Chilango

The first thing that struck me on my last visit here was it's perennial popularity - but I have to say, I found the goods, while acceptable, fell a little bit short of the mark. A pork burrito was fine; but it wasn't the best I'd had that week. Additionally, I felt the lemonade I had with it was rather lacklustre, more like green sugary water. Finally, if I was really going to be honest, I think it's pretty lame that they're not open at weekends, and their selection of beers isn't the best in the ( Mexican fast food) class. <rant over>. When all is said and done though, it's not bad, just not "the best".

What can I say? Chilango gives me fond memories of the kind you get when you think about your first kiss, except that you can repeat that kiss whenever you like! It was the first proper Mexican food I had in London and if it was the last I'd have died happy!

---

Third visit EDIT:

Came at 8pm Friday night with two friends.

Incredible amounts of salt in all the food. We all three agreed the guacamole was completely inedible, took it back, was given another pot and told maybe it hadn’t been mixed properly. The second pot of guacamole was equally inedible.

Burrito was so salty that I was positively gasping for liquid after finishing.

We all had the same experience with our respective dishes. Unable to enjoy the taste of the food due to the absolutely ridiculous amount of salt.

Furthermore the mild salsa (the one with real chopped tomatoes) was flavourless and tomatoes were completely gone. The salsa had clearly been made fresh this morning but the tomatoes were about a week past their date! Nasty.

---

First time eating at Chilango.

Greeted by extreme levels of enthusiasm and positivity at the counter. In the short wait during the efficient production line serving my tacos (chilli beef and chicken) we were told who made the guacamole and how good it was tasting today.

True enough, the food here was quick and wonderful.

Home made lemonade with mint is a must as well.

Lovely service. I’ll be back!

The staff at the new Chancery Lane branch of Chilango are so nice: whether it's letting you try the latest filling or replacing a tortilla because they've stuffed it so full it has split.

I went with a 2-4-1 voucher that I happily found at the bottom of my Qype Summer Party goodie bag, which enable me to try some Chilli tacos as well as the customary chicken burrito. The chilli was very decent.

I still think £1 extra for guacamole is a bit cheeky, but the overall price works out the same as London other best burrito places.

I recommend going in the evening when the staff aren't pressured by the lunch time crowd so that they can really craft you a great burrito.

Yes, that's right. More burritos in London. These things are starting to become ubiquitous ... and at this rate seem to be on their way to being synonymous with London. As long as they're decent burritos, I reckon that's a good thing.

I'm certainly fine with the new Chilango opening up on Chancery Lane. I'm a fan of their braised pork burritos with pinto beans and honestly haven't had anything from them that I didn't like.

Besides, they've got that cute little cartoon luchador as part of their logo. The prospect of more glowing signage featuring that lil guy is yet another reason I'd be pleased see more and more of Chilango's bean slinging joints popping up all over London.

I’ve just devoured a burrito in a size of a big jacket potato that I got complimentary in the new branch of Chilango open today. Not as colourful on the outside as its Islington sister, but still funky inside with elements of Mexican culture that let you feel the vibe. The walls are decorated with murals depicting Jesus next to Lucha Libre masks, and there is also a little shrine on the wall of virgin Mary and obviously Latino tunes in the background.

As usual, I can only share my opinion on the vegetarian options, but as most of the burritos consist of more or less the same ingredients I believe the meaty options are equally tasty. Lime rice, grilled peppers, black beans, tomato salsa (3 levels of spiciness to chose from), guacamole, cheese, salad and coriander create a perfect combination for my veggie taste. What surprised me, was that even after I got home the tortilla was still fresh and crunchy, and not sloppy as it often happens in other places when you decide to keep your wrap for longer than 10 minutes. Apart from burritos Chilango serves tacos, totopos and salads and its prices are slightly cheaper than the competition.

The place was voted the best Mexican restaurant in 2010 and I think they rightly deserve this title.

The only thing I don’t like about the chain is the fact they use eco-unfriendly tin foil to pack their burritos.