This nacho review was generously sponsored by Mr. Douglas "Sherlock" Holmes.

This past week I had the opportunity to sample the nachos at Shakespeare's pub on Lothian Road in Edinburgh. The nachos in question, as you can see from the photo, were topped with pulled pork.

Now, long time readers of this blog will know that I'm a vegetarian and only review meatless nachos. However, on this occasion, I was drinking - and really hungry - so I carefully picked my way through some non meat tainted chips to deliver this review.

Overall, they were some pretty average nachos. I can't comment on the pulled pork, but the cheese distribution on the chips was decent. The accompanying salsa, sour cream and guacamole were fairly non-committal.

What stood out in its badness - and this is not just a dig at Shakespeare's but at many other UK nacho attempts in general - is that YOU CANNOT USE FLAVORED TORTILLA CHIPS IN NACHOS. This is a HUGE no no. Flavored tortilla chips both ruin the essential nacho taste combination as well as make me think you're hiding something.

I know we're going off the beaten path, as I typically use this forum to talk about UK nachos, but in this case, I believe an exception is warranted.

Returning from the Jihlava Documentary Film Festival a week or so ago, I found myself famished an in the Prague Airport at 8:00AM. As I wandered through the airport looking for something to sustain myself, I was growing ever more despairing as I saw what was on offer.

I'd reached the very end of the restaurant row when, low and behold - what did I see? Ranchero's Mexican Cantina, right there in Terminal 1! Don't believe me? Here's their web page in Czech!

What was even more suprising was the food they had on offer - burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos (of course), but most amazing - THEY HAD BREAKFAST TACOS. I had a tough choice picking between the breakfast taco and burrito, but wound up going with the burrito in the end, since the last breakfast tacos I had in a restaurant was back in Texas and I didn't want to soil that memory.

Overall the burrito was ok, but, as the title says, this isn't a burrito review, it's a nacho review. And, as you can see there in the picture, that is the Czech idea of nachos. It's the same on their menu. No beans, no cheese, no lettuce, no guacamole, no sour cream.....just chips and salsa is nachos to the minds behind Rancheros. I'm thinking maybe it's some leftover from their years under Soviet occupation. NACHOS ARE ABOUT FREEDOM!!! THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE!!!

That being said - I'll have to give them a thumbs up for their attempt. Chips were fairly good and the salsa was pretty damn hot. Good thing the beer over there is so cheap (yes, I had a beet at 9am. No, don't judge me - it's cultural over there.)

So if you're ever in the mind for some Eastern European influenced nachos, you could do a whole lot worse than Rancheros.