San Angell recently??

[tarheelmjfan]

What is different about the food? I ask because I lived in Texas most of my life. Spent about half in El Paso, and 1/2 in E. Texas / South E. Texas. The Mexican food in the two areas are very different. The food in E. Texas, and what most of the rest of the country sees as Mexican food is more what I would classify as TexMex. The food in El Paso was not as spicy, more green chiles, less hot chiles. Stuff like that.

My parents mentioned that they went several years ago to San Angel Inn and really liked it, so I was wondering if why so many people found the food not very good. If it was because it was greasy, etc... or if it was not what was expected (i.e. TexMex type food).

I always wonder the same thing. It would be more helpful, if people specified whether their beloved hometown "Mexican" restaurants are Authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex. IMHO, SAI is better than Tex-Mex. If Tex-Mex is what you're looking for, you may not enjoy it. OTOH, I would never visit an authentic Mexican restaraurant expecting the Americanized version. In fact, I'd be disappointed if that's what I received.

OP, it's been awhile since we've eaten there, but the Mole Poblano (Grilled chicken breast served over a bed of chicken morsels, carrots, chayote chiles, with the classic sauce of spices and a hint of chocolate) I ordered was delicious.

 

[Karnak]

The San Angel Inn has long been one of my favorites, and I have an ADR for it once again in November, but only for lunch this time around because of the way my itinerary worked out.

I think the atmosphere is great, and the service and the food have always been to my liking as well. I like the "Filete Motuleno" with a Dos Eqis Draft beer.

By the way, there is no way I would order sea food at a Mexican restaurant.

Karnak

 

[chloelovesdisney]

My family ate here in August and we all enjoyed it. The food was good, not great, but everyone was happy. The atmosphere is really fun.

 

[momtwoboys]

We will be dining there Sat night! After 13 trips to WDW this is one restaurant I have always wanted to try. Our 9 year old is easy, he likes lots of different foods. Our 7 year old however..hope he likes those chicken fingers I WILL report how it is! I'm leaning towards the chicken with the chocolate???

 

[MissAlaineous]

By the way, there is no way I would order sea food at a Mexican restaurant.

Some of the best Mexican food I have ever had is seafood. Some of the best seafood I have ever had is at Mexican restaurants. Again, not at TexMex restaurants but at more authentic ones.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We will be dining there Sat night! After 13 trips to WDW this is one restaurant I have always wanted to try. Our 9 year old is easy, he likes lots of different foods. Our 7 year old however..hope he likes those chicken fingers I WILL report how it is! I'm leaning towards the chicken with the chocolate???

Good choice! If you're adventurous, I think you'll like it. It's not as strange as it sounds. You can barely taste the chocolate. There's a hint of bitter (unsweetened) chocolate that blends well with the other spices. It's not like they melt a Hershey bar over the chicken.

 

[lomillerin]

When we ate there, I requested the vegetarian meal. It is not on the regular menu, you have to ask. I am not a vegetarian, but nothing appealed to me on the regular menu. I got a variety plate with several items and they were all delicious. I wish I could remember what each item was, maybe someone else knows, but I would definitely get it again.

 

[Terrif]

I am suprised that people say the food is bad here. My husand loved it and can't wait to go back. We went in March 07. I had the chicken salad with avoado salsa etc. It was the best salad I ever had but probably had a zillion calories! The cerviche ?sp was good, the magaritas were great as well as the service. I think my son got the steak carne which he loved. Honestly you can't go wrong with trying it! Have fun!

 

[chiclet]

We liked the food there. The steak (filete motuleno I think?) was very good. Even the kids liked it. The atmosphere was very nice, just a little dark inside. Great margaritas!

 

[rsimon]

I always wonder the same thing. It would be more helpful, if people specified whether their beloved hometown "Mexican" restaurants are Authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex. IMHO, SAI is better than Tex-Mex. If Tex-Mex is what you're looking for, you may not enjoy it. OTOH, I would never visit an authentic Mexican restaraurant expecting the Americanized version. In fact, I'd be disappointed if that's what I received.

OP, it's been awhile since we've eaten there, but the Mole Poblano (Grilled chicken breast served over a bed of chicken morsels, carrots, chayote chiles, with the classic sauce of spices and a hint of chocolate) I ordered was delicious.

All I can say is it simply amazes me how people consider this place "Authentic Mexican".. There are aspects of it that are authentic, but several aspects are VERY Americanized. Yes.. the mole is an anthentic sauce, but many other aspects of their food is not.. The chips are tostidos and the salsa is bottled (besides in Mexico, you would never really get chips and salsa. If you did, they would be totally different).. The margaritas are definitely not that great.. basically a slushi and too sweet..

To the poster about no fish in a Mexican restaurant.. Mexico has several regions where all you will eat is fish because that is what is easily available. Ironically, its the beef that SAI has a problem cooking, their chef really does not know how to cook and maintain consistency.

We have eaten there many times, but have finally said enough since it was so bad the last time we ate there..

As everyone has said.. great atmosphere.. The best I have ever seen.. But you can get that without eating and torturing yourself.

 

[poeticdiabetic]

I agree with the previous posters about the seafood. Get seafood for appetizers. Order Seafood for entrees. And skip dessert. Desserts at San Angel will make you cry it's so bad.

Oh, and be prepared to be squished in when you dine there. I mean, it's just too many tables and chairs in such a small place. And be adamant about dining on tables that are not close to the restrooms!

Now, I am of the mindset to eat at restaurants that you have never tried before. The reason why is that you really don't know if you like it until you try it. Also, one person's trash is another person's treasure.

But do me one favor: When you come back from vacation, can you write back in this forum, and detail the vegetables that is put on your plate? Please?

Uh, and answer this specifically in your writing: Is it Veg-all?

 

[photobob]

It's the only never again restaurant for us..

 

[tarheelmjfan]

All I can say is it simply amazes me how people consider this place "Authentic Mexican".. There are aspects of it that are authentic, but several aspects are VERY Americanized. Yes.. the mole is an anthentic sauce, but many other aspects of their food is not.. The chips are tostidos and the salsa is bottled (besides in Mexico, you would never really get chips and salsa. If you did, they would be totally different).. The margaritas are definitely not that great.. basically a slushi and too sweet..

Perhaps, but you couldn't prove it by my family. We only ordered items we couldn't get at a local Tex-Mex restaurant, & really enjoyed them. Why would I want to order a meal I can find anywhere in the US? (We don't fill up on chips & salsa at any restaurant.) FWIW, we've eaten in other authentic Mexican restaurants. At least, I think they qualify as authentic, since they were located in Mexico. Some of the meals aren't that much different from Tex-Mex. As with SAI, some are. They just do it much better than we do. Even in Mexico, we try to order items that sound unusual to us. I guess that stems from our sense of adventure. I do agree that the chips & salsa are much better in Mexico, but the view isn't as good. Although, we have had some nice views there. To me, SAI does serve authentic meals (maybe not all of them, but what we've tried), & I've never wondered how clean the kitchen is. The same can not be said for all the places we've eaten in Mexico.

Disclaimer: As I noted earlier, it has been quite a while, since we've eaten at SAI. It may have completely changed since then. I can only verify what it was like at the time.

 

[musical2]

To each their own I guess. For me it is one of my must do restaurants each time we go to Epcot. I always get the Pollo a las Rajas - Grilled chicken breast served over red peppers, onions, chile poblano, chorizo and melted cheese. I can't get enough of that. I also think the atmosphere is wonderful.

 

[magik]

I've been a few times in the last couple of years, and honestly, I love it. Granted, I always ask for the special vegetarian menu, so what I order is not on the normal menu (nothing on the normal menu is vegetarian), but the offerings on the vegetarian menu have always been really good the times I've been.

I wouldn't say that the food is the best Mexican food ever, but what I've had has been at least as good as Mexican food I can get in restaurants near where I live, and the atmosphere alone makes it worthwhile in my opinion. Everyone else I've gone with who ordered off the normal menu liked the food just fine as well.

The only "complaint" I have about it, is that the light levels are really low and that made it hard to see for my grandparents (those same low light levels are what make for a really romantic atmosphere though, so I'm not really complaining about the light levels in general, just in this specific instance). The server brought them a flashlight to use to read the menu though, so they made every effort to accommodate them, which I thought was nice.

 

[Malela9]

My family goes crazy everytime we smell the food from the San Angel Inn! But, we are from So. Calif. where we enjoy the creme' de la creme' of Mexican food everyday. Not to mention that I am Mexican and cook it at home. My big vent is- why do they have to use BLACK beans! All the cooking that we use here ( and at my families homes in Texas) use pinto beans. My dh hates black beans and so we won't go to the San Angel for that reason. Look Disney, Mexican food is family food, not foo-foo food! I sure miss my home cooking when I am at WDW though.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

My family goes crazy everytime we smell the food from the San Angel Inn! But, we are from So. Calif. where we enjoy the creme' de la creme' of Mexican food everyday. Not to mention that I am Mexican and cook it at home. My big vent is- why do they have to use BLACK beans! All the cooking that we use here ( and at my families homes in Texas) use pinto beans. My dh hates black beans and so we won't go to the San Angel for that reason. Look Disney, Mexican food is family food, not foo-foo food! I sure miss my home cooking when I am at WDW though.

I'm pretty sure I had black beans in a "mom & pop" type restaurant in Mexico. I do understand why SAI it wouldn't appeal to someone who eats that food almost daily. It also makes sense that your DH would think noone cooks as good as you. Personally, I don't want food I cook at home, when I go out to eat, but that's just me. No offense, but I definitely don't want pintos. (I grew up on country cooking, & have had more than my fair share of pintos.) Regardless, no restaurant works for everyone. If SAI doesn't appeal to your family, I don't blame you for avoiding it. WDW has lots of great restaurants to choose from.

 

[fostrmom2mny]

Do they serve salsa and chips at all tables? Could a person order a chicken enchalada plate? Just wondering. One of my daughters doesn't like mexican, so she always orders chicken strips and fries at our local places. Any type of accomendations like that there? I'm a little worried about her being grumpy due to her being so picky to her regular tastes.

 

[daannzzz]

I ate here last week. The food was really good but then I ordered something I have never heard of or seen anywhere else. The chips and salsa are like stale Tostitos and La Victoria salsa.
The min dish was a large bowl/plate of lightly sauted red and green bell pepers and onions in a slightly cheese cream sauce. There were chorizo bits in it and cheese melted on top and then a nice sized grilled chicken breast on top. When I saw all the peppers and onions I though there is no way I am going to eat all those!!! It was so good though, I ate everything.