The Bottom Line
- Creative cuisine.
- Fun atmosphere.
- Excellent margaritas.
- Great value.
- Kids can order pizza from next door.
- Small space, large crowd on weekends.
- Service at times slow.
Description
- Cuisine type: Mexican. Tex Mex, American
- Nacho Mama's
O'Donnell Square in Canton
2907 O'Donnell Street
Baltimore, MD 21224 - Phone: 410-675-0898
- Open daily 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
- Price: Inexpensive - Moderate
- Recommended for kids: Yes!
Guide Review - Nacho Mama's
Calling itself "A Mexican Hangout," the chummy pub, crammed with Elvis, National Bohemian and Colts memorabilia, clearly puts the emphasis on hangout. The frenetic décor—twinkling Christmas lights all year round, Mr. Boh peeking out around every corner and a rhinestone Elvis jumpsuit in the window—is all East Baltimore with barely a nod to Mexico.
And while the authenticity of its Mexican fare is questionable, the appeal is definitely not. The chef takes license with the south-of-the-border cuisine with great success. Most dishes come in Tex-Mex form (i.e.burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, chimichangas) but with a creative twist. The overstuffed quesadillas stray from typical with ingredients like crab, artichoke hearts and smoked Gouda.
Other dishes make no attempt to fit in the Mexican mold. Take, for instance, the bleu cheese-encrusted filet mignon with a Cajun Cabernet sauce ($13.95). Likewise the old-fashioned meatloaf ($8.95), a huge, moist slab served with potates and vegetable, is an all-American treat. The spinach salad ($9), topped by roasted red pepper, avocado vinaigrette, feta cheese and a choice of fajita-style beef, chicken or shrimp, straddles the border.
Nacho Mama’s takes its margaritas seriously. The frozen or on-ice conctions are not too sweet but maybe a bit too strong for the faint hearted. Served in hubcaps (yes they come in glasses too if you insist), the margaritas help kill time waiting for a table.
If all this doesn't sound kid-friendly, don't worry kids can order from the adjacent pizzeria. But it's better to come early with little ones, since -- unlike their adult, margarita-sipping companions -- their option for passing the time is a handful of crayons.
