David T.
Yelp
Where to begin?! I'm glad this place has changed hands because I wasn't overly impressed with its previous incarnation. I'd read good things from other Yelpers about its current state and decided it would be a good choice for a weekday dinner out.
Stepping out of the throng of noise inside the restaurant to visit the mens room, I was delightfully reminded of some of the haciendas where I had stayed in Costa Rica a few years ago. The rustic design and interesting artworks really sell this place for me. We were out for dinner on what I thought was a balmy night outside but my mother had other ideas so we sat indoors.
We were sat at a long table with planterbox dividers splitting it into three smaller table areas. I was apprehensive at first because I was hoping to have a nice family dinner with my parents and my partner and it didn't seem fitting to share a table with another group (not trying to sound snobby, but it all turned out well in the end)
I will throw in this tip here and also in tips: If you want an animated, busy, exciting dinner with lots! of noise, opt for a table in the main indoors dining space.
If you want a quieter, more intimate experience, perhaps ask for somewhere outside or in another area.
I found the service top-notch. Attentive, detailed assistance with menu choices, quick drinks brought to the table, no hovering over us trying to move us along, not too frantic or rushed, friendly and fun. Some solid staff recruitment choices have gone on here.
We decided to share our food, and I'm really glad we did. For starters, we had corns on the cob...on skewers, chicken wings and nachos. All amazing flavours, great portion size and came out really quickly.
For mains, we had the pork spare ribs (so good with the habanero sauce!), vegetarian enchaladas, duck tacos, chicken tacos, lamb tacos and tuna tacos. None of it fell below a level of supreme delicious for any of us. The tuna was a real standout with the watermelon salsa really lifting the flavour profile. All of that food between five people almost got finished, but not quite. The waiter was happy to give us a to-go bag with the leftover enchilada and taco.
The wine list was easy to navigate and it was a reasonable price for a bottle (or two!) of red. We opted for the 2011 Aramis (Mclaren Vale) shiraz. As far as 2011 reds goes, this was a standout.
All up, it was a top night. The noise factor did get to me towards the end of the evening, but it doesn't really reflect on the venue itself...except that they could use some noise diffusers on the walls and ceiling.
I will venture back soon and try a different area. Hasta pronto Hispanic Mechanic!