Review: Mexicali Cantina

MEXICALI CANTINA

Location: Essendon, Melbourne

Price: Mexicali Nachos
          Small: $11.95 (+$4 for meat, beans or             chille con carne)
          Medium: $17.95 (+$4 for meat, beans             or chille con carne)
          Large: $21.95 (+$5 for meat, beans or             chille con carne)

Notes: - Also serves Traditional Nachos – As               above without guacamole or sour                   cream. Soooooo I guess this just leaves           it as corn chips and cheese?
                                                                                             - Another nacho choice is Volcano                                                                                                      Nacho for the chilli lovers. Even more                                                                                             expensive.
                                                                                    Best: Size
                                                                                    Worst: Value

August 2013

I had high expectations for Mexicali Cantina, Essendon. I remember hitting this joint up about 5 years ago and what sat before me was a giant delicious plate of nachos that slipped me into a food coma. But this time around, no food coma. Just a stomach full of disappointment.

The first thing that stunned me was the price! For a basic nacho no meat the price was quite extravagant, and the extra dollars for meat or frijoles was $4-$5! The size, whilst blocking out the ridiculous price, was pretty good. Oh yeah, but then you remember the price they’re charging and look at it and think, is that it?

It was to be fair, quite a mountain. The mountain had all the basics, trees, grass, a few rocks... But this was no Machu Picchu. The sauce looked and tasted like it was poured straight out of a supermarket bottle, and to go with that was a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The only slight delight from these nachos was the size and cheese coverage. And even that was mediocre as the plate wasn’t put into the oven long enough, so some of the cheese and corn chips were still cold.

The nachos were ok. Ok if you were starving and rich. $17.95 for a plate of corn chips with average condiments slapped ontop of them is not my idea of a good nacho. Sorry Mexicali Cantina, but it’s 2.5 corn chips out of 5.

Score: 2.5 / 5