Is "Mexican" Food Pretty Much The Best Ethnic Food Option?

[Razors Edge ★]

...especially as a "go to" meal?

Honestly, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, but also just the various seasoning and peppers and other influences really make them pretty darn high in my book.

[jsharr ★]

It is pretty dang good

[2Far ★]

Italian would be my go-to. Mexican a close second.

[Dirtyhip]

Thai would be a runner up,and I agreewith you. Wehave a little localplace that we really enjoy.

[dinneR ★]

It is the most popular in the U.S.

I love chicken mole.

[Road Runner]

I prefer Chinese.  Or at least the American version.   

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, 2Far said:

Italian would be my go-to. Mexican a close second.

I love Italian! But pasta will make one pretty darn fat, pretty darn fast.  It does have good options though beyond pasta. 

Still, as a go to, I seem to mainly go with Mexican-derived stuff.

[Razors Edge ★]

Just now, Road Runner said:

I prefer Chinese.  Or at least the American version.   

We cook a lot of Asian "inspired" meals, but not always Chinese-centric as much as from across Asia (and more so if including India).  A ton of good options in that part of the world as well. 

[Randomguy]

54 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

...especially as a "go to" meal?

Honestly, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, but also just the various seasoning and peppers and other influences really make them pretty darn high in my book.

Yes.

Mark as 'solved', please.

[Razors Edge ★]

1 minute ago, Randomguy said:

Yes.

Mark as 'solved', please.

Jsharr's non-committal answer screwed him. He was in first, but just couldn't commit!

[Randomguy]

Just now, Razors Edge said:

Jsharr's non-committal answer screwed him. He was in first, but just couldn't commit!

Yeah, his answer was quarter-assed at best.   

[bikeman564™]

I like Mexican food

[maddmaxx ★]

Too many choices.

Mexican, French, Thai, Japanese, Chinese (none of these latter like most sold in the US), Indian, Vietnamese.

They are all good and it depends on what your tastes are that day.

[Wilbur ★]

Mexican just isn't that big a thing in Canada.  Some new, authentic Mexican cuisine though, is really spectacular. 

[ChrisL]

Mexican is probably my go to for quick & easy but my favorite ethnic cuisine has got to be Asian.  I know Asian covers many different countries & regions so maybe it’s not a apples to apples comparison.

SoCal has it good with Mexican food as there is such a strong Mexican population there are many places where the food isn’t Americanized like Taco Bell or many of the chain restaurants. 

[Dirtyhip]

Speaking of the Mexican food comments...

Our little place is pretty authentic.  It reminds me of getting street tacos while visiting Mexico.  They like us, and have made these special tamales for us.  They were not on the menu, but instead were something special from a family gathering.  On the house.   I love that little place.  

[Kirby]

In the neighborhood I grew up in, it was definitely Italian.  Italian still gets my vote.

[Dirtyhip]

4 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Mexican is probably my go to for quick & easy but my favorite ethnic cuisine has got to be Asian.  I know Asian covers many different countries & regions so maybe it’s not a apples to apples comparison.

SoCal has it good with Mexican food as there is such a strong Mexican population there are many places where the food isn’t Americanized like Taco Bell or many of the chain restaurants. 

I bet youy can get fantastic Mexican food too.  

[goldendesign]

1. Turkish (I may be biased) 
2. Indian
3. Vietnamese
4. Mexican
5. American (Burgers and things)

Seriously try Köfte, Pide, İskender Kebab from your local Turkish restaurant; Try Thali (like a sampler plate) from your Indian place; Phở or Bun bo Hue at the Vietnamese place all before you can claim Mexican as the "Best" Ethnic food.

 

Mexican is the simplest and most approachable/recognizable ethnic food, yes. Best? No.

[az_cyclist]

2 hours ago, jsharr said:

It is pretty dang good

I agree!

[ChrisL]

57 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said:

I bet youy can get fantastic Mexican food too.  

We can but we have a strong Asian influence too.  From a cuisine stand point I’d say we are more about diversity than anything else.  Except BBQ, our BBQ sucks compared to the south.  Being close to the ocean you’d think seafood places would be more prevalent but we really aren’t known for that either.

[Randomguy]

5 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Except BBQ, our BBQ sucks compared to the south.

Very little good BBQ here, too.  Lots of places that usually don't pan out, just a few good ones.

[Dirtyhip]

Our food mostly sucks here.  I want to visit RG for food.  

SF is also a great go to for dining vacation

[Airehead]

Korean often gets my vote. Good Italian, not bulk Italian also gets my vote. 

[Ralphie ★]

Thai. 

[groupw]

Mexican is probably one of my favorites when done right. Salvadoran is very good, too!  We used to have a great Italian Mom and Pop place. She bought a grand house and had the restaurant on the first floor. When the restaurant paid for the house and she was tired of people in her house, she retired. She printed a limited run of cookbooks with her recipes and we got one. Not the same as her cooking it, though. 

[groupw]

2 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Mexican just isn't that big a thing in Canada.  Some new, authentic Mexican cuisine though, is really spectacular. 

When my son and I were in Montreal many years ago, we were amused that KFC was PFK up there. There is a regional Tex Mex chain around here called Taco John's. We kept looking for Taco Jean's up there!

 

[Dottleshead ★]

We just had tasty tacos de pollo at a Mexican butcher shop. $1 a taco and so worth it. Wife and I had dinner for $6 and tax.

[ChrisL]

16 minutes ago, Dottles said:

We just had tasty tacos de pollo at a Mexican butcher shop. $1 a taco and so worth it. Wife and I had dinner for $6 and tax.

My favorite taco joint was like $4 for a 3 taco plate.  Sometimes we’d get 5-6 plates between the 4 of us, each plate with a different meat and go to town.  

If you go back & they have lingua you gotta try it. So freaking good.

[Dottleshead ★]

1 hour ago, ChrisL said:

My favorite taco joint was like $4 for a 3 taco plate.  Sometimes we’d get 5-6 plates between the 4 of us, each plate with a different meat and go to town.  

If you go back & they have lingua you gotta try it. So freaking good.

I eat sushi but the tongue thing scares me.  LOL.  No joke.

[Square Wheels]

Indian

[groupw]

7 hours ago, Dottles said:

I eat sushi but the tongue thing scares me.  LOL.  No joke.

A properly done Lengua is like pot roast in texture. Very tender. 

[MoseySusan]

I’ve gotta go with Greek and Indian. 
Mexican food is my cuisine almost on the daily. It’s no thing. 

[Randomguy]

Most of you are wrong.  Mexican is the right answer.  This is because he asked what is the best ethnic food option, not what is your favorite ethnic food.  In most places in the states, Mexican places are plentiful, the food tastes good, is fast to prepare, and typically doesn't cost a fortune, thereby making it the best option.

[MickinMD ★]

It's a top choice, but Chinese and Italian are, too.

My guess is that Italian pasta dishes, pizza, Italian-based subs, etc. are consumed more than Mexican food.

I'm just glad it's all available.

[ChrisL]

1 hour ago, Randomguy said:

Most of you are wrong.  Mexican is the right answer.  This is because he asked what is the best ethnic food option, not what is your favorite ethnic food.  In most places in the states, Mexican places are plentiful, the food tastes good, is fast to prepare, and typically doesn't cost a fortune, thereby making it the best option.

I think your response is regionally based but you did qualify it with most.   In some places the correct answer might be a burger joint.  

In my little part of the world you might be right, but Asian places whether it be Pho, those Vietnamese sandwich places (Banh me?), sushi, ramen (they are popping up everywhere now), Thai, Chinese or Hawaiian are just as plentiful as Mexican places.  

[Razors Edge ★]

2 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Most of you are wrong.  Mexican is the right answer.  This is because he asked what is the best ethnic food option, not what is your favorite ethnic food.  In most places in the states, Mexican places are plentiful, the food tastes good, is fast to prepare, and typically doesn't cost a fortune, thereby making it the best option.

Yeah - folks are missing the "especially as go to meal" part.  I can (and have) eaten variations on Mexican food for several meals in a week, and rarely think, "that's too much Mexican!".  It's just simple and versatile food option.