Taco of the Town

I first had my Margo & Rita fix back in May at the Cheshire Food Festival. Having always been a big fan of Mexican food I was instantly drawn to their bright purple 1974 Citroen HY where I proceeded to eat far too much.



Unlike a lot of dodgy Mexican food I’ve had over the years (including a ‘memorable’ visit to Cancun in the late 90s) this was bursting full of fresh ingredients and was full to the brim with flavour. It sang to me like a rowdy Mariachi band.



That summer I had a real desire to get my next Mexican hit from the duo, but due to my exceptionally busy lifestyle did not....until Tuesday night.



You see, after a six week stint as a ‘pop-up’ restaurant within Chorlton’s popular bar The Beagle, Margo & Rita are now in full time residency serving their most popular dishes from a restaurant pass rather than a French van hatch.



First thing I noticed was the menu (obviously), you see it’s one of those menus that you really do salivate just reading it. Take this one for instance; Mother Clucker Chicken Suckers; buttermilk chicken wings with Gunsmoke BBQ & Charra chilli....I mean come on!



The photos I took really don’t do the justice (largely due to the low lighting and not the fact that I’d had several Veltins) – click here to view ones taken by someone with a better camera.



Knowing full well that they offer free nachos between 4-7pm EVERYDAY, I made sure I was there within ‘nacho-time’ and my word, I was very glad I did. Nothing like the usual British nachos we’re used to where the Doritos are glued together with cold cheddar and a dollop of sour cream. No, this was heavenly. Fresh coriander, warm Montgomery Jack cheese, a kick from the jalapeños, Charra chilli and pico & verde salsa whilst retaining the crunch in the tortillas. Still can’t believe they are free....go get them today.



We ordered the magnificent cactus Tacotwins (£6.95) and enormous pulled pork Streetfood Burrito (£6.50) plus some seasoned fries (£2) and some Big Guns Beer Battered Onion Rings (£2.50) – we had to!



The meaty pulled pork burrito was tightly wrapped in foil (a nod to Margo & Rita’s past) and was a beast to hold. Once tamed, it was a delight involving rice, refried beans and a hot hot sauce! The tacotwins were more manageable coming on a large plastic tray for taco juice! The cactus filling was glorious, like an aubergine yet looking like a pepper – was inspiring to see and a real change from the usual veggie options.



There aren’t many good places to eat where you can leave satisfied and full for under £20....but Margo & Rita have managed it not only with good food, but outstanding service and a great bar from the people at The Beagle. They should be very proud of what they have achieved so far, and wish them all the best with the rest of the year – I feel a Mexican Christmas coming on......

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Posted: Thursday 24th October 2013
ID: 9104 - 1057