If you’re looking for good, fresh Mexican food in London, Ontario, “Under the Volcano”:http://underthevolcano.ca/ is the place to go. My sister and her family took me there last night for dinner and it was delicious.
This is a local restaurant, not a chain. Everything is made fresh on the premises. It is located on the corner of Riverside Drive and Wharncliffe Road and has an attached parking lot. There is a separate entrance if you are picking up take out. The décor is bright and colourful to give the impression of being in Mexico. There are iron cacti at the top of the dividers between the booths. We had a booth by the window around to the right as you enter. It was just after six on a Friday night and we were able to get a seat right away without a reservation.
While we waited for our starter, a sharing plate of nachos, we were served a bowl of chips and salsa – all made on site. No bag of chips that has been opened – freshly made corn tortilla chips with a slightly spicy seasoning. The nachos platter was just right for the four of us while we waited for our mains. We just had cheese, tomato, onion and green pepper on our nachos but there are additional options of toppings (pulled pork, chicken or taco beef). The nachos were served with sour cream and salsa on the side (at our request so those who don’t want the salsa don’t have to fish out clean chips). We thought if we got more toppings we would fill up too much on the starter and not be able to eat much else. My sister had a beer with tequila and lime in it and I had a lime daiquiri while the guys had coffee – the house ground coffee with cinnamon.
For our mains my nephew had a quesadilla with taco beef filling, my sister and I had the chimichanga – fried tortilla stuffed with cheese, caramelized onions, seasoned sour cream and tomatoes – (she had shrimp and I had pulled pork), and my brother-in-law had the “big one” – a large tortilla overstuffed with cheese, beans, caramelized onions, tomatoes and, in this case, seasoned taco beef. The meals come with two sides each: beans, Mexislaw, fries or rice. The slaw is nice and tangy with celery seeds which give it a distinct taste. Mine was so good I wanted to keep eating even though I was full, just because I liked the taste so much. I stopped myself though and brought half of it home for lunch the next day. The chimichanga is mostly filling with a thin crust that is crunchy. The pork is tender, moist and full of flavor. There are hot sauces served with the food and you can choose whether to add one and which heat level from hot to volcano.
The server brought Mexislaw for my nephew though he had ordered a Caesar salad. He immediately realized his mistake, ensured my nephew was OK with the Mexislaw staying on his plate and then brought his salad as well.
Many of the dishes can be ordered vegetarian, vegan or gluten free.
As it is at a busy intersection I have often driven by this restaurant. Next time I won’t drive by, I’ll go in. They do breakfast too on the weekend …
