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| - I don't know how to review this place fairly. Let's face it, I'm a gringo. A lifetime of enjoying Tex-Mex cuisine has left me totally unqualified to judge "authentic" Mexican cooking. Maybe that's the problem. Or maybe the food just wasn't as good as the Yelp reviews had led me to expect. But either way, El Sombrero is not going to become our "go to" place for Mexican food.
The restaurant was a little bit difficult to find. A small building in a rundown neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown. There was ample parking - a fact which was explained once we entered the restaurant, which was completely empty on a Thursday night. Throughout our meal, there was never more than one other table occupied, out of the 15 or so tables in the small square room. That may have been a blessing, because the acoustics in there were such that if the room was full it would be very loud. I assume that the restaurant relies more on lunch business fueled by workers from nearby government buildings.
The guacamole and chips came quickly and were quite good. The salsa seemed homemade, but was a little bit bland. I asked for a blended Margarita, but the waiter told me they didn't serve blended because it wasn't "authentic." Okay, so I had an "authentic" Margarita on the rocks. It was fine, but not (as advertised by our waiter) "the best in town."
We started with the Quesillo Fondue Mexicano, which was pretty much what you would expect. Eat it quick, because once the cheese hardens it isn't easy to scoop it into your tortilla. (It would make a good paperweight though.) I wanted to experience the "authentic" as much as possible, so I ordered the chicken enchilada in mole sauce. Meh. If that's how authentic mole sauce is supposed to taste, then I'm not sure it is worth the days of work and dozens of ingredients that (I hear) go into it. The rice and beans were also not what I am used to getting in the typical Tex-Mex restaurant, and were also not my cup of tea. However, my wife loved her salad and Mexican creamed corn. So far as I could tell, the salad was mostly just iceberg lettuce with chunks of watermelon and a vinaigrette dressing, but she raved over it so I will try to reproduce it at home. Hey, I can add feta cheese and pepitas to a salad too.
So, for all I know El Sombrero is just the place to sooth the soul of a homesick resident of Mexico City. For me, though, I'll stick to the Tex-Mex stuff that I enjoy more.
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