Mexico Lindo Y Que Rico

WARNING: THIS POST IS GOING TO MAKE YOUR MOUTH WATER.

In a city full of wonderful, gourmet restaurants, we often find ourselves talking about food on Kingstonist. One topic that frequently comes up is a lack of authentic ethnic food. Many of our readers argue that we don’t have “the real thing” when it comes to certain types of food like dim sum, sushi, pho and more. The lack of certain types of food (Ethiopian, Caribbean, Lebanese…) is also often a topic of discussion. While this may be true (and I’m not saying it is or isn’t), hold onto your pants because Kingston has an incredible, authentic Mexican restaurant right downtown.

Mexico Lindo Y Que Rico first opened its doors at the corner of Ordnance and Sydenham, which was once home to The Crack’d Pot. Former Kingstonist contributor Erin Weinberg first visited them in this smaller location back in 2015 and gave a glowing review. Embarrassingly, I never did make the trip to try it myself. In an effort to remedy this, I felt the need to check out this little gem in its new, not-so-little location on Princess Street at Clergy.

The new establishment is significantly larger and is decorated in the same lively way as the old location. I have now been twice, with plans to go again very soon. On both visits, we were greeted immediately with smiles and enthusiasm. Before long, we had cold, delicious drinks on our table. The margaritas taste just the way I remember them tasting on a visit to Cozumel a few years ago: strong, sweet and salty. On both visits we ordered the guac and chips ($8.99) as an appetizer while we perused the menu, trying to make the tough decision about what to order. The guacamole was unlike any I’ve ever had. While it sits nicely on a chip, it has a more aqueous quality, allowing it to be poured over your food (genius!) The spicy kick was just enough to get my taste buds ready for the deliciousness to come. One of my dining mates and I both decided on the Tacos de Pollo – “4 flour tortillas stuffed with chicken and topped with lettuce, sour cream and cheese. Served with rice or refried beans and a side of guac” ($13.50).  The tacos don’t have that half moon shape we all associate them with, but rather are rolled, allowing your taste buds to get the most bang for your buck on every bite. The lettuce was fresh and crunchy and the chicken was cooked to perfection. I had to have it again on my next visit. This same dish is offered vegetarian style with potato instead of chicken. My other dining buddy decided to try the Enchiladas de Mole – “Stuffed with your choice of chicken or potato. Topped with mole salsa (made with over 50 ingredients of spices, chilies and chocolate) sour cream and cheese. Served with rice or refried beans” ($14.99). If you’ve read Erin’s description you’ll know that the mole sauce at Mexio Lindo is a real treat and something that every diner must try. Smothered in sauce and cheese, these babies were a hit. Since we couldn’t decide between refried beans or rice, our waiter suggested we get a bit of both and share. This was a great call because once we tried both, we knew we’d never be able to make the choice between them. I know what you’re thinking, it’s just rice and beans, but the flavour they have managed to pack into both is out of this world. I will pay extra for both in the future.

We topped off our visit with the churros, a fried dough pastry sprinkled with sugar (3 for $8). It was the perfect sweet ending that contrasted nicely with the spicy, flavourful main course. (Sorry, we ate them too fast to get a photo! You’ll have to go see for yourself!)

The restaurant itself is much larger than the original and is decorated with photography and the lively colours associated with Mexico. The service was fast (but not too fast) and extremely friendly. All in all, everyone I have enjoyed Mexico Lindo with so far has left with a big smile, a full belly and plans to come back soon.While we don’t always review restaurants more than once, I felt a real need and passion for making sure we spread the word about Mexico Lindo Y Que Rico. It’s far too often in Kingston that we see some really amazing restaurants go unnoticed, leading them to eventually close their doors. People, we can’t let that happen this time! It’s the weekend, it’s Blues Fest, it’s the end of the summer. Now is the perfect time to round up your family and friends and pay them a visit.

Find Mexico Lindo Y Que Rico on Facebook where you can find more mouthwatering photos and keep up-to-date with specials.