el palenque

Is it me or has customer service taken a turn at restaurants? Denny's, TGIFridays and IHOP are at the top of my shit-list. Denny's and IHOP on Delaware Ave are the subject of conversation here. The waitresses are a bit luke warm like the food which is usually hit or miss. Across the road at the International House of Pissing Me Off, the kitchen staff are right on target but the vittles takes forever to arrive at the table. The very first time I and a friend ever stepped foot into this pancake franchise was this past winter. There may have been a half-dozen diners present but the grub took about 30 minutes to materialise. While waiting, we noticed that the others didn't have food and most of us were finished with our drinks. Our server who reaked of old lady parfoom (sic) never offered to refill our glasses, made herself scarce leaving us to choke down our meals. Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? The second time we went to "give it another go" the same thing happened and this time -- just a few weeks ago -- a younger goof forgot we ordered salads. Downtown TGIFridays have a tendency to slop all of the food together on the plate but the alcoholic drinks are strong. Trade off? No thanks, I can drink elsewhere.
A restaurant that has never disappointed is El Palenque (located at Niagara Falls Boulevard and Eggert Road). Authentic Mexican fare at very reasonable prices along with a courteous staff has made us regulars. Highly recommended as an alternative to the [insert word here] found at 5 de Mayo. The waiters are laid back, approachable and pretty damn generous with the free refills. El Palenque takes up real estate at an old Denny's. Now if the remaining Denny's can only close and make way for other El Palenque restaurants. Lastly, I love the music that almost greets you at the door. The next time you are in the Western New York area, the fish-bowl sized margaritas are on me but until then...

01. De Uez En Cuando - Pepe Aguilar
02. Juan Martha - Yolanda Perez
03. Ya No Llores - Ramon Ayala
04. Que Puntada - Astrid Hadad
05. Mi Charchina - Eddie Gonzalez
06. Ven Conmigo - Grupo Montez de Durango
07. Como La Flor - Selena
08. El Chaca De Michoacan - Los Tucanes De Tijuana
09. A Mucha Honra - Ezequiel Pena
10. Corazon Te Lo Dije - La Tropa F
11. Que Bello - Mariachi Fiesta Mexico
12. El Desdichado - Juan Valentin
13. Si Sabes Agradecer - Nydia Rojas
14. Sin Sangra En Las Venas - La Dinastia
15. El Gatillero - Abel Quintero y Sus Luceros
16. Ay Corazon - Manuel Romero