Lorraine’s is a Mexican restaurant located on Commercial Street in the West End of Ptown. I’ve been coming here for more than a decade and can remember when they were located deep in the East End where the Mews is now located. However, I tend to eat at Lorraine’s less frequently, because while I genuinely enjoy the food, I cannot say the same about the dining experience or the service.
Let’s start with the food, which is the real reason to visit. The menu has several mouth watering starters ranging from Chile Relleno de Queso for $8.50 to the most expensive option, Lobster & Shrimp Cerviche for $14.50. The main dishes all come with ample portions, smell as good as they look and offer a bit of heat. Dishes range in price from $20 – $28. On this visit we opted to have the Lobster & Shrimp Fajitas $23.50 and the Blackened Tuna Tacos $21.00 as shown below.
Both meals were cooked perfectly. The orange ginger yogurt sauce and crisp cabbage in my taco added a sweetish sort of flavoring and crunchy texture to the blackened tuna that made my heart skip a beat.
Click on photos to enlarge
Food aside, dining at Lorraine’s comes at a price and its not the kind that hits your wallet. This is one of only a few restaurants I can think of without outside dining or a view. Adding to those detractors, each time we visit its roasting hot and the service is problematic. Lest you think me unkind, I’ll share two examples from our most recent visit.
– It took more than 15 minutes for our two drinks (iced tea and a beer) to arrive. Although the restaurant was still full many tables had opened and many more were signing bills rather than ordering or eating and our waiter didn’t appear particularly busy.
– One of our two orders had a substitution because of food allergies, but was delivered without the substition. When we asked if the item could be removed; the waitresses responded “I told the kitchen“. We sat there listening to her, expecting she’d take the plate back, but she didn’t. So after an uncomfortable few seconds my dining companion said something to the effect of, “Yes, but would you please bring this back?” She did but she didn’t seem very happy about the return trip.
I suppose my review is best summed up with this advice – give Lorraine’s a try if you like Mexican and the menu appeals to you but assume service will be problematic and if you go in the summer, barely dress to avoid sweating to death.
Lorraine’s is located at 133 Commercial Street / (508) 487-6074.
BosGuy 