Jeanne P.
Yelp
Tio Javi's continues its downward spiral for food and service and its upward soar in prices. This used to be our go to place for group dinners and after work gatherings, but it is clear that the restaurant doesn't really welcome that anymore. My colleagues continue to suggest Tio Javi's for work gatherings given its past reputation, but each time, we leave feeling as though our business was not welcomed. We are not your rowdy young crowd, and many in the group have held past restaurant experience or at least are respectful of the employees and go out of our way to simplify the experience of handling a larger group. The margaritas as of late taste more of fake sugar than authentic, or the sour in the mix is overpowering for the rocks variety. Depending on your bartender, other cocktails sometimes hit the mark, but other times, lack flavor or the proper amount of alcohol. Our last experience was for a late lunch after leaving work a little early, but our waitress seemed like she was rushing us so she could leave (i get it, her shift was soon to end, but they should have assigned a large party to someone who wasn't getting off a half hour after we were seated). The hard taco shells I had were soggy by arrival time, meat and toppings sliding off. And just about everything on everyone's plate was doused in liquid cheese or over sauced, drowning the flavor of the ingredients from shining through.
Given the many other options out there and the many other places embracing larger groups, Tio Javi's is sadly falling behind on our gatherings radar. I hope the past few years have just been a fluke, and I do hope it rises back to its glory of yesteryear. However, if I am directing visitors to our city, Tio Javi's doesn't even cross my mind any more.