A Note on Los Lupes
I love my in-laws (Grandpa and Grandma H). I rarely mention them on my blog, because I am convinced that my wife will neuter me if I take them to task, but I am going to today. Why? Because they need to know the error of their ways.
Yesterday, the Wife's sister (Auntie H) and her husband and little girl blew through on their way to San Diego for a vacation and stopped in Mesquite, Nevada to spend the night at her parents' house. She, in turn, invited us down (a forty minute drive) to eat dinner with the whole clan. We accepted, and despite the suspect nature of the intestinal fortitude of both the Wife and me, we agreed to let the In-Laws (Grandma and Grandpa H) pick the poison. They chose their favorite Mexican food joint called Los Lupes.
Auntie H and her husband had warned us about this place so we weren't totally enthusiastic to begin with, but when G-ma and G-pa H seemed so excited to have us go there together we coalesced and figured we could get something pretty tame, you know, so that our stomachs would be saved.
Well....
We arrived to find the place packed. Packed. We were relieved to see so many people there. We thought it might indicate the quality of food had improved. We were also relieved to see so many people leaving satisfied with the meal. They were mostly older, retired folks, but still they seemed content and well fed.
After a thirty minute wait, we were seated and the chips and salsa arrived. They were delicious. I almost overlooked the fact that my salad was swimming in a pool of ice and water when it arrived. Really, though, the chips and salsa were awesome. The salsa wasn't too chunky but enough so that it stuck on the homemade chips. Really top-notch chips and salsa. Then it went horribly bad.
The Wife's beef chimichanga arrived. I noticed that it was not crunchy but soggy. I am quite a Mexican food aficionado and I know that chimichangas should be crunchy. My burrito and taco arrived with the requisite beans and rice. They were edible but barely so. I didn't know you could screw up Mexican rice, but this place screwed it up big time. It was a disaster, and yet, G-pa and G-ma were obviously smitten by the place. And so was everyone else! The people next to us were purring like kittens, they were so content with their meals. So what is the deal?
I am here to suggest that old folks in Mesquite have iron stomachs. They must. Either that or they love the chips and salsa so much they are blinded by them. I have determined that it must be something like that. Oh, I know. It is probably that the other Mexican place in Mesquite is even worse than this one, so the bar is set so low a pregnant caterpillar could hop over it without breaking a sweat.
If G-ma and G-pa H read this, I want them to know that I love them and I had a great time with them and I'll do it again and again if they want me to. I am nothing if not accomodating. But please, for the love of all things fried and sprinkled with hot peppers, don't suggest Los Lupes ever again. Here it is noon the following day and I am still sticking close to the facilities.
Yesterday, the Wife's sister (Auntie H) and her husband and little girl blew through on their way to San Diego for a vacation and stopped in Mesquite, Nevada to spend the night at her parents' house. She, in turn, invited us down (a forty minute drive) to eat dinner with the whole clan. We accepted, and despite the suspect nature of the intestinal fortitude of both the Wife and me, we agreed to let the In-Laws (Grandma and Grandpa H) pick the poison. They chose their favorite Mexican food joint called Los Lupes.
Auntie H and her husband had warned us about this place so we weren't totally enthusiastic to begin with, but when G-ma and G-pa H seemed so excited to have us go there together we coalesced and figured we could get something pretty tame, you know, so that our stomachs would be saved.
Well....
We arrived to find the place packed. Packed. We were relieved to see so many people there. We thought it might indicate the quality of food had improved. We were also relieved to see so many people leaving satisfied with the meal. They were mostly older, retired folks, but still they seemed content and well fed.
After a thirty minute wait, we were seated and the chips and salsa arrived. They were delicious. I almost overlooked the fact that my salad was swimming in a pool of ice and water when it arrived. Really, though, the chips and salsa were awesome. The salsa wasn't too chunky but enough so that it stuck on the homemade chips. Really top-notch chips and salsa. Then it went horribly bad.
The Wife's beef chimichanga arrived. I noticed that it was not crunchy but soggy. I am quite a Mexican food aficionado and I know that chimichangas should be crunchy. My burrito and taco arrived with the requisite beans and rice. They were edible but barely so. I didn't know you could screw up Mexican rice, but this place screwed it up big time. It was a disaster, and yet, G-pa and G-ma were obviously smitten by the place. And so was everyone else! The people next to us were purring like kittens, they were so content with their meals. So what is the deal?
I am here to suggest that old folks in Mesquite have iron stomachs. They must. Either that or they love the chips and salsa so much they are blinded by them. I have determined that it must be something like that. Oh, I know. It is probably that the other Mexican place in Mesquite is even worse than this one, so the bar is set so low a pregnant caterpillar could hop over it without breaking a sweat.
If G-ma and G-pa H read this, I want them to know that I love them and I had a great time with them and I'll do it again and again if they want me to. I am nothing if not accomodating. But please, for the love of all things fried and sprinkled with hot peppers, don't suggest Los Lupes ever again. Here it is noon the following day and I am still sticking close to the facilities.
posted by Cool Dad at Sunday, January 22, 2006
10 Comments:
There is NOTHING worse than bad Mexican food. When it's bad, it's really really bad. You should try eating it in New England. Believe me, Los Lupas would be a delight after what you can get here. I make my own.
Michele sent me.
I guess we have it made here in Texas...We get some pretty good Mexican food here and there is a mexican food establishment on almost every corner. Last Thursday I had lunch at a Tex-Mex place and there were three in a row. So sorry you had to put up with such bad food. Maybe next time the Queen could suggest a different place to eat. Let the Wizard give you a blessing, it might help. Good luck.
It's a parent thing ... my parents love a restaurant called "le bienvenue" (the welcome) but it's known to the locals as the dead dog ... because the owners' dog died under a table and they didn't notice he was dead for a week!*
The owner serves digestifs at the end of the meal from a bottle that he hides in his armpit under his coat! You truly need a stomach akin to a zoo-keeper's boot to eat there!
Keep taking the immodium :o)
* Possible local urban myth ... actually the area is so rural it's a bit of a cheek to use the phrase urban myth!
You know the old saying... If it ain't fried, it ain't food.
Oh no! You and Anita are both suffering from bad food.
It's odd, because usually the older folks know a good value!
Marie, Your statement "usually the older folks know a good value" needs to have parameters. In general I agree totally with you, however, Sometimes "good value" means cheap. Sometimes " a good place to eat." means they have clean rest rooms. Sometimes "good value" means they have discounts for people over 55, with one leg, with some incurable disease.
Back when I was young, the rule was to look for a place where all of the semi-trucks were parked. I would try to avidly follow that, and I fast learned that many times that didn't mean good food, it meant a large parking lot. The king must have had a bad experience, because I have been with him in some horrendous places and he would gulp the food down. Good luck to all of you in finding the right place to eat out........
Yikes! I hate when that happens. I ate at a Mexican place in NYC once...I enjoyed an enchilada with beans and rice (which was delicious!) and throughout the remainder of the afternoon/evening I thought I would die. I remember standing dizzily at the top of a steep escalator, in a subway station thinking, "Am I going to make it home?" And when I hit home, I too, stayed close to the facilities. So I usually do not eat Mexican food out for fear of how it will affect me. Even if the place has a great reputation! Sorry you had no choice.
Too funny! I'm a fan of Mexican food, but that sounds pretty bad. My bet is that it must be a good value i.e. tons and tons of food for no money regardless of the quality. In my experience, older folks go ballistic for a "value" regardless of food quality. Personally, I prefer small portions artfully prepared . . .
ooo, we've been through Mesquite several times, SO glad we've never eaten there! ha
there is nothing wrong with Los Lupes food try the Pechuga De Pollo
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