Short review/recommendations: Carne Asada and maybe the Costillas De Huaxmole as well as all cocktails and the Crema de Horchata for dessert. I'd skip the apps. A bit pricey but good.
I went to this Mexican place with a few others a good while ago as per most of my other reviews. In general I would say that the food is definitely a bit overpriced and I would treat this more as a cocktail bar that happens to have a couple good food options rather than a place where you would only get food. As I got there early, I sat at the bar and perused through their excellent cocktail menu. The bartender was friendly. The service otherwise was friendly and the lighting was dim but well designed and would probably be a good date spot if you're both into cocktails.
The first drink I had was El Nieto with Lalo Tequila, Faccia Brutto Nonno, and Fig Cordial, along with two Bitters, Orange and Angostura and it was $17. The other cocktail eventually for the same price was the La Güera with Mezcal, Faccia Brutto Centerbe, Combier Elixir, Dolin Blanc, Orange Bitters, and Citric Oils. There was a refreshing mix of bitter and sweetness in both of these with the latter being my favorite as the smokiness from the mezcal made it a bit more preferable but the first one especially for a tequila based cocktail was still excellent.
We ordered a bunch of dishes though they were out of the Arroz Verde for that day which worked out for me. As we weren't getting that dish, the majority of us also got some tacos which consists of three options; Carnitas, Lengua, and Pescado with the former two being $6 and the fish one being $7.
I went with the carnitas and lengua. The former has slow cooked pork, pickled onions, and salsa verde while the latter has the same pickled onions as well as cilantro and guacamole. I kind of wish they gave you the more traditional accompaniments for both of them but the onion being pickled is a fun touch. Of the two, my definite preference was the latter as the tongue was cooked perfectly with plenty of richness and a bit of fattiness. I think it just paired better with the onions. The carnitas was well cooked though but it's hard to justify spending that much for that taco in particular.
The first dish that arrived otherwise was the Aguachile De Tuna for $19 with center cut loin tuna, cucumber, and aguachile verde. This was fine a little bit small/pricey. The tuna quality was excellent though the aguachile itself was definitely a bit less spicy than I would have expected. In terms of fancier Mexican spots, I'm used to ones that use habaneros or something like Claro. This paired well with their presumably homemade chips.
There weas also the alright Tamal Negro for $17 with corn, epazote, and ha' sikil pak. This was artfully presented though I would say that the tamale itself was a little bit dry though I think this might have been because it was vegetarian from what I recall as usually there's a bit of pork fat or something.
We also ordered a bunch of main dishes. My preference was the Carne Asada for $33 with cactus, rajas, and mole rojo del istmo. The steak was cooked perfectly and while I prefer mole negro, the mole rojo in this case paired quite well and was as good if not better than most mole rojos I have had. There was a bit of sourness from the nopales and a bit of earthiness from the roasted pepper. Would recommend.
Also solid but different was the Costillas De Huaxmole for $33 had braised short ribs, white beans, green squash, huaxmole. This is an uncommon dish and traditionally made with goat. The meat was tender and the sauce had an interesting light sweetness and nuttiness. This was also tasty with the sauce being the most interesting part though there wasn't really that much meat and there was a bit too much unrendered fat on one of the pieces (if you're going to serve just a bit of short ribs, they better be excellent.)
There was finally the Pollo Adobado for $28 with carrots, huazontle, sugar snap peas, morita sauce. The interesting ingredient in this case was the huazontle or rather huauzontle which is an ancient edible seed. The chicken was grilled; almost a bit too much; though I think this might have a bit on purpose as it had a slight smokiness (perhaps this was from the seeds.) It was different but probably not worth the price.
We went with two desserts though I might have ordered the elote dessert as mentioned by others but it wasn't on the current menu. There was the Crema De Horchata for $12 with pineapple, raspberries, and buñelo crumble along with the Otro Rolo for $14 with rolled bread with strawberries, vanilla, and ice cream of the week. The former was my preference with it being a fun spin on the agua fresca. There was a bit of cinnamon/vanilla flavor from the cream with the crumble being a bit sweet and the berries had a good zing. The latter was okay. I believe the daily ice cream was blueberry which was nice though I found the cake a bit dry.
Out of room. 3.6 bumped up. read more