Pistolera — Restaurant in Shanghai

Wow!! I actually discovered this place by setting out to eat Italian food at Da Marcos... or at least drink their "Italian cognac". But when I got there to my dismay they were in the process of moving to a new location. The chef was kind enough to engage me in conversation & let me know the address where they were moving. He told me it was going to be right next to the "Pistolera" Mexican restaurant. So... why not go on a short road trip to find it & might as well try the Mexican food as long as I am there. My expectations were waaaaay low as I am from Arizona & have experienced "Mexican" food in Shanghai before... not so good. But then I entered Pistoleras, was warmly welcomed by the staff & looked the menu over. As I wasn't starving I went with drinks (Don Julio tequila & Dos Equis Amber beer) and some nachos. While the nachos still had a slight hint of "local" flavor they were actually quite good. The last time I had nachos in Shanghai I can best describe them as Doritos chips with some lame cheese sprinkled on them. These nachos were definitely not that recipe thank goodness. The table next to me had fajitas & they certainly smelled like being back home. And the foreigner in the table across from me was ordering his food with some Spanish mixed in with English - a good sign as he appeared to be a regular. So I do recommend this place if you want some pretty authentic Mexican food in...

Best meal my whole 10 days in China! Why can't they have Mexican restaurants like this in America?!! Trust me, my top default option has always been Mexican. I'll even take BAD Mexican over most other restaurants. Maybe these guys are putting MSG on their food, but whatever they're doing, I APPROVE!!! Was at a party here where they were shoveling out dish after dish; and not only were the ones I was familiar with better than I'd ever had before, they were cranking out new flavors that were definitely of the Mexican variety that I had never tasted before! ...and they were all superb!! If only it didn't cost so much to fly over to China (plus the whole visa hassle, language barrier issue, yada), I'd be coming...

While Mexican food has been on the rise in China for a while, few restaurants get it right as Pistolera does. The place if definitely a family oriented venue, with friends, families and co-workers all eating together. While the price of the food itself is not exorbitant, the drinks (1st pic) are on the pricier side, justified by their quality. The food on the other hand is simply delicious: you will definitely walk out full ! The staff speaks very good English and is always friendly, just don't be afraid to call them over with a nice, loud 'Fuwuyuan' (foo-oo-yen). Definitely one of my favorite establishments in Jinqiao, catch me there once or...