Los Huacales — Restaurant in Guanajuato

2/10 stars. No, No, No, No, No.

Context: I visited on a Saturday at 5pm.

This review is about the experience and not the food. I never had the opportunity to eat the food.

Disclaimer: I am not writing this in anger. I'm writing with disappointment. I should just be used to terrible restaurants in Guanajuato. That being said, there's a reason most restaurants in Guanajuato have such similar scores.

I do not like giving places one star. I realize these reviews are used by many people and a business may suffer because of a low score, but I must be honest. I would want someone to provide me with context for a bad review.

Specifics No, No, No, No, No. No greeting: I sat myself without a greeting. No drink: Ordered tamarindo water. No. There was none. They had run out. I asked which waters they did have. None. All empty. No dish. Ordered chilaquiles relleno. No. I was excited the dish was a twist on the normal (for me). No. Not available. No reason provided. Just No. No menu extra. I chose the chilaquiles that were available (just like at home). I wanted an egg on top - which is an option on the menu. No. No eggs. This one I found suspect. No sauce. I accepted my egg selection defeat and moved on. We've reached the last straw... There was also a sauce we don't have at home. It's a local sauce. No. Nope. None. No local sauce. A sauce this tourist required. It was the one thing that would have made my disappointing dish selection mildly acceptable. No.

I looked at the server and calmly in a defeated voice. "No, no, no, no, no. No?" All he could say was, "No." Poor guy. His job was impacted by the kitchen and I knew he had no control over the menu. I smiled and said "No thank you."

On my way out the two gentlemen at the small table to my left looked puzzled, but understanding. They looked defeated in requesting a menu and drink for five minutes. I wonder what...

One of the most valuable lessons on our travel for me is to embrace the unknown and go with the flow. I can never follow all the well meaning recommendations, and I love exploring and finding out new places for myself.

So unexpectedly that I enjoy the Mexican food at this restaurant the best on this trip so far. The Pozole Verde is so fantastic, unlike any I’ve tasted before. It comes with Limes, Onions, Radish, Chilies, and Herbs on the side for us to add to the soup accordingly. It’s tasted flavorful, natural, and fresh, which I appreciate very much.

The Mole Poblano is heavenly. I didn’t even bother with the Pollo much until the end, because I was soaking up the Mole Sauce with the Tortilla Maiz. It’s has strong Poblano flavor with just a touch of sweetness. I personally prefer Mole Poblano over Mole Negro of Oaxaca because Negro is simply overly dulce for my preference. This Mole Poblano has complex rich deep flavors, and the balance of chili and sweetness is just perfect for me. Vanessa says Mole is definitely an acquired taste, but she’s a good sport and shared the dish tonight.

With a jar of Agua Fresca Melon, the whole meal is 180 pesos before tips, which is like $10... the value is insane. The people are so nice here too. Many times, locals have Spanish fly out of their mouth, and we can understand maybe less than 10% of what they say, but we always understand each other at the end, things just work out on their own.

Guanajuato is a most awesome town. We love it so far, better than San Miguel and Queretaro. For the variety though, Mexico City still provides the most diverse options. Maybe we’ll take a trip to Leon too before flying...

Food: 5/5 Well-served portions, flavorful, usually served warm. Over several days, I tried the chilaquiles, enchiladas, and soup. All maintained the same standard in portion size and presentation.

Drinks: 5/5 They offer flavored water, all of which were good, and orange juice. I didn’t get to try the café de olla since they had run out, it must be popular.

Ambiance: 4/5 From the first floor, you can see a beautiful part of the street and the people of Guanajuato. They play Mexican rock/pop music, slightly loud and upbeat for my taste, as I prefer to relax while eating.

Value: 5/5 The quality, portion size, and taste compared to the price make it inexpensive and a great value.

Recommendation: Visit on weekdays. Sundays are not ideal. I arrived at 10:30am and waited 30 minutes just to be seated. It took another 10 minutes to place our order, and the food arrived about 10 minutes later. Unfortunately, the chilaquiles were disappointing, the chips were soggy. The service also felt off; our waitress seemed disengaged compared to the more attentive weekday staff. To top it off, they were out of both orange juice and café de olla, which was a letdown.

With a few improvements, I’m sure...