La Ancla

[gringal]

WE sit outside, and if there isno space there we go to another restaurant because the level inside is awful..

What a choice: Noise from rude diners inside or noise and fumes from the highway outside. It's a good thing the food is so good.

[RVGRINGO]

We have the same aversion to noisy diners at the Legion, where the sound bounces off the concrete walls and glass windows without anything to subdue it. Unfortunately, one table of frequent diners are quite deaf and must shout at each other to be heard and there is just no way to escape or to even hear each other at a table in the next room. We may simply have to find another place for our weekly breakfast out. Too bad, because the service is good and the prices are reasonable for a very good breakfast selection.

[ComputerGuy]

Supper here on Saturday, to try the much-touted hamburger. They certainly have expanded their menu under chef Aaron: we were presented with two whiteboards with tiny print, listing all the available options. As both boards had spinach-stuffed chicken at different prices, there was some initial confusion, but managment dealt with it quickly.

My partner's stuffed chicken was juicy and smothered in a poblano sauce, which was very tasty. I'm not sure that 120-140 pesos for a chicken dish with sauce, however, is a reasonable price, considering the roadhouse atmosphere. But that is the way prices are moving these days.

We had two appetizers: the asparagus in prosciutto was yummy, in a spicy chili sauce (not mentioned on the menu, so partner could not partake). But the asparagus was underdone; still, this is better than overdone. They also did not break the steams at the tough spot, but then very few do. The clam chowder was very nice, with lots of clams and properly-cooked potato bits not overpowering the bowl. I would have preferred a little more originality of flavour, but some salt took care of that.

And the burger: I tried it first with no toppings. The meat was properly cooked, firm, good quality, and lots of it. It had no spices or herbs, however, for flavour, which automatically puts it on a par with a zillion other burgers in the world. There is a great "hamburger bar" that others have mentioned, and by the time I was loaded up (including pickles), it was a good meal. At 85p, though, not sure if that's a good value for a burger, especially at lunch. Rick's burgers used to blow my mind for the same price. Now, if only someone in Mexico would make burger buns that don't disintegrate...

Bottom line is I would go back to try some other items, like the many choices of ravioli and other Italian dishes on offer.

Oh, a note about the ambience. One waiter was obviously schooled in the SoCal "I'll be your server" tradition, with much jocularity and over-powering friendliness, although he couldn't remember most of the basics, like knives and forks, spoon with the soup, which menu was available, whether or not we could eat upstairs (so we went up and found a couple eating there already; meanwhile, the waiter appeared with two more dishes, even though the couple was already eating theirs). In the end, the giant handshake. Something I'm not comfortable with. But we received each of our courses in a timely manner. And holy cow, the table near us was drinking heavily and actually drowned out the sound of the buses and trucks on the highway. How pleasant when they left.

[More Liana]

Not-at-Lakeside burger: in Guadalajara, try Squina, at Calle Golfo de Cortés 4186, Col. Monraz. If you're on Av. México heading east, turn left onto Calle Homero, the traffic light just east of Wal-Mart Plaza México. Drive north on Homero and you'll come to Squina, at the 'squina' with Homero. Inside/outside seating, hamburgers and condiments plus salad bar. Standard drinks menu plus artisan beers.