The other night I had the pleasure of dining at The Bailie Bar in Stockbridge, Edinburgh! It was after a tough football/soccer match, so I was pretty ravished. I'm happy to report that the vegetarian nachos at the Bailie Bar fit the bill nicely.

The nachos were dispersed on the plate in an even fashion,with most of the chips being in whole pieces, although there were a few crumbles here and there. Normally I dismiss most beans served with UK nachos, but the vegetarian chili on the nachos at Baile's was actually quite tasty.

The cheese was equally distributed amongst the chips and the sour cream and guacamole weren't overpowering. In addition, the cheese was a tasty white type, rather than the bland orange mush usually served with UK Nachos. A few jalepenos and a slight sprig of cilantro (coriander) completed the scene.

The only thumbs down was the lack of additional salsa for covering the few naked chips.

Stockbridge nachos at Bailie's gets a thumbs up from this ex-pat Texan.

Arthur's Seat is the name given to towering slab of volcanic rock that dominates the Edinburgh skyline. Similarly, the nachos at The Auld Hoose certainly dominate your table when you first see them and, unfortunately also like Arthur's Seat, they hold a hardened volcanic core from which no taste can escape. First, the good - lots of guacamole (not fresh, however), and plenty, I mean PLENTY, of nachos. the Auld Hoose is a heavy-metal, student friendly pub that's located near the University of Edinburgh. This plate of nachos is geared towards students looking to soak up their beer and not expatriate Texans looking for a taste of home.

The problem arises when you get past the first layer of toppings - there's nothing underneath, so you're basically digging through a pile of dry tortilla chips. The other major issue with the Auld Hoose nachos is the structural integrity. Sure, it looks like an impressive pile of nachos, and it is, but once you start digging into the structure it starts wriggling like the Tay Bridge in 1879.

The other problem are the beans - or peas shall we say. Although I know that black eyed peas are technically beans.....technically they shouldn't be anywhere near nachos. And I like black eyed peas.

Overall, Auld Hoose nachos are good if you're looking for a mountain of chips to fill your gullet, but not if you're looking for nacho authenticity. Go for the beer, not the nachos.