Coming home means I have my go-to spots that I must hit every trip, so venturing out to try…read moresomewhere new is a big deal. But I love Mexican food, so when I heard the food here was good, I figured... let's give it a shot!
I had also heard the service could be rough, and unfortunately... the rumors were not lying. The restaurant is on the smaller side, with a few booths and tables, some bar seating and a little outdoor area. It wasn't even half full when we arrived, yet it took a while to get our booth cleaned and get seated, followed by another 5-10 minutes before anyone came over for drinks. Not exactly the smoothest start.
BUT THEN CAME THE MARGARITA.
The Spicy Strawberry Jalapeño Margarita was AMAZING!! One of the best I've had! Perfect sweet + spicy balance without being overly syrupy. 12/10. We liked it enough to order round two well before finishing the first because we knew it might take a minute.
I also loved that on Wednesdays, the house dips are free! I'm not a fan of paying for chips and salsa, so this was a nice surprise. The spicy salsa was delicious, and my ranch-loving friend enjoyed the jalapeño cilantro ranch. We paid extra for the queso, which was probably my least favorite thing -- just okay and a little bland. I'd probably try it again with chorizo next time, but not plain.
For dinner, my friend got tacos and cleaned her plate, so I'd say those were a win. My boyfriend went for one of the specials, the Surf & Turf Mexican Philly Cheesesteak -- shrimp, carne asada, onions, peppers, Monterey Jack, queso, chipotle aioli and garlic aioli. It was definitely an interesting combination, but apparently DELICIOUS because he demolished it before I could even steal a bite.
I ordered the Enchiladas, which ended up being the star of the night. SO much flavor, it was topped with the queso and a drizzle of the chipotle aioli, which elevated the queso. I also ordered the verde sauce on the side and... HOLY HELL! Boom! I immediately wished I had gotten it on the enchiladas. It had such a kick and layers of spices that made every bite better. The guacamole was fine, but that verde sauce? Give me a bowl and a spoon. Don't worry, I took with I didn't finish to go lol
The food was good enough that I'm glad we ventured outside my usual rotation, but the service was just really slow from start to finish. It also made the restaurant feel more expensive than it actually was because we were spending so much time waiting around.
Would I come back? I wouldn't make it a must-hit every trip, but I also wouldn't completely write it off. I'd probably come back for the bar, order one of those margaritas and see if the service is a little quicker when I'm just there for drinks. The drinks and food were an easy 4.5 or 5/5, but overall it was probably a 3.5/5.
So while it didn't dethrone my hometown favorites, there were definitely some VERY tasty highlights here! If it can last, I'm sure I'll be back!