Reviewing a place like Mexico in Season is difficult because it’s obvious that the owners are working hard and are passionate about the idea of serving healthful Mexican food. But after trying most of the items on the menu, I’ve come to the conclusion that there really isn’t a whole lot of variety and that the type of service offered might not be the best way to showcase the dishes.
I can hear fans of the place already grumbling: “What do you mean? Why, there are so many choices, you could eat there every day for a month and not have the same meal!”
That’s true to a point. There is a long, long list of toppings and many of them are on the offbeat side (watercress, for example). But let me explain.
The ordering process goes something like this. First, you order a “vessel.” Your choices are a burro, a larga (a thick, oval-shaped corn tortilla) a torta or a bowl.
Next you choose either meat ($7) or vegan ($6.50).
Then you head to the line to build your meal. The process isn’t new. Chipotle and Subway have done this for years.
The difference here is that the focus is on organic, local ingredients, so the taste level is elevated. But I was frustrated as I picked my toppings because there was little explanation of the process or the choices. Plus the sneeze shield made it hard to hear the people doling out the food, which frustrated me even more.
Vegans and vegetarians will swoon over the “protein” options on the menu: cilantro rice, black beans, pinto beans, cactus stir fry, a sweet potato dish, potatoes with red chile, calabacitas and seitan (wheat gluten) fajitas. Meat lovers are a bit more limited: red chile beef, green chile beef, pork in red sauce, pork in green sauce, chicken fajitas and chipotle chicken. We opted for a red chile burro and a chipotle chicken larga.
As a lapsed vegetarian, I can appreciate the variety of choices, but as a meat lover I wish there were a few more options. After all, red sauce and green sauce are red sauce and green sauce no matter what kind of meat you use.
Using a white flour tortilla for the burro (you can also get whole wheat) the nice man behind the counter heaped lettuce, pinto beans, watercress, tomatoes, guacamole, crema, queso fresco and chiles with lime onto it.
The toppings for the chipotle chicken larga included zucchini slaw, shredded cabbage, black beans, guacamole, crema and a mild salsa. Both plates were piled high.
The red chile consisted of shredded beef in a deep, red sauce that was smoky with chile and other spices. This meal ended up being our favorite because the meat held its own under all of the toppings.
The chipotle chicken consisted of bland chunks of white-meat chicken in a slightly creamy sauce. The larga, though, was fab. The thick texture allowed the flavor of the masa to stand out. It tasted like the tortillas you get in Mexico, and in many ways the larga made the dish.
Here’s my biggest beef with Mexico in Season: all those toppings. Once everything is piled onto or into your choice of vessel, the flavors blend together and most of them get lost. If someone had placed the larga in front of me and asked me to identify the ingredients by taste alone, the only things I would have been able to name were the black beans and the tortilla.
This was even more apparent on our second visit. We ordered a chicken fajitas bowl, tortilla soup and a green pork torta. Toppings for the bowl included cabbage, black beans, pico de gallo with fresh cactus and avocado, the tomatillo salsa and crema.
This dish ended up being a soggy mess. I could pick out the peppers and onions in the fajitas as well as the tomatillo salsa, but little else. I left most of it in the bowl.
Because I was confused by the ordering process, I wasn’t aware that you can add toppings to the soup. But in my mind tortilla soup should consist simply of good broth, a bit of cheese, maybe some avocado, and tortilla strips. The broth was salty to the point of being nearly inedible. Perhaps a couple of toppings would have helped.
The green pork in the torta was spicy but hard to identify as pork. All the other toppings were a blur.
I really wanted to like Mexico in Season. I like the idea of fresh and organic and I applaud the vegan/vegetarian concept. But the confusing cafeteria style of ordering was a turnoff. And all those choices seemed to work against the concept because, after two or three items, the individual flavors get lost.
I wish the folks here well. They are the people who make La Tauna tortillas, and I’m sure they’ll have a big following. I’m just not going to be part of it.
This article appears in Apr 24-30, 2014.
I’m a bit confused here. According to the menu listed on the web site, the customer chooses the toppings at Step 3.
However, in the article you state: “Using a white flour tortilla for the burro (you can also get whole wheat) the nice man behind the counter heaped lettuce, pinto beans, watercress, tomatoes, guacamole, crema, queso fresco and chiles with lime onto it.
The toppings for the chipotle chicken larga included zucchini slaw, shredded cabbage, black beans, guacamole, crema and a mild salsa. Both plates were piled high.”
This sounds as though the employee decided which toppings to add.
Did you choose those toppings or did the employee just add them without finding out what you wanted?
You do. I don’t understand you confusion, but the whole experience was confusing.
By saying “The man behind the counter heaped….” without explaining that you chose those toppings does confuse the reader. Also, the passive voice in “The toppings for the chipotle chicken large included….” makes it sound like you didn’t have any agency in choosing the toppings.
Since the customer can choose the toppings (including, apparently, the number of toppings?), maybe the issue was that you inadvertently chose poorly? I haven’t eaten there, but it sounds like the problem could be mitigated by choosing fewer competing toppings.
no Rachel, I think not. Maybe fewer choices but still I doubt it.
“to build your meal.” I thought that was enough explanation. Othewise it would’ve been to have your meal built…haha.
I agree with the other commenter. You say you got exactly what you ordered, but then are complaining because you chose too many toppings and didn’t like the way YOUR chosen combination worked out, implying it is the fault of the restaurant for letting you have too many choices. I think it sounds great and can’t wait to go!
I think people are really reading too much into this.
Ms. Connelly, none of your comments and large parts of your article don’t make sense. Makes it hard to value your opinion.
I *love* this restaurant. It is, by a wide margin, the best restaurant on the Southside.
However, I will agree that the process is confusing for a newcomer. At first, you see the Chiptole-like menu and think you’re just going to be picking chicken or beef–but then you move up to the bar and you’ve got all these things to try. Most people’s first reaction is to try a little of everything–the fact that the owners are happy to let you mix and match is *not* a fault.
Also, I’d bet that many default to a burrito, when the larga is probably better for many of these (saucy) dishes.
However–Rita–I do need to take exception to watercress being an ‘offbeat’ ingredient. Mexican watercress is exceptionally authentic for this type of food, just do a google search. Or ask your co-workers, my bet is you’ll find one who picked watercress by the riverbank with their nana.
In fact, my reaction to seeing watercress first thing on the condiment bar (and epazote in the beans) was: “Wow! These folks aren’t faking it, they really know their stuff!”
There’s actually great subtlety in this menu, it’s not fashionable vegan but in fact *really old recipes utilizing native plants like squash, cactus, potatoes, and chiles*. And, watercress.
Thanks for the info Brandon.
Rita, I have to ask: you got five dishes from a vegan restaurant, and not one was a vegetable? Would you review a steakhouse after ordering five salads?
I’m not a vegetarian, but I always order the veggies here. They’re amazing, and they’re authentic–local produce, ingredients native to the country, recipes that you’d see in grandma’s kitchen but never in a ‘Mexican’ restaurant–in a way I think your review totally misses.
The watercress is a stupid point, but at the same time it’s like going to a super authentic sushi restaurant and complaining that the wasabi tasted different than you were used to. Try the veggies, they’re great and the restaurateur is really trying to do something cool here!
Complaining because you had too many toppings? Toppings you selected? Huh.
“as a meat lover I wish there were a few more options”…you’ve got dead cow, chicken, & pig, do you want fried monkey balls or giraffe too ? There are 2 vegan places in town (Lovin’ Spoonful & Urban Fresh) and you have audacity to whine there aren’t enough meat platters?! You only have 8,965 other restaurants to choose from you selfish asshole.
btw, are you 85 yrs old? “the sneeze shield made it hard to hear”, “I was confused by the ordering process”….so glad to hear you “won’t be a part of” this fine establishment’s following. I hope all idiots like you do likewise. It will make it easier for sane folks who like choices (still don’t understand a person complaining about that) get a table.
Ridiculous.
what i meant to say was, shut up Meg.
Glad you’re using your own name on a local site, David–hope your boss, wife, and/or co-workers get a chance to see it.
I wonder what went wrong in David James’ life that lead him to being abusive to a nice lady for doing her job? Even worse, he thinks it makes him look cool.
To disagree is fine, being a total fucktard to someone who doesn’t deserve it at all, is cowardly. How about you pick on someone your own size Davey, like me.
Wow, David James! Something must be seriously wrong with you emotionally for you to become so nasty and full of rage over a restaurant review! And I have to wonder too about those who clicked “like” under his comments.
As for the restaurant: I haven’t been, but the larga in the photo does not look appetizing at all!
I don’t need to explain myself to hypocrites. I will just say that of course i used my real name as I am not ashamed of ANYTHING I SAY, unlike the keyboard gangsta who goes by “Burnie Mak”, the real BMac is dead and was a total G. You, not so much.
“fucktard” huh, that’s brilliant. I am an Iraq war veteran asshole, so shove your coward comment up your ass. I’m not the one hiding behind a fake name.
Ah, yes, the Veteran Defense, second only to Godwin’s Law, as the perfect straw man defense of inexcusable behavior.
David James -BMak says fucktard a lot, so don’t take it so personally.
I’m sorry you feel attacked here, but it is common for the locals to chastise people they think are unnecessarily rude to another person. Yes, others were rude too, but you got really personal about it. If you have issues ..just take that as me telling it to you straight.
None of my previous comments can be disputed. She wrote a nonsense article and I called her on it. If I was too harsh she better get a new gig b/c a true writer needs thick skin.
How in the hell can you make the complaint “not enough meat options” ? How would you like it if we flipped the script and there were only 2 restaurants that served dead animals and ALL THE REST were vegan ?
I don’t care if you call me fucktard, idiot, whatever…but coward is not true. First of all I’m not hiding behind a cute alias like “rancho snob or burnie mak”. I stand by what I said. And it’s no straw man argument to bring up prior service either. It is a fact. I did serve w/ the 3rd Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne. Many men & women have lost their lives & limbs over there.
You call me a coward you better be prepared to come from behind that computer and say it to my face…esp. considering we’re all in the same small city.
I think she spelled it out pretty clearly, red and green are really only two options because the type of meat doesn’t play much into it. If they had 6 different preparations of each meat, that would provide more options. If this was a vegetarian or vegan restaurant, why did they have meat at all?
Your service, while commendable, has NOTHING to do with whether you’re a coward or not. Your reaction to a written article, however, speaks volumes about you. I choose to use a proxy name because I’ve had identity theft and stalking issues from people before and the last thing I need is an unbalanced person who makes physical threats showing up at my house because HE reacted poorly to something I said.
Anyone else notice the vegan is the most angry poster? Try getting some saturated fat, it does wonders for your mood.
“You call me a coward you better be prepared to come from behind that computer and say it to my face…esp. considering we’re all in the same small city.”
Hey coward, I’m ready to show you how much of a keyboard warrior I am in person.
Alright, alright, alright. Let’s try to collectively dial it down. You don’t have to agree with Rita’s assessment of Mexico in Season (I’m not entirely sure I do…I love eating there), however, I think as someone who knows as much about Tucson food as anyone, she deserves respect professionally. As a fellow human being, she deserves to be treated decently in general.
I am not really following the reason why Ms. Connelly gave this place a mediocre review. She acknowledges the set up of the restaurant is similar to Subway and Chipotle, which logically means she understands how to order her food. However, then she states ” I was frustrated as I picked my toppings because there was little explanation of the process or the choices. Plus the sneeze shield made it hard to hear the people doling out the food, which frustrated me even more.” She should already understand the process if she understands the process at Subway or Chipotle. Plus, A quick look at the menu would explain the main choices. She could have also asked a couple of questions if she needed more information about a particular topping.
She partially makes her negative review based on how the owner picked to have a “fast casual” atmosphere than a more sit down restaurant. Mexico in Season is open from 11am to around 6pm. So, it is geared towards the lunch and coming home from work crowds. It makes perfect sense to have it set up like a Subway or Chipotle to cater to these crowds. Plus, if I recall, one of the owners has a relative that has allergies and this type of set up is to allow people to pick their own ingredients to help people with diets and allergies.
She states there is a limited amount of choices when I feel the complete opposite. Judging the choices solely on the meat options is typical for the American consumer and as a food critic she needs to realize that . You have a choice of four different bases (Burro, Torta, Larga, and Bowel). You have 12 choices for the 2 main fillings (Cilantro Rice, Black/Pinto Beans, Cactus Stir Fry, Sweet Potatoes Dish, Red Chile Potatoes, Seitan Fajitas, Onion Stir Fry, Calabazitas, Chile Beef, Chile Pork, Chicken Fajitas and Chipotle Chicken) and probably over 20 toppings (lettuce, cabbage, water cresses, zucchini slaw, Onion/Cilantro, fresh cactus, tomato, roasted green chile, pickle cactus, cucumber, guacamole, cream, vegan cream and a lot more). I find that to be more options than a typical Mexican restaurant. In my opinion most Mexican Restaurants in Tucson rely way to much on cheese and meat to create a dish. Which as a vegan, that makes my choices extreme limited. Even when I did eat meat, I felt the same way about the reliance on cheese and meat.
Maybe it is a generational thing. It seems younger generations feel like they have “more” choices in a fast casual setting than a traditional sit down restaurant. You get to pick exactly what you want. Older generations might be too used to having the restaurant pick the exact ingredients and give you a list of your options.
My wife used to work at Subway and she told me a story about a customer that asked for “every sauce” on his sandwich . She briefly explained they had X number of sauces, and he still wanted it. He took one bite and wanted a refund. It seems like the same thing happened with Ms. Connelly. She basically blames the restaurant for her own choices and how some flavors were drowned out by other flavors. She needs to take responsibility for not reading the menu, not picking less options and not asking for a sample taste to see if she liked it.
Personally, I like putting a lot of toppings on my larga when I visit Mexico in Season. However, it seems like Ms. Connelly rather keep her dish to about 3 to 4 toppings. Since it is a cafeteria style restaurant it is really easy for her do to that. Maybe that is what she found “confusing” about Mexico in Season, that she could use her own free will and only ask for a couple toppings.
She did not even mention their delicious Horchata and juice they make from scratch. This restaurant I would count as one of the best finds in Tucson. I hope anyone that reads Ms Connelly’s mediocre review look at the the many 5 star Yelp reviews that give a true representation of this great restaurant.
Ms. Connelly is entitled to her opinion. However, I hope people try Mexico in Season and judge it for themselves. If they get “confused” I hope they ask a few questions to the employees. It is really hard to find a healthy Mexican Restaurant I want to take visitors to. It is great seeing another healthy leaning restaurant open in Tucson for people that care about how their food is made and where it came from.