John S.
Yelp
Everything on the menu is overpriced. Let's just get that out of the way right now.
The first time I came here, I ordered the nachos with mushrooms, and I dined in. When the nachos came, I could not believe the size of the order, and it was presented so beautifully that I almost felt the ridiculous price wasn't ridiculous. For the next twenty minutes or so, I savored that order of nachos as I read a magazine. I felt like circa-2008 John S. sitting at the Herbivore on Divis (RIP) reading the Bay Guardian (RIP).
Sadly, no other visit has lived up to that first, five-star experience. Almost every other time I've come, I've done takeout, and I usually do the nachos with mushrooms. But when you order them to go, they don't give you as much, and the presentation factor is out the window. Add to that the fact that their very unusual cheese--I've never had it anywhere else--is very hit-or-miss, and the rating drops down to a very low four stars.
The physical space is warm and inviting, and the separate eating area to the right (as you walk in) is the place to be. But beware of coming at night, or any time that seems like dinnertime. They blast music videos at a ridiculous volume, and later at night they have karaoke, at an even more ridiculous volume. Often, when I call in my order, the person on the phone can't even hear me because it's so loud inside.
They never seem to give me enough chips with my nachos, so I used to ask for extra chips when I called in, but I stopped doing this, because although they did charge me for extra chips, they often put them in the nachos (supposedly) rather than giving me a separate bag. Now, I add the chips when I pick it up to ensure that they're not stiffing me. And it's no joke; those few chips are either $1.50 or $2 extra.
The food is between four and five stars. The look of the place is four stars. The service is four stars. The loudness of the place is one star. Three stars it is!