Sue H.
Yelp
Lunch with a GF. Food fabulous. Service so so. Atmosphere was HOT HOT HOT. Music was so loud we couldn't hear each other without leaning forward. Frankly, this is my second visit before I wrote a review. A previous happy hour will also be detailed.
Today, a Wednesday at 1145 am, we purposely waited a very long time to ensure we had an inside table before ordering at the counter. It was a competitive game, and we lost out on a table by not paying attention to someone who skirted the lobby and claimed it first. Despite previous feedback, this lovely new restaurant again had all the doors standing wide open to admit the blistering heat. On a day that was 111 degrees by 1 pm. And so unsurprisingly, tables inside are hot too. Very limited indoor seating and we will be experiencing high temps for the entire months of June, July August and September before things regularly dip below 100 degrees here. So what are they thinking? Turn the tables quickly because everyone is miserable? Because they aren't saving money or the environment blowing all that AC out the open doors.
Lunch was excellent. I had the bistro steak salad. No pics but wow, it was perfect. Medium and tender, steak clearly cooked to order and sliced. Placed next to the salad, it had a delicious au jus which melted with the goat cheese on the plate so the salad frankly required no dressing. Although the house vinaigrette was good, I kind of like the gravy on my salad. Tiny bits of red pepper, sunflower seeds and tender lettuce it was simple and delicious. The steak had a lightly flavored chimichurri but I ordered their green hot sauce to spike it up. Wow!
Companion had the kale and quinoa salad, she forgot to order the fish on it. And apparently the cashier didn't suggest a protein. She didn't finish the whole salad while I was almost licking my plate, so I suggest ordering the steak! Still hungry and wanting to supplement, she went up to the coffee bar and ordered a butterscotch latte that was still too sweet with only one pump. Anyway, she got a large cup of ice and made two drinks out of it. This prolonged our possession of the table and therefore extended our GF visit by another half hour. But frankly if I want a good talk, this is not the place because we struggled to hear each other even at lunch.
Next I mention the happy hour a few weeks ago. 4 pm and also hot. Inside table, doors open, flies. Food fabulous!!! We loved the mezze plate with a better red pepper and walnut dip than I can make myself. The lebne dip, meh. Whipped feta is supposed to taste like something, and lebne is yogurt cheese, this dip was neither.
Friend had the chips and the gorgeous crunchy chicken sandwich. I had the deviled eggs and a rice bowl. Eggs were heavily yolky, lots of mayo maybe?
Chips looked awesome and she introduced me to their magical green hot sauce, yum! I put it on the grilled loup de mere white fish, which I had on the heirloom rice bowl. And what a bowl, so savory. Sorrel pesto, kale, egg, mushrooms. Couldn't stop eating it and yet super filling. Service was better at dinner, with offers of water refills and boxes for leftovers timely made.
The Greyhound (which was mixed as the slushy machine was broken) was great but not a bargain at $10. Also, there is no happy hour at this location. Sad face.
So, to summarize I will be back for the food perhaps on a takeout basis (or patio time when the weather is better) but I see many many months when dining inside or outside at Ingo's is insufferable.