Mi Lindo Yucatan Review

Mi Lindo Yucatan, a Mexican restaurant in the Mission, was disappointing. Our two appetizers were good, but none of us liked any of the three entrees we ordered.

Our meal started off with clearly store bought tortilla chips and two salsas: one a pumpkin seed salsa with a hint of smokiness (fine), and the other a very hot habanero salsa. This was okay, slightly mesmerizing for its heat, but none of us really went back for more.

Our first appetizer, empanadas (corn dough stuffed with beef and fried, topped with a tomato based sauce) was good. One attendee immediately exclaimed, "I like it." But the radish and lettuce that came with it didn't make much sense or seem needed in any way.

The tamales we ordered were also well-done, serving as a good example of that tamales can be tasty and not mushy. Ours (wrapped in corn husks like usual) were filled with tender pieces of chicken and again topped with the same nondescript tomato-based sauce.

The entree we had the highest hope for was the cochinita pibil, supposedly the exemplar of Yucatan cooking. It's pork slow roasted (with sauce, onions, and the like) in a banana leaf. Ours was thoroughly unexciting: the pork was tender but had little taste; the sauce -which we tried directly by soaking tortillas in it- was similarly flavorless; finally, the dish came with a single small square of banana leaf on top, clearly not enough of a banana leaf to wrap the pork in, making us wonder if the disappointment of the taste is because they cooked it incorrectly.

The poc-chuc, a dish of pork slices mixed with radish, lettuce, and a dead (in taste, texture, and appearance) tomato. The pork was dry and tasteless. The items weren't bad when rolled in a corn tortilla but still we wouldn't consider it good. The corn tortillas were fine. This dish also included a bowl of pureed black beans, about which no additional words are necessary.

Our third dish was carne asada, served as a sizable steak. The meat had a bit of gristle and chunks of fat and was definitely poor quality. The plate also came with mexican rice, the same black bean puree, and a mediocre lettuce salad with a vinegary italian dressing. Some of us made fajitas out of the steak, rices, and (sometimes) beans.

After dinner we found ourselves at Cafe Macondo, also in the Mission.

Original Announcement

This Wednesday we'll converge at 8:00pm on Mi Lindo Yucatan in the Mission for some regional Mexican cuisine. I can't say that it's as well reviewed as the other restaurants I tend to pick, but I claim we should try it because of its uniqueness: it's certainly not traditional taqueria-style Mexican food.

Please tell me if you are coming!

Comments from Other Attendees

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