The Mexican Grill is good!

[junglechef]

I went for lunch and just to get it out of the way I would go back, ok now time to rip it apart. The dining room had a nice Mexicana look but the outside seating on Canal Road looked like it would be loud and a little scary as it was quite close to the street.

I ordered the combo of chicken burrito and fish soft taco. They happily switched the refried beans for stewed pinto beans. The fish was cajun blackened (Dory - which we all by now know what that is except they seem not to) in a soft flour tortilla with lettuce (tomatoes?) and ranch dressing and really tasty! The chicken burrito had rice and beans, also good so two for two and that's a good batting average! Home made salsa, not exciting, was on the table as well as a few good bottled hot sauces. The combo was served with spanish rice and beans. I'd not serve the same sides as are in the main dish (though I did change the beans so maybe there was different beans in one originally but still rice & beans w/rice & beans).

Also there seemed to be a bit of Thai style involved such as the chicken was cut into a small dice similar to the Thai way where they use meat to season and not chunks to bite into as in Western cuisine, even though there was a fair amount of it. Also the rice seemed like fried rice, perhaps just lots of oil when using the pilaf cooking technique, but either way more like an Asian influence especially as I believe there was bits of meat in it again like fried rice. The taco instead of being folded in half it was rolled like a Sushi hand roll. Also the familiar under seasoning, but not too bad here, as we all have gotten use to Western food being. The staff, waitress and cook all in one was pleasant and professional and Thai just for clarification. A bit picky I know and I know I'm in Thailand, but it is a Mexican place after all.

The guy next to me had fajitas and they are big and served on a sizzling platter (not just the picture on the menu like the last time I ordered them elsewhere in CM) and I'll be trying them next time as I said I would be back.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293917-d3812472-Reviews-The_Mexican_Grill-Chiang_Mai.html

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Mexican-Grill/280186235437175

[heybruce]

I'm interested. Where on Canal Road?

[KRS1]

across from the PTT gas station, after crossing the Suthep road intersection outbound.

[junglechef]

The links I gave have the location with maps. If you use an iPhone w/trip advisor it will show you how to get there but if your locator is on it will show the restaurant ahead of you once you've already passed it going south.

[rakchaingmai]

Went there today from the advise from this forum nothing but good things to say about my meal had the ribs and a banana milk shake very very nice yummy .

[RaysFan]

Mexican food is probably my biggest craving since I've lived abroad... I'll give this one a try for sure. I like Miguels, but its just not the same as back home. If it was in America it would be very very sub par.

Side note... Why dont they do free all you can eat chips and salsa in Thailand? I mean, they charge western prices, and Mexican food here isnt expensive to make (other than the cheese). Just something I really miss... It kind of defines what a Mexican restaurant is to me.

Anyone know a place to get good mole?

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Yep drive by it almost daily and have yet to see 1 person in there..guess its more in the evening i drive past..

My concerns with this, having been a cook for 25 yrs, is just how fresh is the food...as opposed to a high

turnover place ur assured of food being used daily and fresh food brought in..im not big on frozen and microwaves

Hence my passing by and not stopping in as in my exps working in kitchens food waste is money lost, or all frozen.....

Just cant see this place making it as it seems large, right on canal, and add all the other mex places in Cm already..

[Ulysses G.]

Side note... Why dont they do free all you can eat chips and salsa in Thailand?

Decent corn chips are quite expensive here. Diablos has free home made chips, but they are more like rocks. To me, they are not worth the calories, but you can't complain when they come gratis with the meal.

[KRS1]

Yep drive by it almost daily and have yet to see 1 person in there..guess its more in the evening i drive past..

My concerns with this, having been a cook for 25 yrs, is just how fresh is the food...as opposed to a high

turnover place ur assured of food being used daily and fresh food brought in..im not big on frozen and microwaves

Hence my passing by and not stopping in as in my exps working in kitchens food waste is money lost, or all frozen.....

Just cant see this place making it as it seems large, right on canal, and add all the other mex places in Cm already..

There is a market 5 minutes away, they could go get meat and vegetables and you'd never know they went shopping.

We had a restaurant many years ago and followed the DELL 'just in time' system of inventory, keeps overhead down and things fresh.

[RaysFan]

Yea, corn chips in the bags at the store are expensive, but making corn chips is actually quite easy, and very inexpensive... I think Miguels makes their own chips, I know they make their own tortillas, so I would only assume they do (a corn chip is just a baked corn tortilla).

[cm das]

I tried The Mexican Grill once and I won't be back. I really wanted to like this place since I love Mexican food and the canal road location is far more convenient for me than any of the places in town. We ordered chips and guacamole, a veggie burrito and a mushroom pizza. The chips were homemade, big points for effort on that, but they were so super greasy that it was hard to eat them. The guacamole and fresh salsa were nice enough. The burrito too was ok, nothing remarkable. The pizza was pretty weak - sauce too sweet and toppings too salty. Our pineapple shake was just boxed juice and ice blended together - not really acceptable in Thailand IMO. Aside from the underwhelming food the service was slow and we had to clarify our order several times, this with my group being the only one in the joint and including native Thai and English speakers. And the total bill was pretty high - over 700 baht for the above food & shake plus a small beer. So overall the food wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the price or the wait. It's too bad, somebody has clearly put in a lot of effort to make the place and its menu attractive.

[Ulysses G.]

Yea, corn chips in the bags at the store are expensive, but making corn chips is actually quite easy, and very inexpensive... I think Miguels makes their own chips, I know they make their own tortillas, so I would only assume they do (a corn chip is just a baked corn tortilla).

They don't. They get them from a company in Bangkok that is not bad, but nothing to jump up and down about. I have never had corn chips made in Thailand that were better than just acceptable and most don't come close to that. The imported ones are expensive, but worth it from time to time.

[Thighlander]

They've never even heard of fajitas in Mexico. If you ordered a "Veggie Burrito" they would probably want to know if you were "Guy-yay." And mushroom pizza? Yes, at Mexico Dominoes. They do drink Pacifico, Tecate, and Negro Modelo...never seen them put ice in it. I used to go into Mexico four times per week to place my sports bets. Salud!

[cm das]

They've never even heard of fajitas in Mexico. If you ordered a "Veggie Burrito" they would probably want to know if you were "Guy-yay." And mushroom pizza? Yes, at Mexico Dominoes. They do drink Pacifico, Tecate, and Negro Modelo...never seen them put ice in it. I used to go into Mexico four times per week to place my sports bets. Salud!

Ok dude, you've got more Mexico cred than the rest of us. But we're talking about a "Mexican" restaurant in Chiang Mai, which I think most of us would accept is not going to be authentic Mexican or even authentic Tex/Cali-mex. And if they've got other types of dishes on the menu, what's wrong with trying them out & sharing our opinions? This is just a thread about a particular restaurant. I wouldn't judge The Mexican Grill or any similar place in Chiang Mai by US or Mexican standards (I did spend 3 months in Mexico back in the 80s). But even by Chiang Mai standards I found the food disappointing.

[elektrified]

Yep drive by it almost daily and have yet to see 1 person in there..guess its more in the evening i drive past..

My concerns with this, having been a cook for 25 yrs, is just how fresh is the food...as opposed to a high

turnover place ur assured of food being used daily and fresh food brought in..im not big on frozen and microwaves

Hence my passing by and not stopping in as in my exps working in kitchens food waste is money lost, or all frozen.....

Just cant see this place making it as it seems large, right on canal, and add all the other mex places in Cm already..

There is a market 5 minutes away, they could go get meat and vegetables and you'd never know they went shopping.

We had a restaurant many years ago and followed the DELL 'just in time' system of inventory, keeps overhead down and things fresh.

I'm pretty sure that is how El Diablos and 3 Little Pigs operates at least for some of the items on the menu (others of course are slow cooked for hours).

Edited August 23, 2013 by elektrified

[junglechef]

Yes there always seems to be some one coming from the market with a bag of onions, maybe the easiest way for low food costs but defiantly not the most efficient way to run a restaurant.

[KRS1]

I tried The Mexican Grill once and I won't be back. I really wanted to like this place since I love Mexican food and the canal road location is far more convenient for me than any of the places in town. We ordered chips and guacamole, a veggie burrito and a mushroom pizza. The chips were homemade, big points for effort on that, but they were so super greasy that it was hard to eat them. The guacamole and fresh salsa were nice enough. The burrito too was ok, nothing remarkable. The pizza was pretty weak - sauce too sweet and toppings too salty. Our pineapple shake was just boxed juice and ice blended together - not really acceptable in Thailand IMO. Aside from the underwhelming food the service was slow and we had to clarify our order several times, this with my group being the only one in the joint and including native Thai and English speakers. And the total bill was pretty high - over 700 baht for the above food & shake plus a small beer. So overall the food wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the price or the wait. It's too bad, somebody has clearly put in a lot of effort to make the place and its menu attractive.

So you basicly went to a Mexican restaurant and didnt order any Mexican food.

Except for salsa and guacamole

[Thighlander]

This guy get 12 MXP for his tacos. Two types of tortillas; flour and corn. Flour is considered lower class. No lettuce, but shredded green cabbage, which is more white. No cheese, either...that's for quesadillas. Usually, some marinated red onion. Three kinds of salsa; casara, ranchera, and verde. Ranchera is very similar to the bowls of chili paste, you see in many parts of Thailand. Casara is traditional red tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro, verde is tomatillos, and often there is guacamole from avocados.

The second taco is from a large US franchise called Del Taco. It is on a crunchy corn shell, with iceberg lettuce, about an ounce of ground beef, and sells for 39 cents.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Thighlander

[RaysFan]

We all know "Mexican food" is American.... Its tiny bits and pieces of "Mexican" but Mexican food is pretty much as American as it gets. Growing up I probably had more "Mexican food" than anything else...

[Sticky Rice Balls]

Yep drive by it almost daily and have yet to see 1 person in there..guess its more in the evening i drive past..

My concerns with this, having been a cook for 25 yrs, is just how fresh is the food...as opposed to a high

turnover place ur assured of food being used daily and fresh food brought in..im not big on frozen and microwaves

Hence my passing by and not stopping in as in my exps working in kitchens food waste is money lost, or all frozen.....

Just cant see this place making it as it seems large, right on canal, and add all the other mex places in Cm already..

There is a market 5 minutes away, they could go get meat and vegetables and you'd never know they went shopping.

We had a restaurant many years ago and followed the DELL 'just in time' system of inventory, keeps overhead down and things fresh.

Well that i would hope to be the thing to do..esp for "fish" tacos--i know the market at canal and shutep

but that closes at dark--apart from tesco express there as well i dont know of any place to get meat/fish

Just having exp cooking for a thai company here..thats a DEF concern for me--as it was all about $$$!!

[cm das]

I tried The Mexican Grill once and I won't be back. I really wanted to like this place since I love Mexican food and the canal road location is far more convenient for me than any of the places in town. We ordered chips and guacamole, a veggie burrito and a mushroom pizza. The chips were homemade, big points for effort on that, but they were so super greasy that it was hard to eat them. The guacamole and fresh salsa were nice enough. The burrito too was ok, nothing remarkable. The pizza was pretty weak - sauce too sweet and toppings too salty. Our pineapple shake was just boxed juice and ice blended together - not really acceptable in Thailand IMO. Aside from the underwhelming food the service was slow and we had to clarify our order several times, this with my group being the only one in the joint and including native Thai and English speakers. And the total bill was pretty high - over 700 baht for the above food & shake plus a small beer. So overall the food wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the price or the wait. It's too bad, somebody has clearly put in a lot of effort to make the place and its menu attractive.

So you basicly went to a Mexican restaurant and didnt order any Mexican food.

Except for salsa and guacamole

... And a burrito. But wait, that's not really Mexican. In fact, pretty much nothing on the menu is Mexican. So why even bother talking about it?

[Thighlander]

That is correct, you don't see burritos in Mexico, either. Another thing is good Mexican is almost always relatively cheap, as is good Thai food. A mexican factory worker makes about 70 USD per week.....a teacher 45 USD. Think they can drop 15 a piece on dinner? No way Jose! Pick and choose.....pick is when you make a selection, choose are what a mexican doesn't have on his feet. And the cops over there.......sheeesh, make BiB look like Eagle Scouts on a Mormon Mission.

[KRS1]

I tried The Mexican Grill once and I won't be back. I really wanted to like this place since I love Mexican food and the canal road location is far more convenient for me than any of the places in town. We ordered chips and guacamole, a veggie burrito and a mushroom pizza. The chips were homemade, big points for effort on that, but they were so super greasy that it was hard to eat them. The guacamole and fresh salsa were nice enough. The burrito too was ok, nothing remarkable. The pizza was pretty weak - sauce too sweet and toppings too salty. Our pineapple shake was just boxed juice and ice blended together - not really acceptable in Thailand IMO. Aside from the underwhelming food the service was slow and we had to clarify our order several times, this with my group being the only one in the joint and including native Thai and English speakers. And the total bill was pretty high - over 700 baht for the above food & shake plus a small beer. So overall the food wasn't horrible but it wasn't worth the price or the wait. It's too bad, somebody has clearly put in a lot of effort to make the place and its menu attractive.

So you basicly went to a Mexican restaurant and didnt order any Mexican food.

Except for salsa and guacamole

... And a burrito. But wait, that's not really Mexican. In fact, pretty much nothing on the menu is Mexican. So why even bother talking about it?

What was in it? a veggie burrito sounds like blasphemy.

beans and cheese ok.

[cm das]

^

Beans, cheese, rice and vegetables.

[Ulysses G.]

^

Beans, cheese, rice and vegetables.

Don't forget guacamole and sour cream. Nothing wrong with that.

[junglechef]

A grilled veggie burrito stuffed (not just a few wilted ones laying there) rolled up with the other usual suspects can be great especially if it has salsa fresca. Don't know what they are doing but like anything, done well is good and not not.

[KRS1]

^

Beans, cheese, rice and vegetables.

ah ok, i was picturing alfalfa sprouts, carrots and cucumbers.

[grin]

I'm visiting the SF Bay Area at the moment so I am eating out quite a bit. About 40% Thai, 40% Mexican, and about 20% other including Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, etc. Strangely enough not much American food.

So here's my question. I really like ceviche, around here it may be served on an open taco or as a cocktail in a martini glass for example. Do any of the Mexican restaurants in Chiang Mai serve ceviche?

Since limes and chili peppers are quite abundant in Thailand I am wondering if there are any Thai dishes that are similar to ceviche. Anyone know of any Thai restaurant in Chiang Mai serving something similar?

- Grin

[KRS1]

yes, its called 'yum'...'yum' means 'mixed together', and always uses lime juice, although they do not rely on the lime juice alone to cook the meat. The meat is usually par boiled first. the yum part consist of lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, peppers and garlic mixed together first , then the other ingredients are added to the liquid.

other dishes which are served raw are called 'plah'...so pla goong (shrimp), is raw shrimp....its usually made by mixing soybean chilipaste in with the shrimp, but not completely raw.

'chae nam bla' means soaked in fish sauce, there is a dish called 'goong chae nam bla'...and its totally raw and usually served with raw bittermelon.

[cloudhopper]

yeah but it aint ceviche. Check this recipe out using tilapia (pla nin). Too bad the pak chee here isn't quite like the cilantro from the old country...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/tilapia-ceviche-recipe/index.html

Leo with a little lime juice accompanies this well...