El Jefe’s
El Jefe’s is a Mexican restaurant, or “Tequila y taqueria” as they like to say, and is already much-loved by the residents of Glasgow. With the success and growing popularity of their Glasgow branches, the team recently decided to bring their third branch to the capital. You’ll find them in the city centre, not too far a stroll along from Edinburgh Waverly train station — it’ll be hard to miss with their vibrant exterior and neon signs catching your attention.
Well known for its “legendary” Mexican twist on a Sunday roast, it only felt right to try this first before I will likely return to taste everything else they have on offer during the week.
As the name suggests, this menu is only available on Sundays from 12pm-5pm. I highly suggest booking online in advance so you’re not left disappointed as the restaurant is relatively small and doesn’t fit a large number of tables. This also means you can add in the booking notes what meat you would like so you have a better chance of getting what you’re after, just in case they sell out.
So for the roast, each board is served for 2 people. This means it’s not great for solo diners and might be tricky if there are three of you all wanting to try it. You will get to choose from three different meat options: a supreme of chicken, lamb shank or the chateaubriand. I didn’t see any vegetarian or vegan options so this is something to keep in mind. This also means, that as the roast is only served between two, you’ll both have to order the same meat option.
I ordered the lamb shank roast which was served on a large wooden board. There were two generously sized lamb shanks in the middle which were surrounded by all of the sides. Served with all three meat options, the sides include:
- Roast potatoes
- Two Yorkshire puddings
- Agave glazed carrots
- Mexican sautéed greens
- Creamed corn
- Caramelised spicy onions
- Tex-Mex gravy
- Pico de Gallo
- Sour cream
Now, as I mentioned above, El Jefe’s are known for their Mexican roast and it’s certainly the first time I’ve ever gone for Sunday lunch and been served guacamole. This actually wasn’t mentioned on the menu so maybe it’s not always served with the roast but it was surprisingly nice and something different from the usual.
The star of the show was by far the lamb. The meat was juicy and extremely tender…it basically just fell off the bone. I have found that at most “traditional” Sunday lunch spots, lamb is not always an option so it was nice to change things up and I’d 100% recommend choosing this meat if you go to El Jefe’s on a Sunday. Honestly, I’m just still not over how great the lamb shanks were while writing this!
As for the sides, I would say most of them were mediocre — not bad but not memorable. For example, the Yorkshire puddings were OK (I had high hopes for this based on photos I had seen prior) but they tasted very similar to the large frozen Yorkies you can buy from Tesco. The “Mexican sautéed greens” was just a small portion of wilted spinach that didn’t seem to have much, if any, Mexican seasoning. The same goes for the Tex-Mex gravy, it was delicious but it wasn’t overly different from your standard gravy.
With that being said, the creamed corn was absolutely to die for and all of the elements, despite the above lacking a strong Mexican flavour, paired together well. Each bite was exciting and flavourful (even if it wasn’t always Mexican) which kept me wanting more.
If what’s on the board is not enough for you, there is also an option to add on “premium sides”. However, I found the portion size was just perfect for two people so I didn’t order any extras.
They also had a decent selection of cocktails, wines and beers to choose from, as well as soft drinks. For me, it only felt right to order one of their spicy mango margaritas to go along with my meal. It was really good with a subtle mango flavour and a heavily salted rim with plenty of chilli flakes.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican Sunday roast. It was refreshing to try their take on a classic Sunday lunch and the restaurant itself had a great atmosphere which added to the whole experience. It’s maybe not somewhere I’d go time and time again for a Sunday lunch, but if you’re looking for a change from the usual then it’s a fun spot to try…especially if you’re a fan of Mexican food.
- El Jefe's
- 4-6 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9DH
- 07436 812725
- www.eljefes.co.uk
- Reservation recommended
- £25pp+
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