Gringos: Tex-Mex Heaven in Roppongi

By Japanzine Staff

"Gringo" is basically the Mexican equivalent of the term "gaijin", so it's appropriate that it's attached to this top new Tex-Mex place run by friendly foreigners from London, New York, New Zealand and Mexico. We caught up with Gringos frontman Elliot to chat about their clientele, their concept and their awesome authentic Mexican food.

Japanzine: You've got an impressively international team at Gringos... what language do you use when you're speaking to each other?

Gringo Elliot: So far we have been getting by using a mixture of Japanese, Spanish and English. "Dos beers and an order of nachos, onegai shimasu."

JZ: What sort of crowd does Gringos attract?

Elliot: It's been an eclectic bunch - young Japanese guys and girls popping in for some food and drinks before hitting the clubs, through to mature guys chilling out and sampling our range of Mexican beers and food. Different types arriving and leaving all night.

JZ: What's the vibe like at Gringos? You've been DJing in Tokyo for the past 15 years, so music must be pretty high on the agenda...

Elliot: We pride ourselves on having a great music selection and can shift the vibe for whatever the crowd at the time seems to want. If people want to request any music, that's even better because it means they can feel they are creating their own vibe. We want to create a great international atmosphere and also cater for all types of customers - old and young, any nationality. That's why we offer music styles for everyone to enjoy... yeah, we can play R 'n' B (just like all the other bars seem to be playing here in Roppongi) but you can also expect Nirvana, Oasis, 60s, 70s, 80s music and Johnny Cash to be thrown in the mix too! Our main point is to make sure people have a great time and dont feel left out of the action. You're not going to be ignored if you're coming in by yourself - we're a very friendly bunch.

JZ: Does it get rowdy when ex-pats turn up for live Premier League matches on your big screens?

Elliot: Premier League time always attracts a good bunch of lads (and girls). As an active member of the Tokyo Metropolis League, I'm lucky that most of the people who come are people I've either played against or played with on the football pitch. We also show all the other leagues, including Spain's La Liga and Italy's Serie A, as well as rugby and other major sporting events such as UFC, Pride and K1. If it's not sport on the TV then it's our huge collection of mixed media, retro spaghetti westerns, and comedies like The Three Amigos.

JZ: There isn't a person on the planet who doesn't love Mexican food and your chef is Mexican... just how good is the grub at your place?

Elliot: People have been raving about our food. We have had a lot of Americans commenting on how authentic it is, and that it's genuine and hasn't been compromised just to suit the Japanese market. All of our food is prepared in our kitchen and is handmade by our professional Mexican chef. We offer traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. There's Chimichangas, Chili Con Carne, and also a single-person combo for newbies to Tex-Mex food so that they can get a sample of all our food on one big plate. We've even got a special Arizona Salad with a delicious marinated cactus in the mix. Our chef, Gibran, is a very proud chef and often slips out some freebies for people to nibble on! Oh and we also operate a take-away and delivery service in the Roppongi area. The kitchen is open until late - 3am late - and after 3am there's a limited night menu.

JZ: That sounds incredible. And are there any special offers we should be looking out for?

Elliot: Our happy hour runs from 18:00-20:00 and brings Frozen Margaritas (two flavors: strawberry and lime), Corona and house cocktails at ¥500. Also, we are offering the first round of drinks at happy hour prices if you bring a flier with you; this means you can buy Frozen Margaritas, Corona and House Cocktails at ¥500 at any time and with any amount of people in your group, with only one flier needed per group. We have a great range of Mexican bottled beers and tequila, and our Margaritas are made from all natural juices, which means one glass can supply you with your daily recommended dosage of Vitamin C... so it's healthy too!

JZ: Healthy Margaritas?! We're there!

Gringos

Just next to the crossing in Roppongi, Tokyo - open 18:00-05:00.

Tel.: 03-5775-7781

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