Expert Chefs & An El Paso Born Foodie Offer Mexican Food “Dont’s”

3 Mexican restaurant Chefs and a "panel" of experts, one raised here in El Paso, were asked what we do wrong at Mexican Restaurants. ...

If you've been in El Paso more than an hour, you've been to at least one Mexican restaurant. I'm surprised they don't order new arrivals to show up at their new home or job with a receipt proving they've already tried one.

Mashed.com asked Chefs and other "foodies, (one of whom, Yvette Marquez - Sharpnack, grew up in El Paso), what people do wrong at Mexican restaurants. Here's what they said:

According to them, there are 11 major "no es buenos" when going out for Mexican food. I don't necessarily disagree with any of the things on their list but here are 3 that I absolutely DO agree with:

The Big 3 Of The Big 11

Numero Uno, I think, applies to just about ANY restaurant - don't, not, order a drink. I never break this rule although I do bend it a little by always ordering the same thing ... Coors Light and/or tequila.

READ MORE: El Paso's Oldest Restaurants

Drinking only water can cause you to miss out on some flavor enhancement but to really get the most out of it; order drinks that pair well with your meal. (That's where always ordering the same drink can be bad.) If you're not sure what goes well with what, ask your server.

Numero Dos

Don't cover everything with freakin' sour cream. I hate sour cream to begin with so, I skip it completely. I see some folks though drench their food in it which is kinda disgusting. Go easy, huh? On your food and my nose.

Numero Tres

Don't go to restaurants that don't make their own tortillas. 'Nuff said.

The other no - no's included not always ordering the same thing and easing up on the hot sauce. Here's the entire mashed.com list.

El Pasoan/blogger Yvette Marquez - Sharpnack advised against making assumptions about what is and isn't "authentic" Mexican food.

"Some people think yellow cheese automatically makes a meal 'not authentic,' but that's not true," says Muy Bueno blogger Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack. "In New Mexico and parts of Texas, yellow cheese is part of the tradition, and I grew up with it in El Paso." mashed.com