I can't tell you how many times I drove by this place without even knowing it was here. There is a…read moresmall cluster of restaurants that honestly don't have the strongest reviews. La Gloria is the exception. Reviews glow, but since you have seen my score, it's clear there is room for improvement.
Once seated, we were served a Tostada. This was a single small fried tortilla with beans, cabbage and salsa. Probably cost less than $.25 in material, but sells for around $7. Now whenever, I talked to my God Mother, rest in peace, about a new Mexican restaurant, her first question was always the same, "How were the Frijoles?". These beans were creamy, well-seasoned and flavorful. The best refried beans I've tasted in some time. I still say the appetizer is overpriced, but I also see why they serve you one free for dining in.
We started with chips and salsa. I still say, they should be free, but at $4, it's a little tough to complaint, but I will. The chips came on a dinner plate. A dinner plate of chips would be about the same size as a restaurant basket of chips, however, there was a large bowl big enough for soup with the smallest amount of salsa in it. So now, 25% of that surface space is gone. This bowl which most likely holds 16 oz has about 3 ounces of salsa, in it and 1/3 of the plate space is empty, So you have enough chips for one person and barely enough salsa for dipping. The salsa was also tart, no heat, no seasoning, we were very disappointed. Last, if you charge me for chips and salsa, it better be bottomless, but once the chips were gone, they removed the plate and bowl without offering to refill either.
There were a couple items that looked good to me, but they both had squash. Sorry, I've never heard of squash in Mexican food, unless it's vegan, but maybe it's popular in the region this family is from. Rather than ask if it could be removed, I decided to go with the Carnes Asada.
The food took a while to arrive, but they said everything is made from scratch and fresh, so I anticipated a meal worthy of El Presidente himself! Now, clearly this place was not without its flaws, but this was the best Carne Asada I've ever tasted. I was really skeptical, because it was thick cut and when Carna Asada is thick cut certain things tend to happen, it's not cooked evenly, the meat isn't seasoned well enough, so bites end up being bland. No, this was juicy, well-seasoned and cooked evenly, flawless. It also came with a generous scoop of guacamole, that didn't really impress. It was also served with Fried Cheese, no idea what that is, sounds like something served at the fair on stick. I got several tortillas that were hot and fresh and a small cup of whole beans that could have used some crumbled cheese on top. There was also a large portion of rice, but the flavor was a bit fishy. I don't know if they used a seafood broth, but for me it was inedible. There was also a smoky, spicy salsa served, but again, it was a tablespoon. Stop being so cheap with the salsa! This also would have been a far better salsa to go with chips than what was served.
Glad I tasted everything, but not sure I would order it again. I didn't eat half of what was served do to taste which means I overpaid. If we do make it back, it would probably be for happy hour. That way we could sample a couple other items in a smaller portion for less.
Would I recommend this place, sure, but not without the above cautions included. I like to clean my plate and feel like I got a deal, neither happened here due to some questionable choices in flavor or seasoning.
The people could not have been nicer, but I can't say we left completely satisfied.