Blackburn: Chiquito's

12:10pm Saturday 19th January 2008

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NEVER having been to Mexico I cannot say whether Chiquito's offers a genuine Central American experience or not.

But what I can certainly confirm is that we had a really enjoyable meal which brightened up the January gloom.

Chiquito's is a national chain and one restaurant looks very similar to another with black and white photos of old Mexico on the walls and marriachi band music playing in the background.

The menu does offer something different with traditional dishes such as fajitas and tacos to the fore.

After much deliberation I went for the beef burrito while the better half chose the Louisiana chicken skewers. Both dishes were £9.95 which isn't cheap, particularly for a large family outing, but as we discovered were very nicely done.

One plus point - and other establishments take note - was the non-alcoholic cocktail selection, which offered a wide range of unusal fruit drink combinations.

My burrito, basically a large tortilla wrapped around some spicy beef then baked, was served with Mexican rice and three accompanying dips - guacamole, sour cream and tomato salsa - which made a Mexican flag effect on the plate.

The great thing about Mexican food is that it's wonderfully messy. I suspect that the real thing' is far spicier than I was served but that's fine, I prefer not to blow the roof of my mouth off.

The chicken dish saw three large chicken kebabs in a tangy barbecue sauce served with rice, salad and sour cream.

I don't think you could eat Mexican every week, it certainly leaves you feeling really full at the end.

But as an alternative, Chiquito's is well worth considering.

The verdict

Enjoy a taste of Central America but don't mess up your shirt.

CHIQUITO'S, Lower Audley Street, Blackburn.