Near Mexican (Like Near-Beer)
DESCRIPTION: If you want a little tasteless(so-called) Mexican Food with your cheese, Margaritas in Portsmouth NH is the place to go. Don't get me wrong, the ambiance and the drinks in this place(not to mention the nachos and salsa) is really awesome. They really do a great job to transport/transform your mind into a Latin/Mexican mood. The low lighting, the music, the adobe styled walls, the fixtures, the furniture, the decor and right down to the floor tiles makes for a great lasting impression of the building. Too bad my wife and I weren't there for sight seeing. Just like any Mexican Resteraunt, they bring out some chips and salsa to snack on. Hands down, some of the best stuff I have ever had. After my first bite of the salsa I was thinking "Man, if the salsa is THIS good, I can't wait to try the main faire". My wife and I both ordered their enchilada with spanish rice, re-fried beans and their "special" red sauce over the enchilada. Our food came out, and the plates were hot....(very good sign), we start to dig in we both end up pulling out a huge wad of melted cheese. Not some of the enchilada with cheese on it....JUST cheese. The sirloin in the enchilada left me very disappointed in regards to the flavor. It tasted as if they seasoned it with salt and pepper while browning and then wrapping it in the tortilla to bake with the EXTREMELY MILD AND WEAK "special" red sauce. My wife asked me several times "How is it? Do you like it?" before I would even answer her. My first response was "I'm trying to identify some hint of spice or flavor before I really let you know how I feel". Yeah, after two bites, I took what was left of the salsa that we used with the chips and dumped half of it onto my plate(leaving the other half for my wife). Should you really rely on the free salsa to add some FLAVOR to your main course? Here's a tip to all the wanna-be Mexican restauranteer's out there, if you're going to start off a meal with some real kick in the pants chips and salsa, you'd better be ready to pull out those same stops with your lunch/dinner menu. Otherwise, it's the ole Bait and Switch routine.
DATE: 2006-02-25
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Try the adult beverages....I'm sure you'll like those a little more.

Concord's Best Restaurant for 30+ Adults
DESCRIPTION: If you want to get drunk on cheap drinks and gorge yourself on run-of-the mill food, go somewhere else. On the other hand, if you are a mature adult who wants to enjoy a couple of good (not watered down) drinks and some truly original Mexican food, this is the place for you. Hermanos caters to a slightly older (30+) white-collar clientele. Don't wait for a table downstairs... Go straight up to the lounge where they have LIVE JAZZ Sunday through Thursday evenings. They serve the full menu in the lounge and it's very kid-friendly, with tables well away from the bar, plus Legos and Etch-a-Sketches to play with while waiting for the food. Is your child a picky eater? How about a peanut butter & jelly quesadilla? Unlike the regular menu, the kids' menu is very reasonably priced -- Less than most other restaurants in Concord. When my kids were younger we used to go there a couple of times a month for dinner and music. After dinner the kids would go up and sit right next to the band and the musicians were always very nice to them. PROS: Live Jazz - Different groups each night. Some from as far away as Boston. Margaritas - These are traditional (not frozen) and fantastic. Don't be put off by small size or the price... One Hermanos margarita probably has as much alcohol as three of those big, sugary drinks at the other restaurants. I'm a big guy and I've never had more than two in one evening. Guacamole - The best guacamole I have had at any Mexican restaurant, ever. Original Entrees - The Quesadilla de Eduardo and the Pastor de Avacado (a burrito) are the two best... Spicy, but not too hot, chicken or beef sauteed with peppers, onions, olives, etc. and covered with cheese. The pastor adds fresh slices of avocado. If you want something really different try the Quesidilla de Marisco - Shrimp, avocado, and havarti cheese in a grilled flour tortilla. Atmosphere - There is no smoking allowed anywhere in the restaurant and patrons are not allowed to use cell phones in the dining areas or lounge. CONS: Price - Dinner and drinks for two adults will run $50-$60 or more. (One positive aspect of the price is that it keeps away the the rowdy 20-somethings who only want to go out and get drunk) Menu - Some traditional mexican restaurant fare is conspicuously absent from the menu, like tamales, and fajitas. (There's still pleny to choose from) As you can tell by my review, I've been to Hermanos many times over the last ten years. They have a professional, friendly staff, great food and live jazz five nights a week. Hmmm... no loud drunks, no smoke, no annoying cell phones, good food, and live jazz. 'Sounds pretty good to me.
DATE: 2005-08-16
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Quesidilla de Eduardo, Pastor de Avocado