OT: Best Mexican Food in Buffalo

[matter2003]

5 hours ago, Night Train said:

Gramma Mora's on Hertel in N. Buffalo has always been good IMO. Wife loves that place. 

Are you kidding me??

This is the WORST "Mexican" Restaurant in WNY...just terrible and unauthentic as can be.  They had no idea what Queso Fundido was that I regularly order in most other places, so I told them what it consisted of and it looked like they brought me watered down macaroni and cheese sauce with some weird looking sausage in it.  Then I asked for hot sauce and they brought me Louisiana Hot Sauce in a generic ketchup type squeeze bottle...no Cholula, no El Yucateco...Louisiana Hot Sauce. Food was bland and the salsa was runny like it was out of a jar.  So bad that we almost got up and left mid meal.  Left half the food and was the only Mexican restaurant that we didn't even want a box to take the leftovers, it was that bad.

I would rather never eat Mexican food again than go back to that joke of a place.

IMO, the best place was El Caporal which was on Union Rd near Galleria Dr but that closed many years ago when it got busted by federal immigration officers for having illegals working there...now La Tolteca(Williamsville-hired many of the workers from El Caporal), El Palenque(Amherst), Aguacates(Lockport) and El Amigo(Lancaster) are all good choices.

Edited October 19, 2023 by matter2003

[...]

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

IMO, the best place was El Caporal which was on Union Rd near Galleria Dr but that closed many years ago when it got busted by federal immigration officers for having illegals working there...now La Tolteca(Williamsville), El Palenque(Amherst), Aguacates(Lockport) and El Amigo(Lancaster) are all good choices.

We tried El Palenque when they first opened up and were not impressed. They've been there a while, now, so they must be doing something right. We'll have to try them again.

[Night Train]

2 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Are you kidding me??

This is the WORST Mexican Restaurant in Buffalo...just terrible and unauthentic as can be.  They had no idea what Queso Fundido was that I regularly order in most other places, so I told them what it consisted of and it looked like they brought me watered down macaroni and cheese sauce with some weird looking sausage in it.  Then I asked for hot sauce and they brought me Louisiana Hot Sauce in a bottle...no Cholula, no El Yucateco...Louisiana Hot Sauce. Food was bland and the salsa was runny like it was out of a jar.  So bad that we almost got up and left mid meal.

I would rather never eat Mexican food again than go back to that joke of a place.

IMO, the best place was El Caporal which was on Union Rd near Galleria Dr but that closed many years ago when it got busted by federal immigration officers for having illegals working there...now La Tolteca(Williamsville), El Palenque(Amherst), Aguacates(Lockport) and El Amigo(Lancaster) are all good choices.

 

 

[matter2003]

Just now, ... said:

We tried El Palenque when they first opened up and were not impressed. They've been there a while, now, so they must be doing something right. We'll have to try them again.

It's not my favorite but it is still 50x better than Gramma Mora's.  La Tolteca would probably be my top choice...the Parillada(for 2 people) is amazing.

[Zamboni]

6 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Are you kidding me??

This is the WORST "Mexican" Restaurant in WNY...just terrible and unauthentic as can be.  They had no idea what Queso Fundido was that I regularly order in most other places, so I told them what it consisted of and it looked like they brought me watered down macaroni and cheese sauce with some weird looking sausage in it.  Then I asked for hot sauce and they brought me Louisiana Hot Sauce in a generic ketchup type squeeze bottle...no Cholula, no El Yucateco...Louisiana Hot Sauce. Food was bland and the salsa was runny like it was out of a jar.  So bad that we almost got up and left mid meal.  Left half the food and was the only Mexican restaurant that we didn't even want a box to take the leftovers, it was that bad.

I would rather never eat Mexican food again than go back to that joke of a place.

IMO, the best place was El Caporal which was on Union Rd near Galleria Dr but that closed many years ago when it got busted by federal immigration officers for having illegals working there...now La Tolteca(Williamsville-hired many of the workers from El Caporal), El Palenque(Amherst), Aguacates(Lockport) and El Amigo(Lancaster) are all good choices.

Hey, again there are no wrong answers… everybody has different preferences and tastes… 

[matter2003]

1 minute ago, Zamboni said:

Hey, again there are no wrong answers… everybody has different preferences and tastes… 

Any place serving Louisiana Hot Sauce and having no idea what Queso Fundido is should never be allowed to call themselves authentic. At best it's watered down Mexican food.  IMO, nobody who has ever eaten at a quality Mexican restaurant before could ever tolerate that...Chipotle kicks that places ass.

Edited October 19, 2023 by matter2003

[Zamboni]

Just now, matter2003 said:

Any place serving Louisiana Hot Sauce and having no idea what Queso Fundido is should never be allowed to call themselves authentic.

That’s great. An opinion. Ok. I have very strong opinions about 75% of the restaurants listed in the thread… But… Everybody’s preference is different. Everybody’s tastes are different. What works for you I might find to be  absolute garbage. And vice versa. You aren’t wrong. And I am not wrong. It’s what we prefer. Good grief.

[Night Train]

1 minute ago, matter2003 said:

Any place serving Louisiana Hot Sauce and having no idea what Queso Fundido is should never be allowed to call themselves authentic.

[matter2003]

Just now, Zamboni said:

That’s great. An opinion. Ok. I have very strong opinions about 75% of the restaurants listed in the thread… But… Everybody’s preference is different. Everybody’s tastes are different. What works for you I might find to be  absolute garbage. And vice versa. You aren’t wrong. And I am not wrong. It’s what we prefer. Good grief.

Well, the next time I go to an "authentic Mexican" restaurant and get served Louisiana Hot Sauce like I am at Colosso Taco I will let you know.  I doubt it will be anytime soon since I have probably eaten at over 100 Mexican Restaurants throughout the US and Gramma Mora's still holds that unique distinction.

[LGR4GM]

Gramma Mora's is like Mighty Taco in that you either like it or don't but you know it isn't Mexican. 

[Zamboni]

Just now, matter2003 said:

Well, the next time I go to an "authentic Mexican" restaurant and get served Louisiana Hot Sauce like I am at Colosso Taco I will let you know.  I doubt it will be anytime soon since I have probably eaten at over 100 Mexican Restaurants throughout the US and Gramma Mora's still holds that unique distinction.

And I am in the same boat as you… I have eaten at many Mexican joints  across the US. A good portion of them in the southwest. And at least 70% of what’s local here As well. It’s my go to cuisine most times when I eat out. Everyone has a different preference and different taste. No wrong answers as to what Mexican restaurants they prefer. End of story.

[Pimlach]

5 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

That’s great. An opinion. Ok. I have very strong opinions about 75% of the restaurants listed in the thread… But… Everybody’s preference is different. Everybody’s tastes are different. What works for you I might find to be  absolute garbage. And vice versa. You aren’t wrong. And I am not wrong. It’s what we prefer. Good grief.

 

4 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Well, the next time I go to an "authentic Mexican" restaurant and get served Louisiana Hot Sauce like I am at Colosso Taco I will let you know.  I doubt it will be anytime soon since I have probably eaten at over 100 Mexican Restaurants throughout the US and Gramma Mora's still holds that unique distinction.

[Zamboni]

2 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Gramma Mora's is like Mighty Taco in that you either like it or don't but you know it isn't Mexican. 

Agree. No. It’s not. But to anyone who likes it… that is their version of “Mexican” style they like. Good for them. 

[...]

1 minute ago, Zamboni said:

Agree. No. It’s not. But to anyone who likes it… that is their version of “Mexican” style they like. Good for them. 

You're all about people having their opinion, but seem to be policing the opinions of others in this thread. Why can't you just let someone say they think the food sucks and scroll past it? That's their opinion.

[Zamboni]

4 minutes ago, ... said:

You're all about people having their opinion, but seem to be policing the opinions of others in this thread. Why can't you just let someone say they think the food sucks and scroll past it? That's their opinion.

“Let”? 😂

I’m not policing anything. Everyone can have their opinion, including me.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Zamboni

[msw2112]

I moved out of Buffalo a long time ago, but from my childhood, the 3 "Mexican" restaurants that I remember were Grandma Mora's (I think on Niagara Street), some place in a plaza on Maple and N. Forest in Amherst up the street from the UB Campus, and Chi Chi's chain restaurant near the Boulevard Mall at Bailey and Maple.  I recall liking all of them, for different reasons.  I recall the bar at Chi Chi's being a good happy hour place and fun bar scene, although I was a little too young to participate.  The free chips and salsa were good and they'd bring you the "extra hot" if you asked for it specifically.  I'm not going to count Mighty Taco, which has its own place in our hearts and lives...Obviously, I'm in no position to comment on the scene today, but it's nice to reminisce.  I've since lived in Chicago, which has a huge Mexican population and now live in the Southwest which has an even greater Mexican population, so I have had access to a lot of great Mexican food over the years.  From this thread, it looks like there are some good options in the Buffalo area today and a lot more than from my time there.

Edited October 19, 2023 by msw2112

[Cascade Youth]

40 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

Are you kidding me??

This is the WORST "Mexican" Restaurant in WNY...just terrible and unauthentic as can be.  They had no idea what Queso Fundido was that I regularly order in most other places, so I told them what it consisted of and it looked like they brought me watered down macaroni and cheese sauce with some weird looking sausage in it.  Then I asked for hot sauce and they brought me Louisiana Hot Sauce in a generic ketchup type squeeze bottle...no Cholula, no El Yucateco...Louisiana Hot Sauce. Food was bland and the salsa was runny like it was out of a jar.  So bad that we almost got up and left mid meal.  Left half the food and was the only Mexican restaurant that we didn't even want a box to take the leftovers, it was that bad.

I would rather never eat Mexican food again than go back to that joke of a place.

IMO, the best place was El Caporal which was on Union Rd near Galleria Dr but that closed many years ago when it got busted by federal immigration officers for having illegals working there...now La Tolteca(Williamsville-hired many of the workers from El Caporal), El Palenque(Amherst), Aguacates(Lockport) and El Amigo(Lancaster) are all good choices.

Calm down.

[Doohickie]

As I recall, WPHD only did that on the overnights, but I memba.

[Weave]

21 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

 

I just wanted to post this gif again

Just now, Doohickie said:

As I recall, WPHD only did that on the overnights, but I memba.

Yup

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

This is the WORST "Mexican" Restaurant in WNY...just terrible and unauthentic as can be. 

El Palenque(Amherst)

Gramma Mora's started on Niagara Street. First time I went was in the mid-80s (?). And it appeared that Gramma was working in the kitchen. That place was legit - at least as far as my young culinary standards were concerned. At some point around when they moved to Hertel, the restaurant was bought out by an Italian-American family that was in the restaurant operations business. We used to laugh because there was a period of time -- maybe it's still the case? -- when a Mexican-American family was running an Italian/red sauce/pizza joint across the street on Hertel.

As for El Palenque: I went a few times and will not go back. That was place was (is?) dirty. And the food was decidedly mid. 

1 hour ago, ... said:

We tried El Palenque when they first opened up and were not impressed. They've been there a while, now, so they must be doing something right. We'll have to try them again.

I've come to conclude that they're using that place as a front for illegal activities - money laundering or some such. It has endured, yet it is not good. The location is very good. Maybe that has something to do with it.

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Gramma Mora's is like Mighty Taco in that you either like it or don't but you know it isn't Mexican. 

That's accurate nowadays.

48 minutes ago, msw2112 said:

I moved out of Buffalo a long time ago, but from my childhood, the 3 "Mexican" restaurants that I remember were Grandma Mora's (I think on Niagara Street)

Gramma Mora's on Niagara Street was so damn good.

[PickaPecaPickles]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

Well, the next time I go to an "authentic Mexican" restaurant and get served Louisiana Hot Sauce like I am at Colosso Taco I will let you know.  I doubt it will be anytime soon since I have probably eaten at over 100 Mexican Restaurants throughout the US and Gramma Mora's still holds that unique distinction.

When I first moved to Buffalo in the early 1990s, this and MT were the only game in town. GM's sauce tasted more italian than mexican.  The one dish I've had there that is good are the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde.

For standard mexican fare, the easiest way for me to tell if their food as whole is good is their rice and beans.  If you can't make decent rice and beans, how can you make the rest of it decent?  The other indication for me is how good their mole is, or if they make it at all.

[LGR4GM]

4 minutes ago, PickaPecaPickles said:

When I first moved to Buffalo in the early 1990s, this and MT were the only game in town. GM's sauce tasted more italian than mexican.  The one dish I've had there that is good are the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde.

For standard mexican fare, the easiest way for me to tell if their food as whole is good is their rice and beans.  If you can't make decent rice and beans, how can you make the rest of it decent?  The other indication for me is how good their mole is, or if they make it at all.

Very true. Los Mayas and Maizal have excellent rice and beans and I know that Maizal has good mole. 

[Drag0nDan]

8 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Where's the best Mexican food in Buffalo and what's your go to item?

Going with Maizal on transit, east Amherst, and they have a brunch burrito that's amazing. My wife though loves their chimichangas.

I got the tlayuda there and it was very good.  

56 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Gramma Mora's started on Niagara Street. First time I went was in the mid-80s (?). And it appeared that Gramma was working in the kitchen. That place was legit - at least as far as my young culinary standards were concerned. At some point around when they moved to Hertel, the restaurant was bought out by an Italian-American family that was in the restaurant operations business. We used to laugh because there was a period of time -- maybe it's still the case? -- when a Mexican-American family was running an Italian/red sauce/pizza joint across the street on Hertel.

As for El Palenque: I went a few times and will not go back. That was place was (is?) dirty. And the food was decidedly mid. 

I've come to conclude that they're using that place as a front for illegal activities - money laundering or some such. It has endured, yet it is not good. The location is very good. Maybe that has something to do with it.

That's accurate nowadays.

Gramma Mora's on Niagara Street was so damn good.

Wouldnt shock me.  I lived right over there for like 3 years and i feel like there were never cars there in the front.  

[That Aud Smell]

10 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

Wouldnt shock me.  I lived right over there for like 3 years and i feel like there were never cars there in the front.  

I've regularly driven past that intersection for the past 20+ years. I'm not sure how long they've been there. Anyway, it is never busy. Weirdly so.

[Wyldnwoody44]

This thread has me wanting to cook so I'm making Scratch chicken Mole tonight. Got 3 types of peppers, Pasille, Ancho and Guijallo. Pepitas and sesame, whole anise, whole cumin, chocolate and raisin and cooking the chicken in Orange juice and broth. Shredding it up at the end with fresh cilantro and maybe a touch of Cojota cheese on top.