Karla M.
Yelp
I am so happy a food hall has finally opened in Rhode Island that is close to me. I finally had the opportunity to go and after getting out of the car, I was already impressed with their outdoor seating area. They have lots of tables, some with umbrellas and others without. They have real grass in the center, and some lawn games. In the corner they have a little playground for kids. They really took into consideration a lot of different age groups.
The inside is also spacious, with high tables, and regular tables, and lots of windows to allow for natural lighting. Some sources claim that all together, this hall can fit approximately 600 people. The bartender informed us that on some Friday nights or weekends, they have bands and other people to provide entertainment which makes for a really nice time out in the city. I was expecting for there to be more options - maybe in the future - but for now, they only have seven including Dune Brothers (seafood), Dolores (Mexican), There, There (burgers), Giusto (Italian), Mother Pizzeria (Italian), Little Chaska (Indian), and Tolia (Turkish and Anatolian cuisine). I would say this is a good range of cuisines.
Since my friend came here before, I trusted him to make the decision on which food to get. We got the fish sandwich from Dune Brothers ($15) and four ribeye tacos from Dolores ($5.75 each). They ask for your phone number when you pay so they can text you when your order is ready. On really busy days, I know this feature comes in handy. Our food was ready in about 10 minutes and we sat outside.
Both plates looked amazing, but I do have to admit the fish sandwich was intimidating. It was about 5-6 inches tall, so I stared at it for a good minute or two thinking about which approach I should take to eat it. The fish was coated in what looked like cornflakes which made for a really crispy finish. The fish itself did not have too much flavor on its own, but the toppings gave it all the flavor. The cheese is grilled onto the bun, the cole slaw has more of a vinegar taste instead of mayo. The pickles seemed to be homemade and didn't have a strong dill/vinegar taste. I wish they were crunchy, but they were really floppy. I loved the sauce they put on the bottom bun; it might have been a tartar or something close. The tacos had a very generous amount of steak, and it was tender but might have needed just a pinch of salt more (they do have salt packets). There were also sauteed peppers, onions, and maybe some jalapeno on top. All of this was on top of blue corn tortillas which were starting to get soggy towards the end of our meal so make sure to not let them sit for too long. It was a simple taco but overall very flavorful.
There is parking, but it is not free - they validate it for you so you only end up paying about half the price. You can park at the mall which is free the first 2 hours and $2 for 3-5 hours and isn't too far of a walk.