Chimichangas Are Never The Best-Bet Order At Mexican Restaurants

Many diners have those tried-and-true menu items they always select when visiting a Mexican restaurant. However, a little experimentation goes a long way when enjoying Mexican food. Branching out to sample new dishes or specialties is the best way to discover a newly beloved item. Culinary experimentation can also help you determine what dishes to avoid in the future. Not all menu selections will be bona fide successes, especially when you compare them to all the other delicious goodies that await. Take chimichangas, for instance, a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine.

All chimichangas begin as burritos, with the standard fillings like beans, rice, meat, and queso. The difference is that chimichangas are deep-fried before being served up, which creates a crunchy outer exterior. While this preparation sounds like a real treat, especially if you're a fan of all things fried, some professional chefs urge patrons at Mexican restaurants to rethink this selection if they want a truly tasty dining experience.

Insider spoke with an assortment of chefs about menu items to avoid when visiting a Mexican restaurant. According to Firoz Thanawalla, chef and CEO of specialty shop Chef's Satchel, the inherent juiciness of chimichangas looks pretty tasty on paper. However, he warns that this preparation often lacks the bold flavors of other Mexican dishes. A lot of it has to do with the deep-frying process chimichangas are subjected to, which can cause the filling to meld together to become far blander and less flavorful than its individual components.

As explained by Thanawalla, chimichangas get most of their flavor from queso that's often drizzled over them. They're also packed full of calories (more than 1,500 of them), which isn't exactly worthwhile when you could be eating something a lot tastier and more distinctly flavored. Accordingly, it's best to stick with a conventional burrito if you want a hearty and filling meal. The lack of deep frying ensures that you can taste each and every component, no matter what the burrito is filled with. In the same, token, there are plenty of other Mexican dishes you should try the next time you dine out.

If you've not sampled picaditas (also known as sopes) before, you're really missing out on an amazing dish. Alex Martinez, executive chef of Miami-based La Cerveceria de Barrio, explained to Insider that picaditas often features ingredients like crema, refried beans, and chorizo, among many other options. However, the real star of the dish is the corn masa, which is made into a thick shell. This thickness means that the masa fries up beautifully while retaining some interior toothsomeness, which makes it the perfect base for your favorite toppings.

Chef Martinez also encourages diners to sample chiles rellenos, a dish consisting of a roasted and stuffed poblano pepper. The exterior of the pepper is battered, while the interior features fillings like meat and queso, as well as things like spices and nuts. As a more complicated dish, chiles rellenos can be challenging to prepare on your own. That's why ordering it from a Mexican restaurant is such a joy.

Finally, consider ordering the establishment's house specialty if it's your first time there. According to Nick Bajal, a chef at Chicago's Asadito, house specialties allow chefs to flex their culinary muscles, which can give you an indication of what to expect from other dishes. For instance, at Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas, Texas, people visit to taste a very specific, regional version of pork carnitas from chef Regino Rojas' birthplace, the western state of Michoacán.