Mark K.
Yelp
This was our first time here, and we came for a birthday celebration.
The first thing we noticed was the ambiance and environment. It was amazingly colorful and beautiful, with great use of lighting, colors, and textures. The place actually has a few different dining areas, and this added to the depth of the impact when we walked in. Of course, being greeted by a large "dead cow" was a great touch to begin with, and the kids loved it.
We waited shortly and were shown to the enclosed patio dining area. It featured a fireplace along with space heaters, so it was pretty warm despite being a chilly night.
Our server greeted us while others brought water to the table. The menu was also new to us, so although we had scoped it out on Yelp, we looked it over a bit to see if we missed anything good.
For starters, we ordered a margarita flight - priorities! You get a choice of three flavors for this, and we tried the spicy cucumber, hibiscus, and classic flavors.
Then, as the flight was landing (see what I did there?! ) we were ready to order the food. We started with a Papito salad (romaine kettuce, watermelon radish, avocado, cherry tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and queso fresco with Green Goddess dressing) and quesadilla con hongos (crimini mushrooms, caramelized onions, thyme, garlic, epazote - an aromatic herb - and Oazaca cheese) for appetizers. Then we moved on and ordered a carne asada, a quesabirria (with birria braised short ribs, a chile relleno (stuffed with roasted corm zucchini, mushrooms, onions, and Oaxaca cheese in a roasted chili tomato sauce), and a kid's solo taco.
The food arrived promptly, but it all came at once, salad and all. This is not a big problem, but it is not optimal. The food was hot and ready to eat.
The dishes were good, and the carne asada and quesabirria were particularly well-liked. The salad was fresh and tasty, and the Green Goddess was a nice flavor change. The chile relleno was interesting, for the sauce was very soupy, and the vegetables inside added to that loose consistency; the veggies were different indeed, and not a bad idea. The sauce--yes, it did say roasted chili--was a bit too spicy. The quesadilla con hongos was very different. It had a "tortilla" like a thick masa, not a flour tortilla, and the mushrooms were plentiful and very earthy in flavor. It was great if you like mushrooms.
We had room for dessert, so we ordered a churros and a tres leches cake. The churros were hot when they arrived, but the texture was not crispy but chewy. The chocolate sauce it came with tasted like the chocolate ice cream topping sauce from a bottle - not good. The tres leches lacked any real flavor, but there was lots of leche, which the kids liked. We have had better.
They brought the birthday boy his own "birthday churros," which was a nice touch.
The food overall was good, but lacking in some areas, such as the desserts.
The service was excellent, with a large crew running dishes, refilling the waters, and clearing dishes promptly. Our server, Rolando, did a fine job coordinating everything for us.
The margarita flight was a hit. There was just enough for a few adults to share a taste or two, and the cucumber and the hibiscus were the favorites.
It is a great place overall, and considering the food, beverages, desserts, service, and ambiance, it was a 4.5 - we look forward to returning.