Originally posted by ira_romo:
This review was recently posted by a fellow SUCC (The Society of Unrepentant Cigar Connoisseurs) member at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SUCC/"The Mexican-food restaurant at the MGM Grand, "Diego", is DEFINITELY
ANTI-CIGAR. Despite being recommended in this month's Cigar
Aficionado and being highly rated by Zagat, this restaurant is NOT
cigar-friendly and is definitely not an exemplary dining experience.
Our SUCC contingent was ushered into the garishly pink "smoking-
permitted" interior of the bar area of Diego. The waitress came to
take our drink orders after which we brought out our cigars. The
waitress, using that all-too-familiar condescending tone, goes on to
inform us that cigarettes only are permitted and that we could not
light our cigars in this restaurant. We asked to speak with the
manager; after some minutes of waiting patiently, one of us found
the manager. He reiterated their policy of not allowing cigars. When
asked why this was so, especially when the restaurant itself was
located in a casino that promotes itself as cigar-friendly, he could
not answer. We then asked to speak to the General Manager. The
manager told us he would go get the GM and have him speak to us. We
had our drinks, appetizers, and main courses yet still no sign of
the manager. So, instead staying to sample their supposedly
extensive selection of Tequilas, we left for more cigar-friendly
environs.
As for the food; compared to other restaurants I've had the pleasure
of dining at, Diego was, to put it kindly, a major disappointment.
As an appetizer I was served taquitos that were greasy and oil-
soaked on the bottom while the braised beef fillings were over-
cooked and tastless. The main course I had was even worse; the pork
porterhouse, while being a wonderfully thick and tender cut of meat,
was slathered with an indifferent glaze comprised of honey and
apples and sprinkled with what appeared to be small rectagular
slices of apple(?). I'm not quite sure what they were; while they
were crunchy like apple slices should be, they had no discernable
flavour: consistent with previously frozen fruit. The taste(?) of
this glaze however, did not penetrate into the meat; again, an
excercise in lack of flavour. The accompanying creamed potatoes were
the piece de resistance of this exercise in gastronomic futility;
they were criminally uninspired in their absolute lack of flavour.
Here, we were in a highly rated "Mexican" restaurant and they served
bland "mid-America" creamed potatoes; no garlic, no roasted peppers,
not even an adequate amount of salt for flavouring. It had the
consistency, texture, and (I imagine) the flavour of wall-paper
paste. In fact, the only dish I found even remotely interesting was
a pineapple-salsa they served with tortilla chips to accompany our
drinks.
So, in direct contrast to Cigar Aficionado's recommendation; I would
urge my fellow cigar friends to avoid this establishment. The food
ranges from indifferent to attrocious. And most importantly, as a
cigar connoisseur, they have made it very clear; they neither
appreciate nor do they want your patronage. The only protest they
will understand is monetary. So, vote with your pocketbook; spend
your hard-earned money in establishments that welcome you."
