Chilli Shak

Formerly Olivio’s, serving Mexican and Italian food, The Chilli Shak has rebranded itself and is now focusing on just Mexican food. They do take reservations and I would say before 7:30 you should be fine just walking in, but after 7:30 on the weekend, you should probably make a reservation because the place is small and it seems to be pretty popular.
Remember how I said that they are focusing on just Mexican food… there were a couple of remnants of the Italian step child… like Bruschetta as a starter. There was a group of either young professionals or college students (I have gotten to the age that I cannot really differentiate between the two) and they seemed to be enjoying everything that came to the table. They were also chasing their shots of Tequila with Beer ;)
Mr. Snarky, having spent a decade in L.A., and I tend to get very excited about Mexican food, but try to manage our expectations. We were pretty impressed with the options on the menu and had a difficult time deciding. Typically on a cold day, if I’m having Mexican, I like an Enchilada because the sauce usually warms me up like soup would, but I have stopped ordering Enchiladas in the UK because they tend to be bake burritos with no sauce… and that makes me a bit sad.
Typically we get right down to business when we get the menus and are ready to order when the staff arrive, but tonight was a bit different. I have read the articles about how cell phones have changed the restaurant experience and we both try to avoid this, but we had just posted our engagement (yup, I am the soon-​to-​be Mrs. Snarky) and of course our phones were blowing up. Fortunately, our waitress was very understanding and friendly.
We ended up ordering a starter of BBQ Chicken Wings and then we both ended up ordering Chimichangas, but mine was with the Spicy Beef and his was with the Seasoned Pulled Pork… both street style. Certain options… I think the Burrito and the Chimichangas can be done three different ways, including street style. I can’t remember the details of each one, but street style is pretty much everything (rice, beans, pico, etc.) in the Chimichanga. You also have a number of options of fillings… Chicken, Beef, BBQ Pork, Seasoned Pulled Pork… so you can have exactly what you want.
The BBQ Chicken Wings were delicious and hit the spot! Our Chimichangas were impressive in size. I was a bit confused by the ‘salad’ on the side. There was guacamole and sour cream on top of a salad you might see in an Italian restaurant. Mr. Snarky’s Chimichanga was delicious. When we go back, I am definitely going to have the Seasoned Pulled Pork. I usually go for the Pork Carnitas wherever I go, but tonight I wanted to try the seasoning on their ground beef. My chimichanga was ok… there was seasoning, but 1) it was quite light and 2) when I did get a piece by itself, it didn’t quite have that Mexican flavor. I was looking for cumin or chili powder, but didn’t quite get that. I did like the rest of the Chimichanga though.
There was a couple next to us that ordered fajitas and in true form, they came out sizzling and smoking, attracting the attention of every customer in the restaurant! You can make reservations on their website, or you can call (they are friendly). They also do takeaway, so if you don’t want to eat out, or the restaurant is full, call your order in and pick it up. There is a car park across the street behind the McColl’s. I think it is a couple of quid for all night parking. I think we will definitely be back to try other items, but I think they could use a taste consultant… and we would definitely volunteer!