I had lunch at this Mexican restaurant (which means fat mermaid/siren) on a side street (Palmetto) yesterday. They had three strikes off the bat, but, they may have done enough to subdue my ire. I had their taco (2) plate for $6 and their watermelon and tomatillo salad for $3.50 (usually $6). The tacos (soft or hard) were ok. The chicken was a little too minced. The pork was way too salty. The salad had no watermelon and was poorly described on the menu. It was more of a "salad" salad than a tomatillo and watermelon salad. I asked about the absence of watermelon and the manager affirmed that it was in there. It wasn't. He said they were discontinuing it anyway because watermelon is not in season. They should think of permanently moth balling it. The salad had a spicy homemade cheese in it. It opened a wound on your tongue that the vinegar from the tomatillos and dressing inflamed like hydrochloric acid on a cut. Just poorly envisioned. They also served chips and salsa with the meal. The menu said it was extra, but, everyone had them and it wasn't added to the bill. The salsa (supposedly with a "kick") had an onion water taste. It was awful and had no "kick". The chips were similarly bad. They felt brittle. It was like the difference between baked potato chips and fried potato chips (these being baked). They also threw in a soda. Nice. The menu said iced tea or coffee so I was preparing for a fine print mugging that never came. Now back to the strikes. They didn't have the tomatillo pie that I ordered and the staff wasn't informed of it's absence. They wouldn't substitute a a small taste of the tomatillo salad for the rice and beans that come with the tacos. The lack of watermelon already mentioned. I was placated when they did the following: they didn't charge for chips or soda, they only charged $3.50 for the salad, they let me mix the taco order, they offered a refill, they took credit cards.
The place is on the corner next to a wine bar. I think it was an art studio/drink place before. They have been open for two or four months or so. It has an orange and yellow backdrop. They have a lot of knick knacks as decoration. I think I saw some Colombian art, but, they tried to make it Mexican. They have Japanese lanterns hanging from the ceiling. They have a bar and a patio garden. The main room seats about thirty in table and eight at the bar. All the seats were full when I was there. The service (2) may be a little lean. It took an all hands on deck approach to supplement the "dedicated" wait staff. The menu is smallish. They have some ambitious items. However, the place just smells of gringo. It seems like a place run by non-Mexicans. The quality of the items I had evinced a lack of familiarity with the region's cooking methods and flavors. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these recipes weren't being tried for the first time on us - the customers. It will do fine because the area needed this slot filled, but, it is not a place to put on your shopping list if you are going for the food. The just reviewed - La Fonda - had a better cook in the kitchen.
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