Keith H.
Yelp
When I visit a new restaurant, I try not to pass judgement purely on food alone. I prefer to take into consideration a multitude of factors: aesthetics, friendliness of staff, bar selection, locations, and speed of kitchen. This place seemed to hit the nail on the head with all fronts considered.
Let's talk about location first. Who can go wrong with a restaurant adjacent to the beltline within a short walk from Ponce City Market? NO ONE! Look no further if you're in the mood for good food on the East Side Beltine trail.
Now the aesthetics of the interior. Very chic! Elaborate interior and romantic outside patio seating perfect for an intimate night with a group of friends or for a date. I'm a sucker for a good layout lol.
The bar selection had a wide selection of spirits, but I had my eyes set on the wine menu. My apologies, but I don't recall the brand of wine I ordered, but it was a red blend. I know that doesn't say much, but it as $14 if that helps. Nonetheless, it tasted like someone hit the nail on the head with their reds! At least for me.
Our bartender (Jay) was AMAZING! I recall him saying he was rather new, but he didn't skip a beat. You could tell he was comfortable with holding a conversation with customers that didn't feel forced or so focused on encouraging someone to spend more money. He was helpful with trimming down my choices and settling on the tacos! I'm not usually a taco person, but I DESTROYED them thangs . Also, kudos to Estrella for using corn based tortillas instead of flour. No disrespect, but everyone knows maize is best .
Lastly, I wasn't running a stopwatch or anything, but those tacos and plantains came out in easily under 15 mins lol. Usually I'd raise an eyebrow at food that's prepared too quickly. I'm always fearful maybe someone else sent back an order and it was passed along to the next patron to save on product, but the flavor and freshness of the food were exactly what I imagined.
To add icing on the cake, the owner of the restaurant was in the room and overheard my friend and in deliberating about the ceviche earlier in the night, so he was polite enough to throw a ceviche our way free of charge. Big thanks for that!
All in all, I give this place a 5 out of 5 and you'll be seeing my face again this summer when it warms up! Thanks for the food!