Watch: I went to sample the authentic taste of Mexico in the heart of the West Midlands

Let's just start out by saying that I love Mexican food.

I have been lucky enough to go to America on a few occasions and have visited more than a few authentic Mexican restaurants and sampled enchiladas full of well cooked meat, burritos stuffed with zinging sauces and tacos brimming with toppings.

The downside to that is that I just haven't been able to find the right type of experience and flavours nearer to home, with the few places I've been to giving me a nice taste, but nothing compared to what I sampled in Austin, San Antonio, Cleveland and Fort Walton Beach.

However, one chain which has just opened up in the centre of Birmingham claims to have got the mixture right and produced a full, varied and authentic taste of Mexico in the Tex-Mex style which blends together Mexican and southern American styles.

Zócalo is a new concept, inspired by the taquerias of the Mexican Mission District in San Francisco, an area where traditional Mexican cuisine meets fresh Californian food culture, and has recently opened on New Street in Birmingham after first establishing itself in Soho in London.

With the new downstairs restaurant area opening up, I was invited to take a look at Zócalo and sample the wares for myself to see whether I would remain sitting in the West Midlands or be transported back to El Arroyo in Austin in Texas.

The new restaurant can be found next to the established Tim Hortons café and is not hard to miss, full of bright lights and vivid colour, although the initial feeling on walking in is of a regular takeaway restaurant, with the kitchen and menu visible and an order screen near the entrance.

However, take a journey down the stairs to the left and you're met with a room full of colourful pictures, neon signs and images depicting Mexican culture such as Lucha Libre wrestling and Día de los Muertos, as well as plenty of places to sit and peruse the menu.