Will I ever get decent Mexican food again??!!

I love Mexican food. There's very little of it to be found in my immediate local, so I usually end up making my own, which can be a lengthy process. Since I was going to Chicago, a place known for some great Mexican restaurants, my hopes soared. And then they quickly crashed. For a number of reasons, I did not get any Mexican while I in the Windy City.
But on my visit (that very same week) to Hoboken, NJ, there were a few Mexican places on Washington St. (the main drag). We picked a place called East LA. It was one of the most horrible dining experiences I have ever had.

• The place was dimly lit. Usually this can be a sign of ambience...for us, it could have meant a few things: a)stay away, there's nothing good to see here OR b) Good thing it's dark, because you can't see how dirty the place really is.
• The waiter was clueless about service. He was backed up by a really experienced waitress who was holding down the fort. Even though there were only a few patrons, that still looked like a big job for one woman.
• The "margaritas that people rave over" made it to us while our companions were almost on their second drink round, and it was July, and it was hot. Really hot. When they arrived, it was clear that the reason people rave is because they get so sloshed on the added schnapps that the taste of the chemical slushee gets disguised. Yuck.
• Not only was the guacamole flavorless, as soon as it hit my tongue, I got the tell-tale sign that it was literally spoiled. If it "sizzles" on your tongue, like an electrocuted piece of pineapple, don't eat it or Montezuma won't be the only one getting revenge.
• 50% of The Mister's beef fajita was burned beyond being edible. Nuff said.
• Even after (maybe especially) sending back the guacamole, the chicken and other ingredients on my plate were just not fresh tasting. Let's face it. We've all eaten leftovers of all shapes, sizes and ages from our refrigerators. When something isn't fresh, you really do know the difference. You just shouldn't be expected to pay for it, let alone eat it.
• The waiter continued to be clueless and just chose to avoid our table, one of two occupied in the whole place.

Believe it or not, even as little as a few months ago, I would have suffered through this meal. I might have eaten it and denied my own thoughts (even though I have been cooking professionally for over 25 years). I might have not eaten it, but I would have never said a word to the server. But, thankfully, those days seem to be over. I am not willing to a) put something in my body that is less than tasty; b) take a risk of getting sick from someone else's poor food service and sanitation practices; c) pay good money that I've worked really hard to earn for food that someone else is trying to pawn off as good when it's surely not.  And neither should you.
In the end, the waitress ended up taking almost everything off the bill. When I got home, I looked at the receipt more clearly. Everything was taken off except the drinks and get this...the original offending guacamole. Oh, the irony of it all.