El Niagara Authentic Mexican Food

I'll be honest, I really don't how to authenticate Mexican food. I can only tell the difference between Taco Bell (which I always refer to as "Toxic Hell") and localized Mexican restaurants in my area. One of which I visited last Sunday, (which is before I joined this forum; kudos to sailordragonball for wanting me to join), called El Niagara in Woodstock, IL.

No need to order an appettizer, just showing up gets you home-made (if not, pretty close to homemade) chips and fresh, slightly tobassco-hot salsa. To drink, a coke which was served in a cold can, but a glass of ice was brought with it.
Normally I'm adventuresome with selections, but I decided to get a beef-stuffed burrito. It came with Spanish rice, and refried beans with lettice and sour cream on the side. The burrito itself had a very, very thin layer of cheese on the tortilla, (I'm guessing motzerella).

The place was not crowded, nor was the music loud. Just a nice little restaurant. Not a bad place to go for good Mexican food.

Is there a website for this place? ... I don't about you - I just posted a Mexican restaurant called Grande Jake's in Lake Villa ... so good [munching on my "yummy" sandwich from Burt's Deli]

Nope...no website...sorry

Jsch1305 wrote:Nope...no website...sorry

But here's the address and phone for other interested people:

El Niagara
120 1st St
Woodstock, IL
(815) 338-0883

Best,
Michael

I have eaten at El Niagara on several occasions as I live in Woodstock about a mile away. For the record, the restaurant is about three blocks away from the Woodstock METRA station. It is NOT the one across from the station.

I have never had problems with the food or service. Both are pretty decent but NOT all that great. It is better than ANY Mexican you'll find in Woodstock and no worse than the places in Crystal Lake. The reason that I have not eaten there for two years is that the front of the house is absolutely the dirtiest restaurant that I have ever seen.

I know how difficult it is to keep a dining room clean BUT ... the three times I have eaten there, the carpet looks as if it hadn't been vacuumed in a month. When the front of the house is dirty, I hate to think what the kitchen looks like.

Well I hardly saw carpet there. If I remember correctly, it had floors there. And everything seemed pretty clean to me. The only section that looked like it was out of date was the small dining room with cheap tablecloths. I sat in the main room were all the booths are, by the kitchen.
Couldn't tell what the front looked like in the darkness, but I remember not seeing through the windows the first time I was there back in 2003. This time it was better looking.

I'm new to the board, but wanted to add my thoughts.

El Niagara is a fine Mexican restaurant. The food is delicious and priced appropriately. There are no fancy gimicks, just straight-ahead Mexican fare. The service has always been attentive. I would recommend this restaurant if interested in good standard Mexican food.

Another good place, moving toward the "upscale" end of the spectrum is the Mixteca Tequila Bar formerly the Mixteca Produce. The food is truly homemade and always fresh. The service is personable and the setting is warm and inviting. There is a good drink selection - more than just the standard Mexican beer. I would recommend the specials, as they are typically inventive and satisfying.

El Niagara
120 1st St, Woodstock
(815) 338-0883

Mixteca
1390 S Eastwood Dr # B
Woodstock, IL 60098

Are either of these places still around? Mr. Maki has a meeting out there and he's looking for Woodstock recommendations- got the info on Le Petite Creperie and Pirro's from another thread.

abe_froeman wrote:Are either of these places still around? Mr. Maki has a meeting out there and he's looking for Woodstock recommendations- got the info on Le Petite Creperie and Pirro's from another thread.

They are BOTH still open.

I would recommend Mixteca as the food is better and due to issues I have had in the past with El Niagara.