The discussion of this subject has always seemed odd to me. (BTW, the guy who started Cafe Rio was from Bountiful - he's since passed away, and far too young -- in his early 40s). It's just food, and every kind has its buyer, it seems to me. There used to be a place in Bountiful called Casa Melinda, and it was the most Gringo-ized Mexican-themed food I've ever tasted. But my in-laws loved it. So did lots of other Bountiful folks. But we are not talking about Mexican food, we are talking about Mexican-themed food, IMO.
Cuisine evolves. The only place to get "real" (i.e., less-evolved) Mexican-themed food is in Mexico. The same is true of most ethnic dishes. For example, on the very rare occasion when I want a pupusa (Salvadoran), there are plenty of pupuserias in L.A. The more recently the owner immigrated from El Salvador, the more it reminds me of the pupusas I used to eat on my mission. The ones at farmer's markets are the most authentic from that standpoint. But the longer the purveyor has been in the USA, the more creative he or she gets (different ingredients, different type of preparation, oil used for frying, etc.), and the more evolved the food is. I'll bet if I went back to El Salvador I'd find that pupusas are different and more varied now than they were 30 years ago. I could say the same thing about Guatemalan tamales. Or "Italian" pizza, for that matter. When it comes to food I guess I am a firm believer in evolution.
So when I am in Salt Lake and want Mexican-themed food, I can choose Cafe Rio or Chipotle (I prefer Chipotle) or Red Iguana or that place at the Rio Grande terminal. I'll go based on what sounds good to me at the time. But I am under no illusion that I will be getting "real" Mexican food. I'm not even sure what that means, or if I can get it even in Mexico.
End of rant! Not directed at you, SC Coug. Just at the subject in general.