R L.
Yelp
Mama's Ladas (ML's) was an interesting place to hear about from the locals. ML's was said to have amazing enchiladas, unfound anywhere else in Sioux Falls, SD. Those that recommended ML's raved about the cozy atmosphere, the food and the salsa. Being from Southwest America, the way folks were chatting about this place, I was expecting a Taco Guild (Phoenix, AZ), a Garduno's (Albuquerque, NM) or a Corazon y Miel (Los Angeles, CA). My mind was curious and my palette was ready to validate the hype of my now-fellow Sioux Falls'ians.
As I traveled the sidewalk slightly uphill, the sign and quaint door of ML's was inviting. I walked in and instantly related to the comments of how cozy and small a place it was. I was the only person there and the waitress and bartender were quite nice, like everyone I had met in South Dakota. I picked up the small two-fold drink menu only to learn that this was, in fact, the entire menu. Suddenly I realized the ML's website graphics and modern font choices grossly overrepresented the menu in my hand. The waitress instantly recognized my disappointment and likely knew I was not from Sioux Falls. My expectations were being dashed quickly, like realizing a first-date drew her eyebrows on because she had plucked them away years ago.
The waitress explained the menu and how ML's worked. Basically the enchiladas are made sometime before the day's opening and simply re-heated to order. She further explained that ML's serves shrimp enchiladas Friday through Sunday and that they had one left. She offered it to me, with my order of two beef enchiladas. I accepted and had to order, separately, chips and salsa. I also got a glass of Carnivor Cabernet, assuming the popular red would compliment the anticipated beef enchiladas.
The order arrived and my last set of expectations of the evening were that the food would make up for the small menu selection and the idea that ML's serves reheated food. After all, there are many popular and well-received restaurants in America and around the world that are famous for being dives and having the most excellent food (Liao Fan in Singapore, for example). My first bite was of the shrimp enchilada and my mouth couldn't find a single shrimp piece so I asked if it was ground shrimp. My waitress did not know and I had begun to question what meat was in this enchilada. The shrimp enchilada was alright but my eyes were feasting on the two beef enchiladas, which were nicely decorated.
I was sure my hopes were going to be met, knowing that there were only two expectations left to experience; the beef enchiladas and the chips and salsa. My fork made the first cut into the enchilada and it was instantly revealed to be a "ground-beef" enchilada, mostly defeating my second-to-last hope. Finally, I took a bite and was immediately taken back to my mother's cooking when I was 9-years old. This isn't a good memory because my mother was a terrible cook who took cooking points where she could get them, in her cereal pouring and pizza ordering skills. ML's enchiladas reminded me of when she made Hamburger Helper's Cheesy Enchilada's box recipe (all cleverness aside and seriously). I knew instantly that my hard-earned money would be of waste this evening. I slouched in my chair, over my glass of red, wondering if I should ask for money back or just eat it and know ML's is a place I wouldn't visit again.
I built the courage to try the chips and salsa. However, a large slice of olive was sticking out of the cheap-lipstick red salsa. My eyes were disappointed but; maybe my mouth would finally encounter success this evening, outside of the trusted glass of Carnivor? I picked up the chip and recognized it wasn't a fresh tortilla chip but rather a bagged one likely purchased at Costco or Sam's Club. Then, like Boromir taking his last arrow to his chest on that grassy slope near the wooded hill of Amon Hen, I dejectedly took the bite. My last expectation died with the others. Instantly I knew ML's would never be serving me enchiladas, or anything else again. The salsa was like a cold casserole of tomato paste and water littered with chunks of olives and other vegetables. Salsa is not difficult to master however, ML's has seemingly demonstrated it is for them.
A crime has been committed by Mama's Ladas. The Motherhead's should greatly reconsider what they are representing as Mexican Food and think about new recipes that are much more representative of Mexico, the American Southwest and, that of this man's well-trained Mexican-food-loving-palette. I don't recommend Mama's Ladas to anyone, including those that have never tried Mexican Food. They have created an atrocity towards Mexican Food, one that will soon be realized as Sioux Falls continues to grow and new and more authentic Mexican Food restaurants open.
