OT: Best Mexican Food in Buffalo

[matter2003]

2 hours 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), 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.

I know I am going to get killed for this but I also don't like Mighty Taco.  Chipotle and Moe's any day of the week over that place for me. Honestly, I think Taco Bell is better than Mighty Taco and way cheaper.

Edited October 19, 2023 by matter2003

[Drag0nDan]

1 minute ago, matter2003 said:

I know I am going to get killed for this but I also don't like Mighty Taco.  Chipotle and Moe's any day of the week over that place for me. Honestly, I think Taco Bell is better than Mighty Taco and way cheaper.

The only taco bell in amherst is such a terrible location.  Regularly leaving food off of my order (almost seems intentional at this point).  

[North Buffalo]

Taco truck south broadway Yonkers NY

[matter2003]

2 minutes ago, Drag0nDan said:

The only taco bell in amherst is such a terrible location.  Regularly leaving food off of my order (almost seems intentional at this point).  

Haven't been to that one...on the rare occasion I go to Taco Bell I either go to the one in Lockport or the one near Transit/Losson in Lancaster/Depew. Actually just opened a new Mighty Taco near me a few months ago on Transit/Walden.

Edited October 19, 2023 by matter2003

[matter2003]

1 hour 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.

I usually make a quality judgement by the chips and salsa they bring out.  Some salsas are so good you just can't stop eating it and other ones you take one dip and don't bother anymore. Also pretty easy to tell when the salsa is freshly made in house or not.

Edited October 19, 2023 by matter2003

[GASabresIUFAN]

Mighty is awful.  

[That Aud Smell]

22 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

I know I am going to get killed for this but I also don't like Mighty Taco.  Chipotle and Moe's any day of the week over that place for me. Honestly, I think Taco Bell is better than Mighty Taco and way cheaper.

10 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Mighty is awful.  

To each their own. We've had the Mighty debate on this board before. IIRC, @Eleven also thinks that Mighty is garbage.

I funking love it - occasionally (6-8 times a year?). It just tastes like home to me.

[...]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

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

This is the way. I submit that one additional standard would be their tortillas: the difference between a place that knows what it is doing versus the opposite is how the handle both flour and corn tortillas.

[Weave]

Just now, That Aud Smell said:

To each their own. We've had the Mighty debate on this board before. IIRC, @Eleven also thinks that Mighty is garbage.

I funking love it - occasionally (6-8 times a year?). It just tastes like home to me.

I enjoyed it in my younger days, don’t appreciate it much anymore.

I think Mighty is best as drunk food, or at least drinking food, and when you get past that it is more about sentiment that actual taste.

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

To each their own. We've had the Mighty debate on this board before. IIRC, @Eleven also thinks that Mighty is garbage.

I funking love it - occasionally (6-8 times a year?). It just tastes like home to me.

I understand.  I remembered Mighty fondly from my childhood, but last time I was in town I went with my brother to Mighty and the only thing I could think of was how awful it was.

It’s a bit like Chef’s although I still love Chef’s.  After living away from Buffalo for so long, tastes change and Chef’s sauce was too sweet at first.  

Edited October 19, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[matter2003]

2 minutes ago, ... said:

This is the way. I submit that one additional standard would be their tortillas: the difference between a place that knows what it is doing versus the opposite is how the handle both flour and corn tortillas.

I am flour tortillas only, I can't do corn...I try and I just don't like the taste of them.  But yeah, if they don't know how to wrap the tortillas properly to keep them in a good state prior to eating or have the little round tortilla holder thingy that keeps them fresh and warm then it's probably not going to be a good experience.

[LabattBlue]

Authentic or not…big deal. I am not a food snob.  My two favorites for years now are….

La Tolteca(Transit across from Eastern Hills Mall)

and

El Canelo(McKinley across from the McKinley Mal)
 

[pi2000]

"Mexican food" and "Buffalo" don't belong in the same sentence.   

[Brawndo]

El Toro on Niagara Falls Blvd near Sheridan is pretty good. 
 

As is Aguacates in Lockport and Mariachi De Oro in Medina 

And the only time I recommend Mighty is to My Patients who have constipation 
 

Edited October 19, 2023 by Brawndo

[JoeSchmoe]

7 hours ago, ... said:

El Cubilete out by the Niagara Falls airport reminds me of every good Mexican place I've been to in Austin, Tx.

Will second La Divina. Haven't been there in a bit but I remember when we first discovered them they gave me hope in this area's Mexican cuisine. Still haven't found a comparable BBQ joint.

Would love to see a comparable thread on BBQ. 

[Standing Room Smoking Cigs]

Obviously, I'm not foodie when it comes to Mexican food, I prefer ETS, but Mighty holds a dear special horror place in my heart. Grab a chair, maybe a beer and I'll regale in the last time I had Mighty. Spring of '87, I just turned 23 and after a Thursday visit to the local bar after work, I decided to stop in the City of Tonawanda and grab 3 Super Mighty's. Wise choice at the time, they were cheap, filling and tasty. 8 hours later... I get the flu, no one is home as it's a Friday and parts of the family were going to weddings in Detroit and Chicago. Worst 2 1/2 days of my life. I had liquid coming out of every orifice of my body, including the ears! The odors where horrendous as it smelled like Mighty Taco. I l felt like death, looked like death and was welcoming death. I haven't a Mighty since, nope can't do it! 3 lessons learned that weekend, when people would call in sick with the "flu" and arrive perky the next day, I'd tell them, nope no flu and relate my story. I got my flu shot every year since. Lastly, that Mighty in Tonawanda was such easy picking for the police if you lived on Grand Island and decided after drinking on the Island, going to Mighty was a bad thing. I can't tell you how many people got DWI's going there, driving past the police station to the South Grand Island bridge. Can't eat Mighty the PTSD is still strong today!!!🤣🤣🤣

Edited October 19, 2023 by Standing Room Smoking Cigs
new wording

[GASabresIUFAN]

22 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

El Toro on Niagara Falls Blvd near Sheridan is pretty good. 
 

As is Aguacates in Lockport and Mariachi De Oro in Medina 

And the only time I recommend Mighty is to My Patients who have constipation 
 

I was going to describe it fake Mexican ex-lax, but I thought that would be rude.

Edited October 19, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Weave]

27 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Mariachi De Oro in Medina 

 

Thats the name of the place!

[MattPie]

8 hours ago, bg17 said:

Las Brasas in East Aurora is very good. 

I dunno, their salsa seems like it's from a jar. Otherwise, it's not bad, in a heavy Tex-Mex way.

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

The guy who runs Maizal is from Oaxaca and he often puts regional Oaxaca dishes on his menu or as specials. 

Man, I love Oaxaca cheese.

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

I know I am going to get killed for this but I also don't like Mighty Taco.  Chipotle and Moe's any day of the week over that place for me. Honestly, I think Taco Bell is better than Mighty Taco and way cheaper.

You were doing fine up to the last sentence. Mighty isn't *good*, but it's not *that* bad. 🙂

Left Coast Tacos in EA is good; more my style these days with lighter, fresh takes on the food. Hombre y Lobo in Buffalo looks like a similar take. There's a place here that does fried potato filling, which is a great way to do vegetarian.

[Night Train]

I've never known so many connoisseurs of beans and rice outside of a correctional faciliity.  

[Taro T]

Over in Ra-cha-cha, Monte Alban's is pretty good.  Prefer the Penfield location as the one in Ra-cha-cha/Irondequoit can be a bit more hit or miss.

There was an upscale Tex Mex place on/near Alexander called Mex, but haven't been there in ages and no idea if it is still open post-pandemic or not.

Canandaigua keeps getting authentic restaurants to open up but they seem to close pretty quickly disappointingly.  At least 2 have gone under in the past 10 or so years.

[Kr632]

9 hours ago, PickaPecaPickles said:

I could eat tacos from La Divina on Delaware 5 days a week.

They're still great but they were better before the immigration raids if that's possible. 

[Kr632]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

Authentic or not…big deal. I am not a food snob.  My two favorites for years now are….

La Tolteca(Transit across from Eastern Hills Mall)

and

El Canelo(McKinley across from the McKinley Mal)
 

La tolteca's quesadillas are amazing. I think I'm gonna go get one now. 

[Zamboni]

Wife and I went to El Toro on NF Blvd. before the game. Good grub. Solid A. Would go again.

[...]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Would love to see a comparable thread on BBQ. 

It would get ugly. Yankees are incapable of good BBQ. That's a fact after decades of testing.