirable cuts and common ingredients, prepared so skillfully you actually want to eat cow tongue. But it is a 'value' food and you should leave seeing that value. Either it's in size or taste. We left feeling like we paid way too much with the highlight being the complimentary chips and salsa. And while it might seem ironic that I complain about value after mentioning the complimentary item. Complimentary chips & salsa doesn't doesn't justify a $55 bill, + tip + cab ride.
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