This is a new type of review for me, since I am going to relay both good and bad aspects of the visit which balance out to an "OK" rating from me.
First let's address the premises themselves; the restaurant looks very nice from the outside and the inside. It is clean and well appointed. However the space has 3 levels and the risers are pretty steep (not recommended for someone with mobility issues).
We were originally supposed to be a part of 11, and right off the bat the gentleman who greeted us at the door admonished us that the place is "small" and they don't do large tables* (*see later on). He offered the initial 4 of us a table and then to separate the others in 2 other tables. The rest of the party was still headed to the restaurant so we agreed. We 4 were seated, and our orders were taken. So good so far.
When the rest of our party arrived, (which had dwindled from 7 to 5), there was confusion at the door since they had planned for a 3-person and 4-person table but apparently could not accomodate a 5-person table... until they were turned away for wearing "bathing suits" which was against their "dress code".
Yes three ladies were wearing swim suits but they had covered up with wraps which is why they were late to begin with. And mind you - this is a beachfront hotel strip.
Not wanting to spoil our night they went off and found another restaurant. Meanwhile, we were surprised to see a fairly LARGE table in the level adjacent to where we were seated. Hmmm....
ENOUGH about that, now on to the FOOD.
I was very excited to see arroz con gandules on the menu (mamposteao style) along with alcapurrias. I ordered plantain-breaded shrimp with the mamposteao and alcapurrias for the table.
The alcapurrias were a bit of a disappointment for us, as we very much enjoyed the "basic" style using yuca for the masa while the ones here were made with a more eclectic mix (I'm guessing plantain and taro based on the taste). It's a matter of preference of course, but for our table (we had enjoyed the yuca ones the previous night) it was a disappointment. We did order beef empanadas and those were finger-licking delicious.
Main course is where I really strike down the rating. My shrimp was delicious, but the rice was very, very oversalted. I thought maybe it was just me but another plate at the table had rice in it, and he too found it oversalted. Worse than that... I have eaten my fair share of arroz con gandules, and this by far was the worst version that I have ever eaten. The ratio of gandules to rice was waaaay off and it was ladden with onions and cilantro that just added to the offputting potency of the salt in the rice. In fact there was a bed of mashed potatoes for the shrimp on my plate, and THAT was oversalted as well!
On the good side: the other 2 people had; a hamburger with fries, and tamarind pork medallions, and those dishes were absolutely delicious. I tasted the pork and it was cooked perfectly - MOIST which is what you want in pork. I would say maybe it lacked salt, but that's probably because my palatte was salty from my rice.
We also ordered flavored margaritas and they were ON POINT. Absolutely delicious.
So there you are - both good and bad. Half our party was seated, half was turned away. Half of our meals were good, and half were left half-uneaten. Our drinks were all good.
If you're considering this place; A) make sure you're dressed nice, and B) your plate will either be very good or very salty. read more