Piramides Charlie's
- May 10, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
JesusW from Mexico city, Mexico
This restaurant is one of the few that are not tourist traps, I have been there several times and the service and food is constantly good and the prices are reasonable.
Despite the name, the place is cool and not too touristy and not too cheese. They have the usual fun things for Gringos to have fun, but the quality of the food and the prices are attractive and worth the visit. Service can be a bit slow if there are a couple of bus loads of tourists, so plan on arriving at different times from the other tours, check the parking lot to get an idea. Of course, avoid at all cost Sundays.
The pyramids are so popular with European tourist that the menu comes in Spanish, English, French and German (Chinese would be coming not too far away, I saw some Asian tourist on the site).
My recommendation is to try the local dishes, you can have chicken or beef at home, but I doubt if you can eat nopales (cactus) or ant's eggs at home. Some of the specialties are seasonal so ask the waiter for the dish of the week, for example Cuitlacoche is Corn Smutt or Corn Fungus and is a delicacy only available during the rainy season and is highly recommended, don´t feel grossed out, I thought the same way many years ago, and when I finally decided to try a bit, I got hooked and since them look forward the rainy season in Central Mexico.
One of the flashy dishes is the "Molcajete". They use a volcanic rock mortar to grind the ingredients for a green salsa and they use the same mortar to keep the food warm at your table and is as a great look. Of course the idea came from the Japanese Teriyaki restaurants. Be careful the stone is extremely hot. Inside you will find a generous portion of nopales, arrachera (beef steak), pork, chicken and chorizo (a bit spicy sausage typical of Mexico), onion and a touch of cilantro. All in a thick yummy green salsa, the flavor is unique as the salsa has time to catch the flavor of the stone and of all the pre-cooked meats.
If you have children with you, there is a nice playground on the back, not the plastic McD type, but the old good swings and seesaw. Kids (and grownups) would have a great time.
If you want a cheaper alternative, try the road side food stands, there you will see mostly local families enjoying the food. Prices are cheaper, so the plastic chairs, but the flavor is authentic.
Buen provecho
From journal Teotihuacan, Where the Gods were Created