Antonio's-A Taste of Mexico Authentic Mexican Csne

Reviews & Tips

• 0

  Taos is almost always on our yearly tripping itinerary .. often spending a month here. We love New Mexican food and one of our first destinations is Antonio's for our favorite on the menu : Chilies en Nogada followed by Chipotle Chocolate Cake : to die for. We've eaten here many times and have never been disappointed. Tonight we took our friends there ...  unanimous consensus : ummmmm...marvelous!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 04.25.13 Marjorie D.

  • Report
• 0

  First, let me say that I would rate management 4 stars because the manager that night truly intended to "fix" everything.  He did not charge us a dime for the sub par meal.
  
  On to the dining experience ---
  
  Fellow Foodies, BEWARE!
  
  I decided on Antonio's because of the overwhelming, raving reviews it had on TripAdvisor.  How bad can it be for 200+ people to rate it an average of 4.5 stars, right?  
  
  We visited Antonio's on a Friday night.  We got there around 7pm and the restaurant was practically full.  We were seated promptly.  We were not offered water nor chips and salsa.  I guess you have to pay for chips in Taos?
  
  *ENTER Nick, our waiter.  
  
  We placed our drink orders - iced tea, mango tea and lemonade.  Our drinks arrive TEN minutes later.  No water. No chips.
  
  We immediately place our order for my daughter's meal -- cheese enchiladas.  We also order 2 soups, Sopa Azteca and Sopa de Tortilla.  Also, ordered water and a beer.
  
  Our drinks arrive about 5 minutes later, and we proceed to order our entrees -- Fajitas with Mole Poblano and the Carnitas en Mole Verde.
  
  [Here's where I feel I have to qualify myself with my experience with Tex-Mex, New Mexico Mexican, and REAL Mexican food.  Trust me, I know all three and what they should and shouldn't taste like.  I love all three and appreciate their *vast* differences.  I wrote about Cuchara here in Houston on another Yelp! review if you'd like to check it out.  P.S. They don't serve nachos.]
  
  Fifteen minutes after placing our daughter's entrees and our appetizer soups, the following arrives: 1) Daughter's entree; 2) Sopa Azteca; 3) Sopa de Tortilla; and 4) Husband's entree - Carnitas en Mole Verde.  We'll review these individually.
  
  1) The plate of "cheese enchiladas" are laughable.  Who wants to eat a soggy flour tortilla SWIMMING in Alfredo sauce?!  Not my daughter!  She immediately flagged the fake and asked me to order her something else.  I acquiesce because even I wouldn't want to eat the sorry excuse of a enchilada.  I proceed
  
  2) Sopa Azteca was warm, but good.
  
  3) Sope de Tortilla was warm and decent.  This is what my daughter ended up eating because she was starving.
  
  4) Yes, the entree came with the appetizers and I was left staring at my husband eat.  I insisted he start because I didn't want his food to be cold.  Besides, my food is coming out right behind his, right? Wrong!
  
  5) My food came out about 10 minutes later along with my daughters "beef" taco.  And then the waiter left with it on his tray! YES HE DID!  I opened my daughter's taco to find a piece of pork carnita.  I flagged down the waiter again and told him that the meat was pork.  He took the plate.   A minute later he comes right back out and says the kitchen assures him that it is beef.  Trust me, poepl.  I hate pork and this was DEF pork!  So I asked him for a ground beef taco and this is what he says, "we don't server ground beef tacos."  LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously!  I asked him why th kitchen couldn't use the ground beef used in the other menu options.  Again, "we don't serve ground beef tacos."  WOW!
  
  6) So I'm still waiting for my food.  It comes back again and it's a plate of fajitas with red peppers.  I asked the server if this was their mole sauce of which he said, "yes."  Again, WOW!  Show of hands here -- how many of you have ever seen red peppers in your mole sauce?  NONE!  Because mole sauce is a plethora of ingredients blended into a beautiful brown sauce whose ingredients can not be distinguished.  This is when we call the manager.  Again, the manager assures me this is their mole sauce and that's when I just lost it and refused to eat it.  The manager took the plate and went to the kitchen.  Then he changes his song saying, oops...it's NOT the mole sauce.  You don't say?!  (He doesn't get a whole 5 starts because he didn't know what mole sauce is supposed to look like.)
  
  Nick, the waiter, (while the manager is in the kitchen trying to figure out what the mole sauce is supposed to look like) proceeds to bring the check to the table.  He has charged us for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.  Total was about $72+.  I laughed and told my husband to hold on to the check until the manager came back.  Nick wasn't too pleased.
  
  The manager comes back and is extremely apologetic and tries to be as accomodating as possible.  We politely turned him down and just asked that he take my meal and my daughter's taco off the check.  He agrees.  He returns shortly thereafter and apologizes and agrees to comp the entire meal because our experience was so bad.
  
  We left and we went to El Meze for my entree and my family's dessert.  Should have gone to El Meze in the first place.  
  
  Please, please, please do not consider Antonio's when you are in Taos.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 02.28.13 Zara L.

  • Report
• 0

  Great for a date night!  Pretty atmosphere.  Great food.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.20.12 Kelly O.

  • Report
• 0

  We found this place on Yelp - actually, I'd seen it on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> and didn't buy a coupon for it since it looked like it might be too commercial, but we tried it anyway.
  It was a great place - we loved sitting out in the courtyard!
  I ordered their stuffed chili - it was filled with delicous ground beef flavored with apples, pears, raisons, and yummy spices, and covered with an amazing, creamy sauce that had just a hint of cinnamon in it. Fabulous!
  My friends loved their meals too - the cevice was really good, the guacamole made to order at our tableside was fresh and fabulous!
  I really recommend this place - try that stuffed chili!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 11.06.12 Carol T.

  • Report
• 0

  I had heard good things about Antonios but just wasn't that impressed. The outdoor patio is beautiful but there was a chill in the air so we sat inside.
  The sangria is so sickeningly sweet, my sweet husband asked them to add real wine to it to make it drinkable. The house marg was ok- nothing fantastic.
  Their salsa is terrific. That could have been my dinner!
  I went with the chicken tortilla soup and ceviche for my meal. Portions were a little small and the soup had a few too many tortilla strips but the flavor was great. The ceviche was fresh but had so little lime juice that it was actually kind of dry.
  Hubs had the Enfrijoladas which were pretty tasty but basically beans and cheese all melty together...that's not necessarily a bad thing!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 09.17.12 Andrea K.

  • Report
• 0

  We went to Antonio's in May 2012 after a local had recommended them. We got there at a very odd time, far after lunch, but too early for dinner, but everyone was ready for us and welcoming. The location and restaurant / atmosphere were nice and inviting. They had great dishes on their menu.
  
  Service was good and quick, but not pushy and we were given time to decide and to enjoy our meal without a rush. My husband couldn't decide between two meals and he got to try two different sauces to make the decision easier. He then had the mole duck dish which was huge and very good. I had their famous signature dish, the chile rellenos (spelling?). It was wonderful, wow.
  
  With both dishes, you could tell they were made with fresh ingredients and great care. Their chips and dips (we received them complimentary, but oddly, only very shortly before the main course) were also very good, as was the (very big) margarita.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.30.12 Claudia W.

  • Report
• 0

  This is a really beautiful property in Taos that has had several names in the last few years --
  
  Our visit was really disappointing.   First -- they make a big show of "table side guacamole" -- but honestly, it isn't worth the price  I've had better guac in dozens of places across 4 states.
  
  In general, the food was tepid, under seasoned, and lacked flavor.  In specific, the rice tasted like it came out of a box.  I don't remember having ever been let down by a restaurant in Taos before -- I mean -- food and art are what you go to Taos to sample.
  
  But this one's a miss.  So sorry -- I really wanted the food to live up to the building.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 07.08.12 Lynn W.

  • Report
• 0

  We had just finished buying my spouse a pretty turquoise Navaho bracelet at the Taos PLaza,
  when we saw Antonio's next door.
  Picture a lilac covered bower in a courtyard of a 140 year old Spanish Colonial mansion.
  This beautiful early spring day in Taos was about to get even better.
  We were greeted by Teresa, a bright and energetic young lady with looks and personality.
  She was ably assisted by another young women as well as the muy sympatico owner.
  Starting with the table side prepared fresh Guacamole. All the essential ingredients are there.
  You can choose how much of each that you want. It was delicious.
  We chose the shrimp tacos. They were amazing with a truly unique flavor.
  The shrimp tacos came with perfect beans and rice.
  Saving the best for last, we ordered the signature relleno, it was stuffed with beef, and apples, pears, and raisins and covered with a creamy walnut brandy sauce, exquisite!
  We had three friendly, helpful, and lovely ladies hovering over us we really felt pampered.
  Antonio's ambiance will welcome you, the food will enthrall you, and the attention will charm you.
  We are sold on Antonio's.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 05.06.12 Bob M.

  • Report
• 0

  Nice atmosphere and service. The chile relleno Nagado was pretty good, the fish tacos were ok,  but the chili con queso was delicious!! Their coffee was really good too.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.03.12 Karen D.

  • Report
• 0

  This is the best Mexican restaurant in Taos, in my opinion. We had the Relleno en Noganda, which I had never even heard of before. It was great.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 10.15.11 Jack H.

  • Report
• 0

  On our second ski trip to Taos, we HAD to visit Antonio's, after unsuccessfully trying to visit their satellite locations: Rellenos.  As we tend to ski all day and then eat on the way back from the slopes, we tend to eat early.
  
  The place was fairly empty when we arrived.  Our waitress, April, was wonderful, even though the waitress in the bar/bartender seemed to be hounding her a bit.  The table-side guacamole was very good, with some nice pieces of jalapeno pepper in it.  I was hoping to eat the duck and mole dish (forget the name), but they were out of duck quite early in the day.  I got the Tacos de Alambres instead, and they were tasty, if a bit chewy.  Evidently a lower quality piece of Beef Tenderloin, a bit chewy, but tasty.  The rest of my family enjoyed their meals, except my daughter who found the tortilla soup to be too spicy.  Oh well...
  
  The Agave wine margaritas were good and the waitstaff was very diligent about refilling our water glasses.
  
  I was  disappointed that the Paella was no longer on the menu.
  
  Overall, another pleasant visit, good food.  Love the ambiance.  Will be back the next time we are in town.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 03.16.11 Nick D.

  • Report
• 0

  Went here for a wedding dinner, and were very pleasantly surprised. Absolutely everything was out of this world. I had the chiles relleno. Wow. The pomegranate seeds were genius. Everything was unique and delicious. I really wish we lived closer, we would eat here every week. The servers worked their tails off to keep the huge wedding party tended. A lot of stress for them, but they were always smiling and professional. The guacamole at the start of the meal was some of the best I'd ever had. I love guac!
  Don't miss this place if you are in Taos.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 01.30.11 april k.

  • Report
• 0

  We took the recommendations of a Cockney (Londoner) selling Indian pan-pipes near the Taos Plaza. We were skeptical.......
  
  However, we got there and had what I can describe as the best Mexican (New Mexican, perhaps) food I have had in the United States. It was that good. The service was semi hit and miss (we waited 20 minutes for a glass of water), but then it was made all alright by the two dishes that my wife and I had: queso chile relleno with red and green chile sauces (sublime), and the huitlacoche enchiladas. These hit the spot so beautifully that we walked around with smiles on our faces for the rest of the day.....
  
  .....so if any of you meet the nice Cockney on the plaza then please thank him for us. Good suggestion. Lawd above.....

  Review Source:

  Posted on 12.28.10 Rob W.

  • Report
• 0

  Pretty darn good Mexi food.
  
  I had the rellano burrito and would highly recommend it.
  
  Also, the guac is killer.
  
  Service was good, prices fair, ambiance decent.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.22.10 D I.

  • Report
• 0

  Good food, great service, great ambience.
  
  We went on a clear night, sat outside and upstairs, and watched the sky turn from about denim to pitch black. The service was slow, but I chalk that up to a special order we made. The servers themselves were extraordinarily nice.
  
  Antonio's does a good job of offering at least a few dishes you're not likely to get at other Mexican places, and hitting the basics well. We didn't have margaritas, so I can't comment on that (though we saw them -- large and apparently well-liked by old ladies), but their beer selection is at least a little better than your typical Mexican place. Still well short of a beer-lover's desires, but we found the local-ish Santa Fe Pale Ale that we'd wanted to try.
  
  Very happy with this choice -- and glad it was a block away from the main plaza. More parking, less hassle.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.06.10 Dave B.

  • Report
• 0

  Santa Fe doesn't have great food but Antonio's is better than the much-vaunted (and mediocre) Tomasita's. The shrimp chimichanga was very good and the sopaipillas were delightfully flakey and light, compared to the heavier bread-dough types most restaurants serve. Again, neither red nor green chile sauce is especially hot, despite claims to the contrary.
  
  We were in a large party so seated in a nice room in the back, separately from the smaller dining rooms in the front.

  Review Source:

  Posted on 03.16.10 Jean K.

  • Report
• 0

  If this is the same place as the smallish restaurant that used to go by simply "Antonio's", WOW! What an impression you made on me and the hubby. From the entrees (I had the incredible mole') to the expert wine recommendations and the irresistible dessert (crazy good chocolate cake), we were in food heaven! Just like anywhere else, the price range really depends on how many extras you want with your meal. WELL worth it!

  Review Source:

  Posted on 06.01.08 Lisa V.

  • Report