[Niteshade]

Zesty Nachos:


These look GREAT! 

Around here, at least, the places that serve them tend to leave out 90% of what you see in that photo. We're typically left with a smattering of onions, salsa and loads of cheese with a couple tablespoons of chilli. They do provide a BIG price!  Usually around $10.00. FOR WHAT?!?

[CELT in AR]

My town isn't very large, but along with the Taco Bell's, TaMolly's, etc., we have three authentic family-owned Mexican restaurants. The difference in the quality and quantity of food you get for your dollar is quite evident.
It amazes me how the chains manage to hang on!

[EthanH]

Nachos are hardly ever done right.  Like you say, Nachos should entail refried beans, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, salsa, sour cream, and cheese.  Not just loads of cheese and a dollop or two of sour cream and chili. 

Lobster rolls are usually disgusting if you're outside of "lobster roll" country.  Even in lobster roll country I've had some lackluster ones - tons of mayo held together by tiny shredded bits of meat.

It's also hard to find good Peking duck.

On a more positive note, however, I'm hardly ever disappointed by a bacon cheeseburger, especially when served with a nice cold beer.

[Niteshade]

You're right! Of the food prepared the way they should be- hamburgers are on the top of the list. It's difficult to screw up a beer too.

Another food royally screwed up is soup. Many restaurants will serve condensed or canned soup for high prices.  Why would anybody want to go out to eat canned/condensed soup? 

Same goes for "iced tea" that comes from a soda fountain instead of being brewed. Awful stuff!

MA & PA restaurants were brought up. Agreed! They usually do a very good job. Soups will be home-made, the tea is brewed and so on. We have several family ran restaurants and most do very well by us.

[turkey]

Nachos are hardly ever done right.  Like you say, Nachos should entail refried beans, guacamole, pickled jalapenos, salsa, sour cream, and cheese.  Not just loads of cheese and a dollop or two of sour cream and chili. 

To me, something like that is just a sloppy mess.

I like tortilla chips with salsa, and I also often order queso fundido con chorizo to have with the chips.

I want a bowl of nice fresh, homemade tortilla chips, and then I can dip them and decide how much of what topping I want.

[turkey]

Outside of the Southwest, Mexican food in the US is often not done properly.

If every dish comes with a glob of beans and some "Spanish" rice, it's not authentic Mexican food.

If they serve their tacos with those U-shaped hard taco shells invented at Taco Bell, it's not authentic Mexican food.

I'm not even sure what to call the food at Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Qdoba.

[turkey]

Another food royally screwed up is soup. Many restaurants will serve condensed or canned soup for high prices.  Why would anybody want to go out to eat canned/condensed soup? 

Agreed.

I wish there were more restaurants that would try to make great soup. With so many it's an afterthought.

This kind of thing happens with appetizers and salads too. They buy frozen apps from a food service (or Sam's Club if they're a small Ma & Pa place) and get big bags of prepared salad. I may go back to some of these places, but I mostly stick to their entrees.

On the other hand, if a restaurant has good apps, soup, and salad, I order all 3 and then take home most of my entree for lunch the next day.

There's a Vietnamese place where all I usually get is soup. Their pho is fantastic. They have other items on the menu that I keep saying I should try, but I always wind up ordering pho.

[BobRex]

Outside of the Southwest, Mexican food in the US is often not done properly.

If every dish comes with a glob of beans and some "Spanish" rice, it's not authentic Mexican food.

If they serve their tacos with those U-shaped hard taco shells invented at Taco Bell, it's not authentic Mexican food.

I'm not even sure what to call the food at Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Qdoba.

Hey, I never knew that Taco Hell invented those shells!  I just though they were mutant Fritos gone amok!

[rollo]

 If your ever in Florida check out Flannigans. The best Nacho supreme around. The Ribs as well.


charles

[Construct]

We have a Mexican place in town that is considered fast food.  It looks kind of low rent.  But the burritos are *huge*, authentic and have a lot of flavor.  Shredded beef, not hamburger.  And you can smell the fresh ingredients.  Cilantro rules!  (I have a great love for pico de gallo.)

[turkey]

Hey, I never knew that Taco Hell invented those shells!  I just though they were mutant Fritos gone amok!

Gordon Bell evidently invented them so that they could make tacos faster and more uniformly. They sit in a rack on the counter and you can just load the filling in with what looks like a long, thin trowel that's sized so each taco gets the same amount of each item. What McDonald's did for the burger, Bell did for tacos.