Ok so this place makes one of my fav tacos in the entire city. Wait for it........ the zucchini taco!!!!!! It is shocking how good this taco is!!!! SHOCKING! It is a must try here and I cannot get enough of it. I went three days in a row! read more

3.5 stars **patio review** I booked Chula Taberna on Opentable for 6:45 for a group of three on Tuesday. I don't want to be too too harsh because I'm sure the restaurant is working hard with all these new changes. There were good safety precautions put in place (ie. mask worn in building, one way traffic) but there were quite a few hiccups. I didn't really understand the use of all the disposable stuff, since it's OK to wash things, but maybe this is just an extra precaution. Also they were handing out water bottles (with extra charge)? Service wise, the appetizers and mains all came at the same time... The servers were somewhat attentive...really awkward service overall Here is what we ordered: Dos amigos ( guacamole & pico de gallo) Decent portion size, guac was fresh and well seasoned. Pico de gallo was very refreshing. Wasn't anything too special but good Mexican Street Corn Corn was nice and sweet. The avocado creme, pico de gallo and lime really helped emphasize this dish. 5/5 Shrimp Ceviche I would pass on this, it got soggy very quickly. The ceviche itself had a nice flavour though. The fresh lime really brought out the shrimp. It might be a good idea to serve it separate from the tostada. 3/5 Pork Shoulder Taco I didn't like this one as much as the pork shoulder. I found the salsa verde a little bland. 3/5 Beef Brisket Taco The combination of the red onion & shaved carrot with the beef brisket, really helped give it some texture and blend all the flavours. I also enjoyed the salsa roja on top. 5/5 Drinks: Mami Chula This drink was terribly bland and way overpowered by the salt on the side. There was no hints of the strawberry at all. 1/5 Mango Y Habanero Well balanced drink, the mango flavour was apparent. The drink wasn't overly sweet, but seemed a little light on the alcohol. Pretty decent summer drink. 4/5 Steamwhistle on tap The beer itself was fine BUT the beer WASN'T COLD ENOUGH.......... So that sucks.... Don't get beer, cus its gonna be "kinda cold" Overall the meal was decent, there were a few hiccups but I understand that there needs to be precautions in place. Overall, the food was quite enjoyable but the drinks were just OK. The atmosphere felt rushed and a little disorganized. Hopefully, they are able to adjust to the new environment soon. **DON'T GET THE BEER** UNLESS U LIKE LUKE-COLD BEER** read more

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We decided to drop by on a late Saturday night, the place was busy but we were lucky to wait only 15 minutes. We ordered the Street Corn, Beer Battered Haddock Tacos, Crispy General Tao Tacos, BBQ Beef Brisket Taco and Pork Shoulder Burrito. The Street Corn came out - and was absolutely delicious! The cream sauce on top was the perfect sauce for it. When the tacos came out, the Crispy General Tao Taco's sauce seemed to have drenched all the other ones as well, so the tacos were very soggy, and didnt leave much of an impression. Out of the three the Haddock was definitely the best. Lastly, we the burrito came out, and that was delicious. The salsa, the rice, and meat were so tender it came together perfectly. Overall we enjoyed our dinner at Chula, and would probably come back to check it out in the summer on their patio. We found the indoor restaurant to be a bit cramped (especially the front of the house). read more

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This restaurant kept popping up on BlogTO so I decided that I should check it out. A new Mexican place with a 2 tier outdoor patio? Sounds pretty good to me! Definitey make reservations b/c as the new "it" place it gets PACKED. We got a table for 2 outside on the first level patio. The tables are tiny and squished together so you get to know your neighbours well. In our case this was a good thing as we talked about the food with the couple beside us (who were just about to leave). We ordered several tacos - a few each of the spicy mushroom, the shrimp and the chicken to share. All in all they were ok but I felt they were lacking some acidity/zing to them. They got a little soggy as well so a bit difficult to eat. Nothing spectacular. We also ordered the churros/ice cream on the advice of our table neighbours. You can never go wrong with churros! They were delicious but honestly it isn't hard to screw them up I think the draw of this place is the outdoor patios. On the first level, the middle of the restaurant has those lounge-y outdoor garden patio sets where you can sink back and relax with your drink. Very nice place to chill - right by the tiki bar. Yes they have a tiki bar. It's all things kitsch with the décor. The service is really friendly if a bit slow, but understandable as it was slammed that particular Saturday. I might come back for some drinks but I think I'll pass on the food unless I'm super hungry. read more

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Just tried it for the first time through Uber eats and I give it 2 stars!! I ordered 3 beef tacos, guacamole and chips, zucchini fritters and chicken burrito bowl. I recommend trying the chicken burrito bowl it's yummy! The beef tacos taste like cardboard I am so disappointed maybe it's because I ordered so late maybe I was given the old food...I'm not sure but I literally had to spit it out :( I am actually disappointed I thought this place would be amazing.. read more

This place has a really nice patio, befor coming today best to make reservations because this place gets really packed I'll start with the negatives this place is really expensive and the min tip you can give is 15 percent I don't really appreciate it that, your already charging so much for the food and on top of that mandatory gratuity, anyways we ordered calamari, a carne asada, chicken taco and fish taco, they all tasted amazing the calamari I thought is overpriced for the portion size but it tasted phenomenal, and the tacos were excellent, my favourite was the fish and carne asada super tender and fish was flaky with the sauce Mui bien, the enchiladas were really filling, but it tasted absolutely phenomenal very simple I think they have a lot of items for breakfast, overall amazing food make a reservation if you want to sit inside or else outside and when we sat outside it was raining read more

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I thought the food was good. Price was good too. Removed a star for non-disclosure of spicyness levels. But in fairness we didn't ask lol. We couldn't finish one of the tacos because it was so spicy it gave my bf heartburn. I would come back, but for sure consult with your server to ask about how much kick is in the food! read more

My first time coming to Chula Taberna Mexicana and let's just say I was not disappointed! Arrived at 6:30 made reservation but at round that time you don't need one as there was a lot of available tables still. But if you are comming later on after 7:30 do make reservations from what I saw it does pack up. Monday special, who can say no to Margarita Monday's! They are 5$ each with 1.5 oz inside each drink. Do drink responsibly because they taste real good. The service there was quick and efficient . Our server always came back to check up on us, refilled our water without asking and asked us if we wanted another drink as we were nearing the end of it. But I saw some hot sauces at most of the other tables but not ours and I thought it was weird. Ambience was nice the lights were not so bright and slightly dimmed. You can hear the music but it wasn't too loud. So if you brought a date here you guys will be able to hear each other. Space was not crammed. Did not get to checkout the outdoor patio as it was winter. Food: Apps: Fubdido de cactus -baked cactus dip 3/5 Ceviche De Cameron- shrimp ceviche 5/5 ^ highly recommend Tacos : Cameron picante -spicy butterflied Shrimp 4.5/5 Pescado borracho -beer battered haddock 3/5 Dessert: Helado con churros- churros Sundae 5/5 ^my favourite dessert highly recommend Overall tacos here are amazing a must try if you are ever in the area. Even if you arent it's definetly worth the drive down. Easy parking on the street free after 6 pm! Can't wait to come back on a Thursday for 1/2 price tequila shots! read more

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Nice ambience but disappointing food. The chorizo burrito bowl had overly salty sausages and the rest of the bowl lacked flavour/seasoning. My partner ordered the beef barbacoa bowl which was better but nothing to write home about. Unfortunate, as I visited this restaurant through a friend's recommendation. read more

This place has a quality Caesar with a wonderful spicy rim. I probably like the drinks here more than the tacos. The tacos themselves are loaded but are covered in a bit too much sauce whether it's mayo or chipotle... it's just overkill. I prefer street style tacos and this was a bit maximalist. The guacamole and chips were not particularly memorable. read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - The rim is surprisingly delectable - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Every now and then I have a food craze and lately it's been for Mexican food I love everything about this place , from the ambience to the food presentation and taste. On Sundays they have bottomless tacos which is what I had along with a passion fruit frozen margarita I will definitely be back! $$ ~ read more

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First time here. Will definitely be back! Fabulous service. Amazing food. A little messy but worth it read more

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Back to Chula for lunch on the upstairs deck. The guac and chips are better than average here and it's a generous portion--just right for enjoying with a Caesar (both the Mexican and the virgin ones are top notch). Next up, chipotle mango chicken tacos and seared scallops with adobo aioli. Both excellent, but extra points for the succulent scallops, perfectly fresh and perfectly cooked on a bed of seasoned rice, black beans, corn, peppers and onions. The rice was one of the minor ingredients in this perfect accompaniment. If it weren't for Chula we'd have to go to Mexico for a meal like this, or at least the other side of the city. read more

I came here with a friend and ordered the beef and the fish tacos. The food was pretty good, but the restaurant was quite busy so the food took a long time to arrive. The restaurant was also nicely decorated and the rooftop area was very nice. Unfortunately the service was pretty bad, and we waited over 15 minutes just to order. Probably won't be returning because of this. read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - Beef and fish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here for date night and it was a great experience from start to end! The highlight for my night was the El Papi drink which had the perfect smokey and spicy combination of ginger beer and mezcal. I also really really enjoyed the Shrimp Ceviche which was the best I have had in a long time! This restaurant has 2 heated patios with great social distancing and barriers. Music and atmosphere was on point as well. read more

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It was in October, 2018. I was living close to this restaurant and every time i was passing through i had the smile. That yellow was soooo beautiful One night, I finally decided to go with a friend and it was lovely inside. Not what I was expected after saw the front over a year, but still great. The food was good too and the waitress was really nice. Shame on me I didn't take any picture read more

I came last summer and had an amazing dinner, I remembered the tacos to be rich in flavour and super affordable which was a big stand out to me since a lot of other taco places that charge upwards of $7/8 per taco. I dare to say that this WAS my favourite taco place at the time. I came back this month for the first time in nearly a year and things were a lot different. For Tacos, I ordered the Biztec de Carne and the Carnita and they ended up tasting exactly the same, which was disappointing and weird since they have a lot of different ingredients altogether. Also there seemed to be a lot of liquid in the taco filling because halfway through eating one of my tacos it fell apart due to the moisture. Also, in all of the tacos, there seemed to be this weird crunchy/salty/sweet ingredient that I couldn't tell what it was. It was really odd, and gave the tacos a weird flavour/texture profile. This was not the same as what I ate a year ago, and they seemed to be more expensive than I remembered. The one thing that stayed consistent however was their amazing Churro Sundae - everyone in the restaurant seemed to be ordering this. Their Churros were seasoned and cooked perfectly, and the caramel ice cream pairs perfectly - its one of the best churro desserts in the city in my opinion, and would come back just for this. read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

If you're looking for inexpensive tacos, Chula should not your restaurant of choice--this is not Taco Bell. Even the vegetarian tacos are $6+. However, if you're looking for a flavourful (and perhaps spicy) Mexican treat, Chula is the answer to your needs! The restaurant was not too busy during dinner on a weekday. The staff were both nice and attentive. The decor was trendy, with cool Mexican-inspired art on the walls. The paintings reminded me of the movie Coco, which was a huge plus! We started with the calamari. It was standard fried squid, with a side of a spicy chilli sauce. Good, but pretty standard! The tacos however, stole the show. I had the Carnita taco, which was delicious and full of flavour. The mushroom taco was good as well, although bland in comparison to the Carnita. I also had a bite of the spicy shrimp. The shrimp tasted delicious, but the taco does live up to its name! A fair warning that the pepper hidden inside is extra hot and will leave your mouth tingling. They also had two hot sauces at each table, just in case your food doesn't meet your spice needs. They were in skull jars, which were a cute touch. As an avid consumer of tacos, I haven't found a place that rivals La Carnita--this place definitely does that. If you love tacos, I can't recommend Chula enough! read more

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This location, with its beautiful rooftop patio, seems to be a bit of a hidden gem. At least it seemed so when I went there on a summertime Saturday afternoon as it was practically empty. This was great from my point of view as my partner and I had plenty of attention from the servers and could shamelessly take as many photos of our food as we wanted. On the setting alone, I'd probably give Chula 4 stars. In terms of where it is in Toronto, it's a little out of the way. The tacos weren't the best I've ever had (see Seven Lives or Wilbur Mexicana), but they were good and 2-3 were perfectly filling. Tacos are between $5 to $7 each or between $14 and $19 if you get three of the same kind. I had Carnita (Pork Shoulder) - probably the best of the three - Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken) and Bistec de Carne (Smoked Beef Brisket). I'd like to come back and try the drinks as they had an interesting-looking assortment of cocktails. read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

We had a really bad experience here tonight but I'll be fair: Pros: Food was very good, despite being completely soaked with water. Attempt at COVID safety. Cons: Really poor service and customer treatment during COVID. We had a patio reservation, which was interrupted by sudden heavy rain. Maybe 15 seconds into the heavy rain beginning, the kitchen dumped our two full plates of uncovered tacos on the table, and told us: a) There was no room inside; b) They could not provide umbrellas outside; c) We needed to pay for our full meal; d) They could not help us pack our full course untouched meal they had just served, and we'd need to box it ourselves. We spent 5 minutes in the pouring rain watching the food become increasingly sodden with rainwater, waiting for them to provide boxes and a paper bag so we could leave and eat our food somewhere else. While we're sympathetic to the difficulties restaurants are in, their attitude was clearly that this was our problem, and they just wanted us to give our money and leave. Also, one of our party had to drink a full Margherita in 45 secs and did not feel a thing - so maybe don't drink the pricy cocktails to get drunk. read more

Great food & perfectly sized portions ... seating & spacing is perfect for a small place ... worth the adventure to get to

Contrary to, you may think about Mexican food, this one is not accessible spicy and yet tasty. This is a family run restaurant is a quiet, pleasant ambience, and very friendly service. read more

This is a place that deserves between 3.5 and 4 stars overall. The service is quick and friendly and the food that we tried can stand on it's own. Formerly known as McGugan's, this place traded the whiskey for tequila, haggis balls for guacamole, and bangers & mash for tacos. I met up with a friend at Chula on a Tuesday and there wasn't a big dinner rush which was fine by me. While waiting for my friend, the server ever so smoothly offered me some guac and chips. The fresh home-style chips was nice and held up against the tart and creamy guac. Their drink menu is quite expansive and we decided to start our night off with a margarita. They have some interesting margarita mixes and we chose one the humo grande (tequila and whiskey) and I recommended the mami chula (tequila and champagne) to my friend. They offer a pretty expansive beer and cocktail menu as well. She really loved the bubbly champagne surprise in her margarita and I found the blend of tequila and whiskey was appropriate which did not lead to any bad decisions later in the night haha. I was only feeling peckish so I ordered the Mexican street corn and the smoked Mexican wings. I found that the corn didn't live up to my expectations so probably recommend you have this during the height of corn season when the produce itself is better. I really enjoyed the smokey Mexican wings. It was a good portion of 5 whole wings (drumstick, wing, and tip) that were not breaded. Half of them came sauced with chipotle glaze while the other was a habanero citrus dry rub. Both offered toned down levels of heat from the normally fiery peppers. It really hit the spot. My friend was pleasantly surprized by her chicken enchilada and didn't leave a single crumb on her plate. We stayed to chat whilst enjoying our food and rink. The room buzz wasn't too loud and there isn't a need to shout or scream across the table to be heard on a weekday. I think that Chula is a welcome addition to this Gerrard St. neighbourhood. read more

Really disappointing experience. We waited for almost 15 mins before someone came to take the order. Afterwards we were made to wait for around 40 mins to get our food. Food arrived separately for me and my friend, so we couldn't even eat it together. This was late afternoon so not that there was lunch hour rush or anything. My spicy shrimp bowl was way too saucy and not worth the time they made us wait, neither worth the price they charged. Mocktails were okayish. read more

I actually expected more out of this restaurant, not saying they're bad or anything but I had higher expectations. We ordered the guacamole and a bunch of tacos but nothing really stuck. I was comparing their food to Seven Lives in Kensington and I must say, Chula's fish tacos was lacking. The batter was thick and heavy and not enough flavour. Their carnitas was a disappointment because it was dry and flavourless. The ambiance was nice and cozy though but they kept opening the back door when we were there so it definitely got cold (we went on one of the colder days in January). Service was adequate and prices were very fair but overall, I would not return because I rather pay a little more for better quality. read more

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What a wonderful experience! Would give it 100 starts if I could! The owner, Adam, exudes hospitality and warmth. We ate the most amazing tacos and ceviche. Mouthwatering! Will be coming back over and over! read more

Dined in with my baby and husband for lunch on their patio. Although they had limited seating due to new COVID restrictions, we were seated a table of 6 and given a high chair for our baby which we were very pleased with. Servers were very friendly and nice. Service was fast as well. Food was delicious. We had 4 tacos and adobo sirloin steak. Tacos was very fresh and came with lots of ingredients. Sirloin steak was very tender and nicely cooked. We were totally stuffed after the dishes and had to pass dessert (we really wanted to try their churos though). Definitely come back! read more

The food was mediocre at best. I'm 6'6 and we were seated at a tiny table/seats that made this the most unbearable meal of my life. We asked to move to one of two empty tables but they said they were booked. read more

So I checked out one of the new hot spots in Toronto. Very cool little place with an inspiring new menu. Some of the items are true winners. The guacamole is first class, with the Cremoso Jalapeño cheese dip. The tacos are also mostly good. I could use a little more fish in the fish taco but all very tasty. I had the Rock Lobster, Fish, Beef, Chicken were all excellent. Fried Avocado was not a winner for me. The sweets are also very good. Citrus Margarita bars was my favorite, and the Churros were good but the dough is to soft and is hard to dip into the sauces without breaking apart. Great local gem. Looking forward to coming back. read more

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Service: friendly and attentive, no complain Food: we got the Guacamole and chips, Camaron Picante (spicy shrimp) tacos, and Pescado Borracho (beer battered fish) tacos Guacamole - I found it a bit off that the guacamole came in a darker green colour, and tasted a bit more sour than most guac I've had (too much lemon juice?), could it be the leftover of the day? Chips were nice and crispy tho! Spicy Shrimp Tacos - I asked for the tacos without avocado crema because of lactose, and it still tasted great! The shrimps were well seasoned with a hint of spicy, but not too spicy to burn (somehow burned my ass the next day tho...). Also, every taco was filled with a generous amount of shrimps too, I definitely recommend! Beer Battered Fish Tacos - the waitress recommended this to us and told us she had them for lunch, and they tasted great too! My friend also said these tacos had a very "clean" taste... not sure what that means, but sounds positive lol Overall: They have indoor seatings and 2 patios (ground level and 2nd floor), definitely a great spot for some drinks and good food! read more

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Great food, drinks and service. We started with the guacamole and chips, then the tuna tostada followed by the baked cactus dip. We took a break and sipped on some more of the amazing drinks. We had the rose sangria, mai tai, chipotle pineapple Metcalfe margarita. For my taste the margarita was my least favourite. The Mexican Mai Tai was amazing and I highly recommend it. After taking a food break, we tried the the Tromba Family tequila sampler. We had some spicy shrimp taco, fried chicken taco and brisket. We end the night with the churro Sunday which was too good but we were full at this point unable to finish. Only downer was the bathrooms downstairs were out of service so you had to go the upstairs patio area. We sat down stairs and we were close to the bar and the food. While there was noise in the restaurant we could easily carry a conversation. Our hostess Sky was great and was always checking in on us. I will definitely return. read more

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Amazing Tacos! Juicy, Tasty, couldn't ask for better! The Patio outside is wonderful for summertime! read more

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Loved the food and the patio here, the vibe was great and food was delicious! I could have had all the apps and been so satisfied but the zucchini tacos were delish too!! read more

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Great and diverse menu, tasty food. Birria tacos extremely recommended, don't miss the opportunity of trying their feature empanadas. 10/10 food and service. read more

Came here for lunch on a weekday. Pros: - Nice backyard patio - Fairly quick service (only 5 tables were seated though) Cons: - Drinks were pricey for 150ml cups - Everything had wayyy too much salt in it. I assume the food was close to going bad so they salted it. We got food poisoning that night and we assume it was from the food. read more

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Gluten-free review: Went here thinking it's Mexican food so I should have a lot of options. Yeah, not so much. The items on their menu are not labelled with any gluten info so the waiter's suggestions were really helpful. All of the seemingly gluten-free options that are fried, such as tortilla chips and the cornmeal crusted calamari, are contaminated as they are fried in the same vat as the wheat flour fried items. The tortillas for the tacos are made from corn while the burrito ones are made with wheat. About half of the tacos offered are not gluten-free (3 are wheat flour battered), including the chirizo (normally a gluten-free standard) because it is marinated in beer. Noooo! I ended up going with the pollo tacos and they were delicious. For reference, I have a gluten sensitivity and minor cross contamination (few crumbs) doesn't bother me severely. I had no reactions with this place, but I also actively avoided eating the fried items that I knew would be cross contaminated. The reason I'm giving this place 4 stars instead of less for the minimal gluten-free options is because the wait staff are super helpful and try their best to work with your allergies. Also the ambiance of the place is fantastic, especially their back patio, which is a must for summer days. TL ;DR minimal GF options, great ambiance read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - Pollo (chicken) tacos minus the guacamole. These are gluten-free. - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I went to Chula with 5 other friends on a Friday night. I had made the reservation online and had asked for a seat on the patio if at all possible. They were great and had the table all ready! The patio has 2 levels and we were on the lower one. It's all enclosed and has a great vibe. We got the dips and unlimited chips. The dips were all good and it was a perfect starter for a group. The shrimp taco was my favourite! Definitely spicy though so keep that in my mind. I also had the pork which was also good. One of my friends ordered the steak dish and that too was really good. Drink wise, I had the mango margarita and it was delicious! It had a spicy kick to it because of the habanero. We all tried a few different cocktails and they were all excellent. Service was good, no complaints. The server made some great recommendations and was fairly attentive. I'll definitely come back. It's a great spot for a fun date night or night out with friends. read more

Chula Taberna Mexicana - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Great patio seating! Located in...I think its called East York. They have 2 upper floors for patio seating. Cool spot if you're not looking to go downtown. Loved their variety on the menu. We had a business luncheon and ordered a few different types if tacos, a salad, chips, pico de gallo and guac. I really liked the guac. Tacos were soggy and falling apart tho with the liquid sitting on the platter. Unfortunately I didn't have any drinks as it was a work meeting. Maybe next time! Definitely gonna check out the dinner scene before i decide on my final 3 star rating of the place. Street parking (not really my liking) read more

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Went here at 10 PM on a Sunday night. As I walked in I was asked if I had a reservation. Had to be kidding, the place was half empty. I said no and then was sat at one of the empty tables. So what was the point in asking if I had a reservation if I could be seated immediately at one of several empty tables? Then I was told that I couldn't stay longer than 90 minutes and a sheet was put in front of me on the table with the time that I had to leave on it. I wasn't planning on staying that long anyway, but how pretentious is that? Who would want to go to a place that does that? Then sitting there I was ignored by the servers. One should have at least come up and said "I'll be right with you" or something like that. But they were more involved in talking with each other. After 10 minutes I got up and walked out. I'll never go back and I'm happy to spend my money in another place. read more

What a surprise this place was. Met my daughter and son in law there last night. Had zero expectations, maybe the best way to go to a new place. Blew us all away. Greeted by friendly staff, whisked through the restaurant to a back patio oasis, that was pretty full for 6:00 pm on a Sunday night. Then the fun began: started with tuna tataki, shrimp ceviche, and the Brussell sprouts. All great. For mains we had: an assortment of tacos, and the pulled pork bowl (instead of burrito). Let's just say no room for desert. The pisco sour was excellent and they have a great selection of tequilas. Server was great, enthusiastic and on his game. Can't wait to go back. Well done team. read more