Bibi’s

We were congratulating or selves to get a last minute table here on a Sunday night especially during Holiday season.
The place was very busy and we ad the usual complimentry Margarita shot, I ordered a Modelo Beer and my Daughter a Strawberry Margarita.
I ordered Meatball soup and Blackened Salmon, Sharon wanted Chicken Mole unfortunately it was off the menu, as were several other things due to the Holiday Season.
She alternativly ordered Taquitos and Shredded Pork the food as usual was excellent but the service was not up to normal standard as they took a while to clear the table and take a second drinks order, we were not asked if our food was okay as other tables were also when we asked for the bill we waited ten minutes for her to pick it up the money in the end I took it to the counter myself.
I did speak to the Manager about this and was given the excuse that they were very busy, not that busy that tables were all washed and reset.
It will not stop me returning, it just drops them a star.

Let me just say that overall I really enjoyed this place. However, being from Texas and growing up with both authentic Mexican food and TexMex, I have some pretty high standards.
So when I ordered vegetarian enchiladas and they came out looking like an Italian dish (even coming with a side of bread instead of beans or rice) I was a little surprised. My friend ordered the same and after trying the dish, we both felt that it tasted like spicy lasagna.
Now let me just say — I thoroughly enjoyed it and ate the whole thing, including the side of bread… but it tasted nothing like enchiladas. The cheese was not quite what you’d expect and the sauce tasted like spaghetti sauce. But like I said, it tasted pretty darn good to me.
My boyfriend seemed to order the right thing — he had a chimichanga and a quesadilla appetizer. Both of those dishes looked relatively authentic and apparently tasted great (I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t get to taste them).
When I go back, and yes I plan on going back — I am going to check out the vegetarian fajitas or possibly a quesadilla.
This place has a very inviting atmosphere and the staff is super nice. I was more than happy to come in here and eat the chips and salsa that they put out when you first arrive. So overall I say its a winner, but if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, maybe don’t order the vegetarian enchiladas.

Bibi’s is one of my favorite restaurants.
I appreciate that it is not authentic Mexican, however I don’t think Glasgow much competition.
The food is tasty. The sangria was delightful.
I enjoy that you get complamentary home made tortilla chips and salsa (as you would normally pay for this else where) and the little frozen magarita that is a lovely surprise.
The staff are polite and attentive.
What also helps is the price at the end of the night, for what you are paying I would recommend a visit.

I can’t believe I haven’t already reviewed bibis, as it is one of my favourite places to eat in Glasgow. It’s a wee hidden gem at the bottom of Dumbarton road. It is small so try and book in plenty of advance as it can be a busy little place.
I love bibis as it never let’s you down. Their pre theatre menu is amazing and at £11.95 for 2 courses great value. When you arrive you are given a shot of frozen Margarita. The place is small and cosy and the staff are friendly and fun.
My fav thing to have is the deep fried jalapeños filled with cream cheese. Be warned some can be much hotter than others. For mains I have the shredded pork dish which is really tasty.

To quote my Dad, «I can’t believe I am eating outside at such a nice restaurant on Dumbarton Road.» Context, Dad lived in Glasgow as a student many many many moons ago. He had flown in that morning from abroad and wanted a quick but nice dinner as close to my flat as possible. Bibi’s ticked all this bizarre criteria.
I did warn him, that we might not get a table due to the size of the place. I was right, but it was a pleasant enough evening so we decided to sit outside. This soon resulted in the other 4 tables also being occupied! Great business for Bibi’s as extra covers, and people are always attracted to busy places.
We both ordered the blonde beer, and I got to have both of the baby margaritas. I think it’s such a nice idea to over a sample, as well as enticing people to order a full-​size one. One day I definitely will be. The salsa and chips were so fresh, causing us to order an extra plate (#greedy).
For mains, I had a beef burrito, extra spicy with guacamole and my Dad had mixed chicken and beef fajitas, with guacamole. We like our avocado okay. The burrito was good, but not spicy, although I do have a high spice tolerance. Saying that, it was well spiced and the guacamole was again really fresh. Dad’s fajitas had so many components we had to pull the table next to us over! The staff were really accommodating of us doing this and for the fact my Dad wanted both beef and chicken in his fajita. They also were more than willing to grab more tortillas if needed.
Thanks other Unilocalers for your reviews which resulted in me bookmakring and loving here!

I honestly thought I was missing out having never crossed the threshold of this somewhat legendary Glasgow restaurant. Everyone I’d spoken to told me, with beaming smiles, how good their food was. So Bibi’s ¿que pasó?
As it was Cinco de Mayo (the Mexican St Patrick’s) a few of us sat down for cervezas, food & margaritas. After a pretty tough day, I was really hungry & in need for a cold Dos Equis or Pacifico Clara, so I thought Bibi’s was the perfect choice.
First off, the restaurant seems to have been done out an old Mexican farmhouse, but it seems to have seen better days (in the same way that Gambrino was classic Italian, before its refit). The restaurant is really quite small with around tables, you get the feeling that you could bang elbows with the people around you quite easily. The group behind me was quite noisy towards the end of our visit, which made it hard to have a conversation (although admittedly I am fairly quiet).
Having got caught in the rain & walked in dripping wet, I was quite chuffed to find a complimentary Margarita waiting for me after returning from drying off (thanks!) I chose a starter of goats cheese with black olives red pepper, with sweet pepper jam. It was presented breaded and fried, looking a bit like an escalope, with a small mixed leaf salad. It was really quite nice, the cheese was warm, but not scalding hot, the crumb looked a little overdone, but was actually spot on, the problem was that the dressing on the salad & the pepper jam tasted like they were out’ve a bottle, the salad dressing especially was overly vinegary & punchy.
For my main course I chose a Veggie burrito with a side of Guacamole. When it arrived, the burrito looked pretty small & the Guac was even smaller. The burrito was served on a bed of rice which was described as being done in the Puebla style, but it was tasteless and made with carrots and peas, it was more like boil in the bag rice than anything else. The burrito was decent, but not really worth £10 on its own. The whole plate lacked flavour, apart from another helping of the super vinegary mixed leaves. The Guacamole, oh dear god, it was just wrong! No tomato, no chilli, little citrus but celery? Guacamole is Mexico’s gift to the world and this little bowl was an afront to the idea. Although it was only £1.50 as a side, such a small serving should’ve been included with the main course.
I had such high hopes for Bibi’s and honestly, I came away a little upset, for around £20 I felt pretty full, but not convinced I’d had a night in a restaurant often held in such high regard. Oh Bibi’s why you gotta do me like that?

This review is tough to write because, well, I know Mexican food really well! Bibi’s has decent food, but it is far from Mexican. I lived in Arizona the last 7 years and have been to Mexico quite a few times, and I have many friends that are Mexican that have cooked me some mean Mexican food. If it wasn’t for such outstanding service and the fact that they had Negra Modelo beer, this may have been a 2-​star review.
The prices seemed a bit extreme to me, even though many other reviews found them reasonable. 15£ for 3 tacos is not very reasonable in my book. I opted for the steak and onion tacos off the a la carte menu without the aioli. The corn tortilla was crisp and fell apart on first bite, not to mention it seemed like a store bought tortilla, which for £8 for 2tacos I expect better. The steak and sauce on the inside was interesting, was almost like a barbecue sauce chilli mixture or something… Didn’t taste bad, but not what I think of as a carne asada taco for sure.
My friend ordered a chicken dish, which came out on foil. He said it was good but while trying to eat it, the foil kept peeling into the food as he ate it with the fork. He asked if that was normal to serve a Mexican dish that way, and I said the only thing I have ever seen served in foil were tortillas (on the side) or if you ordered something for takeaway. Aside from that he enjoyed the dish. Another person got the veggie burrito and there was no complaints, so that is good.
I ordered the chips with cinnamon and honey, without the ice cream for dessert. It was alright. I would probably go for some of the other desserts reviewers have mentioned instead.
Anyway, Bibi’s is worth giving a shot since so many people seem to like it. But if you really know Mexican food simmer your expectations, or maybe pass and go eat some good Scottish food :)

Oh delicious Bibi’s! How did it take me so long to visit you? Now I know what I’ve been missing out on all this time.
As other reviews have said, this place is small and you will need a booking most nights of the week. I phoned a few days in advance and could only get a table for 8pm on a Wednesday — they try to do their dinner service in two seatings, so it’s either pre theatre if you’re in early, or a la carte at the 8pm seating.
When we arrived our table wasn’t ready and so we were told to sit at another one, but then those guests arrived and so we moved to stand up again. The space is really small and so it’s a little pokey/​awkward — especially as the group who were at our table were asked to finish up and one of the guests seemed really miffed about this. Anyway, we were seated and given some menus, tortillas and margaritas while looking over the menu.
I ordered the empanadilla with beef, chorizo & cheese to start, followed by the taco station. I had definitely scoffed too many tortillas but the empanadilla was delicious — served with a lovely sour cream sauce and actually quite big for a starter. The tacos were a mix of crispy corn and soft shell tacos and you can choose whatever fillings you want from about 8 options. I had refried bean, salmon and chicken which were all lovely. The chicken had some apple mixed through it which was odd but a nice twist.
Our bill was about £24 each including tip and soft drinks and service was super friendly and helpful, even though they were clearly rushed off their feet. I can’t wait to go back!