Los Pilones Mexican Restaurant Amsterdam

After reading several great reviews on this restaurant, I decided it was time to experience the Amsterdam version of Mexican food…after all how bad could it be?
Below is a review I found on Dutch Amsterdam.nl
“Los Pilones is run by Hector and Pedro - two real-life Mexicans who take pride in their country’s culinary heritage”. ( Sounds promising…..)
“Fair warning: if you grew up in Texas or Southern California and think that the best tacos are served at Taco Bell, Del Taco or - can this be true - Jack-in-the-Box, you’re in for an education that will soon have you making trips south of the border. Los Pilones will raise your standards so high you won’t ever settle for fake Mexican stuff again”. End quote.
Well, sadly this turned out to be the worst Mexican food either one of us had ever experienced, and it was accompanied with extremely poor service from the staff.
Although Los Pilones looks inviting, with its colourful walls and authentic Mexican style art, it’s cramped with very small tables and uncomfortable chairs.
Drew and I visited on a Friday evening around 6:30 pm, and it was about half full already. A surly looking waiter, pointed us to a table adjacent to the bar, with about a foot of space for the staff to pass by us. When Drew asked if we could exchange our wobbly, plastic chairs for wooden ones from the table beside us…he gave us a disdainful look, but proceeded to do as we had asked. Within a minute or two of seating, a waitress popped a tiny basket of tortilla chips down, with a trio of salsas. The chips were stale, and the salsas were so pureed they resembled baby food. Determined to stick it out, I ordered 2 margaritas, figuring at least they could make a drink. The margaritas were served in juice glasses, very lemony with pulp and room temperature. Not the frozen, lime concoction I had been dreaming of. At this point I wanted to leave, but Drew said we might as well order something, so I could write the review. He chose the monthly Enchilada, and I the con pollo tacos both priced at 11.22 EU. These were both served without sides, if you wanted rice and beans they were 2.50 each. This is unheard of in a real Mexican restaurant, and I was very surprised, since the owners are supposedly Mexican.
Our food arrived; Drew’s enchilada was covered in a gravy like sauce and topped with peas and carrots…ewww! And my “tacos” turned out to be four, 3 inch tortillas with a big scoop of gooey chicken and cheese, and a ramekin of guacamole. No lettuce, tomato, onions, sour cream…very bland and small portion.
I ate what I could but did not enjoy my meal at all. I don’t understand how this place remains open and busy with such substandard “pseudo Mexican food”.
I have eaten better and more authentic Mexican in Halifax, Nova Scotia…and for a much better price.
Los Pilones is a total rip-off, and is certainly not representative of what Good Mexican Food should be. It’s too bad that Amsterdam will never know the difference.