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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Restaurant Reviews?
In reading the thread about places in La Paz, it was mentioned that some people really want to read only good reports and think the negative reports
should not be posted. And over the years we have met many people who have terrible experiences with restaurants and accommodations and just leave it
at that. They tell others about it, but never post it on a forum.
Of course, at times it is just a matter of food preference and or tolerance for a lack of hygiene. We have eaten at some tiny road side stops with
very basic good food and the hygiene is excellent. Then again, when we see fingernails that look like the last time they were cleaned was 1950 and
the roaches have large families and names, well, we head the other way. For us, the bathroom is always a good indicator even if it is an outhouse ---
decent, or filthy. And for taco stands and very small places in a town, we look to see if the locals are eating there. We don't always assume that
the large truck drivers know best as one of our friends told us that some of them tend to stop at the places with the "prettiest" and "friendly"
waitress. 
We appreciate hearing the good, bad and ugly, especially if people have become ill, and then we can judge for ourselves. Even hints like how good the
food is at a place like Jardines is, but the acoustics are awful is a good hint. One of the best meals we had there we took out and enjoyed on the
hotel patio.
It becomes even more conflicted when one knows and likes the owner of an establishment where they and others have become ill and they know the hygiene
is horrible.
Curious as to what others think? Only the positive should be posted and the negative left for others to discover?
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ligui
Senior Nomad
Posts: 833
Registered: 2-9-2008
Location: Fraser co.
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Mood: love Baja !
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if i have had bad meal that might have made me sick i feel i should let someone know . Also who wants to spend money at a place that isn't really good
?
Give me the good and the bad , then i'll make up my mind from the review .
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
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Mood: lleno
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I'm down with Ligui. We stopped eating at Gonzales brothers fish tacos a few years back because it just kept getting filthier by the day. Sad really
because this used to be the standard for fish tacos in downtown La Paz. Too many other great options now. Taco's Fish La Paz on Marcus de Leon, the
place on the corner of Giermo Prieto and Indipendencia, and the fish tacos "a la plancha" at Mr Fisher on Morelos.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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Mood: mellow
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Well, there are times that you keep your opinion to yourself. Especially when it concerns a fellow Nomad who tries to make a living from tourism.
We had a very bad experience a few years ago.
A highly recommend place ended up being one of the worst places I ever gave my business to.
The restaurant food was microwaved, bad Mexican food and the accommodation were among the worst I'd ever experienced anywhere. Filthy, with the carpet
so bad, you didn't want to put bare feet on it. And this at $50.00??
My wife asked me to post this experience, but since it was a fellow Nomad, I decided against it.
Right or wrong??
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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we stopped recommending La Mijita in El Rosario back when the cartel F*ed things up. there are still good places but we are superstitious and don't
want to be too obvious!
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=59912#pid7210...
We miss you Elsa! your family is keeping on....
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Bubba
Senior Nomad
Posts: 957
Registered: 2-17-2009
Location: Pismo Beach, Ca.
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I'm a relative newbie here but this is my 2 cents for what it's worth. I whole heartedly agree with posting the good and the bad. I've been a member
of other websites, mostly fishing for many, many years and it's got to the point if a person has a bad experience on a particular sport boat and
voices a valid opinion that post will soon be deleted. It's all about sponsorship, IE, advertisement and money. Keep everything in moderation, voice
valid opinions and let the cards fall where they will.
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3495
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
My wife asked me to post this experience, but since it was a fellow Nomad, I decided against it.
Right or wrong?? |
What are you comfortable with? Most don't like conflict. Personally, I'd post a negative, but fairly, and after talking with the people
(nomads) involved.
The negatives I read almost seem personal: this place stinks! And the food sucks!
I think there's a good way, and not so good way, to get good to great food, and service, in Baja. Since it's not that way NOB, it shouldn't have
to be that way SOB -- but I think it is.
A little attitude goes a long way in either direction.
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Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
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I agree with Lee that many of the negative reviews here seem personal or vindictive. Especially useless are those that begin with words like
"Seriously" followed by multiple punctuation marks, in response to someone else's comments on a place they like. On the other hand, a negative
opinion given without rancor and backed with specific details can be helpful.
As to getting sick following a meal, you don't really know for sure what made you sick, and it is unfair to poison a reputation based on your
assumptions. A few months back I had a nasty reaction to lunch at a popular (and overpriced in my opinion) place down here. But was it really that
food that made me violently ill within 2 hours? I know I'll never have that dish there again, but I don't really KNOW what made me sick, and I'm
certainly not going to put it up here based on my assumption. I've been to the restaurant several times since, no problems, didn't order that dish,
it's a great-- if overpriced-- place! 
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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Interesting responses and opinions.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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yes. it is really unfair to poison an opinion based on assumptions. But my opinion is
Everyone should provide the good and the bad. there will always be others who through loyalty. misplaced or not, who will disagree.
But I tend to take all the "opinions" and then make up my own mind. Let the reviws keep comin!
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3495
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TecateRay
If you don't have to have seafood my favorite is Rancho Viejo. It is just up the hill from Papas and Beer. Great food and drinks, good atmosphere
and service - hard to beat! |
This from another thread belongs here.
The Rancho would be a fun place for a BD or anything else. I always get the same thing: tacos arrachera. Then a 1/2 kilo to go. Service
is fast. Sometimes, though, I've gotten meat that's been on the grill awhile. Still good but not as tender. Great location to the Malecon.
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Trueheart
Nomad
Posts: 155
Registered: 1-31-2010
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Negative places to the point of getting sick or that are a real turn off for various reasons (bathrooms, service, cleanliness, gouging, watering down
drinks, etc.) should be divulged to help us all. That said, I usually like to form my own opinion, so if there are reviews that go both ways, I
usually give the place a "go" if the circumstances are right.
We've had lots of good to great eating experiences in Baja.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Its been a while since i have posted here, many things have changed over the past years here in Baja, a lot specially in the food business. Most
restaurants in Baja had to almost completely change their business due to the fact that the foreign tourist market simply died. For example, 70% of
our business used to be foreign tourist or expat locals, now its 80% Mexican and the rest tourist and expats.
Baja is one of (if not) the most dificult place to run a restaurant in Mexico, you got super high food costs because a lot of things get brought in
from the mainland or san diego, you got one of the most dificult work environments in Mexico (ask anybody that employs people in southern baja and
they will tell you), you got high electricity prices, and to top it off, you prices have to be lower or the same than in Tijuana or other places with
a lot less costs. People want a tender american beef short rib at the same price that you pay in San Diego or Tijuana, thinking, "hey, its Mexico, it
has too be cheaper", but its NOT, its actually about 30% more cost expensive.
Now when it comes to reviews, In 13 yrs of reading this forum i know that theres many people who know their food and are pretty good reviewers, but
honestly like everywhere else, most are not. If you want to find good places to eat, read the good reviews here, and see what you can find about those
places in Tripadvisor and other forums, and finally, when you are here, ASK the locals, the taxi drivers, the hotel employees, the people who know.
Trust me, if you ask your neighboor Pancho, you are NOT going to eat at the best places, specially if you are in southern baja.
Theres plenty of good restaurants in La Paz, they are not perfect but since i know how difficult it is to operate in this city (If you can make it in
La Paz, you can make it anywhere) i understand their flaws. You have such a varied clientele that you cannot possibly make everybody happy, you have
rich people complaining you don't have high end stuff, other people complaining you are too expensive, one dish that a mexican customer loves but a
foreign customer might hate, others say your portions are too small, other complain your portions are too big, and all with your food and operating
costs at almost 20 to 30% higher than in lets say, Tijuana or Mexico City. Trust me, no restauranteur in La Paz or many places of Baja sur is getting
rich, we do it mostly out of love and because we love our home.
Finally, one thing is undeniable, THERE ARE NO DECENT TACO PLACES IN LA PAZ, sorry, but we have the worst tacos in all of Mexico.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5898
Registered: 7-18-2011
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What JESSE wrote makes complete sense to me.
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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Jesse. the problem with reviews on tripadvisor, this forum and the like, is that (as you point out in paragraph 4) is that everone has different
tastes. So what is good to one person may be horrible to another.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
Jesse. the problem with reviews on tripadvisor, this forum and the like, is that (as you point out in paragraph 4) is that everone has different
tastes. So what is good to one person may be horrible to another. |
Theres always good and bad reviews, but if you read mostly good things in many different places, chances are its going to be good.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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| Quote: | Originally posted by JESSE
Finally, one thing is undeniable, THERE ARE NO DECENT TACO PLACES IN LA PAZ, sorry, but we have the worst tacos in all of Mexico.
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AHH, a business opportunity just presented itself....
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J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
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Mood: Easy Does It
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Reviews
It takes a Special kind of person to run a restaurant. A whole lot of good chef's have no business sense and most business persons are not good
chef's. In todays market I would think it's almost impossible to run a full menu restaurant. because of high cost of food . I too read the Local
reviews and have been pleased with some But let's face it we don't all have the same taste in food and judging from some of the reviews I have read I
don't believe the reviewer has any taste.
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sancho
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2524
Registered: 10-6-2004
Location: OC So Cal
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vandenberg
Well, there are times that you keep your opinion to yourself. Especially when it concerns a fellow Nomad who tries to make a living from tourism.
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Not concerning a Nomad, but read a post a couple yrs. back about my favorite breakfast/
dinner spot in San Felipe, going there for yrs., this post
by someone who would know, said his wife got Salmonella
(sp?) food poisoning there, not exactly sure what Salmonella
is, wish I never read it, I can't get myself to go in there
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
Member Is Offline
Mood: Everchangin'
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Salmon-ella (female salmon) has long since swam upstream. don't trip on it, give it another try!
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