Does anyone ever eat in Cafe El Passo?

[AllotmentOwner]

I've not been there for about 5 years 'cos lets face it, you'd rather go anywhere else. Does the owner not realise they're sitting on a potential gold mine ?

[georgia]

I think we've discussed this before somewhere. We go there sometimes and I think it's ok and not as bad as everyone makes out. Great cocktails.

[SeanMacGabhann]

I've been there quite a few times and agree with Georgia it's not as bad (if you take it for what it is) as people make out

But the lack of other customers is always a putoff

[TillieTrotter]

Where is this place?

[georgia]

It's the Mexican restaurant on LL - you can't really miss it!!

[SeanMacGabhann]

Think Orange

[TillieTrotter]

Oh yeah. My kids love it in there, they always put the sombreros on! Not fantastic but tis OK.

[Jeremy]

5 years ago it was permanently empty, but these days it's a bit more popular... never packed though!

[citizenED]

I've eaten there - never been back. Was Ok for what it is but something was definately not quite right. The loo was upstairs and to get there it felt like I was going through the family's dining room with the family all eating their tea. Unusual to say the least.

citizen

[SeanMacGabhann]

I went to Dulwich Paradiso Last night and walked up LL afterwards - EDT, Black Cherry, 72, Hisar, Bishop, Palmerston, Liqourish, Tandoori Nights etc - all busy or extremely busy. Cafe El Paso? Deserted. Made me quite sad - I like them

[BarryRoad]

I heard the food is so-so but the cocktails are good. Amazed at myself for not having been there yet as I'm a tex-mex/mexican food nut. I'm pretty sure 'El Passo' is only supposed to have one 's', though, which has put me off a bit!

Maybe we should have the forum Cinco de Mayo celebrations there next year?! (I'm kidding)

[Keef]

Went there a couple of weeks back on a Saturday evening and it was pretty full. Okay so it's tacky TexMex, but 4 of us had tasty, filling food, a jug of very nice sangria (sp?) and a couple of beers for under ?70, I don't think that's at all bad, and we all enjoyed it (tu)

[rob]

Me and Mrs Rob - and various SE22 affiliates - have eaten in there quite a few times. It is the tackiest thing since the invention of glue-topped tacks, but the margaritas are very strong and the pefectly adequate food soaks them up with the minimum of fuss. Personally, I LOVE the fact it looks like it's been transplanted from Cleethorpes circa 1978...

[James]

I'm sorry, it reminds me of the Eurovision song contest i.e. BEYOND A JOKE. It is the Fawlty Towers of Mexican restaurants. On my one and only visit I was seated next to a decaying crocodile skin held together with masking tape. The service was bad and the food was proper 1970s awful. The place was filthy too. You would have to have a lot of those cocktails to want to go there again. Is the fact that it's often empty really so surprising?

[rob]

They also have a bar / room upstairs which is never used... I've always dreamt of putting on "club nights" (ie: me playing mouldy folk, goth-pop and sprightly reggae to little or no repsonse) there.

[cookie]

I lived in Cleethorpes circa 1978 and I can assure you that a Mexican Restaurant was way off the radar back then. We did have 1 indian restaurant though where you had to where a tie to get in.

I've eaten in El Passo twice, and both times the "boil in the bag" style rice have put me off.

[Jah Lush]

Must be the only restaurant on Lordship Lane that I haven't eaten in. I can't say I'm a great lover of Mexican food, so it just hasn't appealed to me. My sister and brother-in-law went in there last week though and said it was pretty good, especially the Margaritas but that ain't saying much.

[MadWorld74]

Maybe they should just turn it into a bar and serve snacks, seeing as everyone on here has said how good the cocktails are but how the food is, well, not. It would be a great bar space!

[TillieTrotter]

I quite like it as it is. As I said earlier its a good place to take a couple of noisy brats without being in other peoples' faces. Mind you, thats probably why its empty!

[Alan Dale]

Removed

[bob]

This use to be called Never on a Sunday and was a fantastic steak and fish restaurant.

BoB S

Georgina is the English better.

[georgia]

Can you say that again in English please bob ;-)

[bob]

Georgina see last edit

BoB S

[nutty]

The food is only to soak up the effects of the cocktails and shouldn't be taken too seriously imho!

[lofty]

I also lived in Cleethorpes around the same time and i can still say they have no mexican but the fish and chips are the dog b****cks