Nacho Blog

Established in 1995, Utopia Cafe & Grill has been serving homemade food in a casual atmosphere. When I was planning my trip to Toronto, I researched the top nachos in the city and this one came up in another blog. Therefore, I was pretty sure I would be satisfied with my choice and I was both satisfied with the nachos and with the people I went there with! Utopia Steak Nachos- May 2018 Utopia Steak Nachos- May 2018 Distribution of Toppings By toppings, I mean cheese and steak. There were no veggies on these nachos (except jalapeños) but there was plenty of cheese. Keep in mind that we did not ask for extra cheese. I see in the menu that there was a veggie sauce, but I must have asked for no sauce on the chips as it is something I would probably do. Therefore, it also trumps my theory about nachos that come with sauce. Quality There were large tender steak pieces on the nachos and there were two different types of cheese in abundance. The chips were tortilla chips a...

You know you are talking to a "local" when they talk about the location of the Lock, Stock, & Barrels. They would say "it is where the Portland Pub used to be." If you are not a local, Lock, Stock & Barrels is located around the Landsdowne Plaza in the North end of Saint John, New Brunswick. I will begin my review with the statement that this pub probably specializes in steak, wings and beer and not nachos. True that. I went again two years later in 2020 and I stand by my statement. It's tough because people really like these nachos and I cannot understand it. That's why different opinions make the world a beautiful and interesting place.  Lock Stock and Barrels Chicken Nachos - 2020 Lock Stock and Barrels Chicken Nachos - 2020 Lock Stock and Barrels Beef Nachos - 2018 Distribution of Toppings That is one beautiful top layer, isn't it? The picture makes those nachos look more delicious than what they really were, unfortunately. As I said wit...

NOTE: This restaurant has closed. The 3 Mile Steak & Rib House is located on the East side of Saint John, New Brunswick in the core of all the malls and plazas. On their website, they talk about their steak and their "best wings in the city," as well as how they have our local Moosehead beer; however, I see nothing about their nachos. The 3 Mile was also the place to go for dancing on a Saturday night in the 00's, where I have some fond memories of dancing to old school and new school songs in the different bars that make up this place. Now, let's get to the nachos. 3 Mile Beef Nachos- February 2018 3 Mile Beef Nachos- February 2018 Distribution of Toppings What you are seeing in these pictures (and I apologize for the quality because this was before I had my dedicated photographer) are nachos with only a top layer. I had cheese and toppings on the top layer, and then a bunch of chips left over afterwards. Therefore, The 3 Mile did not have good di...

Today is Saturday, and it is usually the day that I would post about some nachos I had today. This is a different day from the norm as I did not have nachos. I do think, however, that some awards are due for the nachos I have had to date: The cheesiest nachos : The Snooty Fox nachos with the extra cheese option. Honourable mention to the Delta Mix nachos that have a lot of cheese on them already without asking for extra cheese. It is not recommended to ask for extra cheese when ordering the Snooty Fox nachos as you will have the chips swimming in the cheese.  The tastiest guacamole: Taco Pica. You pay about $5 extra for guacamole on the side but it is worth every penny. It is authentic Guatemalan, Mexican, and Spanish cuisine, so the homemade guacamole is expected, but delicious.  The most consistent nacho : The Snooty Fox. I have had their nachos about 20 times and they were under my expectations maybe once. As a customer for almost 20 years, I have truly enjoyed...

With 5 locations in New Brunswick, the Irving Big Stop is the place to go for travelers at a competitive price. If you are going to the Big Stop Restaurant, there are many items to choose from on the menu and, at the Salisbury location, they offer Barbecue Chicken Nachos. I went there with the intention of having a steak because their steaks are amazing and at a good price; however, I was reeled in when I saw nachos on the menu. Irving Big Stop BBQ Chicken Nachos, Salisbury location, December 2018 Irving Big Stop BBQ Chicken Nachos, Salisbury location, December 2018 Distribution of Toppings I would say that the distribution of toppings for these nachos was average. They really liked putting a lot of cheese, chicken, and veggies in the centre, but forgot about the chips on the outside. Thus, they needed to spread it out and/or include more toppings. Quality The pieces of chicken were very big and tender to the point where they may have been under-cooked. I think they ne...

When I went to Western Canada for a week, Banff was one of our stops. We were there for 3-4 days, and we had to visit the Mexican restaurant, Magpie & Stump. This restaurant is located at 203 Caribou Street on one of the main streets of Banff, Alberta. Since it was Mexican, there were a lot of different options on the menu (tacos, flautas, fajitas, etc); however, we chose the nachos. Magpie & Stump Half Nachos-June 2017 Magpie & Stump half nachos- June 2017 Distribution of Toppings These veggie nachos were very cheesy as there was cheese on every chip and almost a tomato on each chip. Thus, they were effectively layered. It looks like we chose the "build your own nachos", and there was an additional cost with each topping. We decided to keep it simple one late spring night. Quality The chips were exactly the same chips that I had at the best places in Mexico when I went in the early 00's, and the cheese was melted just right. I will add that we...

In 2017, I visited Western Canada for a week, and our last stop was Calgary, Alberta. Whenever I go on vacation, I research the top 10 nacho places in the city. In this case, I looked up Mexican restaurants in Calgary and BAM! I got Los Chilitos. Los Chilitos was established in 2009 and it is located on 17th avenue. Now, you will have to bear with me regarding the picture of the nachos because this is the only picture and it was taken with my old phone. This was before I had my photographer helping me! Los Chilitos Macho Nachos - June 2017 Distribution of Toppings The chips were loaded with sauces, veggies, and cheese! There was no possible way to have a chip with nothing on it. Quality The chips were exactly what you would get at a good restaurant in Mexico. The chips were crispy and fresh corn chips and they did not get soggy even though they were loaded with sour cream and guacamole. What surprised me was that there were no re-fried beans for the nachos at the Mexican ...

Located in the Fairway Inn in Sussex, New Brunswick, JJ's diner is a 50's and 60's style restaurant that has a little something for everyone, including nachos. JJ's Diner won the certificate of Excellence in 2017 and it is currently the #3 spot to eat in Sussex. How are the nachos? JJ's Diner Beef Nachos-Summer 2018 JJ's Diner Beef Nachos (side view)-Summer 2018 JJ's Diner Chicken Nachos- December 2020 JJ's Diner Chicken Nachos- December 2020 Distribution of Toppings At JJ's Diner, they really value their tomatoes. Therefore, if you really like tomatoes and veggies, they do not shy away from sprinkling them everywhere. I like that they had mushrooms on the nachos as you don't see that often on nachos. However, there were many chips left over with nothing on them when we visited in December of 2020 as you see in the photo above. "What do you do with the extra chips?" A person that was with me asked.  Quality The chips w...

NOTE: This restaurant has closed. This is the part where I give a little bit of history about the restaurant/pub. Today, I am rating a place that is closed and the experience will always be something of the past in Saint John. However, I tried Ryan Duffy's nachos in 2016 and I want to add them to the blog. Ryan Duffy's was located in Market Square in the Uptown Core of Saint John, New Brunswick. It was preceded by Keystone Kelly's, Boiler Works, and maybe a couple of other places. That location is now the Social Bar Steakhouse . Hey! Maybe they have nachos! Ryan Duffy's BBQ Nachos- December 2016 Distribution of Toppings The distribution of toppings was perfect! There were not a lot of toppings left over after the chips were gone and I had something for every chip. Look at all that beef! Quality If you have read a few of my posts, you would know what I have to say about BBQ sauce on the nachos. I could not taste the toppings and chips because they were ...

Smitty's Family Restaurant & Lounge is located just off the main highway in Sussex, New Brunswick. I was craving a nice pasta and they had a good deal on for some Alfredo with broccoli pasta. The second time, I almost had the buffet. However, I went for the nachos both times and had to try and try again. Just like that Aaliyah song from 2000... Smitty's Beef Nachos - May 2017 Smitty's Chicken Nachos (bbq on the side) - July 2019 Smitty's Chicken Nachos (bbq on the side) - July 2019 Distribution of Toppings I think that the distribution of toppings was fair the first time I went in 2017. In 2019, we were left with a lot of chips with nothing on them as only the top layer had cheese. Quality I like how they had two different types of cheeses and that they used corn chips instead of pita or potato like some places use. They did not have anything out of the ordinary for dips, as it was just sour cream and salsa. The visit in 2019 had bbq sauce o...