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Robin Garr

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El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 03, 2019 9:58 am

El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

The chips at El Mariachi are fresh, house-made, and possibly the best you ever ate.
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Let me tell you why I love El Mariachi so hard: Even the chips and salsa that drop on your table the moment you take a seat are exceptional. These thick, deeply corn-flavored treats, fashioned on the premises from fresh-made tortillas, are positively addictive. They’re so crunchy that I had to look twice to persuade myself that they weren’t lightly breaded before they were fried.

Yes, the salsa is first-rate, too, a finely mashed reddish-brown puree of red chiles, tomatoes, and herbs, just spicy enough. But those chips? Perhaps the best I ever ate, I really could make a meal of them, if that didn’t involve missing out on the rest of the menu. But I can’t do that. It’s too good to skip.

If you make the trip to visit El Mariachi – and you really should – save some time to visit the other Mexican shops along the side of this little adobe-color strip center. A carniceria (butcher shop), supermercado (grocery), panaderia (bakery) and tortilleria (tortilla factory) flank the restaurant and offer a wealth of Latino delights. The stores are part of the local Guanajuado chain, named after the historic city and rich agricultural region northwest of Mexico City.

The decor shows significant effort. It’s bright and exuberant with bold primary colors. Heavy chairs and shiny table tops are individually painted with striking images such as toucans, ox carts, village scenes, Aztec women.

The eight-page menu contains a large variety, covering a broad range of Mexican regional cuisines, even crunchy tacos, burritos, and other Tex-Mex treats for those who prefer more familiar fare. ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/el-mariachi-excel

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

El Mariachi Restaurante Mexicano
9901 Lagrange Road
413-5770
elmariachilouisville.com
Facebook: bit.ly/ElMariachi502

Robin Garr's rating: 89 points

Noise level: Conversation was easy with the restaurant less than half full. (Average sound was 65dB, the sound of a quiet street, with occasional spikes to 78dB, the sound inside a moving car.)

Accessibility: The restaurant appears accessible to wheelchair users, but the men’s room, although spacious enough to accommodate wheelchairs, lacks accessibility modifications.
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Leah S

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Leah S » Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:28 am

Slightly off topic question - how do you measure the sound? Do you have an app?
Place sounds great, too.
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Robin Garr

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Robin Garr » Wed Apr 03, 2019 10:36 am

I do use an app, the Decibel X Pro for iPhone. We decided against using a fancy device in order to keep things on the down-low, and this model (the paid version) came with good reviews. We figured that using the same app every time would keep the procedure consistent, and I try to take readings a few times during our visit, particularly if the crowd size changes or if a particularly noisy table either arrives or leaves. ;)

Here's the app's home page, with links to both iOS and Google Play versions:
http://skypaw.com/decibel10.html
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Carla G

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Carla G » Thu Apr 04, 2019 9:02 am

Favorite Mexican restaurant by far. And the butcher counter next door is always immaculately clean. Fun to shop the stores to discover those hard to find items.
"She did not so much cook as assassinate food." - Storm Jameson
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Iggy C

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Iggy C » Thu Apr 04, 2019 10:08 am

This place is solid, although I haven’t made it out there that often recently. I think the restaurant attached to the Supermercado Guanajuato on Preston Highway is a little better, even though it doesn’t have chips and salsa or beer. But the fact that they are attached to the grocery stores is something that I suspect improves the quality of the food a lot in both cases.
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neal.johnson

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by neal.johnson » Thu Apr 04, 2019 1:51 pm

Going to try it this weekend. My coworker raves about it. Also thank you for replacing that photo of Sal's fried fish platter on the home page. Those golden fried Icelandic cod fillets and tartar were driving me crazy. Need to try that place as well as Bombay Grill. Everything is so far out east tho.
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Robin Garr

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Robin Garr » Thu Apr 04, 2019 6:44 pm

Iggy C wrote:But the fact that they are attached to the (Guanajuato) grocery stores is something that I suspect improves the quality of the food a lot in both cases.

Good point, Iggy! I’ll get out there sometime soon.
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Robin Garr

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Robin Garr » Thu Apr 04, 2019 6:47 pm

neal.johnson wrote: Also thank you for replacing that photo of Sal's fried fish platter on the home page. Those golden fried Icelandic cod fillets and tartar were driving me crazy. Need to try that place as well as Bombay Grill. Everything is so far out east tho.

We aim to please, Neal. I hear you about the east end, but now and then I’m willing to travel for good eats.
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Linda C

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Linda C » Mon Apr 08, 2019 7:56 pm

Your review prompted us to visit. What’s funny, my husband was treated for a little something he picked up in either Mexico or Honduras :wink: he did the bland diet and was craving Mexican food. So, it started with those chips. We went through 2 big baskets and 3 bowls of the amazing salsa. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat much later, but it was like crack. I had the Relleno, and it was spectacular. Better than the one a Isla Mujeras, where my fav had been for years. Huge, and the pepper had excellent texture, unlike the slimy ones at Other places. Even the refried beans and rice were really good. Rick had the enchiladas verde; his four filled the entire plate and he could only eat two. We walked in the bakery which I will visit again when I’m not so stuffed. Best Mexican food I’ve had in Louisville!
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Robin Garr

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by Robin Garr » Mon Apr 08, 2019 9:15 pm

Linda C wrote:Your review prompted us to visit.

Thanks for the review, Linda. I'm glad my report worked for you! :)
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neal.johnson

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Re: El Mariachi is so good that even the chips excel

by neal.johnson » Tue Apr 09, 2019 9:03 am

The sopecitos were amazing. And the green sauce they give with your meal is wonderful. Like a creamy, jalapeno, avacado, hot sauce.

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