I had a pretty weird experience here because my girl and I actually visited twice in the same night, and the two visits couldn't have been more different.
Our first stop was just a quick pregame before heading to another restaurant. We seated ourselves, and within a few minutes a server greeted us, introduced himself, and brought us menus. We kept it simple and ordered chips and salsa along with a taco since we didn't want to fill up we headed to the other restaurant.
The chips and salsa were a great start. This was my first time being served a while fried tortillas instead of traditional tortilla chips, we had to break off tortillas yourself, which was a fun twist. Both the red and green salsas were delicious. I got a little heavy-handed with the red salsa because it definitely had some heat, but it was still really flavorful. The green salsa was my favorite. My girl ordered a taco since they have discounted tacos after 9 p.m., and it was really good.
The service during our first visit was excellent. Our server struck up a conversation after finding out I was from Vallejo, and he mentioned his girlfriend was from Vallejo too. We ended up chatting for a bit about the area, and it made the experience feel very welcoming.
Later that night, we decided to come back to actually have dinner, and unfortunately, this visit was the complete opposite.
We arrived about 35 minutes before closing, so I completely understand that the staff was getting ready to wrap things up. However, the first thing our waitress said was that they would be closing in 30 minutes and that we needed to order our food immediately because the kitchen was about to close. She also told us to order any drinks right away because the bar would be closing too. I understand letting customers know, but the delivery felt rushed and came across as more of an inconvenience than a welcome.
For dinner we ordered the Baja fish taco, surf and turf taco, Korean fried chicken taco, pork belly taco, and carne asada taco. My girl ordered a margarita, and I had mocktail that had a hint of pineapple, I wish I could remember the name because it was excellent.
As for the tacos, they were a mixed bag. (FYI the tacos are discounted after 9 PM). Baja fish taco was good, and my girl enjoyed pork belly taco with the pickled red onions. The Korean fried chicken taco was interesting. It wasn't served on a traditional tortilla, and while I wasn't completely sold on it, I'd be willing to give it another try.
The biggest disappointment was the carne asada. Both the carne asada taco and the surf and turf taco had meat that was extremely crunchy, almost like the bits left at the bottom of the grill. It really affected the texture and made those tacos much less enjoyable.
To top it off, while we were still eating, our waitress brought over the payment device, and her attitude remained just as unpleasant as when we first sat down. It made us feel like she couldn't wait for us to leave rather than wanting us to enjoy our meal.
I understand we came in close to closing time, and I always respect that employees want to finish their shift. But if a restaurant is still open and seating guests, I believe those customers should receive the same level of hospitality as anyone who came in earlier.
Because our first visit was so good, I know this place is capable of providing a great experience. The menu has a lot of tacos I'd still like to try, so might to give them another chance. Hopefully next time the service matches the quality we experienced during our first visit. read more