Carlos and Murphy's

Winnipeg has a shortage of good bars to go and watch soccer. For years, Carlos and Murphy's was one of my favorite places to go drink, eat wings and watch some sports. I went there last week expecting the same. Unfortunately, I was left super dissapointed. Here's a review I did of the restaurant for my Journalism class. Hope you dig it.


In May of this year, Carlos and Murphy’s was shut down for health violations. My first visit since the reopening, I was eager to see if changes had been made. Stepping into the men’s room made it seem like the lessons had not been learned. The sink had hair in it, the floor was dirty and the toilet had not been flushed.
Cleanliness aside, the restaurant has long been a cheap and reliable option for Winnipeggers searching for good Mexican food. I have fond memories of their patio and even fonder ones of their food. Unfortunately, my most recent visit caused many of those memories to turn sour.
Walking into the dining room, the decor seemed to have taken a turn for the worse since my last visit a few years prior. Designed to look like a traditional Mexican roadhouse, it was a bit too authentic and looked badly in need of some repairs. The wood planks that formed most of the walls were visibly worn down and water damaged. Even some of the sombreros on display were frayed.
Despite with these initial turn offs, I was confident that the deciding factor would be the delicious Mexican food on offer. It had never let me down before. Upon biting into my “world infamous” nachos, I learned that there was a first time for everything.
The Carlos Nachos ($10.50), loaded with salsa; veggies and Jack cheese, are the restaurant’s signature item. While the portion size was impressive for the reasonable price of, the plate lacked real flavour. Good nachos should bring all of the different tastes together as one, this plate just tasted bland. Too many of the chips were bare, too many of the veggies cold and too little of the cheese melted.
The wings ($6.50) were not much better. There was so much sauce on the plate that I commented it was “like eating wing soup” as you dipped your hand into the pit of liquid and hoped it came out with some meat. When I asked for some wet naps or a finger bowl, I was told that those were not offered at the restaurant. Thankfully, the restaurant offers a half-price deal on weeknights for wings so the plate of eight cost only $3.25
While these two dishes were disappointing, the worst item of the night was undoubtedly the lime margarita ordered by my friend Laura ($4.91). My sip tasted like nothing other than a triple shot of tequila with a bit of ice mixed in. The lime flavor was impossible to taste and the presentation was non- existent.
A bright spot from the meal was the burritos ($14.95). Moist, and with warm, tender shredded chicken inside, they hit the spot, as did the rice and beans served alongside. One should note however that dishes like this are pre-made. When I asked if they could hold the sour-cream, we were told there was no way to change from what the menu listed.
One positive from the evening was the service. Drinks were served promptly and extra cutlery was provided quickly and on request. Our server must have stopped by ten times to ask whether everything was satisfactory, which, while a bit annoying, is certainly better than the alarming trend of servers not caring at all.