Restaurant Review - The Lazy Gringo Kathmandu

That-Man was bouncing around with excitement when he told me he’d heard about this place – this MEXICAN place – not too far from where we stayed in Patan. An American couple had told him about The Lazy Gringo and he wanted to investigate for himself. So a-hunting we went.

Google stuck a little red balloon to a point on the map and we followed the route. As we approached the corner behind which the entrance is tucked, a faint realisation grew clearer and clearer. i've seen this place many times before, as it’s along a regular route of ours. i've seen the signage again and again and never quite thought “Let’s go and have a bite there.”

But today, that’s exactly what we were going to do.

Even though the restaurant has views over Pulchowk Road, the entrance is hidden in a narrow alley to the side. The sign specifies the cuisines as “Arizona-style Mexican food,” which of course was all the same to us. South Africans don’t know the subtle distinctions between regional Mexican fare, as the only exposure most of us have had to Mexican food is the choice between Nachos and Quesadillas at the local Spur.

The interior is decorated with bright colours and original paintings of North American desert scenes (probably of Arizona?) They’ve created a Monument Valley kind of feeling, and the only thing that makes you realise you’re actually in Nepal, is the view over the street outside and the accent of the waiter.

So we sat down to order and decided on a shredded chicken burrito and the ground beef and steak nachos libre, respectively. We waited to see and smell and taste what they would bring us. And oh, my goodness, were we glad we had chosen Mexican today! The burrito was a solid portion, filled with beans, cheese and shredded chicken. The chicken was just saucy enough and spiced perfectly (in other words, aromatic without burning your tongue). The nachos filled a large plate with chips, ground beef, steak, melted cheese, Jalapenos, tomatoes, beans, sour cream, salsa and guacamole. What a lip-smacking mouthful of good food!

The service provided was attentive and dignified. On the wall there’s even a corner dedicated to the training certificates of all the employees, and it seems that this creates a sense of accomplishment among them.

Finally, on the way out, we were told that they have amazing Oreo double thick milkshakes, but as we were pressed for time, we had to promise ourselves to return again soon to evaluate it. It seems we have a great excuse to make a return trip soon.