HARROGATE — When one culture attempts to assimilate another’s culinary staples, something inevitably gets lost in translation.

Pop into any cookie-cutter Asian restaurant in any strip mall back in the States. Those brittle, fried-hard chunks of chicken covered in goopy syrup and coined General Tso’s chicken are probably nothing that the Qing dynasty statesmen himself ever ate, let alone anyone native to China.

This is not just an American habit, appropriating things like Italy’s delicately thin-crust pizza into a doughy slab of Sbarro’s pie.

Have you ever tried Mexican or BBQ in Britain?

Lost in translation.

So imagine, dear reader, the trepidation of this Stripes reporter as he entered Salsa Posada, a Mexican eatery in the beautiful city of Harrogate, just down the road from RAF Menwith Hill.

Residing in this North Yorkshire city for the past 26 years, Salsa Posada is a destination for regulars and tourists coming through the town, manager Andy Buckley said.

But let’s go back to that lost-in-translation motif for just a minute. This isn’t the cilantro-laden, authentic burritos one finds in California. It is basically the adaptation of Mexican food via the U.S.

Think Tex-Mex, but good Tex-Mex.

And if you’re craving that kind of food over here, Salsa Posada is a good place. True to the Brit appropriation of the American style, the burritos are more like an enchilada in a flour tortilla, a massive affair filled with melted cheese and your choice of meat. The steak and carnitas burrito had just a hint of spice and came with the standard sides.

And it satiated that Mexican craving Americans can get on this side of the pond, though chips and salsa aren’t complimentary like they are back home.

The menu also features fajitas and "pick two" combos featuring chile rellenos, tacos and enchiladas.

Salsa Posada also has an early-bird menu, where two courses are available for 8.95 from 5 to 7 p.m. That’s roughly the cost of one entrée during non-special hours.

Mexican hasn’t really taken off in the U.K. just yet, Buckley said.

"I think it’s a bit unknown," he said. "People are scared because they think it’s always going to be really spicy. But there’s a lot more to it."