Gordos — Restaurant in Guildford

I have been anticipating the opening of Gordo's as I've really been missing authentic Mexican food since moving to the area. Unfortunately, the food didn't quite hot the spot. I ordered the Cochinita Pibil (braised pork).

The good: The service was excellent. They welcomed me with a free shot and were very friendly and attentive. The soft corn tortilla shells that came with the tacos were the best I've had in the UK. The tortilla chips were served warm, came with 3 salsas and guacamole, and were included with the meal. The food was hot and came very quickly.

The bad: I love salty food, but the guacamole was so salty it was nearly inedible without mixing it with some salsa. It was either whipped or blended rather than being chunky like authentic guac. To be honest, it seemed like Sainsbury's guac with a bit of coriander and a ton of salt added to it. I'm not sure why they wouldn't make their own guacamole fresh in house. That being said, it was free so...

The salsas were flavorful but totally missing the acidity they need to taste really great. And I'm not shy of spice but the meal overall was just too hot. That may have been my own fault for putting salsa on my tacos. I believe I saw another customer send his food back because it was too spicy. Possibly the red pepper served on the tacos.

The real reason for the low review was the the pork. If you do one thing right with a taco, it should be the filling. While it did taste nice, the pork had so much fat and gristle, I couldn't eat half of it. It seemed a bit under cooked or like it needed to be fried like carnitas. It wasn't pleasant to eat as I checked several times to make sure it was cooked thoroughly.

I will go back in a few weeks time as it is opening day, but overall, I was pretty disappointed in the food. Hopefully they can make a few changes and be very successful because they seem just almost...

Gordos is a nice Mexican cafeteria in the centre of Guildford. The place has a nice and interesting atmosphere and the staff is polite. The food I had was reasonably good and felt quite authentic Mexican for what I understand of Mexican cuisine. I had a very mixed experience though. At first, getting a table was very difficult. It took me various attempts in person and online. At last, I was let in and seated. I was let in because the door was kept locked with customers in and open to check the customers one by one. I felt a bit uneasy to be locked in if a fire emergency took place. The cafeteria has a strict policy about breakfast and lunch dishes. I wanted some eggs but could not have any egg-based dish because it was 12:30 already. Let us pass on to the serious points of concern. I order what in the menu was presented as "fresh orange juice". I was served a glass of bottled juice and not even a quality one. This was for £4.95+vat+service approx £6.50. Then the bill was indeed a surprise. All the prices on the menu are intended exclusive of VAT. There was no mention anywhere that VAT was not included. In many years I had never seen a restaurant menu with prices exclusive of VAT in the UK. This seems to me a pretty underhand and dishonest practice to increase prices at the last minute. I am assuming this is lawful but I warn future customers: DO NOT TRUST PRICES ON THE MENU! All in all the bill was £22 for a decent snack and one undewhelming glass of bottled orange juice. I think it was too much for what I have got. I am not a...

Good little local restaurant, great atmosphere. One of the few independently-run restaurants in Guildford. But all three times I've visited, they've left me grumbling, unfortunately.

Visited at 9pm on a Saturday, this time. Portions are small. If you're hungry, get a starter - ideally two. Taco portions are three of the same filling on really small (4-inch) tortillas with no sides (£14). Not enough for a meal. Chimichangas provide a slightly larger offering. But I would not recommend any of the other main course selections tried by our group alone unless you want to go hungry.

Free chips and dips are not a Mexican restaurant tradition which is honoured here.

We chose a portion of nachos (£13) with chorizo for a starter to share but one of our group of five could have demolished the meagre portion alone and had ample room for a main course. Perhaps this choice was the faults our number, having just come back from Mexico, expecting a Mexican restaurant of slightly higher clout. Three starters between a group of five would have been a better judgement.

Service was lacking, to say the least. On both of our two drink orders, one drink was forgotten and had to be asked for a second time. We waited for ages for the bill. We didn't stay for desert because we couldn't be bothered with the hassle.

Gordos, I'd love to love you. I adore Mexican food. I love to have an authentic local Mexican restaurant. But I do not love Mexican restaurants with tiny portions and inattentive service. I have had far...