Or, Eating Whacked Burros in a Basement
The lengths I will go to for tequila and salsa.
We threw a flat-warming for our friends (which meant we had to actually MOVE. I am still suffering dial-up for this.) The result was a very good restaurant recommendation, inspired by our featured drink.
The beverage de la casa? A homemade VERY BERRY Margarita, created from a recipe book named— oh sweet hey-soos! —Margarita ROCKS! It did rock, taking me back to my sombrero-wearing days of slinging chimichangas at Chi-Chis.
It must have been serendipity. Our wide-eyed Atlanta friend Amity said “Have you tried Crazy Homies yet?” as she licked the sugar from the rim.
“Oh yes,” I said. “Alex gets his hair cut there.”
Amity tried not to look too confused and pressed on with her review.
See it’s just plain “Homies” in Bayswater where all the hot Polish chicks cut your hair, but it’s CRAZY Homies in Bayswater, on Westbourne Park Road, where they serve enchiladas and margaritas that will finally curb your edgy craving to run for the border.
See, it isn’t our families that make Americans overseas long to come home. It isn’t driving on the right side of the road or even the joy of being blasted with air conditioning when you enter a building.
It’s the number 3: two enchiladas and one tamale, with rice and beans. It’s tacos de carne asada served with warm four tortillas. It’s baskets of hot, greasy tortilla chips (not French-fry-based ones), bowls of mild and spicy salsas, bottomless cups of Pepsi, and icy cold glasses of lime-tequila goodness, rimmed with salt. All served within 8 minutes of when you order it by the smiling-est Mexican guy with a little mustache and a bright pink shirt.
Oddly, however, Mexican food isn’t popular in Britain. Sure there are the odd Mexo-Brit converts. But not many. Several factors may influence this: One, Britons go to Spain for a warm holiday, where many of them eat tapas and other traditional Spanish food. And fish and chips. Mexico is too far away.
Two, Mexican food is too spicy and exotic. It’s an unknown. What’s a taquito, Alex asked? It’s hard to describe it without reference to a chimichanga. Try it.
Three, there aren’t any Mexicans in London to make it. Mexican food made by Indian guys (a la Texas Embassy in Trafalgar Square) is just not the same. Which means what you get is not very authentic. In fact, it’s usually pretty bad. Chi-Chi’s is sounding pretty good right now.
Entre Crazy Homies. It’s menu featured tacos, tostados, and “burros” (fortunately we were not serve any donkeys), a close, if not more delicious call, to the standard burrito. There were enchiladas, quesadillas (called “gringas”), taquitos, and even fried calamari. The names were right, and the slow-cooked pork, the smoky enchilada sauce, the kick of the salsa was all right too.
The prices were reasonable (6-10 quid for a main), the margaritas were shaken! (what?!) with fresh lime juice, and the bar stocked with a fine and reasonable selection of anejos and reposados. They even made “frou-frou” margaritas (Espresso anyone?) for the more—or less—adventurous.
But, really the conclusión feliz was sinful cinnamon-y churros for dessert with a CUP of layered vanilla and chocolate sauce to dip them in.
Madre mio!
Crazy Homies
125 Westbourne Park Road, W2 5QL
Tel 020 7727 6771 
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