Silvie C.
Yelp
Picking two stars based on Yelp's added comment where two stars indicate "could've been better" versus three stars which indicate "OK." I wish I could rate three but given the service, food and atmosphere I must say I was disappointed even for COVID times and social distancing.
My out of town friend was visiting and she asked for a "cute brunch place," so I booked a patio table for noon after seeing the photos of the main patio online. To my dismay, we were sat in the private room/smaller area that is still considered the patio and more of an afterthought, as the main room was full. Already disappointed, it set the tone for the rest of our experience.
My friend and I opted for the pitcher of breakfast margs ($40) to go with the steak and eggs ($28) and Spanish baked eggs ($22). The pitcher arrived relatively quickly, followed by a 20 minute wait without anyone checking on us until our food landed on the table. Here is where I started to believe that this place makes their money on alcohol sales in hopes that patrons continue to drink their bevs and gloss over the food.
The marg was fine and the pitcher was definitely huge so I can't complain there. My friend's skirt steak needed way more salt and wasn't even cut against the grain. The chimi needed more vinegar, fresh garlic and salt because it lacked that needed brightness and punchiness, it ended up being bland on top of chewy bland. As for my Spanish baked eggs topped with chives instead of the advertised cilantro, the poached eggs (I dunno why the menu says baked eggs and describes the dish as poached eggs underneath--semantics) weren't runny but perhaps I should've specified that to my waiter (I also understand that weekend brunch service as a chef/cook is a hellish and difficult shift due to the volume of eggs being pumped out the kitchen). The toast with my eggs was just sourdough toast, no butter or oil. Overall my baked eggs were alright and I liked the tang of cheddar and sour cream but I've had better for cheaper. After paying the check, my waiter brought over two margs to-go (is this legal?), which was appreciated.
All that being said, I think this place could've been much better in terms of experience and food and I have little incentive to return. By the time I left, all indoor seats were filled and there was a line almost reaching the end of the block so, clearly this establishment has been doing fine without my patronage. No harm, no foul, it's just not the place for me.