A note on the words: Shimbashi is the salaryman drinking district just south of Ginza, a warren of small bars under and beside the railway. An izakaya is a Japanese pub, and otoshi is the small dish you are served and charged for on sitting down, which is not a scam but the cover charge. Taco rice is an Okinawan dish that puts taco filling over rice instead of into a tortilla. Prices are as of this writing (August 2026).
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Don Blanco on Tabelog (English) — opening hours, payment details and the Japanese address are kept up to date there, not here.
Hello, this is Hangover Meshi. Shimbashi again, where I found a place with a very retro sign reading “Mexican-style izakaya.”
What is it — the font, perhaps lol And what does a dog logo have to do with Mexico lol
My interest was seized entirely, so up to the third floor! Inside, it does have a certain Mexican feel!
Not Mexican but Mexican-style, and an izakaya at that, which I found rather funny. Then I looked at the menu.
There is proper Corona and everything — it feels like real Mexican!
We picked out what we wanted and went a la carte.
Beer first. It said bucket, so a bucket of five for 3,850 yen!
They are 880 yen each, so that saves about 550 yen over buying them one at a time. If you are drinking a lot it has to be the bucket!
The otoshi, I think. Even this snack alone feels rather authentic!
Nachos! Well loaded. It may be slightly light on vegetables, but as a beer snack you do not need vegetables! Meat and beans alone would do, though there is a scattering of tomato and onion on it, which is welcome.
And then, for reasons unknown, the person drinking with me suddenly ordered taco rice lol
What? I said — is taco rice not more of an Okinawan dish than a Mexican one? lol
“Of course we can! No problem!” they said, and made this.
It is simply taco rice, and come to think of it they do have the ingredients lol Nice of them to be flexible.
It is not on the menu, but the word “taco rice” was printed on the receipt as a line item, so it may be an off-menu thing.
Which might mean a fair number of people simply order it lol lol
The tortillas are on the soft side.
Mmm — squeeze plenty of lime over it, add Tabasco, and it is delicious!
This is fairly authentic. Never mind Mexican-style izakaya, call it a Mexican restaurant and be done with it!
And then the spicy fried chicken. These are good chicken wings.
They feel American, but they also resemble the Japanese fried chicken wing.
The dusting of spice may be the part that leans Mexican!
Well, we had drunk and eaten a good deal, I thought — and then the staff treated us to a tequila hopper^^
The kind you knock on the table and drink while it is still fizzing.
Give it to us at the start and the drink might have gone to our heads and had us ordering all sorts, but bringing it at the end is the stylish way!
The staff are entertaining! And the food is all good. A fine Mexican izakaya! They will make something not on the menu, like the taco rice, on the strength of the mood alone, and as an experience it was very good indeed. The hopper at the end was delicious too. Shimbashi really does have a lot of interesting, good places! I shall come again.
Mexican Cuisine Don Blanco (Mexican / Shimbashi Station, Shiodome Station, Uchisaiwaicho Station)
Tabelog dinner rating ★★★☆☆ 3.4
I ate here and paid for it myself. Nothing on this site is a comped meal.
